Ecclesiastes 3:11a – He hath made everything beautiful in his time. (KJV)

Grandma's peacock displayed its fan of majestic colours in the sunshine. Light danced off the crystal-shaped feather fibres and shimmered with iridescent greens and blues. Head held high, strutting around the ranch, he appeared to be above the chickens and turkeys. As designed by God, he displayed his plumage for all to see, doing what comes naturally for a peacock during its season of beauty.

Although people don't have feathers, we have natural beauty, and sometimes, like the peacock, we show off after trying to make ourselves most attractive. I remember letting fashion magazines guide me. I tried the hair, clothing, and makeup trends for years. I primped in the mirror to see if I was "just right".

When I became a Christian, I learned that pleasing God is important, too. He creates an internal beauty in our hearts and minds. Sometimes, we are drawn to glitz and glam, but He requires that we not be as proud as peacocks. My love for glitter has now dimmed, but I still appreciate a faint shimmer of sequins. However, I try to give room for people to see my inside self, before my outside self. That way, the light of Christ's love can shine most brightly. Being confident now that I am just who I was designed to represent, I no longer strut along on display.

God wants us to be humble servants so that Christ's light can be seen in us. Where the peacock was designed to attract attention, our hearts and minds are refined to shine from the inside out to draw others to Christ. In Him, we develop and mature just perfectly for His pleasure and purpose.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that a little fancy is okay, as long as it does not overshadow You, the Creator of all things. Help us to understand that we are most beautiful when the light of Christ shines through us to others. Amen.

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About the author:

Karen Milam <karenbmilam@gmail.com>
Penn Valley, California, USA
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