Cultivating Inner Beauty: A Heart Check

by Carolyn Mahaney

Here’s a “heart check” test for the purpose of self-examination—questions to help us discern our thoughts, motives, and goals with regard to the issue of beauty. These questions have helped me to see that all too often my desire is for self-glory rather than God's glory. Ask yourself these questions:

Do I spend more time daily caring for my personal appearance than I do in Bible study, prayer, and worship?
Do I spend excessive money on clothes, hair, and makeup, or is it an amount that is God-honoring?
Do I want to lose weight to “feel better about myself,” or do I desire to be self-disciplined for the glory of God?
Am I on a quest for thinness to impress others, or do I seek to cultivate eating habits that honor God?
Do I exercise to try to create or maintain a “good figure,” or do I exercise to strengthen my body for God’s service?
Is there anything about my appearance that I wish I could change, or am I fully grateful to God for the way He created me?
Am I jealous of the appearance of others, or am I truly glad when I observe other women who are more physically attractive than I?
Do I covet the wardrobe of others, or do I genuinely rejoice when other women are able to afford and purchase new clothing?
When I attend an event or activity, do I sinfully compare myself with others, or do I go asking God to show me whom to love and how to do it?
Do I ever dress immodestly or with the intent of drawing attention to myself, or do I always dress in a manner that pleases God?

Asking these questions on a consistent basis can help us weed out worldly values and cultivate a heart for God’s priorities.

Article from Biblical Womanhood in the Home edited by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, copyright 2002, pages 38-39. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, http://www.gnpcb.org/. Download for personal use only.