Monday, December 5, 2011

God's Beauty Treatment

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God's spa treatment is not ideally what we think of when culturally we approach our beauty treatments in a completely different light. Culturally we are concerned about the outward appearance. We concentrate on weight, facial beauty, hair, clothing, etc. We are concerned about things on the outside. Things which can be seen with the eye. However true beauty to God comes from the the things that cannot be seen. It is from the inside, it is the heart. That is what God sees. Beauty treatment and transformation of the heart takes place in a very different way. A main source of this beauty treatment is accomplished through suffering.

Matthew 5:48 tells us "to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Yet this is a type of treatment like going to a spa. It is not a striving for perfection. It is in meaning we are to be brought to completeness. It is a process and we cannot do this on our own. Our Father is perfect and complete and when we are with Him we will be too but until then we are in process. 


In context Matthew 5 is the teaching of Jesus called the Sermon on the Mount. It is really radical because it is counter cultural. It is opposite of what people know and live. Yet it is the way of Christ. When we belong to Him His Spirit resides in us and starts changing us and making us more and more like Him. As He is making us like Him we must start learning to say no to sin while walking in His ways. We walk and learn and grow as we are covered by His grace. It is an amazing thing and this changes us. Just knowing His love for us changes us.



Again here we have the word perfection again. Perfecting comes from trials or troubles. James 1:2-4.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Another way to grow in Him is being tried. Endurance training when fully developed will perfect you. One of the ways we are made more like Him. Hebrews 5:8 states, "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered." Think about this, Jesus the incarnate son of God - God Himself in the flesh had to learn obedience through suffering. He was so fully human that this had to happen. This is how obedience is taught. If He fully God and fully man had to learn this way how much more so must we? Suffering should not surprise us. It is God making us more beautiful. Just as a beauty treatment may hurt so this purification may as well. But take heart...

Hebrews 12:6-11states, "For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.  If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way."

Isn't that great?! We are deeply loved as we are disciplined because God does not want us to remain the same He seems more beauty in us than we dare imagine is there. He has amazing plans for us if we let it train us. Don't ruin His treatment plan in your life, come forth beautiful. And the final result is this,

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world" (1 Peter 1:7).

And isn't this the best kind of praise we could want the kind that brings ultimate glory to the Father the one who loves us more than anything else. The One who made a way for us by giving His Son. The One who is our all? I will leave you with hope as you endure this spa treatment. Endure as you reflect on His great love for you. These are His words. Will you believe them by faith?



God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. ~Isaiah 62:5

For the Lord With his love, he will calm all your fears. your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” ~Zephaniah 3:17

Dear One will you trust Him as He makes you more beautiful? He is the One who truly is trust worthy. On the other side of it we will really be able to see more clearly. Let us share that beauty with the world.

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