The Illusion Of Physical Beauty

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,’” Ecclesiastes 1:1-4

I came across the image of an “Old Woman or Young Woman” attached to this message among some of the material I’d used a few years ago during a course I taught on, “Self Image and the Frailty of Beauty”.

Our illusions of beauty are often mixed up with sexuality or a sense of physical, emotional and mental simulation we create within ourselves through the images of people we consider beautiful or even sexy. The images we, our sons/daughters and grandsons/granddaughters often compare ourselves against (height, weight, breast size, hair, facial looks; among other body parts) are mostly artificial and limited by Mother Nature to unfortunately a VERY short period of time! Clearly, in too many cases we have lost track of what real beauty is, with this artificial quest for something that doesn't exist-- and when it does, it's fake like so much else in our world.

We are all getting older. It is inevitable. Everything has its time then fades away. This is part of living. Life has its seasons and autumn cannot be avoided any more than winter. It is a natural God given process. Soon the hot butt, size 2 body, silicone or naturally swollen breasts, muscular arms, great abs, great legs or pouting lips…will all have a date with reality squarely facing them. A reality based upon the laws of gravity and the natural aging process.

Yet, we are called to enjoy and celebrate our season of youthfulness! And, those among us who’ve seen the passage of time and still seek to live the dreams of youth are attempting through pride and vanity to ignore reality.

So, to folks like me who’ve had our day…let’s sit back and watch as time and maturity catches up with our sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters. Let’s sit back, as they fulfill God’s plan for human life through their eventual realization that the cycle of aging is unrelenting and unavoidable.

Were you able to recognize the TWO images, one of the “Young Woman” and one of the “Old Woman”?

Let us pray with our youth:

“Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 (NLT)