part 1: the problem of pretty

so I just came back from a week on the beach at the RUF summer conference. It was absolutely amazing and with a great group of people. There was a group of seminars that we could choose to go to and the girls in our group (this was a seminar for only girls) was called Beautiful Freedom: the gospel lived in the female body. I kinda thought it was gonna be one of those typical be modest/be a good girlfriend stuff; it was anything but. Easily my most favorite seminar/sermon I've ever been to. So since there was so much good information from a perspective that I've never thought of before I decided to hit the highlights of each talk one post at a time.

Topic of the first day was called The problem of pretty...hmm, should be interesting. The theme verse of the whole 4 days was 1 corinthinas 6:19-20 "or do you know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You're not your own for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." Yes I know it sounds like just another typical sermon but please read on.

The next part dealt with typical verses we think of when it comes to the bible talking about 'attractiveness.' Each of these platitudes has a grain of truth but can come out dissatisfying. First examples were 1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 31.

-the grain of truth: was that God doesn't accept or reject based on physical appearance.

- dissatisfying because: we know what's on the inside isn't all that counts and it makes physical appearance seem purposeless and arbitrary.

-her thoughts: we know that inside isn't all that matters or else we would all look exactly the same

part 2: you are beautiful to God-meaning God thinks you're "pretty"

-misused verses: psalm 139, Ece 3:11

-Grain of truth: God did make you very intentionally, and he is pleased with his work

-dissatisfying because: The desire to be pretty isn't what's addressed in the verses and God thinks everyone is beautiful

-her thoughts: God made you intentionally-->you look the way you're suppose to look

-that's probably one of my favorite points of this sermon (that's why it's bold) and it ties into another idea later which i will also bold

The bible doesn't say that everyone's physically attractive-->leah and Jesus

Reorientation of peace:

-Beauty has a purpose-->ie Ester and Jesus

-ester needed to be beautiful to save Israel Ester 2:7,9, 4:14 (her looks won the favor of the king)

-jesus needed to be unattractive to save israel Isaiah 53:2 (had no form of majesty that we should look at him/ no beauty that we should desire him)

The kingdom determines what's best for you:-->my favorite part of the talk

-there's always gonna be somebody better in some aspect (looks/athletics/school) but nobody's designed to do what you were meant to do

-some people weren't build to have that perfect stick body--> maybe He made you to look the way you do for your future spouse. (ie he might love the physical aspects of you even if you don't)

-your looks draw certain people towards and away from you (certain looks can make you easily approachable)

summary:

-the verses are trying to say that God may have a counterintuitive plan for appearance and God's sense of attractiveness is perfect

This talk has changed my outlook on my own future and the fact that everyone looks the way they do for a reason.