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All through the world, the most important day that a woman gives every effort to be beautiful is her wedding day. All kinds of preparations will be made. Beauticians are in demand on this day. Attention is given to every part of her body to make sure it looks the best. The day arrives. The bride, radiant and beautiful, walks down the aisle to be received by her beaming bridegroom. The scriptures teach that God himself is eagerly waiting to meet his beautiful bride, the church that he has bought with his own blood.
Revelation 21:2
I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.
Isaiah 62:5
As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.
We are his bride! Just like a bride gets ready for her wedding day, we’d better make every effort to look beautiful for our maker on the Day.
1. What does God consider beautiful?
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
What man considers beautiful is not necessarily what God considers beautiful. Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart. God looks at our inward beauty. Lets focus on 3 areas we can change before we can meet him on that day.
Inward Beauty of Obedience
Exodus 19:5
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
When we obey him fully, we will be his treasured possession.
James 1:25
But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
How is your Bible Study?
Just as the bride uses the mirror to correct and perfect herself, we’ve got to intently look into God’s mirror, the Bible and change ourselves.
Practically: Memorize scriptures, keep it on your heart. Meditate on it and obey it.
Inward Beauty of Quiet and Gentle Spirit
1 Peter 3:3-5
3 NIV) Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.
4 NIV) Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
5 NIV) For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands,
On her wedding day, a bride adorns herself with expensive jewelry. The jewelry God expects us to have on that day is a quiet and gentle spirit. What do we put our hope in? How do we respond in difficult times or when we go through trials and challenges? God finds great worth in someone who trusts him and is completely surrendered to him. Is there any area in your life that you haven’t completely surrendered to God?
Do you try to take things into your own hands? Is there something you are discontented with or you constantly worry about? Do you have any evil desires that are contrary to God’s desire?
Example: Abraham did not worry about his future, his position or his comfort. He just believed God and thus he was considered righteous.
Inward Beauty of Christ-likeness
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
We are the body of Christ. We’ve got to become more and more like Jesus. In what area have you changed and become more like Christ since your baptism? God is at work in you, shaping you and refining you through discipling to become more like Christ. What is your attitude towards being discipled? Are you humble?
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