Far More Beautiful Than You Know.
Have you ever stopped to think about your worth in the Lord? Have you ever sat down with yourself and thought about how beautiful the Creator thinks you are?Truly think about this for a moment.Now ask yourself, what is it that prevents you from seeing who God has created you to be? What is stopping you from seeing your worth? Is it body image, the clothes you wear, your facial features?As human beings, we have the tendency to forget who we are because of what society claims to be beautiful or pleasing to the eye. I know I have done this on many occasions and every time it only allowed more darkness to flow into my life. There were times when I only felt beautiful if I wore makeup to cover up the acne or scaring on my face. I would think that maybe if the scale said something different, it would make all the difference in the world. But friends, let me just remind you that we are NOT of this world. Allow yourself to know that who they “tell” you to be is merely a label and it will never measure up to the beauty you carry because of God.For me, makeup and fashion was a way to feel like I would fit in. If I just wore enough makeup, then maybe I would be beautiful, just like my friends. I could have a full face of it on and instantly feel better about who I am, and I defiantly wouldn’t let others see me without it. At night I would wash it away and feel down because the reflection in the mirror wasn’t what I hoped to see.1 Peter 3 MSG
“…What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in.”
I want to encourage you to never allow yourself to feel unworthy because you don’t look as other people do. God has created you to be different from the rest, your beauty is going to radiate in many ways that are different than your neighbors. So, don’t be afraid to take off the makeup and be vulnerable. Friends, there is so much beauty in vulnerability! In fact, the Lord wants us to be vulnerable in front of Him and to others for His glory! It is so important to know that there is true beauty without the excess. You don’t need the makeup and latest clothes to feel beautiful. It says it right in 1 Peter 3 that outer beauty isn’t what the Lord is looking at. Of course he created you and loves every part He sculpted, but it is much more than that. The beauty on the outside fades, but what’s in the heart stays. I know that may sound cliché but it’s true and so important.The Lord has called us to love with all we have, with our whole heart. To be gentle and patient with others. To be caring, show mercy, and never give up on others. We are called to be this way because this is who Jesus is, and we should be living to be more like Him every day! See, the more we become like Jesus, the more beautiful we are! We can only do so much as humans to our bodies and maybe slightly fill the void; but only true beauty comes when you seek and live like Jesus.Now, I don’t want to make you guys seem like I have it all together. This was a deep rooted hole in my heart that could only be filled by God. There are definitely times where I have to remind myself Who has created me and why. I have had to sit down or look myself in the mirror, look through the eyes of the Creator and understand why I am so deeply loved by Him. But, can I just tell you thay I am so overjoyed to have let Him into the hole. Now, I can be confident enough to push out the negativity and remember how beautiful I am. And this is something every individual should feel.So, when you can’t see your worth and beauty, rest in this verse. Know that He created you and loves every single part. He knew you before anyone else and has a plan and purpose over your life. He doesn’t want or need any of the extra glitz and glam. The Lord wants your raw heart, pursue Him and you will overflow and radiate light and an insane amount of beauty.Psalm 139:13-16
“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.”
You Are Loved. words and photo by Alexis Johnson