Are You Clothed?~ Inner Beauty Revelation Column by Madeline Hunt

Rather clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus. Romans 13:14
Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.1Peter 5:5b
She is clothed with strength and dignity. Proverbs 31:25a

Although you may take great care to dress modestly or femininely, how much time do you spend clothing your heart? Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that He is more concerned with our heart than our outward appearance. If you devote yourself to adorning your heart carefully, your inner beauty will shine through. I challenge you to record the amount of time you spend getting dressed, showering, and getting ready; include any “touch-up” during the day. Compare that with the time you spend adorning your heart each morning. The character traits in the verses above will bless you and others, but first you must be willing to devote the time that it will take.

Picture yourself shopping for an outfit for a special occasion. You will make sure everything coordinates and looks lovely. You may even buy new jewelry to complement the outfit. On the day of the event, you will make sure the clothes are clean before putting them on, and you will be careful to keep them clean all day.

Do you go through the same process with your heart? The spiritual clothing of your heart is so much more important than the physical clothing of your body. It is hard to focus on the appearance of our hearts instead of our physical appearance. But it will be so worth it! Your relationship with God and others will improve, you will be a light to others, and you inner beauty will be evident to everyone, and your life will be a testimony! Are you willing to devote what it takes? I challenge you to choose one of these “spiritual articles of clothing” to pray for whenever you are tempted to worry about the way you look.