When we approach God, we are often coming with cosmetics on our mind. Help me to look better in the eyes of my fellow man. Help me to feel better. Help ease the weight of my circumstances.
In essence, we are asking that things be easier. We want a setting makeover, a paint job to slap over our challenging circumstances and relationships. We want things to appear better, convinced if they appear better, they will actually be better.
We seek outward adornment for our inner selves. Hairstyles, jewelry, fine clothes. These are all meant to avoid dealing with the reality of how we look. And it carries into other arenas of our life. We want this for our society – just put some jewelry on this issue. Maybe if this confrontation had a new hairdo, we could convince ourselves it wasn’t really necessary to address the core issue at all.
We think the great value of circumstantial cosmetics is that it makes things easier. The truth is cosmetics covers the truth. It silences inner strength and covers true beauty. It keeps us from making the difficult choices that reveal who we are and whom we trust. It keeps us from ourselves more than it prevents pain.