Keys to a Beautiful Heart
Our children are growing up in a culture that emphasizes outward appearances. Our world defines a person by what can be seen on the outside. As they return to school this fall, our kids will meet new challenges to their worth and identity based solely on their appearance.
We are not the first or only culture to value the outward over the inward. St. Peter wrote in his letter to the dispersed church not to be concerned with dressing up the outer person, but to adorn our hearts with a gentle and quiet spirit. (1 Peter 3:4) He instructs us not to focus solely and primarily on the outward adornments of our lives, but to look at the way we adorn our hearts. This means that we must shift our preoccupation with what others think and feel about us to what God desires for us. He does not desire for us to have impressive lives that look put together and beautiful to those outside looking in. He desires that we have hearts that are adorned with gentleness, love, compassion, and a desire to seek His wisdom. These are what lead to inner and true beauty in the sight of God.
Call to Action: Our children are and will continue to be hit from all sides with the world’s concept of beauty. Like the people of Peter’s time, they will be taught in the world that beauty has to do with signs of prestige and pedigree. It is defined by how others view me and making sure they believe what I want them to about me. To counter these false and shallow ideas about beauty we must begin teaching our children about the inner beauty that is taught in Scripture. Rather than worrying about what others think of me, I should take care of how I treat and think about others. As parents, we have to place our focus on teaching our children to love and show compassion to others. This focus on others is the key to becoming truly beautiful in our hearts.
Drew Phillips, Chaplain & Director
Covenant Classical Schools & Daycare
To learn more about Covenant Classical Schools visit http://www.ccslion.com
