Everything Beautiful

In my devotion this morning it was talking about God's good things. The reading was for Colossians 2:21 where Paul was warning Christians about asceticism (renouncing the material world and denying the body of any kind of pleasure).

The author said something that I had never thought of before and quoted John Calvin

"Now if we ponder what end God created food, we shall find that he meant not only to provide for necessity but also for delight and good cheer. Thus the purpose of clothing, apart from necessity was comeliness and decency. In grasses, trees and fruits, apart from their various uses, there is beauty of appearance and pleasantness of odor. 

Did He not distinguish colors as to make some more lovely than others? What? Did He not endow gold and silver, ivory and marble, with a loveliness that renders them more precious than other metals or stone? Did He not, in short, render many things attractive to us, apart from their necessary use?"

I knew that God made things beautiful of purpose but I had never thought about making colors and precious metal, some more beautiful that others or food that would taste good. I just assumed that's what is was. I guess He could have made food tasteless. (Thank goodness He didn't)

So when I think that my love of fashion and wanting to look good should be considered vanity I remember that I'm not trying to be fashionable because I want everyone to see me, but because I like the way outfits look together and I like to look nice instead of frumpy. Or food is not just nourishment but should be something I take delight in making and eating as long as it is within right bounds.