Women, teens, guys, ALL Y’ALL… why are we so hard on ourselves?
When we look in the mirror, we find the tiniest of flaws and they may appear larger in our minds. A little ache here or there as years pass, grey hairs peeking through, a few extra wrinkles (I like to call character lines) gracing our skin, or extra pounds attaching themselves to our bodies are going to happen, y’all. Life happens.
We compare ourselves to the images of what the world thinks beauty is, and become critical of our own beauty that may not be so evident in the reflection we see.
Social media and magazine covers have tainted our view of what true beauty is.
Do yourself a favor and reflect on who God says you are and how He sees you, and stop comparing and being self-critical.
That self in the mirror is so much more than your mind may be telling you.
Join me for a few days as I remind you of WHO YOU ARE.
You are Chosen (and wanted)
Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 NLT
Wait, before we go any further, reread those first four words…”Since God CHOSE you”. Sweet Jesus! If that doesn’t make you feel all warm and fuzzy I don’t know what can. When deciding what to wear, first choose to put on compassion, graciousness, gentleness, humility, and self-control. As a reminder, maybe you can think about it this way: when you put each leg through your clothing say “compassion and graciousness”. Next comes the arms with “gentleness and humility”. Finally, to top it all off, your head…look at yourself one final time and “self control”. Dear one, God chose you and loves you!
But you are His chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things He has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 ERV
I can’t help but smile after reading, with emphasis, this verse. Tell yourself, “I am chosen. I belong to God. I am brought out of the darkness of sin. Glory!” I want to encourage you to step into the light with the confidence that God gives you and shine bright for Him.
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. John 15:16 NLT
I challenge you to face each day, with your head held high, in complete confidence that you are chosen. Walk out in faith and share God’s love and goodness with each person your meet and pass by.
In Christ, He chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be His holy people—people who could stand before Him without any fault. And before the world was made, God decided to make us His own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased Him to do it. And this brings praise to God because of His wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one He loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 ERV
Whew! When you read the first portion about “without any fault”, you may think “I have so many faults. If He only knew. How can He choose me?” Friend, the Bible tells us that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) But…but God…He graciously sent His one and only Son to die for our sins, and to rise up, so that we can be made right with Him. It’s now your choice. He chose you, do you choose Him?
You are Valued:
And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Luke 12:7 NLT
Yes, He is the greatest mathematician. With each hair that falls out and each follicle that is added, He still knows how many hairs are on your head. He knows every part of you. Amongst each creature He created on earth, YOU are His most valued treasure.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 NLT
Child, think…your Heavenly Father sent down His one and only Son to this crazy place to pay a price for YOU. Jesus Christ gave His life for YOU. You are valued!
Join me tomorrow for more adjectives that describe who you are.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
*The featured photo is of three generations of valued and chosen women. My momma, daughter, and me. Thank You, God, for choosing us.