Isaiah 61:3a – “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

I heard the sound of Beyonce streaming generously from the car next to me, as she sang about the pains of being pretty. “Pretty hurts… Tryna fix something, but you can’t fix what you can’t see. It’s the soul that needs the surgery.” She went on to sing about the sacrifices made and the lengths that we go through to achieve an outward appearance of being pretty… only to still feel empty. 

The word of God promises us in Isaiah “beauty for ashes”. We sometimes confuse pretty with beauty, but the beauty God gives means so much more. God’s beauty goes beyond what’s on the outside and reaches the very depth of the soul. Scripture tells us in order to receive this beauty, we must first present the ashes. You may ask, “How do we do that?” Well, in order to get ashes, you must first sacrifice!

As we approach another season of Lent, many Christians will observe Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday serves not only to remind us that “From dust we came and from dust we shall return.”, but the ashes are also seen as a symbol of grief, as we confess our sins. Ash Wednesday is also the first day of Lent, a season of prayer, fasting and sacrifice. Many times, we find it difficult to sacrifice and deny our flesh for forty days, in order to receive the beauty of God. But we will sacrifice our sanity, our peace, our relationships, our bodies and so much more, in order to chase a never satisfying “pretty”.

During this season of Lent, I challenge you to give Jesus a heartfelt try. Turn your focus from sacrificing for earthly things, to enduring the sacrifice to live beautifully for Christ. We become truly beautiful by becoming like Christ… by being willing to sacrifice our time, our money, talents and desires. And when it is done, we can take those ashes and present them to God. He will replace them with an everlasting, unfading beauty where He will shine bright through us and we will never be left empty.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for loving me enough to bestow upon me beauty. As I enter this season of Lent, give me the strength to endure and become more like Christ. I praise you for seeing beauty in my ashes, and I love you. In Jesus’ name. Amen

By: Min. April Carter