Part 1
The physical beauty of our youth fades with age, but as we walk in harmony with God, he replaces it with inner beauty.
He manifests in us the aspects of his divine nature that constitute true contentment—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
He teaches us that he is always good, that his ideas and methods are superior to ours, and that his love for us is unfailing.
Together, these attributes and this understanding translate into inner beauty.
Part 2
A young woman spent an afternoon soaking up the wisdom of an elderly lady who had cultivated her relationship with God over many years.
Near the end of their session, the lass told her wise friend, “You are truly a beautiful person.”
With a twinkle in her eye, the older woman replied, “Thank you. I ought to be by now.”
The longer we walk in harmony with God, the more beautiful we become inside if we pursue this outcome.
Part 3
We visit art galleries to see the paintings, not the frames.
The paintings convey the artist’s message to the world. The frames are merely placeholders.
Great paintings overshadow their frames. For example, many people can describe the Mona Lisa, but few can recall the frame around this masterpiece.
As we walk in harmony with God, he conveys his message to the world through the inner beauty he nurtures within us.
Our outward appearance is merely the placeholder for his handiwork.
Therefore, we should neither be discouraged nor conceited about our physical attributes.
Part 4
A rural Montana wildlife painter uses sandstone slabs from her ranch as her canvas. She incorporates the natural imperfections in the rocks into her landscapes.
The stains, cracks, dried moss, indentations, and color variations in the sandstone help make her outdoor scenes look lifelike.
In the same way, God blends our imperfections into the picture he paints within us as we walk in harmony with him.
His love, acceptance, forgiveness, and redemption turn them into expressions of his mercy and grace.
Part 5
Paintings do not decide to be beautiful. Instead, they passively portray the beauty the artist creates.
In contrast, inner beauty requires our deliberate pursuit and active cultivation.
