Encouragement for the Day: 'Content With That'

"For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." 1 Timothy 6:17-18

I'm not sure how I ended up there, but I spent the better part of my morning coffee time looking at pictures of celebrities who had plastic surgery gone awry. From Michael Jackson to Joan Rivers, there's practically no one in Hollywood who hasn't gone under the knife.

Most people reading through the article probably would have laughed hysterically at the lengths people in the 'celebrity' profession go to achieve youth. I, on the other hand, just felt bad. Bad that these people ruined their natural beauty. Bad that these people believe the lie that youth is most desirable. Bad that these people don't seem to have a decent group of people in their corner telling them not to alter their physical appearance. Bad that our society isn't content with what they've been given.

Growing up, I never worried about my body, my hair, my face, or what clothes I dressed in. All I cared about was playing outside. I cared about hide-and-seek, riding my bike and swimming. But when you're a dancer, eventually you come to terms with the fact that you have to start worrying about these things long before you're supposed to.

My hair always had to be curled for recitals. Make-up always had to be put on. Sequins, glitter and tulle were the necessities of a young dancer's life. And of course I was trained very young to always put on a BIG SMILE as I danced around the stage in front of a crowd of people.

The little girl wearing make-up, large amounts of hairspray and itching from the sequins digging into her back felt so glamorous as the crowd clapped enthusiastically after a performance. But she was never more happy than when it came time to wipe it all off when she got home and run outside to play.

I never bought into the lie that we have to alter ourselves to be beautiful or accepted. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I had the right people in my corner. They focused on my internal attributes. Intelligence, talents, and wit. Sure, I had a few people mention that I was slightly chubby for a young girl of my age. But I never noticed. Honestly, I was perfectly content with who I was. I was--and still am--with all that I had been given.

These days, I'm surrounded by people who are focused on changing their outer appearance. And I'm fine with that if it's for the right reasons. The problem with altering our appearance is that we're trying to obtain an ideal that isn't real. We aren't content with the laugh (or frown) lines that appear on our faces the older we get. Gray hair is a reminder that youth is fleeting. And our bones and muscles ache more as we age. We become discontented with our lives based on one simple truth: we all grow older. Every one of us.

Yes, I'm still young and someday I, too, will have laugh lines, gray hair, and an aching body. But I know that I will be content with that. Because I prefer to age the way God always intended. Outer beauty fades, but the inner one never does.

If you're struggling to find contentment with your appearance today, remember that God made us all different. He dreamed us up long before we were even created. You were given much thought, dear friend, don't forget to love the body you were given.

--Jessica