Unfading Beauty and God’s Ongoing Work in You
What does true beauty look like as we age and change? Philippians 1:6 reminds us that God is faithfully shaping an unfading beauty in us—Christ formed within.
Two Different Shoes and a Deeper Lesson
Dear Friend,
Chuck and I celebrated one of our birthdays by getting dressed up for a date and going out for dinner. I came home thinking, we need to do this more often. What a fun night! Then I looked down at my feet. I had worn two different shoes, really different shoes. Been there?
At that point, you have choices. Depending on where you wore them, you can be mortified, or if you are still out in public, you can decide you’re one of those confident women who wear funny hats and mismatched shoes on purpose and just go for it. Thankfully, it was just Chuck and me, so we decided it was a moment to laugh and conclude my mismatched shoes might be a sign of things to come.
Wrestling with Aging and Identity
A week or so before this birthday celebration, I had written thoughts in my journal about aging. How my body wasn’t working as well and my face showed signs of either a life filled with laugh lines or stress. I had noticed that sometimes I looked in the mirror and recognized older family members staring back at me. Our culture convinces women aging is the worst thing that can happen, and women should fight it at every point. “There must be a way to get rid of these wrinkles… without surgery… surely there’s a way,” I admit, I have fallen for the promises of miracle creams; the evidence is in my bathroom cabinet.
God Defines Unfading Beauty
Then the Lord, in His mercy on that birthday, took what I was already wrestling with and pressed it deeper into my heart: “Sharon, the beauty I see in you is unfading. Not the kind you can purchase at a mall, or the kind that depends on lighting and angles. My kind of beauty grows from the inside out — Christ formed in you. I see Jesus in you.” Friends, this happened over twenty years ago. In these many years since, I can find similar journal entries about aging. I’m a slow learner.
God Finishes What He Starts
That’s why Philippians 1:6 is a lifeline. Paul is writing to women and men who are living in the real world, under pressure, in opposition, in a Roman colony where being a follower of Jesus could cost you something. And Paul says, “God started something in you, and He will finish it.”
Do you hear the comfort in his words? You are not your own project, and you are not left to figure yourself out through sheer willpower. God began, continues, and completes the work.
Church Full of Real People
If you don’t feel good enough to be included in God’s work, let’s go back to the church at Philippi and get a glimpse of some of the people Paul was referencing in his greeting to the Philippian church. Start with Lydia — successful, independent, a worshiper of God, but not yet a daughter of the King until the Lord opened her heart (Acts 16:14).
Then there’s the jailer, who likely oversaw Paul’s beating, then ended up washing Paul’s wounds and meeting Jesus with his whole household (Acts 16:33–34). And what about the demon-possessed girl, delivered by the power of Christ (Acts 16:16–18). That’s the “flavor” of the Philippian church: all kinds of people, all kinds of baggage, all kinds of stories. God began a good work in them. Each one was “born again” into a new identity. God moved each from darkness into light. Every day from that moment on would be an opportunity for them to grow deep into their intimacy with Jesus.
Every Season Still Matters to God
So if you’re a young woman and you feel the pressure to be impressive, hear Philippians 1:6. God is at work in you, and He’s after something deeper than image. If you are a middle-aged woman carrying a load you didn’t expect, hear Philippians 1:6. God has not forgotten you. If you are older and feel unseen, hear Philippians 1:6. God is not finished with you. The world may measure beauty by youth and accomplishments, but the Lord calls beauty by holiness, love, humility, and endurance. Rather than calling us to just “grow up”, our Father is calling us to “grow deeper”, deeper in love with Jesus and to experience all the gifts He has already placed within us.
Your Worth Is Secure in Christ
If you have days when you feel a little scattered, days when you forget things, say the wrong thing, or wear mismatched shoes, let it be a gentle reminder: your worth is not in always having it all together. Your worth is in Christ. Thankfully, our growth is not dependent on our perfection; it is secured by God’s faithfulness.
Seeing Life Through the Gospel Lens
This is what Paul is doing in Philippians 1:6, he’s helping us see life through a different lens, not what we see in the mirror or what our culture tells us. With great joy, Paul offers us the freedom of seeing life through the lens of the gospel.
The older I grow, the more precious these words from Philippians become. Not because it’s always easy, but because the Lord is faithful. And the beauty He is growing in His daughters does not fade. And here’s a secret. This devotional is rooted in a Bible study I taught over twenty-five years ago. The mirror continues to confront me with the signs of aging because I am old, and it’s telling the truth! The culture is even more anti-aging, yet God’s truth stands. Embracing Paul’s message in Philippians those many years ago helped equip me to see life through the lens of the gospel, to realize my new birth was just the beginning of a journey designed to show me not just how to grow up, but to grow deeper into the love of Jesus.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
This week, choose one way to practice “unfading beauty”:
• Speak one gentle word instead of a sharp one.
• Confess one sin quickly instead of defending it.
• Serve someone quietly without needing to be noticed.
• Pray Philippians 1:6 each morning: “Lord, keep doing Your work in me today.”
And if you have a “two different shoes” moment, smile. Let it remind you that God’s grace is bigger than your imperfections.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
PRAYER
Father, thank You that You are not measuring me by the world’s standards. Thank You that You began a good work in me and You will carry it on to completion. Help me embrace every season as Your gift, and teach me to pursue unfading beauty — Christlike character that reflects You. Free me from fear, vanity, and discouragement, and fill me with steady joy in Jesus. In His name, amen.
Are there other women in your life who could benefit from a daily dose of encouragement? Forward this email so they can click on this link to Subscribe to Daily Treasure to be better equipped to walk by faith on the pathway God has marked out for them.
Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.
