Sunday 17 January 2010

Women: appearance

Women in the Workplace: Appearance January 2010


Appearance matters. Self-image matters

Looks; dress; manners – saying or doing the right thing;

Questions we ask ourselves: Am I smart enough? Does my bum look big in this? Why can’t I get my hair looking right?


Who am I? Who or what defines me?

When I am having a bad hair day – who am I?
When I don’t fit into a favourite pair of jeans – who am I?
When my make-up is less than flawless – who am I?
When I say the wrong thing – who am I?
When I can’t think of anything to say – who am I?

What does our appearance tell us we are?
Unattractive; beautiful – which we are proud of.
Not worth much; or we think we are more important than we really are, then get upset when others don’t give us the recognition we think we deserve.
Fat; good figure – better than...
Stupid; clever

Recognise the subtle sins we collect? Pride; self-importance; envy... even when we think we are NOT something – not beautiful, attractive, etc – we are saying to ourselves that we wish we WERE

We could beat ourselves up about this, but instead, let’s look at a few Bible verses which will encourage.

Let’s remember that, whatever, we look like, sound like... Jesus loves us.
Karl Barth: Jesus loves me, this I know, because the Bible tells me so.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 (New International Version)
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is like the wise man?
Who knows the explanation of things?
Wisdom brightens a man's face
and changes its hard appearance. NIV
1 How wonderful to be wise,
to analyze and interpret things.
Wisdom lights up a person’s face,
softening its harshness. New Living Translation

1 There's nothing better than being wise, Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life.
Wisdom puts light in the eyes,
And gives gentleness to words and manners. The Message

On the other hand…

2 Samuel 14:25 (New International Version)
25 In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.

And then there was Jesus...
Isaiah 52:14 (New International Version)
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him [a]—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
Isaiah 53:2 (New International Version)
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.



Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
And later...
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Captivating pages 12 - 17

“I just have some serious prayers invested, a few things I've done right, a bucket load of things I've done wrong, and the grace of a very forgiving God”.
Lysa Terkeust, on her blog.

http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/