Beware of Beauty
Last week, I flipped back through one of my favorite books (and an undisputed classic), “The Confessions of St. Augustine.” Augustine was the bishop of Hippo and lived in the 300’s (Way way back in the day). “Confessions,” his autobiography, is his most popular writing and if you read it you’ll see why. It became a significant book in church history for a number of reasons, one of those being his thought provoking reflections on life in light of God’s grace and providence. The whole thing was written as a prayer to God and I highly recommend reading it.
When I flipped through my underlines and notes in the book, one of my favorite sections encouraged me again. In a world filled with truly beautiful things created by God, it’s hard not to enjoy those things in an unhealthy way. Here’s what Augustine says,
“O God of hosts, restore us to our own; smile upon us, and we shall find deliverance. For wherever the soul of man may turn, unless it turns to you, it clasps to sorrow itself. Even though it clings to things of beauty, if their beauty is outside God and outside the soul, it only clings to sorrow.
Yet these things of beauty would not exist at all unless they came from you. Like the sun, they rise and set… This is the law they obey. This is all that you have appointed for them, because they are parts of a whole. Not all the parts exist at once, but some must come as others go, and in this way together they make up the whole of which they are the parts. Our speech follows the same rule, using sounds to signify a meaning. For a sentence is not complete unless each word, once its syllables have been pronounced, gives way to make room for the next.
Let my soul praise you for these things, O God, Creator of them all; but the love of them, which we feel, through the senses of the body, must not be like glue to bind my soul to them. For they continue on the course that is set for them and leads to their end, and if the soul loves them and wishes to be with them and find its rest in them, it is torn by desires that can destroy it. In these things there is no place to rest, because they do not last… They are limited by their own nature. They are sufficient for the purposes for which they were made, but they cannot halt the progress of transient things which pass from their allotted beginning to their allotted end. All such things are created by your word, which tells them ‘Here is your beginning and here your end.’”
This paragraph is so helpful to me. We tend to look to what he calls “lesser beauties” as an end in themselves, as opposed to a means to THE end, God’s glory. God’s glory is the big picture and the lesser beauties are just brush strokes.
Conclusion
I love words like these that remind me that if I try to make a created thing ultimate it will fail me. Yes, friendship is beautiful. Yes, nature is beautiful. And yes, other people are beautiful. But they weren’t meant to satisfy me eternally, so they won’t. We should seek to enjoy all the beautiful things that God made. He is pleased with that. But we must let them play their role. We were made to be satisfied by God, the greatest Beauty.
“The thought of you stirs [man] so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself and our heats find no peace until they rest in you.”
Love you fam. Look for Why I’m Unashamed Pt. 3 next Tuesday.
All Comments 24
This reminds me of the lyrics in your song "Intimacy"..."But I was having my share of affairs with things YOU designed, Kind of like a bad marriage, it's scary it's like I'm blind..." Good Word. He created things for our pleasure, not for abuse; we have to know and act out the difference. And true, God is definitely the ultimate satisfaction!
Akera
– Dec 15 2009
Hey Trip Lee keep them coming i love what your writing...thanks
Will Horne
– Dec 16 2009
Thanks a million for sharing this timely piece breadrin' As my eyes read with intensity, my heart like a sponge soaked up the beauty of the SON and my soul rejoices at the timeliness of the depth and wealth of truth of this content. Thanks thanks and thanks again bro!
roz
smell good
roz
– Dec 16 2009
Amen! All I can say!
feenix
– Dec 17 2009
Hey guys at Reach- I really appreciate this kind of incite. You guys do a great job of making the gospel clear. I like this stuff a lot.
Broderic
– Dec 17 2009
Trip Lee, thanks so much for writing down what God has put on your heart to share with others who are in need of these types of reminders every second of everyday. what a shame it would be to keep these truths bottled up to yourself or even your closest group of friends, but you have decided to post what you have learned and re-learned about God. the internet can be a dangerous place of temptation and sin, but let us (believers) to use this gift as a way to share Christ, inform, enlighten, and build up the bride of Christ. thanks again for your continuous pursuit of truth while looking through God's eyes.
Matt Novak
– Dec 18 2009
Thanks Trip Lee!
Rusty Shelangoski
– Dec 18 2009
Love you too Trip (in a Christlike way of course)!! Check out latter day saint text sometime.
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0
Michael Azonye
– Dec 20 2009
THANKS TRIP.
Gene Davis
– Dec 21 2009
On point my brother Trip! i am always encouraged by these blogs you write. I'm def gonna pick up that book; I'm always grateful and motivated by the books that inspire you guys, i also am strengthened in my faith and convicted as well. Thank you! Look forward to reading part 3! grace and peace to you always! DJ Official is killing it on his new cd. You guys def worked hard and had the Spirit moving you kats!
ashley alafberg
– Dec 26 2009
I just wanna say its such a blessing to read these blogs trip, and then the comments peeps leave. I was reading the one last night on offending people ( in christ). and it touched me to see so many young people commenting about standing up for the Lord and speaking out, in fact reading it brought tears to my eyes. Our generation, must have a sense of urgency in this day, and be armored up at all times. Ephesians 6:10-18 this is just a word of encouragement to everyone peeping these blogs n comments.... stay alert! and know that the more we press into Jesus and walk a Kingdom life, we scare the enemy and he'll get his defenses up against us. It's a spiritual battle- and we must see ourselves as Warriors! Warriors for the strongest King of all KINGS , JESUS CHRIST BAY BAY! be blessed fams, and a shout out all the way from Australia! keep it up! :-D
JMILZ86
– Dec 27 2009
Also, on this note of "beware of beauty"...and worshiping and idolising people instead of focusing ALL our adoration and worship PRIMARILY on the Lord. I want to share a link wit yall, that was a message on "sex and spirituality"! This message shared by Dr. Allen Myers , invoked a powerful presence of the Lord in this meeting. We as the young generation, are bombarded with a view about 'sex' and 'intimacy' SO much so, that it has infiltrated the Church ( epecially the youth with raging hormones- yeah I said it!). I implore any/all of ya'll to hear this message, and LET THE LORD SHIFT YOUR MINDSET BACK TO GOD'S VISION AND ORIGINAL PLAN FOR SEX AND INTIMACY. So much of the sins in our lives can be a result of sexual immorality (sex before marriage) and can continue to affect our relationships/ even WHEN in the LORD! Please listen to the message "Search for Intimacy" (part 2 covers part 1 and 2) on this link! We need repentance. Ok fams hope some of yall get to peep it. Be blessed.
http://www.citipointe.com.au/index.php/resources/online_messages_audio/P10/
JMILZ86
– Dec 27 2009
Mmmmmmmm I'm reading Confessions right now, and I must say, it's a very moving book...
Another good book that I'm going through is "The pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer. A novella, but it's impact is quite novel.
Keep pounding out the theology, "Gotta grow" ;)
God Bless.
Ryan Hamre
– Dec 27 2009
I'm so greatful to have come across this blog going through the reachrecords website. It helped solidify what I know God has been using me to minister to others and even more so, myself. It is time for God's children to stand apart from the world. God bless you!
Niko Tait
– Dec 31 2009
Hey yo Trip and reach records, I really appreciate what you all are doing. Small things like this really helps me out in life!. Please keep them coming. To God Be the Glory.....
Joshua Gale
– Jan 5 2010
Keep'em coming, Brother! Can't have enough of Him and/or His word!!!
joe
– Jan 8 2010
That was deep Trip!! Thanks for sharing and letting Christ use you, keep sharing them pearls, God Bless.
Janie
– Feb 18 2010
DWU dawg i like fam, itz real n sumthin truly dat can b taken 2da heart.
my prayers goes out 2u in yo walk wit Jesus MuchLove J.B.out *14 24 34 TWWID*
Christopher Gill II
– Feb 22 2010
This was definetly a good write. I say keep up the good work and trust your album is tough. So keep letting the Lord use you mightly.
Psalmatic
– Mar 16 2010
This is so rich in it's contents, so much to think about because I have found these things to be true to me in my own life...I now realize that nothing will ever satisfy me the way my God does..My heart burst open with feelings that only He can make me feel at the thought of Him...Thanks for sharing.
David Rozzell
– May 3 2010
waaat! this is like havin bible study on the net....am totale lovin it......may God continue using us all mightily in our respective capacities!
shizzzle
– May 21 2010
Iyoh!!! Thanks for the heads up! Not paying attention, we lose sight of the real end and give the temporary more responsibility than it can handle, resulting in disappointment. We have to be conscious of everything we do; focusing on fleeting beauty and momentary satisfaction is easily achieved but focusing on God requires intentional decisions and actions everyday.
Thank-you once again. What you have shared has provided for the renewal of my mind today... Transformation here I come!!!
Ayanda
– May 22 2010
This is so good! I agree about the sorrow part...it's the reason why there is so much depression. There is something inside of all of us that wants complete surrender, but unless we die we will be sorrowful of what we 'miss out on' in the world. Go hard or go home, right? Either we submit to Him fully or we are caught between the worldly and spiritual, and this brings worldly sorrow which brings death (2 Cor. 7:10) We cannot be attached to worldly things, like this passage says, as our souls come to love them...it ends up tearing us apart. Even Jesus had to cut the soul ties he had with his family, because they would have hindered him. This is why we 'hate' our mother and father in comparison to Christ...if we don't fully surrender, we will be torn and it will lead to death!
This passage is so ensightful, I'm gonna look into getting the book!!
Justine Widen
– May 31 2010
Hi ya Thank you yes Paris was beautiful loved every monemt ! Im not 100 % sure but i think i had it set on iso 600 / 800 i think but it could have been on auto / the Canon 550D is awesome in HD i was very impressed with the night Videos Just wish i had filmed more
Arnong
– Sep 19 2012