Five Minute Friday: BEAUTY
God can use the ordinary moments in your life to glorify himself by conforming you into the image of his Son. That is precisely what he intends to do.
Gloria Furman
A mother weeping over a wayward child, love spilling onto a soaked pillow.
A wife overcoming exhaustion to minister to her husband when he returns home downtrodden after a long day.
A missionary drinking tea with the locals, struggling in her second language.
There’s beauty in the ordinary though it may not always be obvious outside of your Instagram feed. God does miracles on ordinary days and uses ordinary people to accomplish His will in the world. He transforms brokenness into bellowing declarations of His majesty — it’s the kind of business He’s best at. He brings glory to Himself and beauty in our lives as He shows off who He is by making us more like Him.
Beauty is dying to self and humbling ourselves before a holy God even if it is manifested in wiping noses and matching socks. The most glorious moments of our lives are often the hardest to live out because the most beautiful story ever told required blood, death, and sacrifice, and we are called to retell that story each day in both the miraculous and the mundane.
When we look around, we may only see the mess, but we trust that the God that makes all things new, brings life out of death and shines light into the darkness is at work to redeem it all. We keep our eyes on Him — a miraculous display of transformative power. Little by little, we being to resemble Him in the smallest of ways as this transformative power touches each part of our lives. Is there anything more beautiful than that?
Tell me something beautiful God has done in your life this week.
Talk to me in the comment section below!
Linking up with: Five Minute Friday
I loce that when we yield to his will, he gives is what we didn’t even know we wanted/needed. Great poat, Amber! Xoxo
Thank you, Dawn! I know exactly WHO you’re talking about! Love what you’re doing and can’t get enough of that sweet boy of yours! My Nepali friend and I were oohing and aahing over his photos the other day!
People have shown up for our silent auction fundraiser this weekend. The donations just keep coming in and I’m flabbergasted. Over 50 baskets so far. Your post reminds me of the book “Liturgy of the Ordinary?” I think you’d love it. I’m in the 5 spot this week.
That’s great, Tara! What is the fundraiser for? I just heard of that book last week maybe. It’s definitely on my “to-read” list!
“Beauty is dying to self” Wow! The world sees beauty all about self and yet you’ve so wisely reminded us that God’s ways aren’t the world’s ways! And how freeing it is to think about letting go of self and dwelling in the beauty of God’s transformative power! Great post Amber! Cindy Wilkins
Thank you, Cindy! This is something God is continually bringing to my mind. I struggle so much with self-centered thinking. Dwelling in the beauty of God’s transformative power sounds like a good idea!
I’m right there with you Amber!
Glad to know I’m not alone!
God has changed my heart towards a co-worker that annoys me. My heart is a hard instrument, so God changing it sure felt beautiful!
Praise God! It’s so hard to change our attitudes when someone rubs us the wrong way (often for good reason!). So encouraged by this testimony of His faithfulness to change our hearts to love others as He does.
Oh so true, Amber. There is so much beauty in the ordinary. And, yes, IG so often skews that truth for us. So necessary to read these type posts – and to remind ourselves!
I often think of the beauty of little old ladies who have lived a life for the Lord and serving others without ever drawing attention to her good works. Quietly doing what the Lord has us to do is certainly a beautiful thing whether others notice or not. IG and the temptation to “humble brag” is a constant struggle!
“…resemble Him in the smallest of ways as this transformative power touches each part of our lives. Is there anything more beautiful than that?”
Thank you for this beauty on beauty! And you are correct there’s nothing more beautiful than our Savior. Eyes on Jesus… you’re shining!! Lisa #48 at the FMF linkup
I love to tell the story! It never gets old. Thank you for rejoicing in it with me and encouraging me to keep my eyes on Him!
Thank you for this, Amber. It is the transforming power of God that makes it possible to see beauty in the mess of our lives.
Truth! And the type of beauty He shows us in on a whole other level. Thank you for your comment, Erendira!
Beauty is feeling way too ill to exercise but doing it anyway…and then blowing out my knee and realizing that I have the muscle tone to support a ‘kind of’ still being able to walk on it.
Ouch! Hard to see beauty in that situation, but the fact that you’re still getting around and living for Jesus is certainly cause for celebration!
” The most glorious moments of our lives are often the hardest to live out because the most beautiful story ever told required blood, death, and sacrifice, and we are called to retell that story each day in both the miraculous and the mundane.”
Amber this was a wonderful post. Really piercing. But wow! The above words sang to me! So glad I dropped by.
God bless you!
Visiting from FMF #61
So glad you liked my run on sentence, Kelly! Ha! Thankful you stopped by and offered an encouraging word. God bless!
Amber – thank you for this great reminder! I wanted to let you know I shared a link to this post with my newsletter readers. God bless you and Paul as you continue to serve the Lord!
Thanks so much for doing that and for letting me know. Looking forward to seeing what you’re coming up with these days!
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