Angela Thomas’ book Do You Think I’m Beautiful has a lot of really insightful things i believe women struggle with. Some of us want to know we are beautiful physically, while others struggle to know that even with a sinful heart, we are beautiful on the inside. We want to know that people see beauty from the inside out. She quotes:

“I don’t think this is just my story. I truly believe that the longing to be known as beautiful is a part of our our design as women. God put us together this way on purpose. We are wired to long for beauty and to be known as beautiful, yet the world does a wonderful job of squelching this desire.”

I think as women we know this but we don’t truly believe it. The God that made the cells in our body designed us to have this longing. And in his complicated design of us women, only he can truly make us feel beautiful. So why do we still search for the approval of others? Why do we find ourselves not believing our worth and beauty known by our Creator is enough to satisfy? It’s because we live in an upside down kingdom. We live in a world that says that beauty is found from the outside inward. When Jesus sees our heart, the heart that is seeking truth and love, he is enthralled. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” Proverbs 31:30. And Angela hits this point it square on: “If the question ‘do you think I’m beautiful came’ attached to my soul, then maybe the answer wasn’t ever meant to fully come from this world.” Now i can rest in that.