Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
- Proverbs 31:30
I've often heard people remark that at the beginning of a new year, they choose a particular verse to be their theme verse for the year. I've never done that, but this year is different. Nothing alters your perspective like having your body altered by serious illness.
I didn't go looking for a verse. This one just dropped on me at the right time (guess it was a God thing?) as I was reading my devotion on the morning of December 31. The book I'm currently using is Liz Curtis Higgs' Rise and Shine. The above verse was the theme for her remarks on that day. My response: WOW.
The message is simple: your physical self is going to change with time. The important thing is to fear the Lord in the sense that you look to His Word for your guidance and honor Him with all that you do. Your inner beauty is more important than what's on the outside. Granted, we all want to look our best regardless of our circumstances. But our best at 70 is going to be a bit different from our 20-year-old best. And our best after illness and treatment is different still. We have to be realistic and keep that inner light shining.
And so...in 2014, I will strive simply to be a woman who fears the Lord. Everything else will fall into place from there.