Is there anything in your life that causes you to want to edit or change?
Today my aunt and I did a mini photo shoot. After hours of posing and trying to get the "perfect" pictures it was time to sit down and evaluate the multitude of photos. As I flipped through each picture I realized I am my biggest critic. No matter how many times someone tells me I am beautiful, or unique I always seem to feel differently. If I am being completely honest, there are some things I would like to change about myself.
I constantly find myself comparing my life to those of my friends, or other loved ones. I have made so many mistakes in my life and there have been times where I haven't been the best friend, best sister, best daughter, and the list goes on... However, in my eyes I have some friends who I view as perfect and it causes an unhealthy amount of jealousy.
Growing up, I did not have a healthy self image. I HATED my curly hair and wished it was straight like all of my other friends. I HATED my height and wished to be taller because all of my other friends were taller and would tease me. I also HATED my intelligence, I use to be in the lowest reading and math groups while all of my friends were in higher leveled groups.
There is a common denominator amongst all of those "hates" and it is comparing myself to my friends. I was falling victim towards my own nonsense, causing me to constantly feel lowered or like I needed to edit my life so it could fit more with my friends.
I will never forget going to an all girls Christian event which involved heavy topics and trials that girls face with on a day-to-day basis. One of the questions was, "How do you view yourself?" I looked around the room and heard so many of my friends open up about the variety of things they would like to edit on their bodies or lives. I was SHOCKED! I remember wondering how so many beautiful/perfect girls could view this nonsense about themselves. Then one girl made a claim that opened my eyes, "I find myself focusing more on comparing myself to others, I have a hard time being happy for who I am." Then the group leader said, "Stop comparing yourself to someone else, your life will never be like their's because God made you beautifully and uniquely YOU." That day changed my life in more ways than I could even describe.
I still have minor edits I would like to make to myself and my life because I am a human, but I no longer lack self confidence due to wishing I could have someone else's life. I will always be my biggest critique, but God has blessed me in numerous ways and I am so proud to be me!
Genesis 1:27 "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
God created us in His image! How crazy is that? He never makes mistakes, so every time we are having negative thoughts about ourselves we are basically blaming God for making a mistake whether it be voluntary or involuntary. You are made who you are because God intended it to be that way! You aren't here by any mistake and you are beautiful or handsome (depending on who is reading). You are uniquely made and were given this life on purpose.
It is ok to critique your life and improve as person but only if it does just that and helps you improve! If you make a mistake in life learn from it and grow but as far as your beauty and self worth please stop wanting to add edits. We can't play God, (trust me I've tried but He always seems to win). God is the artist and He made a masterpiece when He made you. You are something special never forget that!
Dear God,
Thank you so much for all you have done for your children. Thank you for loving us unconditionally and displaying that love to us when you sent your only Son to die for all of our sins. You are a good, good Father and I am so blessed to serve such an amazing Lord. God I pray for all of our self imaging. We are all sinners and fall victim to jealousy and comparison, but you did not create us to be like anyone else. You love us all as individuals and displayed our uniqueness by breathing life into us, thus creating us to be made in your image. Lord I pray that whoever is reading this can sense their self worth and know that they are beautiful just the way they are. You never make mistakes. I love you with all of my heart! It is in Jesus name that I pray.
AMEN!
Comments