Reason #839
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." – Proverbs 31:30
It’s the things. The things that are charming and desirable. The things of this world that are held in esteem. Opportunities and situations that seem beautiful and pleasing. It’s the jobs, the titles, the experiences, the possessions and appearances that are praised. That perfect job. The one with incredible benefits, the exact amount of pay, the perfect hours, and just the right amount of work that is not stressful but is fun. It seems so charming on paper. It seems so charming when you are on the outside looking in and you find yourself thinking, “Oh, if I could just do that. That’d be perfect, and I’d finally feel fulfilled.”
It’s the mom who has a handful of little cuties following her around. Making her cards with little handprints and saying cute things that she posts on Facebook. It seems so delightful, the way she gets to spend her afternoon with them romping around in the back yard in their little bathing suits as the sprinkler cools them off from the heat. The beauty of having that little perfect family who eats dinner around the table, who snuggles on the couch watching Pixar movies, and you think, “If I could just have that, my life would be absolutely complete.”
And then there’s that wife. The one who cooks like a dream and doesn’t even reference a recipe while she does it. The one who doesn’t let enough dust accumulate on her furniture so that you could actually spell your name out in it… or “write clean” me as a kind reminder. The one who will gladly go backpacking and hiking with her husband because she’s an all around, well balanced woman. She’s the lady who doesn’t look like a hot, sweaty mess at the first football game of the season when it’s 100 million degrees and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. Somehow, her sweat turns into a “glow,” her hair perfectly fixed, her make-up doesn’t run down her face, and her husband can put his arm around her without leaving a huge sticky sweat mark across the back of her shirt. She walks into the room and everyone else pales in comparison to her. Her perfectly defined legs, her blemish free skin. And you wonder how she does it. How is it that she wears every hat perfectly? How is it that she’s so even keeled and sweetly patient? She is never overly emotional but just the right amount so that she doesn’t end her night in tears after a hard day but always has a smile on her face. She’s charming and beautiful and you think, “If I could be that way, I’d have it made.”
It’s the girl who leads worship without missing a beat. Who finishes singing and you want to jump up and shout “Amen!” The one who teaches and encourages and compels people in a way that’s so inspiring. The lady whose words are so divinely inspired that they become little quotes on pinterest. The charm of being her, of being “somebody.” The beauty of being known and recognized and knowing you’re making a noticeable difference. But charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting.
It’s the woman who fears the Lord that is to be praised. Not the woman with the perfect job. Not the mother with a house full of children. Not the wife who wears every hat perfectly and looks perfect in each one. It’s not the woman whose talent is unmatched or whose words are inspiring. It’s not the one who has the most money, the best decorated house, the incredible culinary skills, or the perfect body. It’s the woman who fears the Lord. The woman who pursues God, who chases after Him, who submits and surrenders her life to Him, who depends on Him because she is so incapable to succeed on her own, that is to be praised. It’s the woman who leans on God every single day because if she doesn’t, she will fall flat on her face. The woman who is counting on God to pick her back up when she falls down because her weak knees give out more often than she’d like and only He can help her make a graceful recovery. It’s the woman who keeps trusting God’s plan is perfect even when it isn’t looking like she imagined, and it’s the one who keeps following Him when she has no idea where the path is leading. She is the one to be praised. Because life isn’t always charming. More often than not it’s frustrating. And blue skies can quickly turn grey without notice, but the Lord never changes. The Lord remains. And so when the things of this world are fleeting, when they seem to be getting away from you… or running away from you for that matter, when you’ve been deceived into thinking you’d have it all only to find out you were wrong, when the charm has died out and the beauty is hard to see, fear the Lord because “the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.” (Psalm 147:11)
#839 - Because His delight is in those who fear Him.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. – Psalm 33:18
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. – Psalm 128:1