Bad Hair Days and the Kingdom of God

Facetime: God, I'm having a bad hair day. What can I do to feel better about myself?

As I prepare for a speaking engagement, I begin praying far in advance. I pray for God to give me the message he wants me to share. I pray for each person who will attend, that God will encourage and equip them. I pray for the event planners, that the Lord will provide everything they need and give them wisdom and creativity.

But on the actual morning of the event, I pray for something quite different.


I pray for a good hair day.

Sometimes God answers, and sometimes he doesn’t.


If you were completely honest, you’ve probably done the same thing. 

Tell the truth. Didn’t you pray to be zit-free on your wedding day? Or bloat-free for your high school reunion? Or 10-lbs. lighter for the family photo?  

There’s something about being in front with all eyes upon us that reduces us to bundles of adolescent insecurity. Having good hair, blemish-free complexions, or flat bellies won’t make us into something we’re not, but they do help us feel a little more confident.

So what should we do if, despite our best efforts, we’re having a bad hair day?

1.  Remember that “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). We can rest in the confidence that we are beloved and beautiful. Knowing God thinks we’re lovely because of what’s inside our hearts, whether our locks lie down or let loose, should put smiles on our faces that are much more beautiful than our marvelous manes.

2.  Don’t schlump. We should raise our chins, put on our best smiles, and look people in the eyes. Chances are we’re the only ones who are aware of the cowlick that won’t cooperate or the muffin top above our waistlines. If we act as though we wish we could crawl under the rug, however, even those who have no idea that our hair didn’t turn out right are going to sense something’s wrong. We need to put on our game faces and press on!

3.  Concentrate on others. Before long, we’ll forget we had a tussle with our tresses. When we take our eyes off ourselves and place them squarely on someone else, we gain perspective about what truly matters. A side benefit to this is that if we concentrate on helping others feel comfortable, confident, and cared for, THAT’s what they remember about us, not our crazy coiffure.

4.  Remember that true beauty isn’t determined by what our bodies look like, but by what our spirits look like. “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,” says 1 Peter 3:3-4, “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 and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.”

 So tomorrow, whether it’s a good hair day or a bad one, let’s greet the world with a smile. We’ve got Kingdom work to do!

How about you? What tends to unravel your self-confidence? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like "When God Looks You in the Eye, What Does He See?"

 

This devotion is an excerpt from Lori’s new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women.

You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

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