Inner Beauty

When I consider beauty at this time of year, I immediately think of the glory in color on the October trees. They are especially brilliant this week, it seems. I imagine after the predicted hard frost of this weekend, the leaves will begin to fall by the mound, or more likely they will be blown away in the chilling wind.

But, today I will focus on the beauty I see in others. There is nothing more beautiful than a face adorned with a smile. It radiates warmth and kindness and touches my heart. When I searched for 'smile' in the Bible I was surprised to find three of the four scriptures with 'smile' were from the book of Job. It is in the middle of a discourse by Job, as he is remembering how good his life used to be. Job is nearly prideful as he tells how others looked up to him and were so thrilled to be smiled at, by him.

"When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them," (Job 29:24 NIV).

But, in everyday situations the inner beauty that is expelled by a smile is truly priceless. Remember the first time you saw your baby's smile. His whole body seemed to work together in a wiggle to burst forth in a smile. It instantly brought a smile to your face. That is one of my favorite things about a baby; that huge glow that radiates happiness throughout the room and is contagiously adopted by each person who sees it.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 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," (1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV).

The Bible is quite clear that inner beauty is much more important than an outer appearance that dazzles. As I grow older and enjoy retirement, I find it is much easier to leave my closet-full of professional attire hanging while I grab a pair of jeans or sweats. I've even been known to run to the store or babysit without any mascara on!

"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God," (1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV).

These scriptures reveal that the key to inner beauty is a gentle, quiet spirit and the good deeds that result from beauty within. I'm going to add that a smile is also an outward result of a beautiful inside.

May you share your inner beauty with a smile for the world today.