Women

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Reflections of a Lovely Lady

By

Kisha H. Salters

As women, we are often concerned about our appearance. How often do you check yourself in the mirror before leaving the house or go to the ladies’ room to freshen up while you are out? What do you see when you look in the mirror? What is it that you are looking for? Proverbs 31:30 states “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Reflections of a Lovely Lady…”Mirror, mirror on the wall who’s the fairest of them all?” Reflections of a Lovely Lady…Her hair perfectly coiffed…Her skin and makeup flawless… Impeccably dressed with all the matching accessories. Lovely indeed, but in whose eyes and for what reasons?
As Christian women, we do not want, or maybe I should say need, to be like the evil queen in Snow White – looking into the mirror concerned only with our vanity and making sure that we look better than those that we consider our rivals. James 1:22-24 says, “But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror. For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.” We need to look into a mirror of truth – one that reflects what God sees. And once we get a glimpse of what and who we really are, we need to acknowledge and seek to change what is not pleasing to Him.
Reflections of a Lovely Lady…Who is she a reflection of? We see the moon because it reflects the light of the sun (S-U-N). A lovely lady should reflect the light of the Son (S-O-N). Just as the moon can help us find our way and provide light in the darkness, she is to be a shining light to others. Bringing them out of the dark places and lighting their path to a more intimate relationship with Christ. She should be as Titus 2:3 says, reverent and devout in her deportment, a giver of wise counsel and a teacher of what is right and noble. When people look at her, there should be no question of who she is and, more importantly, whose she is. Matthew 13:43 states, “Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matthew 5:16 tells us to, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” So, the lovely lady lives a life that brings honor and glory to God. She becomes less, so that He can become more. She is a reflection of Him.
Think of your reflection in a pool of water. When the water is calm, your reflection is normal, but when the water becomes troubled, when its natural flow is interrupted, your reflection becomes distorted. A lovely lady is a reflection of Christ in spite of, and many times because of, her circumstances. We have to be careful not to change based on the circumstances of our lives. We must be true to Christ because He is true to us. We cannot reflect Christ only when things are going our way. In fact, I believe it to be a great testimony when we stay faithful to Him in times of trouble. God promises us His peace – peace beyond understanding. By standing on His word and refusing to believe the lies of the enemy, we can reflect the character of Christ even when the waters are troubled.
Proverbs 31 describes what God considers to be a lovely lady – a lady whose value is “far above rubies”. It is in verse 30 that he reveals to us what makes her so valuable. It is not the way she looks or the amount of things that she possesses. The secret to her value is her spiritual life. The secret, which is available to us all, is her reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord which is the beginning of Wisdom creating the true foundation for a life which is valued by God. There are many great women in the Bible, but in verse 29, we are told that this woman excels beyond them all. She did more than Miriam, who led the women of a nation in praise to God (Exodus 15:20,21); Deborah, who helped save her nation by providing military advice (Judges 4:4-10); Ruth, the woman who refused to return to her people and remained faithful to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:16); the Shunammite, who provided a resting place for Elisha whom she recognized as a man of God (II Kings 4:8-10); Huldah, the woman who revealed God’s secret message to leaders for King Josiah (II Kings 22:14) and more than Queen Esther, the woman who risked sacrificing her life to save the lives of her people (Esther 4:16). She excelled them all in her devotion to God. Often when we look at this Scripture, we think only of the ability of this woman as a homemaker. However, her devotion to God was evident in every area and relationship of her life. How many of us put God in a box? Look at your life. Is He relegated to Sunday morning worship and special afternoon programs? Do you separate your life into the spiritual and the non-spiritual?
Reflections of a lovely lady…She possesses all seven of the Christian virtues as found in II Peter 1: virtue (excellence, Christian energy), knowledge, self-control, steadfastness (patience, endurance), godliness, brotherly affection, and Christian love. These are the characteristics that the lovely lady possesses. These are the characteristics that we should see when we look in the mirror.
The next time you take a look in the mirror, look deeper. Do not look with your earthly eyes. Look with your spiritual eyes. Do you look different this time? Is something missing? For most of us, the answer is yes. But don’t despair. There’s never condemnation in God’s correction. He will not tell you to change something without giving you the power to do it.
Reflections of a lovely lady…”Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” You are! For you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in God’s image.

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