Unveiling Beauty

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a woman's beauty and how beauty is the essence of a woman - but not in the way the media portrays. You've heard it before, that from photoshopped magazines to overly form-fitting clothes, our culture constantly tells women that beauty and appearance are synonyms.

You know that beauty runs deeper than seduction or attraction or a clothing size , but what does this mean for living in beauty on a daily basis?

"Every woman has a beauty to unveil." (Captivating). 


Every bride, no matter her age, body, weight, radiates beauty. Her face isn't creased with worry about measuring up. She isn't trying to prove her worth. She saunters down the aisle fully aware and acceptant of the love waiting at the end. 

But it's not just brides- every woman has a beauty to unveil. That means you and me.  


Think of other women you know who emanate beauty, not just in outward appearance but in their whole being. Most likely they have a humble confidence. By this, I mean that they have "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit," and they are fully secure in this beauty (1 Peter 3:4). Don't mistake "gentle and quiet" for being timid, mousy, quiet, a doormat, a pushover, etc. 


A woman with a gentle and quiet spirit is at peace, knowing she does not have to strive for perfection because beauty is already a part of who she is. She has fully been embraced by "a heart of faith, a heart that trusts in God, a spirit that has been quieted by his love and filled with his peace" (Captivating). In fact, a beautiful woman is becoming more and more who she is meant to be, whether this is funny, loud, introspective, inquisitive, thoughtful...


This kind of beauty is what invites others in. "A woman of true beauty offers others the grace to be and the room to become" (Captivating). By unveiling your beauty and being all of who you are, you also invite others to experience beauty - in you and in themselves.  

Striving for perfection takes away our beauty. Instead of being transparent and being embraced by others, it pushes them away. I encourage you to read this blog post about being confident in your beauty (not in a prideful, haughty way) but in a way that allows you to be embraced.

    And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

        So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

    The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

        But tell of days in goodness spent,

    A mind at peace with all below,

        A heart whose love is innocent!

-George Gordon, Lord Byron, "She Walks in Beauty"