Makeover

What do you to refresh or regain focus? How about a makeover? 

Good mothers are working hard every day all over the world. We are not working to gain some sort of acclaim or manmade glorification from others. Actually, most of us are wondering, “Is there an easier way??” However, it is just a reality that raising children is hard WORK. Anyone who holds that little bundle of joy for the first time and does not have someone speaking truth into her life about the work ahead is in for a rude awakening. It is a false sense of reality to think you will reap good harvest without the work going into sowing well as a mother. So, the question posed above is how to ‘makeover’ and ‘refresh’ with such a demanding undertaking. 

First of all, I think it is pretty neat to see women at their best physically. After all, if we are Christians, we represent Christ. If the Lord God is our Father, we represent Him well when we do well and present well. If you are a parent and reading this page, how would you feel if your child was broken down, busted, and disgusted while you were very wealthy, well-off, and satisfied? You would feel pretty ashamed that your child was not doing better; after all, you do have the ability to give them what they need. Well, if we humans know how to give our children good things, how much more the Lord? (Matt. 7:11) The Lord God, Almighty, owns everything. Therefore, we should not be ashamed to receive from Him what we need and be taken care of. So, of course, it shines well on Who our Daddy is when we present ourselves well and take care of ourselves physically. There is, however, balance. Far too many times we see feminine focus fixated on the exterior, while the interior remains a wreck.

Wrecked Interior

In our family, we love doing Biblical illustrations. Since our children were young, we would have them illustrate the wonderful imagery that our Holy Word dictates. When we sit down to Bible time (Dad, Mom & the children), our children are enthralled with bringing art supplies and finding a Scripture to create a picture about. Below is an intriguing illustration that our 16 year-old made this year:

Scripture states, “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman that lacks discretion” (Prov. 11:22). Dictionary.com defines discretion as “prudence or decorum”. If a woman lacks prudence (wisdom in practical affairs) and decorum (dignified propriety of behavior, speech, and orderliness) I think the manicure and pedicure are the least of her troubles. It is equivalent to going to a nearby farm and choosing the most slothful sow covered with mud, excrement, and fodder. Next, we decorate her with a ring of gold in her snout, then we load her up and enter her in a nearby fashion show or beauty pageant. It just makes no sense. The nature and condition of the beast has been underestimated and focus has been put onto the wrong area.

Makeovers and girltime are certainly feminine, fun, and fantastic. However, do you know what is even more fantastic? It is even more fantastic to allow ourselves to be spiritually made over each day as we become more like Christ in reflecting His image. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me,” (Gal. 2:20).

It is of utmost importance for us to be concerned with our inward man at a much grander interest than we are focused on our outward appearance. How we ‘refresh’ and care of our image is healthy, but not nearly as healthful as how we nourish our hearts. How do we treat people? How we treat people is important, and we must continually realize that these outward emissions are coming from our heart and our meditations. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34).

“Do no let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the  heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” (1 Pet. 3:3-4).

Refresh

It is very refreshing to gather together with other like-minded women of the faith. I have been blessed so many times in my life to glean wisdom from so many great women of the Word. That is how I like to refresh. I enjoy an occasional pedicure here and there from my 13 year old daughter (she is very good at that). I also like to go to the hair stylist and get a relaxing shampoo and restyling. However, these things are just temporal; and if I depend of them for true reenergizing and rejuvenation, I will be there once a day and twice on Saturdays! I have 8 children and need constant refilling just to keep on top of all of the heart/spiritual ministry I have to pour out within my home. That is not even including the tangible ministries where I have to serve my children with my physical self – either by pregnancy, nursing, teaching, restraining, or training. It is a full time job. So, my refreshment has to come from within:

“Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3)

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’” (John 4:13-14)

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38)

For believers, it comes from within. We can unite that with others of Christ's Family for a firework explosion of refreshment for all of us gathered! Thank you Jesus Christ for being my Refreshment. Even if I am shut inside my four walls with all there is to do in a day, the Refresher is right here with me every step of the way; refreshing me with the beauty of His salvation and His presence.

I am still trying to remain focused on these Scriptures when things get rough…God is great and I can do all things through Christ. So can you!

Still refreshing…