Beautiful Life – Part 2
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of June 27, 2021
Perspective determines a lot in regards to experiencing a beautiful life. We’ve heard the adage, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
So, what are we beholding?
Since, our choices largely hinge on our vision and thoughts, it’s important to renew our minds with what our Lord regards as beautiful.
Proverbs 15:30 TPT says, "Eyes that focus on what is beautiful bring joy to the heart, and hearing a good report refreshes and strengthens the inner being."
Philippians 4:8 says, "Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always."
Even Dictionary.com defines beautiful as "possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about…" Beautiful thoughts and speech are examples.
To be sure, God is our "crown of glory and a diadem of beauty for the remnant of his people" (Isa 28:5 TPT). He is our Spirit of justice and our strength and bravery (Isa 28:6 TPT).
I recall a moment years ago, where someone, who had lost a relative, approached me and asked questions. This woman, who was a leader in her church, seemed to not understand why her relative, whom she regarded as beautiful and good, was taken before others, whom she regarded as not so beautiful or good. While I appreciated her honesty and trust, I couldn’t help notice that her focus was clearly on her relative’s beauty and goodness, not God’s.
Very recently, our Lord gave me a deeper level of understanding on the matter, revealing that If He had spared the beautiful and good relative from passing into eternity, it would have been nice for the remaining family in a way. But some glory would have likely been attributed to that beautiful relative for their goodness.
However, when God miraculously spares someone thought to be not so good or beautiful in behavior, God gets the full glory for His rich mercy. Not the person. What the person gets is an expression of God’s love as rich mercy, which softens their heart toward Him. They know they don’t deserve it, and they attribute their life to God’s merciful miracles. In this way, they become a living testament to God’s mercy, power and love, which showcases Him alone.
But when we make it about ourselves, our strengths limit God in our lives. Our submission to Him as our "beautiful strength" in our weaknesses invites His grace-strength to work on our behalf beyond our abilities (Ps 92:15 TPT). This is where God gets the greater glory and we are made grateful. It’s where He works out His redemption in our lives to make them even more beautiful.
What the good and beautiful believers get as they go on to be with our Lord is a Heavenly life of merciful and gracious redemption, which they don’t deserve either.
So, through Christ alone, we experience a more beautiful life with Him shinning most brightly, as we worship Him.
Our Spirit of grace offers us a Holy ease, so we don’t have to overwork and wear ourselves out early. He will share His wisdom and insight to help us. Our worst enemy is trying too hard to do it our way. Instead, let’s be lovers of God, who seek Him, find Him and lead others to Him (Song of Solomon 6:1).
Galatians 6:8 TPT says, "The harvest you reap reveals the seed that you planted. If you plant the corrupt seeds of self-life into this natural realm, you can expect a harvest of corruption. If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit."
So, pray with me, if you will, from Holy Scripture…
Dear Lord,
We bless Your "beautiful Name" (Ps 45:11, 100:4 TPT).
Thank You for seeing us as beautiful, rescuing us and bringing us into a beautiful broad place (Ps 18:19 TPT).
"O Lord our God, let your sweet beauty rest upon us. Come work with us, and then our works will endure; you will give us success in all we do" (Ps 90:17 TPT).
"Let me share in the wealth and beauty of all your devoted lovers, rejoice with your nation in all their joys, and let me share in the glory you give to your chosen ones" (Ps 106:5 TPT).
"Our hearts bubble over as we celebrate the fame of your marvelous beauty, bringing bliss to our hearts. We shout with ecstatic joy over your breakthrough for us" (Ps 145:7 TPT).
"Everything I am will praise and bless the Lord! O Lord, my God, your greatness takes my breath away, overwhelming me by your majesty, beauty, and splendor" (Ps 104:1 TPT)!
Like meditating on Your Word, may we lift up praise to You "from dawn to dusk," from "sunrise-brilliance to sunset-beauty" (Ps 113:3 TPT)!
Help us "to be teachers of beautiful things" (Titus 2:3 TPT).
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen.
Friends, there’s even more that you won’t want to miss. So, join me next week for Part 3 of Beautiful Life.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
