Beauty In C. S. Lewis 'The Weight Of Glory'

This book has been phenomenal! I loved when they, John and Stasi Eldredge, started talking about a woman's heart. They said that "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" 1 and how 'our hearts are the core of who we are. It is the source of all of our creativity, courage, and convictions. It is also the fountainhead of our hope, faith, and our love.' 2 The book also talks about the three things that we desire as woman. The desire to be romanced, be on a great adventure, and to unveil beauty.

The desire to be romanced is a desire to be seen and desired, to be sought after and fought for.3 Every little girl has this desire. The addictions woman have stem from their desire to be romanced not being fulfilled. This
desire can be good and also it can be bad, it is good because it can draw us closer to God, so he can romance us. And that’s the way it should be. But when women do not fill their desire to be romanced with God then they will fill it with the next available thing. Whether that 'thing' be men, romantic books, or just shutting that desire down because it is just in the way. It is said that 'A woman becomes beautiful when she knows she is loved.'4 The one who loves her does not have to be a man, it can be God! God desires us to romance him back, he is our lover. 'Our lives are a story of the long and passionate pursuit of our heart by the one who knows you most and loves you best.' 5

But he does not just want to romance you. He wants to go on an adventure with you to. He wants to share in the adventures of your life. Whether you go canoeing in the dark, or you raise your children to romance God as well. As women we long to be part of a great adventure. And the last desire woman have is to unveil their beauty. The desire to be beautiful is ageless, every woman at every age has this desire. Beauty is also timeless, because God set it in our hearts at the beginning of eternity. Woman do not have a desire to be beautiful just on the outside, but they desire to be beautiful on the inside as well. The beauty of a woman is a soulish kind of beauty.6 That eventually what is on the inside will come to the outside. Beauty is the essence that dwells inside of every woman.7 A woman of true beauty offers others the grace to be and the room to become.8 God is Beauty. So, beauty is powerful, the most powerful thing on earth. It is dangerous. Because it matters, and this is why.9

First, beauty matters because it speaks. What does beauty say? It declares that all shall be well.10 So a woman at rest affirms all shall be well. Ergo, a woman at ease is enjoyable to be around and to pause in her presence. Beauty also invites. It draws you to come in deeper. Such as, a beautiful piece of music tempts you to sit there and listen for a while.

Beauty nourishes.
Just like a woman's body nourishes her children, beauty nourishes the soul. C.S. Lewis said it this way, "We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words-to be United with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive into ourselves." (The Weight Of Glory)11 Beauty comforts. Beauty brings healing, that’s why we send flowers or other beautiful things to the doleful. It brings comfort. Beauty inspires. Have you ever wondered about what it would be like to be in the presence of a woman like mother Teresa? Her life was filled with beauty, she's inspired so many to live better lives. Lastly, beauty is transcendent. Beauty puts a longing into us for an Eden we have not known. Beauty says, There is a glory calling to you. 12 If there is a glory, then there must be something or someone who created that glory. So, beauty draws us to God, the glory maker.

Beauty does not affect God only. But if also affects men. True femininity arouse's true masculinity.13 The desire's of a man's heart and the desire's of a woman's heart fit together beautifully. Men desire to fight a battle. They want to be the hero of the story. This is why you will see little boys playing cops and robbers, or Indians and cowboys. Men also long for adventure. This is deeply rooted in every man. It puts them 'to the test'. The last desire a man has is to rescue the beauty. Men have no reason to go to battle if he has no one to fight
for.

They would be lonely men fighting lonely battles. Men long to offer their strength to women. 'Captivating' also talks about arousing Adam. The question behind this is how do you best love him? And that is to seduce him. Not by the world's standards but by God's. And that is just what Ruth did to Boaz. She needed him, plain and simple. She could not provide for herself and her mother-in-law. So she puts on her best clothes and seduce's him by laying at his feet. She used all that she had as a woman, so that he could use all that he was as a man. She aroused him, and inspired him to get her answer.

In closing, God has made women glorious. So much more than what the church or our culture is teaching. We are the 'lifesaver' and the feminine side of God. God use's woman to show the world his beauty, his jealous side, and so much more. There is still so much I could add, but it would take a whole nother book to tell what I got from 'Captivating'.