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I was reading, "For Women Only" yesterday. I've read a lot of this book so far, but not all of it. I read a really interesting chapter. It was prefaced with a warning to pray. This chapter is, I guess difficult for women to read. It was about making yourself look good for your husband, just because. Even if you're not going out, even if it's just you and him at home. Apparently (through her surveys and research) this is something that is very important to me, but something they feel REALLY uncomfortable talking about with their wives.

Now, growing up I've always been taught "it's what's on the inside that matters". I still believe this to be true. And the bible backs this up in many instances,

1 Samuel 16:7 - "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Proverbs 31:30 - "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

For some women it's easy to let themselves go (physically) with these bible verses in mind. It seems that trying hard to maintain a body that is eventually going to perish, is pointless.

As I was reading, I noticed how men value their wives and their appearances. They want women to look nice for them, it shows our husbands we love them. This is, obviously not to say that we have to be a size 2. Simply showing an effort (overweight or not) shows our men that we love them enough to look good for them. This is a biblical standard as well:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "...don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."

We are to glorify God with our bodies, in everything we do. Taking care of our bodies and pleasing our husbands with them is commanded of us from God.

God,
Please keep these verses fresh in my mind. Thank you for blessing me with my amazing husband. God, it is my prayer that my body will always be glorifying to You and to my husband. Show me ways to honor You with my body and spirit.

Amen.