Biblical Posts

Christian girl, godly standards.

If there's one issue that our generation faces today, it's vanity. Vanity is like a virus, so many people spreading it around, sugarcoating it, and making it sound nice to the ears. But being self-obsessed is not a proper way to act in any setting, especially not as a Christian.

I looked up the word vanity to get a proper definition, and this is what I got;

"Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements"

It can be so easy to get caught up in what we see on the outside that we forget about the inside. I know it sounds cliché, but it's true. Think about it, a person could literally risk getting late to work just because they want to get their make up right. But when they feel the need to read the bible, they shrug it off and say they can do it later. But later never comes.

Vanity isn't just about what you look like though. In the definition posted above, that people can feel vain about their own achievements. And often times, vanity leads to pride. The bible says;

Proverbs 29:23 - A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 - "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."

Okay, now for the warnings. Working hard is a good thing. Being confident in how gifted you are and being happy about how you look is wonderful, really because God didn't create you to be moping about the place. But too much of everything is bad. Your focus should constantly be on God in everything you do.

It's good to have this "balanced mindset" I'll explain it. You believe you can do more. You know that your achievements were as a result of your sleepless nights and hard work. But you know that without God, you wouldn't have gotten as far as you have now. You put in the work, but God crowned off your efforts and made sure that everything worked out for your good.

The same thing with looks. The bible says that we are wonderfully made. We are beautiful no matter what shape or size we come in. But beauty is fleeting, and it is important to keep in mind that earth is not your final destination. You're going to get to heaven and have bodies that are so dazzling that they'll make your earthly bodies look lame. You are wonderful and beautiful the way you are, but you have to remember that there is more to come.

You have to keep focusing on God. Keep your eyes on the prize. This world will tempt you with so many things, may pump you up with so much attention that you may forget who had your back all this time. Please don't. God can take you even further if you believe in and worship him. Don't become so engrossed in work or your beauty that you forget about your creator. He's had your back since you were a baby and he needs you to represent him in the world by showing them just how much he loves and cares for those who love him.

I pray that God helps us with this because it really isn't easy. There are temptations everywhere and it can be so easy for us to give up our true identity while we're chasing the attention of the world. But I pray that God will always be able to pull us back to him no matter how far we wander. I pray that we'll always be able to recognize the shepherd's voice and heed to his call.

Anne :)