I often hear my friends get into conversations about body image. That conversation in "Mean Girls" is NO JOKE.
It's a poke at society, but it's an honest one.
I hear my girlfriends declare new diets, complain about their love handles and blotchy skin, and marvel at Jennifer Aniston's beach bod. Those are my concerns, too. But these thoughts are toxic — toxic to us and toxic to those around us. More importantly, they are not from God.
This summer I worked 50 hours a week. Any time outside of that was sacred for catching up on sleep or just doing things I love. (AKA watching Netflix and eating. Sometimes at the same time.) There was no time to stare at a mirror for an extended period of time or for obsessive self examination. There was barely time to curl my hair in the mornings or pluck my eyebrows. (Do you know how many episodes of "Lost" there are?! Just kidding...) Let me tell you though, it was liberating. I've never felt so free and dare I say it, beautiful.
Without that extra maintenance time, I still liked who I saw in the mirror. On the days I didn't, I just shrugged it off. I would tell myself, you'll get 'em next time, and proceed to scarf a chocolate bar down my throat. (Point of that odd story - I wasn't obsessed with my looks anymore, not that I solved my problems with denial and chocolate. I'm talking about freedom, people.)
Some days I feel like a million bucks - there's an extra skip in my step and I even wink at strangers when I pass them. (Hey, we're being honest right?) On other days, I feel like I'm in debt a million bucks. Make it two million!!! My eyes stay glued to the floor and I fear of being rejected. So why do our moods swing so fast and why can't we feel like a million bucks everyday?
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. - PROVERBS 31:30
If our confidence is in our beauty, then our moods will swing daily. We will never feel like a million bucks everyday. Why? Let me reiterate: Beauty is fleeting.
But that's not all... (If you call right now, you can get 3 for the price of 1!)
God gave me (AND YOU) so many stories and gifts and talents to share with the world, why limit ourselves to our outer appearance?!
If I was given two minutes to talk about myself (who I am, what makes me come alive, what I'm proud of) I would never, ever talk about my looks. Whether it be a job interview, a talent show, or some random hypothetical situation that I just made up to kind of prove a point, I wouldn't. I don't think you would either. What would you even say? My skin is super poreless. And my facial features? Oh, they're symmetrical. I can already see the people scheming to egg your house while you're asleep. But the reason I wouldn't is not just to avoid an egged house, or because I don't think it's true, but because I have so many other great qualities and stories that I have to talk about. I hope you do, too! And if you don't, start there. Start grabbing onto things that make you come alive and make you proud, and let go of that ridiculous voice in your head pressuring you to look like someone you're not.
Because that's all it is. RIDICULOUS. Tina Fey said it best.
"I think the first real change in women's body image came when JLo turned it butt-style. That was the first time that having a large-scale situation in the back was part of mainstream American beauty. Girls wanted butts now. Men were free to admit that they had always enjoyed them. And then, what felt like moments later, boom - Beyonce brought the leg meat. A back porch and thick muscular legs were now widely admired. And from that day forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes were beautiful. Ah ha ha. No. I'm totally messing with you. All Beyonce and JLo have done is add to the laundry list of attributes women must have to qualify as beautiful. [...] The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes. Everyone else is struggling."
End quote. (P.s. That book is on Amazon for $4.99 right now! Do yourself a favor and read it.
"Bossypants" by Tina Fey. You're welcome.)
Anyway, I hope you hear what I'm saying. I think beauty is great. I think it's human to want to be beautiful and to want to be seen. I'll take it even one step further. I think it's from God that we want to be beautiful and we want to be seen. But it was also a need that is meant to be filled by God and God alone.
And what does God says about beauty?
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - PSALM 139:14
God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. (: Do you believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that the only eyes that matter are the Lord's? I hope so because it's true. It's a truth that I'm still digesting and praying for more of each day.
You are the object of his affection. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Declare that truth today and allow yourself to believe it! And watch that truth transform your life.
* I whipped up a desktop so we can be reminded of this daily. I just made it mine! (:
DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS: Right click on the image below and click on
"open in new tab." This will give you access to the image's full size. Once you are there, right click + save, or directly drag it onto your desktop. Then, make it your wallpaper! 1, 2, 3! (:
