Everywhere I look junk is thrown in my face, my thoughts, and in return my heart. Our lovely society is trying to teach me that beauty comes from the outside. First, you must be in excellent shape. I don't mean simply being healthy and taking care of your body, you have to look like the models look (which isn’t possible for all people especially in the height department…I’m 5’3…not exactly model height). Secondly, you have to dress like you want some attention. We hear that it’s not very attractive to men if you don’t show some skin. Well, no one actually comes out and says it, but it is depicted in movies, shows, and even commercials. So, if you decide you are already lacking in the body arena you kick it up a notch in this area. You probably find yourself spending more cash for less cloth. Then, the brilliant Hollywood tells you that your job is still not complete. As a woman you need to give yourself to any (and every) guy that comes along who makes you feel successful in your attempt at beauty. I don’t just mean with sex, but with your heart. I have talked with girls that have lost their self in a silly crush…I’m talking a lost identity here. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why are we so eager to give our hearts, our body, and our health to make society think we are beautiful?
So, you might be thinking that I sound like I am totally against all of this “following society stuff”, right? Actually, I have recently been struggling with this very thing of feeling beautiful. It honestly took me by surprise because I had reached a point in my life, and walk with God, to realize that my beauty comes from Him. I am His masterpiece and nothing can determine my worth except for God himself. Nonetheless, this past semester has been a struggle. I walked around feeling under par in everything that I was doing and soon it began to affect my self-image. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it is right to glorify yourself because of the things you are good at, but instead put God first so that He can show you the beauty He sees. Although I believe this former statement, I did not put it into practice. As I was going through all of this I was not depressed, but I definitely lost some of my joy. It was a skillful attack by my arch enemy, an invasion of the brain, which led to some corrupt thinking. This warfare started small and it was really easy to ignore the negative thoughts. For example, I would think about how awful my hair looked that day. Soon it turned into how gross my skin was looking, how wrong my clothes looked, and how poorly I was doing in keeping up with school and my devotionals. You can obviously see how it progressed.
I really feel that this is how it happens with most girls (and could be boys too, but I am not a boy so I can’t really relate on this topic). At first everything is going good and then someone says something to you and after spending twenty minutes over analyzing you determine that they called you fat and ugly. Trust me, I’ve been there. Although I still believe I have a ways to go in this journey, yesterday brought some change. It started as I was sitting in my living room, on my awesome blue couch, waiting on my roommate to get home or my boyfriend to get off work. I realized that I needed to do something productive and a blog was the first thing to mind. I actually got really excited! Everything was running smooth until I got stuck at the “Please Title your Blog” section. I sat there for probably thirty minutes trying to come up with a good name for it (kind of like naming a puppy, everything sounds good, but then you think of something else). Finally, I settled on Beautifully Expressed. At the time I was trying to think of ways that God saw me compared to the way I see myself, that would be a good title, right? Finally, after naming the blog I knew how powerful the title was. My life is a beautiful expression of God’s love, glory, and goodness. Even after this realization it wasn’t until late last night that I noticed God was speaking. Even though I have been spending little quality time with Him, He had a plan. Even though I feel like the things I do don’t always please Him, He was still trying to speak. Even though I listened to the lies of the enemy, He wants me to know my beauty and worth. I laid in bed and realized that no matter how much I change, God never does and never will. He looks at me from a different perspective. He pays no mind to this shell we call our body, and although He desires it to be healthy and well taken care of, God would much rather your spirit be filled with joy and peace. This scripture came to mind:
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quite spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4
Society is dumb. I can’t always, and won’t always, live up to the standards they set for me, but I am trying to strive for the standards God has set. And no, I don’t mean you should stop wearing makeup or wearing fashionable clothes, but I do mean that we as girls should stop worrying about the outward appearance more than the inward. Moms always say that beauty comes from the inside and I think they might be right. I am still in the process of overcoming the lies Satan has been feeding me, but I think this verse is a good place to start. Always remember that movies and TV are out to make money, they don’t care who they hurt along the way. You are beautiful because of who God made you to be. Turn to your creator to find out why you were created. He is the only one that truly knows the best thing for you.
And remember….
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
Signing out with Love,
Amy Elizabeth
P.S. Listen :)
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