True Beauty

The Lost Art Of True Beauty is Leslie Ludy’s latest book (it came out in January), and just as with all of her other books, it is on my list of favorites. :0) I have to admit, though, that I had a hard time writing this review . . . . there was just too much that I wanted to say. So I have cut back and cut out and . . . . hopefully this is short enough. ;0)

The book starts off by talking about what it means to “deny yourself”, and says that “we are meant to let all thoughts of self become swallowed up in Him”. I really like this quote by Ian Thomas, and if you’ve read much of the Ludy’s books, you’ve seen it before . . .

“The Christian Life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you – your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything – then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it.”

I’ve tried to narrow this down to my three favorite points. The first one is what it means to be a woman of honor. Being a woman of honor is an amazing, incredible thing! I am so inspired by the vision that Leslie has painted in these pages. Here are the two aspects of being a woman of honor that stood out the most to me . . .

“She knows that her King is faithful in all things, and He can be trusted implicitly. Instead of worrying, fretting, or manipulating, she prays and waits for the Lord, knowing He will provide all things needed for life and godliness.”

It is so easy to worry – and we all know that we aren’t supposed to, but it happens anyway. Not for a woman of honor . . .

“A woman of honor is a mighty, valiant, valorous woman full of strength and conquering power. She has superhuman strength, because her strength comes from God . . . Nothing hinders her.”

When I read this quote I think of David and the stories that we have in the Old Testament. Some of those stories just seem impossible – and they were! Except for God. :0) God desires that we be just as mighty and valiant and unstoppable (for His glory) as they were. He desires to fill us with His superhuman strength . . . we only have to be empty of ourselves so that He can.

My second favorite point is sort-of two points mashed together into one. ;0) Leslie talks about taking care of your living environment and thinking of it “as a tool to serve God’s priorities in your life”. She also talks about talking care of your body and seeing it as “a tool to serve God’s purposes – not your own selfish agenda”. I think this point could be applied to any area of life. It is so easy to obsess about things that really don’t matter . . . and likewise it is easy to place too little value on things that are meant to serve the purposes of God. So if we keep our eyes on Jesus, and do all things for His glory, then we will find that balance which is pleasing to Him.

The third, and final point that I wanted to mention is the art of sacred living – savoring the romance of life! Leslie says that “those who excel at the art of sacred living know how to savor the romance of life . . . how to cherish and value the opportunities God gives us in each day.” They realize that “every day is an opportunity to discover more of Him”. This means learning how to live purposefully and “treating each moment of the day as a valuable gift from God, not to be wasted on selfish whims”. One of the ways that she suggests savoring the romance of life is by thinking of ways that you can cherish those special moments in your walk with the Lord. Leslie lists several different ideas for doing this. I am so grateful that when I began, what I refer to as, “my set-apart journey” back in June of last year, God told me to start a charm bracelet for “our” special moments. (He also led me to a place where I can get charms at a reasonable price. :0) It has been a lot of fun! I call them my “stones” – like the stones God had the Israelites set aside to remind them of something that He did. Some of these charms represent amazing answers to prayer, while others would sort of lose their value if I shared what they represented. Living with Jesus is SUCH an adventure! :0)

This book is full of practical wisdom and insight. It will inspire you! . . . and help you know how to live it. In closing, I thought I would end with one of Leslie’s final thoughts . . .

“True beauty, in a nutshell, is found in a soul completely surrendered to Jesus Christ, a heart consumed by Him alone, and a life eagerly poured out for His sake. That is when we will sparkle with heaven’s radiance and stand out from among all other women like a lily among thorns (Song of Solomon 2:2).”