Have you ever thought about what Eve looked like? In the Garden of Eden, before sin entered into the world and God created the first man and woman?
Eve, the first woman to walk this earth.
I imagine her beauty and how Adam marveled at her when she walked by. I envision nature being in sync with her every step. Eve was the pinnacle of the Lord’s creation. She was beauty, and she held the answer to the final piece of creation. She was the image of God. The first woman holds truth about who we as women today are intended to be. We were created beautiful.
I often hear women complaining that life would be much easier if we didn’t have certain desires in our heart that must be fulfilled.
We were designed to be longed for, and pursued after; the core of our being is relational. The desire for relationships mirrors God’s heart for deep intimate relationships with his children. Let’s rejoice in this truth, that the God of the universe yearns to be in an intimate relationship with us! He placed this part of Him in the hearts of women! The significance of womanhood and the vital role we must fulfill is crucial to comprehend.
We have strayed so far from who we were created to be, and whom we belong to. As women, we have misplaced where we are seeking our identity. We still seek who we belong to, yet the answer is thwarted. We are no longer calling ourselves daughters of the King, but instead we rank our self worth on the quality of the relationships we currently hold. Spiraling out of control when we have not met the measure we have set before ourselves: perfection. God has never thrown himself onto us, demanding that we love him. He waits for us. He romances us with his promises, his love, and his truth that is never failing. This trait of romance, love and truth that was entrusted to women when we were created has been perfectly modeled by our Father in Heaven. He waits to be loved.
In The Fall of mankind we discover the depths of a woman’s heart when it goes untamed into a world full of sin. In The Garden, Eve reveals what lies in the depths of each woman when satan tempts us to doubt what God has once told us.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” -Genesis 3:1–3
We take matters into our own hands, and step out of the role in which we were designed and thwart our beauty to fit satan’s lies. We mold into what we see fixes the situation, even if that means taking on role of both man and a woman. This seems to be the most fitting solution through our blurred vision we call “emotions.” In overstepping our boundaries of who we are designed to be, we have told men that they no longer need to be men, because we will get the job done.
When did we forget how to rest in just being a woman?
There is something captivating about a woman who understands rest in her soul. It is refreshing and brings healing. This kind of beauty captures us, because it is rare, it is precious, and it reflects God. God’s presence alone is peaceful, and causes our spirit to rest.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. — Psalm 62:5
Peace is found in beauty: when we watch our mighty sun depart the sky, the sound of waves crashing into the sand, or when we sit in awe of our Maker under the night sky, we find rest.
Everywhere I turn there is another opportunity for me to fight, or be restless:
When the latest diet that guarantees instant results is released, the latest fashion is advertised, the dreaded moment when the “perfect girl” walks by, the mornings when make up just doesn’t seem to cover it, or when every pair of jeans you own seems to have shrunk from the last time you wore them. We are bombarded with messages that tell us to change, and change forces action.
Am I the only one who is exhausted?
I am wiped out from constantly keeping up, and I should be, because I was not created for this. I am so entertained by seeking after everything this world has to offer, that I am missing the greatest gift I can be given, which is being sought after. My wandering heart has led me down an unmarked path with a dangerous territory. Although my temptation is not a fruit from the Tree of Life (even though food can be tempting), Satan is still telling us the same lie he told Eve: “You are not worthy.” When I buy into this addicting lie I spiral into a woman that looks much like the world around me, filled with spray tans, yoga pants, and expensive clothes. God never intended for us to work for our beauty, but in fact, he intended the opposite, which was to rest in out beauty — which is found in him. Our hearts, ladies, should be hidden in Jesus Christ. This is where we find our unfailing beauty.
When we look back to The Fall we see the roles of Adam and Eve flip flopped, and this is where sin came into the picture. Eve found dissatisfaction in who she was, so she took action, leaving Adam on the sideline. All too often I hear the complaint, “Why isn’t a guy chasing me?” When I hear this question I dare us all to look inside our hearts and ask if we have been resting, or have we been the ones running?
I am embarrassed for what our society has deemed appropriate in the terms of cultural norms, especially in the context of clothing. Our beauty should fuel rest. Rest is found in a safe place. As women in Christ, we do not always provide a safe environment for our fellow brothers and sisters. The clothing we choose to represent ourselves (and Christ) in have not proven to reflect who we long to be on the inside. Whether we are interested in someone or not, we cause our fellow brothers to be lazy and stumble in sin because we are being active in flaunting ourselves in front of them, intentional or not. We are taking away a man’s design to be a fighter. He no longer needs to fight for a woman, because we have done all the fighting for him. Instead, let’s shield our brothers in Christ by exchanging our comfortability for righteousness. Next time you get dressed I encourage you to ask yourself the motive behind what you’re wearing. Whether it’s to be comfortable, to look good, or to attract attention, will it cause our brothers to fall? Have we become so selfish only to indulge in what is culturally acceptable? Are there still people out there who are on the never ending pursuit of righteousness? I long to see a generation of women who care more about their brothers in Christ than how they feel or look, because this is love. Love is laying down your passions, your desires, your wants, your needs, yourself, for someone else.
I want to encourage each and every one of you ladies, to stop the fighting. Stop fighting against the culturally accepted values, clothes, and latest trends. Walk away from it all, and rest in your beauty that is unveiled by the Father.