How do you frame your art?

Picture frames. Framed mirrors. Framed wall art. Framed glasses. Simple frames. These frames outline the beautiful images they hold.

Decorative frames. These are the frames around pieces of glass that act as a piece of art themselves. What is inside does not matter, the beauty is on the outside.

So what is your frame like? Is your frame beautiful on the outside with nothing to see on the inside, or does your frame outline the beautiful piece of art that God made you to be?

"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

Every wrinkle, every dimple, every freckle is a brush stroke. Your smile, your laugh, the twinkle in your eyes. Your caring heart, your thoughtful mind and your playful spirit are all a part of you, you are a piece of art. But the most beautiful part of you, the part that the frame should merely highlight, is your Godly spirit.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

It is important to take care of your body. But not for the purpose of looking good in a bikini or selling underwear to people who lust after your image. You take care of your body because it is the temple for your spirit (God's spirit within you).

1 Corinthians 6:20 says to honor God with your body. This is where the argument about hypocritical Christians who drink and get tattoos usually begins. This is not the argument. Enjoying a drink and indulging in drunkenness are two separate things. Getting [appropriate] tattoos is not wrecking your temple. You want your body to be a place that represents God because "you yourselves are God's temple and ... God's Spirit lives in you" (1 Cor 3:16).

Is your frame beautiful? Does it accent the beautiful work God has done in you? When people see you, hear you, talk to you, do they see an empty, decorative (tan, slender, nicely dressed) frame? Or do they see a frame surrounding the beautiful Spirit God has placed in you?

I know pieces of my frame are chipped. Chunks have fallen off in the past. But the only thing that can fix it is my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He often reminds us in the strangest ways. Make sure your priorities lie not in perfecting your earthly beauty, but in drawing out the beauty God has given you.

"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom. so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." Colossians 1:28