Short Thoughts - Courageous vs. Gorgeous

Sometime back I was looking for a mug to send to a lady who happens to have lupus. I have known someone personally who has lupus and I know it's a tough illness to deal with. Many days are an uphill battle all day. There is pain and suffering and medications that make life hard at times, and there is depression from the constant struggle. The spiritual battle must be immense.

I was browsing on Amazon looking for something to send this lady when I misread a mug that said "Hello, Gorgeous."  I thought it read, "Hello, Courageous." When I realized my mistake I wondered, "Well, why not courageous?" I would rather be more courageous than gorgeous.

Why is it that women seem to need to be told they're beautiful or "sexy" so much? Why not remind a lady who has a hard fight every day of her life that she is courageous? Because, you know she has to be or she wouldn't have made it this far. Why don't we encourage attitudes and actions of real value instead of vain things like beauty and external attributes? Physical strength, beauty, attractiveness - they are all so temporary.

God put this in His word for our learning and use: Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 

True strength and courage come from the Lord.

Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. 

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

Beauty and external charms all perish along the road of life at some point. It is the hidden man that is renewed day by day and it is the adornments of that inner man that are of value in the sight of God.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Truehearted, wholehearted, faithful and loyal,
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;
Under the standard exalted and royal,
Strong in Thy strength we will battle for Thee.
-- Frances R. Havergal

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Painting by Childe Hassam