Being beautiful as a woman has always involved some sensuality, because that’s who we are. A woman without sensuality is not a woman.

But today’s approach to beauty for all ages is often outright sexual. No arousal, not sexy. Not sexy, not beautiful.

What a shame for a strong, smart, powerful woman of so much potential to be reduced to body parts for the purpose of sexual attention.

Our highly sexualized and objectifying culture has determined that we are all objects of desire (thank you, mainstream pornography). The very definition of pornography is that it has the purpose of arousing, and we so easily fall prey to becoming subjects of this kingdom.

And there’s no doubt it can be fun to play the game. We love the feeling of desire and being desired.

It’s like the ocean. We love to surf. We love to swim. But if we don’t respect the ocean, we can drown. Desire involves a very similar danger.

True beauty involves some mystery, a delight, a uniqueness. It’s expressed in a confidence coming from that awareness of being completely different from anyone else who ever lived. It’s not even as much about clothes as attitude. There is a safety in innocent beauty that makes a woman absolutely fearless.

Yet this beauty is blighted and ruined by attempts to add-on a “sex sells” aspect. That’s cheap marketing none of us deserve. Removing innocence from beauty takes a bite from the apple and the flesh begins to brown.

I’m not for sale and neither are you. We are women, not objects or body parts alone. Beauty and sexy can coexist beautifully in the context of marriage. But sexy alone is for arousal, whether it results in just a tease, a “come to me” look, or intimate sexual interaction.

Beauty itself is powerful. It can be used selfishly or be a method of drawing attention to something greater than outward appearances. Our heart’s condition will determine which path we choose when it comes to our personal beauty.

It’s time for a fresh start with our pursuit of beauty. We can make a choice not to be a part of our objectifying culture. We can embrace more personal style and mystery and leave the conformist bandwagon.

And we can make that old-fashioned commitment to save the sexy from here on out for marriage. But that doesn’t EVER mean we shouldn’t be beautiful. In fact, we should be wildly, fiercely beautiful women, embracing our gender and our femininity in all its diversity. Beauty can be a beautiful weapon against “green baloney” sexiness and objectification.

I, for one, am ready for the change. How about you?