Marley works really hard to be perfect. Every free moment she has, she spends fixing things about herself. What makes her situation tricky is that she’s not doing it for society or family approval; she just wants to feel acceptable to herself.
She keeps wishing she could make one more change, but every fix she makes just shows another thing she thinks needs improvement. Most mornings, she spends a lot of time in front of her bathroom mirror trying to get everything just right. If there’s something she can’t change, she uses makeup to compensate.
The problem with Marley’s thinking is that, while she spends a lot of time looking at the outside, she forgets about what’s on the inside – the stuff that really matters. There’s a big difference between how something looks (the container) and what’s inside (the contents). Usually, what’s inside is more important.
The advice here is to understand how valuable you are to God. Instead of getting caught up in physical imperfections, take time to think about what’s in your heart. That’s what truly matters.
You are beautiful the way you are because you are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14-15).
Wait a minute – let me make this clear. I’m all for dressing nicely and looking good. I don’t like the idea of looking messy in the name of religious enthusiasm. But, getting too caught up in how we look on the outside, spending loads of time on it instead of praying and reading God’s word – the stuff that truly makes us beautiful on the inside – is a bit off (check I Peter 3:3-5).
Instead of putting all our focus on our external appearance, the Bible tells us to work on our hearts with something much more important – having a humble and calm spirit. Those lasting qualities are like timeless beauty that never fades. That’s what God values. So, if you’re spending more time on your looks than on your inner self, realize you might be going after something fleeting instead of what truly lasts. What’s inside matters more than what’s outside.