I Am Beautiful

I believe that loving ourselves is another important component in our faith walk. Quite often we diminish our abilities or speak badly about ourselves because we aren’t happy with who we are or how we look. My goal in this particular post is to encourage you to love the beautifully made you.

Genesis 1:26 tells us that God created us in his own image. To be even more specific, it says, “Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." He actually said let US make mankind in OUR image! The words “us” and "our" refer to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have been made in the image of all three! You are a triple threat!

And as that scripture continues, God made us so wonderfully, that he gave us dominion over EVERYTHING. We were birthed equipped with everything we need in order to fulfill our purpose in this lifetime. Clearly God sees us worthy, so why don’t we see ourselves that way?

We live in a society that has set a measure of beauty. If you don’t have enough of something or too much of something else, you are not considered beautiful. Our society has also set standards of who is intelligent and who is not. We are left feeling like we lack something, so there is no way we can pursue some of the things we want in life. My view of beauty changed one day when I saw someone without her make-up who usually wore it, and I heard someone comment about her lack of beauty. How can the very same person be beautiful one day and ugly the next?

Not only does beauty change according to what an individual looks like, but different people have differing opinions about whether or not the exact same person is beautiful. One person thinks you are drop dead gorgeous while another can pick you completely apart. So now you have to work hard trying to make everyone think you are attractive. Seems like too much work to me.

(In no way, shape, or form am I saying that people shouldn't do things like wear make-up, go to the gym, or wear expensive clothing, if that is something they enjoy. However, you should be happy with who you are with or without these things.) 

Accepting who you are gives you the freedom and peace to walk throughout your life with confidence. Knowing we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) tells us that everything we are, nothing added and nothing taken away, is perfect for God’s purpose. This should give us faith in knowing that everything we need to pursue our passions and dreams is already inside of us. You do not have to become someone else in order to do what God has for YOU and only YOU.

Another important reason to love yourself is because we are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). If you have the capacity to put yourself down, not take care of yourself, and think the worse about your ability, you are definitely going to do the same when it comes to your neighbor. Neither way is that love.

I am on a continuous journey to loving myself. Some days are easier than others. The other day I asked my significant other if he thought that I was pretty. His response was, “Of course I think you are beautiful, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t think that you are. I love when you are confident about yourself because it shows. You just seem happier when you are confident about yourself.” And he was correct. When I am accepting myself, I hold my head a little higher, I walk a little bit taller, and I can tell that I am exuding confidence. This is what many call “swag”. I have seen some people who aren’t what society has deemed as “attractive”, but the way they carry themselves makes them absolutely beautiful! Self-confidence goes a long way.

Believing that you are smart, beautiful, handsome, or a strong person sets the stage for what you can accomplish. You can boldly walk into a room and change the minds of people who may not initially think you have what it takes to get things done. Having self-confidence also will give you peace when a door is shut in your face. It wasn’t that you aren’t enough. It just wasn’t the right door to go through….IT WAS NOT YOU.

Now there is a difference between being conceited and being confident. Being conceited says that you created every bit of who you are and everyone should love it; but, being confident says that you were created in the image of God, so you know He didn’t make a mistake and, if anyone else doesn't like it, it is okay. Keep in mind, there is always room for self-improvement, because this journey is about becoming better. But, you are to love the before AND after you.

Start telling yourself that who you are is enough. Find different adjectives to describe yourself in a positive manner. Pay close attention to the things you say you don’t like about yourself. If you can do something about it, accept it, then change it. If not, accept it, then love on it. And please don’t allow what people say about you diminish who you are. And don't let the standards that have been set out there convince you that you aren't enough. People will be criticizing you at your best and at your worst. Love who you are.

And if all else fails, take a note from the maid on the movie, "The Help", when she is encouraging the little girl she was taking care of: 

Peace.

If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or prayer requests, please feel free to email me at: faithfrfr2014@gmail.com.