Stop Calling Me Beautiful: Finding Soul-Deep Strength in a Skin-Deep World

by Phylicia D. Masonheimer

Being told we’re beautiful in God’s eyes is a surface response to a soul-deep problem. That problem is our own sinfulness. Sinfulness isn’t a word we like to attribute to ourselves. It’s uncomfortable and ugly. We’d much rather talk about God’s love for us—and that’s what many female writers and teachers do. But when we ignore the impact of sin on our own natures, we can’t comprehend the greatness of God’s love.

We need to hear less about us, and more about Him.

Flawed theology always turns attention away from God and onto ourselves, and that’s exactly what has happened with women’s ministry today. The messages preached to us almost inevitably focus on…us. While it might seem logical that if we focus on ourselves more, we’ll change ourselves for the better, that’s not how discipleship works. Turning our eyes to Jesus is how we are transformed. Change comes by His power, not ours.

Going deeper spiritually requires a shift of focus. We must turn our eyes away from our failures and successes, our ugliness and our God-given beauty, and instead fix our eyes on the perfection of Jesus Christ. Our self-discovery is not God’s goal. We are meant to know God and make Him known.

God wants us to experience Him. But experiencing God doesn’t begin with emotion. It begins with desire, and it is accomplished by diligence.

While justification is a one-time event at salvation (a change of status before God), sanctification is progressive. The process of being sanctified lasts all our lives and reaches fruition when we enter into glory

We don’t go deeper with God by reflecting more on ourselves, or even by reading God’s Word to look for insight about ourselves. Roots of spiritual growth develop as we seek God for who He is and allow Him to do the transforming work in our hearts that we can never do on our own. He is the one who plants the desire to seek Him. He is the one who meets us when we apply diligence in faith.

This is my season. I can resist it and miss out on God’s presence, or I can embrace it and let Him call me deeper.

The goal of time with God is worship of God.