Solange Mognano, 37, died last month from complications after plastic surgery. Here's what you may not know about Solange. She owned her own modeling agency in Argentina. She was the mother of seven-year-old twins. She was a former model and winner of the Miss Argentina pageant in 1994. She was a bona fide beauty queen, and yet she felt compelled to undergo elective plastic surgery. It was a decision that cost her her life.
But this post isn't about Solange. I'm not writing about plastic surgery. This is a post about the high cost of believing the lies the Enemy tells about beauty.
When I first read about Solange's death in the news, I thought of you. Her story is an extreme example of what happens when women ignore all that God says about their beauty. Believing lies in the area of your beauty and worth won't likely cost you your life, but it does come at a cost. I know from experience that it's a high cost to pay.
God's Word says that He created every part of you intentionally and with purpose (Psalm 139). Psalm 45:11 promises that the King (Jesus) is enthralled by your beauty. That means that your beauty holds Him spellbound. Even so, in 1 Samuel 16:7 we learn that God doesn't search for our worth in our outer appearance. He values the content of our hearts. In Proverbs 31:30 we learn that earthly beauty is fleeting. No matter how hard we work at it, it simply won't last.
God's truth about beauty frees us to embrace how we look. It allows us to spend less time focusing on our flaws and more time enjoying the way God intentionally created us. If we believe what God says about our beauty, we realize that we don't have to be a certain size or have a certain skin-type or wear our hair a certain way to matter. Our beauty is God-given, and our value has already been affirmed by the King of Kings.
But so often as women the lies seem easier to believe. But I want you to realize that believing lies about your beauty will come at a cost. It may drive you to make destructive dating choices. It may make you crave the affirmation of others. It might motivate you to make choices about food and exercise that aren't healthy and have the potential to do long-term damage. The list could go on and on.
What personal cost have you paid for believing lies in the area of your beauty? What does Solange's story teach us about the beauty lies we are up against? How would it change your life if you chose to belief God's truth in this area?
