Beauty from within

This verse really spoke to me today because I'm constantly thinking that my outward appearance is more important than it should be. I am tempted by society to believe that I'm not beautiful because I'm not wearing certain clothes or my hair isn't done the right way. God's truth brings me back to reality:

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.
The Lord does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV)

Reflection -- Sonya and I were watching Veggie Tales "Sweetpea Beauty." That's where I got the verse from. A girl had been concerned about her braces and glasses and being accepted. They used the stories of Cinderella and Snow White (and some creative liberties) to focus on inner beauty and what God sees in our heart. 

Why does society tell us that we need to fit Hollywood's standards of beautiful? We look in a glass mirror to see ourselves when we should be using God as our mirror. He's the one that sees us as we truly are - broken, loved, beautiful, His children. When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

When I set my eyes on God, the Light of Him shines through. My heart is reflected in my outward appearance and I feel beautiful. Guess what? We can all be beautiful - and that's a beautiful thing.