I grew up looking forward to the day that I could wear make up and get my hair and nails done. I looked at Barbie and thought to myself, “I want to look like the brown version of her!” (Yup, that came out of my head!) Fast forward a few years, and I bought every kind of makeup that I could afford to make me feel pretty. I wore my hair straight, curly, up and down. My nails were done twice a month, and on and on it went.

And yet, as time went on, I let all of that go. I could blame it all on a busy schedule, a house full of kids, the cats and the needy dog… Sure, but it did not happen overnight, so how did this really happen? Well, it happened one thing and one day at a time. I got out of bed one morning and thought, “These yoga pants don’t look too bad to be out in,” or, “I can just wear my hair in a ponytail, again.” Soon it was all out no make up, hair in a frizzy bun and a work out outfit that I had actually worked out in. I went out in public looking a hot mess! I went out just this morning looking like I have given up. If only my 20 year old self could have seen a picture of that, she would have been mortified!

It wasn’t until I stumbled on a website that demonstrated that women of all ages can look great that I was jarred out of my funk. I saw this woman go from plain to breathtaking in a few minutes with the help of a few bottles, tubes and brushstrokes. Know that I am not deceiving myself to think that I can be a super model (Unless they take very curvy, 4’ 9” little women, I don’t stand a chance), but I do believe that by our outward appearance, we say a lot about our inside. And I stand before you ashamed that I have let things go. “How do I fix this?” you ask? Well lucky for me, I still have all the makeup needed and I am able to run to the restroom to pile it on, run a brush though my hair, and viola! I am feeling human again. I am not Barbie for sure, but I am a better-looking version of me.

This brings me to the moral of the story: Just as we can become relaxed and complacent with what is visible on the outside, we can become just so with our hearts because we can’t see it with our human eyes. God does not care one bit if we have on clean socks, a nice blouse, skinny or fat jeans; He cares about what our heart looks like!

Colossians 3:12-17 reads; “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (emphasis mine).

Let me list for you what is to be put on our hearts. Just as make up makes our faces prettier, these things make our heart beautiful in God’s eyes: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We are to bear with one another, forgive each other, and most of all we are to put on love. Love… isn’t God love? Therefore we are to put Him in our hearts first and foremost! Proverbs 15:13 tells us that “A joyful heart makes a cheerful face.” Well, I would have to say that is a true statement, wouldn’t you? A heart full of God cannot but shine for all to see! How is that for radiant skin? No lipstick can color your lips a better look than God’s amazing gospel. Imagine the look called, “Sharing Salvation.” How about eyes that see sinners in need of saving rather than just the sin? Oh, how they would be the look to strive for!

Today is the day to hold up that mirror and ponder, “Am I beautiful to my God?” If you are, or have been “letting yourself go,” do it no longer! Let us choose to make our hearts beautiful to our Father. What we need is compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Just as with a makeup routine, start by prepping before bed, apply in the morning, and reapply or touch up as needed throughout the day. With a little bit of practice, we can all be the “super models” that God wants us to be. Let’s go be beautiful!

By Fee Rocha
Fee and Dustin Rocha are both currently students at Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. They will be graduating in December and hope to take up work in their home state of California. They have three great children, whom Fee homeschools: Setti is 10, Hugh is 6 and Adam is 5. Dustin is Fee’s biggest literary fan, and she in turn cooks for him.