There's this phenomenon going on that all of us women are well aware of. Just about every magazine we see, commercial we watch and song we listen to. We read books on it, scripture on it, talk to each other about it, and do what we can to deal with it. Do you have a clue what I'm talking about? Have you dealt with it yourself? I know I have. And do. It's our beautiful image. And why, oh why, do we struggle so much with it? Why do we get so sucked into it? Believe me, this is one of my biggest struggles. And don't tell me I'm alone.
Why is it that standing in line at the grocery store, staring at those magazine covers telling me how to loose 25 pounds by Thanksgiving can make me want to back out of that line and start over with my shopping? Or how about that dreaded feeling when you run into someone at the store and you start comparing what's in her cart verses yours? SERIOUSLY???
And how about music? Have you thought about how many songs talk about our beauty? Mandisa tells us that "The hands that made the moon and stars, the mountains and the seas, made us wonderful, beautiful, marvelously. Let the whole world see your TRUE beauty...", Jonny Diaz says "There could never be a more beautiful you", and Steven Curtis Chapman tells us "You're a masterpiece that all creation quietly applauds, and you're covered with the fingerprints of God". But it's not just Christian artists! What about the secular world of music? Selena Gomez asks, "who says your not beautiful?", Christina Aguilera says, "you are beautiful so don't ever forget it", and those 5 British guys (oh, sorry, one's Irish), can't figure out why I'm insecure because apparently I'm turning heads when I walk through the door and I don't need make-up to cover up because being the way that I am in enough! SERIOUSLY???? Oh, wait, I have a feeling those guys weren't intending for that song to get the attention of a 39 year old woman. But it has. Along with every other song, book, and magazine out there.
Why, girls, are we so sucked in to how we look? Why do we worry about how others will judge us by our appearance? Okay, let me just stop here and say that if you are a very confident woman and you do not struggle with your image at all and never have, than now would be a good time for you to stop reading and head over to another blog. Thanks for stopping though.
Set aside all those songs, books and magazines and look with me to the One and Only Book that matters, that speaks truth to me and you. My favorite verse of all time is Psalm 45:11: "The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord." Did you get that? The King is enthralled by our beauty! SERIOUSLY!! And not the worlds view of beauty either. Not just the right clothes, or make-up, but our real beauty. The beauty that comes from being created in His image. This really hits home for me. My biggest downfall is making sure I look "just right". In fact, I have been known to say, "I need to go put my face on" when I go put on my make-up. How sad is that? Why would I want someone to see me exactly how God created me? Because I'm afraid of what they might think of me. I'm afraid they won't except me for who I am. I'm afraid. But why? If the King of kings and Lord of lords, who created me exactly how I am because that's how HE wanted me, is enthralled with my beauty, why am I so afraid? SERIOUSLY!! Because satan knows right where to get us. He knows what defeats us. I'm sick of feeling defeated. Are you?
Now, I'm not saying make-up is bad, or nice clothes are bad. I would be a hypocrite if I said that. I like to look nice and I believe we need to take good care of ourselves so we can take good care of others. But am I using these things to cover up the real me? Are we allowing ourselves to be consumed with it? When we just can't leave the house without make-up on, or our hair done, or just the right outfit on, that may be a clue that we are consumed. And I know what it is like to be consumed with self-image. Satan took hold of that insecurity and ran with it, bringing me down the path of an eating disorder a few years ago. I was so consumed with body image I couldn't hear anyone else's voice but satans. It was scary. We need to stand strong in God and believe Him when He tells us He is enthralled with our beauty. That is the only way to stand up to satan.
So I have an idea girls. Are you ready for this? What if, the next time we go to the store, we pick a woman out of the crowd, and tell her she's beautiful. SERIOUSLY! Who are we to judge what woman has it all together? It may be the one who looks sad, or the one who is struggling with her 2 year old throwing a fit (or 12 year old for that matter), or maybe it's that one who looks like she has it all together, wearing just the right outfit and wearing just the right make-up. Maybe all that woman desires is for someone to tell her she is beautiful. The King is enthralled with her beauty. Maybe YOU would give anything for someone to tell YOU just how beautiful you are.
My dear, hear me loud and clear: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! THE KING IS ENTHRALLED WITH YOUR BEAUTY!
Let's start a new trend. Who cares if the women we say this to give us a funny look or say, "say what?" Just smile, and let her know you just wanted her to know she is beautiful. Let's get our focus off those magazine covers, and stop trying to cover up who God created us to be. Let's do this for our daughters, sisters, moms, friends, OURSELVES.
Ladies, we are beautiful! The King can't take His eyes off of us!
