Beauty Full

The problem with beauty is that there is no problem & we don’t know it yet

Your default is beauty not being ugly or unattractive​

Can you believe it’s impossible to be ugly? Sound strange?

Lately, I've been pondering beauty in light of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and have come to believe that if God says, "you are beautiful"- and He does- He says, "you are very beautiful", than it must be true.

“You are altogether beautiful”, declares the King in Song of Solomon 4:7. Far from pat poetic phrases, these words are part of a sensual exchange between King Solomon and his beloved, capturing not only the most thrilling picture of marital love as intended by the heart of God but simultaneously revealing Christ's view of His Bride, the church. "There is no spot or flaw", He goes on to say.

Someone said this to me once at a Christian conference, a complete stranger. I was surprised & not quite believing this was really describing me yet at the same time, glad to be specifically singled out by God. Time and time again, God spoke this kind of word to me through prophecy and scripture. He emphasized this because it was true, it was always true and it was something I needed to hear and understand enough to say it's true for you.

It may be hard to believe that you are beautiful because the world sets us up for believing that we're not. We are told to buy certain products... to turn certain heads... to look like certain people.... to be more noteworthy by media or social media or whatever is trending. I believe the truth is that you do not need to fill up on beauty through the world’s strategies in an effort to become beautiful. Rather, you already are beautiful. I tend to think that the only ugliness that can rear it’s head is when we believe the lie that we are not beautiful and make strides to work on something we already have.

Ephesians 3 talks about the incredible riches of our Father's glory that belongs to both Gentile & Jew (Eph. 3:6), so essentially all people.

God's rich glory is for every area of our life including our healing, our identity, our provision. Christ has already provided it, given it, so this is our true inheritance, whether it is presently manifesting or not. Paul prays the church would be filled to capacity with the fullness of God, the knowledge of His love which is beyond understanding & this is a worthy prayer for today. Our capacity and knowledge of ALL that God has given us and the full revelation/manifestation is only possible through the Spirit's power working within us (another demonstration of God's grace to us), who gives us more than we can even imagine.

Same old lie

The enemy, in a lower realm from the very beginning, has always tried to convince us that something was missing in an effort to destroy and displace us. Nothing was ever missing! It’s the niggling doubt that is planted and can take root in people’s minds telling them something is wrong with them, they do not measure up.. they are not good looking enough... smart enough.. they will never have enough money, time, whatever it might be you fill in the blank. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.. so there it is, that subtle thought is from you know who.. lower realm thinking (borrowing 'lower realm' thought from Matt Spinks). I too believe we can live in a higher place. It says that in Christ we are seated in heavenly places.. we are seated in realms far beyond our defeated foe. I believe the more we experience and know this realm, the more we will see and believe from God’s perspective who we are, our value, our beauty, our identity. Without this eternal, heavenly experience, without knowing God’s presence in our day to day lives, it doesn’t surprise me that so many struggle with lies that pop up and attempt to become permanent fixtures.

My Good News for you today is that the Lie is not your Truth. The 'ugly' lie was never meant for any human even though many live in this place and seem to prove it true because this is all they seem to know, hear and experience. This is why I see the Gospel as an awakening, where people find out what Jesus died to give them so there is no lack in any area. This truth download is still coming forth in many areas of my life.

An Experiment (I got more smiles that day!)

Walking down the street one day as I was awakening to this beauty revelation, I said to myself, if it’s impossible to be ugly according to God's truth... try to be ugly! I don’t suggest you try this approach but I was just challenging a concept, the notion that we are often trying to be beautiful and it seems out of reach.. never quite fully attainable. It seems this way because it's based on the original lie, the premise that you are not already beautiful. Trying to be ugly (rather than striving for beauty)…haha.. so starting with the idea that ugly is impossible based on the fact that what God has said about me stands forever true- that I am beautiful so 'ugly' is not truly possible in the grander scheme of things! My method was certainly not perfect but this was my approach in an attempt to challenge old thinking. I screwed up my face...lol... and made concentrated efforts this way (yes it’s funny, but there was something positive, right, refreshing and freeing about starting with the framework that ugliness is actually impossible in Christ). Reminds me of Steve Backlund's teaching to laugh at lies. He speaks a ridiculous statement out loud (a personal fear or lie he's struggled with) and when he says it aloud, it often sounds ridiculous to everyone, including him. Even if it doesn’t, he laughs at it.. that’s the point. There's something about saying a lie out loud and laughing at it, that seems to render a lie powerless and weaken it's hold.

Feasting & Laughing!

If we can even become conscious of those stray thoughts and lies.. so much so that we can laugh at them… we are in great company. Scripture says God sets a table for His enemies and feasts (Psalm 23:5). God is not sweating, worrying or anxious about anything. He is enjoying Himself with us. It says in Psalm 37 that God laughs at the plans of the wicked for He knows that wickedness has a short timeline in the scheme of eternity. Not only was wickedness defeated on the cross but Christ has given us authority over all wickedness. Even when people knowingly or unknowingly dabble in sinful or harmful things, we know this is not something that will last forever. God knows the endgame and He isn’t cowering. He is and always was the triumphant victor, so He can feast, He can laugh, He can enjoy Himself because ultimately He is above all and what He says is the ultimate truth about us.

I pray that we increasingly awaken to our true beauty.

You are beautiful!

I pray every truth about you, that you, God man or God woman, arise, and that your true beautiful identity and every gift comes forth. I pray that every lie you ever believed is displaced by this precious truth- you are altogether beautiful my love. I believe when you know this incredible beauty, unspeakable gorgeous glory will flow in every way, tangibly manifesting through your life- physical, mental, emotional, circumstantial, in all ways. The sky is not His limit, it is limitless and no doubt we will be forever looking into the eyes of our beloved in eternity, desiring yet another glance. Amazingly, Jesus will never stop looking at us with eyes of love and beauty- what He see and speaks is very much what we speak back to Him & see- astonishing! His heart beats faster when He looks at you, did you know? You are that pleasant to Him- let’s show the world how beautiful you truly are! (Song of Solomon 4:9)

Just be- just be yourself- your beautiful Christ self!