• Manicures and pedicures so that our hands and fingers appear more groomed and cared for.
• Polishing Techniques (press-ons, gel, acrylic, SNS, Shellac) to create a flash of flare, from the wave of a hand, through a glimpse of your finger tips.
• Facial products that give the appearance of flawless skin, as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
• Hair products that will shorten, lengthen, color, crinkle, or straighten our hair; creating the most unique and vivid depiction of ourselves as our minds can imagine.
• Clothing and body shapers that would enhance our fearfully and wonderfully made physique.

The advances in technology and design that allow us to enjoy creating an outer beauty led me to many thoughts. I came across this scripture and it caught my attention.

I would be hypocritical not to admit that I enjoy all of the above. Especially the pedicure. It is a frequent routine of mine to visit the nail salon. In fact, my hubby and I often go together for our “date nights.”

Oh and my hair? Oh I bless God for the creation of relaxers! Then there is clothing and shoes. I have found some of the most unique designs in fashion on Instagram made with good quality and for a reasonable cost.

But I had this thought:

What if in our culture and country, we did not have access to these things? Would we still corporately confess in a Sunday church service that “God is good?”

Have we begun to focus so much on the personification of our physical makeup that our inner makeup is dull? Does the world see the good works of fashion design or the works of Christ in and through our lives? What attention are we drawing?

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Perhaps if we did not have so much exposure to things that enhance the outer, we could focus more on the inner.

Please do not misinterpret what I am saying. I’m simply reflecting. I am not implying that we cannot or should not enjoy self-care practices. However, such practices should not take away from our inner beauty. On another note, we can be arrayed in fine clothing on the outer but our attitude is SO ugly, it covers every beautiful feature and characteristic we were blessed with.

This all led me to imagine the appearance of Jesus. He was unattractive- nothing about Him would make someone desire to be with Him.

That’s crazy!!!!!

Because He always referred to the glory He had outside of His earthen vessel.

Jesus was willing to take a 30 plus year hiatus from His Kingdom, economically poor according to worldly systems, unattractive, an outcast (unpopular with people), and untrained, according to man’s law, in the subject He was persuading people to believe.

Jesus became unattractive to attract us.

What area are you willing to be less attractive to gain the attractiveness of Christ?

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2 NIV