Beauty And Brains

Beauty and Brains

Abigail

Read: 1 Samuel 25:1-20

“Why I Went Blonde and Skinny!” “So Ugly, I Paid $90,000 for a New Face!”

As I stood in the checkout line at Wal-Mart, the magazine titles screamed at me that I didn’t measure up as a woman. I felt that I needed to leave my paper towels and toilet cleaner behind and rush to the nearest beauty salon. The women’s magazines on either side of me wanted to improve my appearance, and the content seemed designed to make me feel stupid. For intellectual stimulation, one of the periodicals offered, “Is Your Star Sign Ruining Your Love Life?” and “Catch Him, Kiss Him, Keep Him: Your Ultimate Boy-Pulling Bible.”

Abigail also lived in a culture that based the value of a woman on her appearance, but the Bible notes that she had beauty and brains. In a time of danger, the servant went to Abigail not because of how she looked but because he knew that she had common sense and practical wisdom. After Abigail’s husband, Nabal, insulted David, the servant approached Abigail, explained what had happened, and urged her to figure out how to deal with the trouble ahead.

Many of us are buying the lie that beauty is all-important. That can make us depressed, obsessed, and broke. Data from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show a 444 percent increase in cosmetic procedures from 1997 to 2005. People may admire us for a beautiful face, but good judgment and wisdom will have a lasting effect on our lives and the lives of others.

The book of Proverbs reveals that to acquire wisdom, the first step is to cultivate a correct attitude toward God and his character (see Proverbs 9:10). As we get to know God better, we grow in wisdom that comes to our aid in difficult times. Not even a ninety-thousand-dollar face can compete with that.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.

Proverbs 31:30