I am one of the hundreds of thousands of girls who struggle with self esteem and self image. Did you know that on average, a teenage girl sees over 400 advertisements PER DAY that suggest, however subtly, that a girl must have a certain 'look' or 'image' to be considered beautiful? That's just ridiculous! Why is it that in order to be 'pretty' one must be thin, with perfect teeth, piercing eyes, and long, flowing hair? Surely those attributes ARE beautiful, but why on earth should they be the ONLY ones that are? I am so very, very tired of the media projecting this idea to teens [guys and girls, though the guys don't have as much emphasis put on appearances] that they need to be a certain way in order to be accepted, to be beautiful. The Bible says that beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. If only that were still an accepted idea!
Weight is the most contested factor among people today. Is fat beautiful? Do I need to lose 10 pounds? Do these jeans make my butt look big? And why is that? Because the media tells us that we should be 5'7'' and 120 lbs. in order to be pretty. Shows on TV like How to Look Good Naked, The Biggest Loser, Dance Your Ass Off, More To Love (the Bachelorette for 'fat' people), etc., suggest to us that we have to be skinny to be acceptable! These kind of shows also create a gap between people who are "skinny" and "fat". They suggest that women with more to love have to have their own version of The Bachelorette because they aren't in the same category as thin women and don't have any business being with the men who are paired with the thin women. It just infuriates me that women walk around feeling as though they are not beautiful, simply because they do not have 'the look'. Read Song of Solomon. Our Father sculpted and molded every single part of our bodies. He looks at us and sees a beautiful creation that he is PROUD of. Think about the thing in your life that you are most proud of. That thing that you look at and think, "Wow. I MADE that. I did that! It is so cool!" THAT is how your Father feels when he looks at you. He takes pride in who you are AND what you look like, because he designed it himself. The creator of the universe DESIGNED YOU. Who is society to tell you that His design isn't good enough or that His design for someone else is better? The Lord made each person different. To some he gave thinner bodies, to others, he gave 'more to love'. To some he gave piercing, blue eyes, and to others, soft brown. We are all different, and THAT is beautiful. Why on earth would we want to look the same? In HIS eyes, we have beauty beyond compare. Who is society to contest GOD and tell us we need to change ourselves in order to be beautiful? I would much rather be beautiful to God than to society.
BarlowGirl said it well in their song, Mirror:
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Have I got it?
'Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am.
I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect.
So sorry, you won't define me.
Sorry, you don't own me.
Who are you to tell me
That I'm less than what I should be?
Who are you? Who are you?
I don't need to listen
To the list of things I should do
I won't try, I won't try.
Mirror I am seeing a new reflection.
I'm looking into the eyes of
He who made me.
And to Him I have beauty beyond compare.
I know He defines me.
You don't define me, you don't define me.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Panic! Oh, wait. Don't.
Good morning, readers!
Last night was a really difficult one for me. Currently, I'm dealing with the loss of a friendship. One of my closest friends hasn't spoken a word to me in over a month. Seeing him for the first time in a while at church last night was, consequently, really hard on me. I was so caught up in "Why haven't we talked at all? Did I do something wrong? Maybe I'm really annoying.." that I started into my default mode: panic. I was so worried that it took my best friend (who is incredible, my total other half) reminding me to pray before I realized, "Oh! Why am I worrying? God is going to take care of me!" How sad. I struggle with anxiety, and I often find my attacks distracting me to the point that I forget I have a God who will work everything out for "the good of those who love Him" [Romans 8:28]. Its times like that when I have to force myself to slow down and think, "Okay. Devon, shut up. God is going to handle this. You don't have to worry. In fact, he says not to! 'Do not be anxious about anything' [Phil. 4:6] 'Cast all your anxieties on Him' [1 Peter 5:7]." Wow. So why do we worry? At least for me, I think those anxiety attacks are a form of "spiritual warfare". My pastor, David Daniels, recently preached an excellent sermon series on this topic, and defined spiritual warfare as "any conflict or challenge that threatens my confidence in who God is and what God is doing and tempts me to think, feel or act in an ungodly way." Absolutely! When I have those attacks, it's like I forget that God is working on my behalf. That is spiritual warfare! I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Just a few weeks ago, in fact, when I was speaking to a youth group in Galveston during a worship service, I mentioned my struggle with anxiety and a young woman in the back raised her hand and said, "Amen!" It's good to know I'm not alone. Of course, I never am. My Abba Father is with me at all times. Anyways, reminders to myself and to those of you who share my struggle:
1. Trust God! One of my favorite verses lately has been 1 Peter 5:6-7, which says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Seems like it's easier said than done, yeah? It really is that simple. Our Father cares for us and (though we don't deserve it) cares about our problems. Psalm 34:17 says, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their trouble." We have a God who is mighty to save! He will deliver.
2. Take a deep breath. Present your request to God. Surrender control (which is something that I struggle really, really hard with) and let Him direct your course. I promise, it will turn out so much better than any course you could pick for yourself.
I started writing this blog intending to take it in a completely different direction than it actually ended up taking. Oh well. I hope that these words can be an encouragement to you, as well as serve as a reminder to myself! One thing I had intended to share, however, was Psalm 33. It is definitely one of my all time favorite Psalms, and as I was searching for some words of comfort, Biblegateway (lame way to look up a verse, but really helpful when you can't remember which one of the 150 Psalms your'e looking for) directed me to this one. I hadn't read it in a while, but each time I read it I fall more and more in love with it! I encourage you all to read it and take delight in the greatness of God! Sing a new song!
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.
Last night was a really difficult one for me. Currently, I'm dealing with the loss of a friendship. One of my closest friends hasn't spoken a word to me in over a month. Seeing him for the first time in a while at church last night was, consequently, really hard on me. I was so caught up in "Why haven't we talked at all? Did I do something wrong? Maybe I'm really annoying.." that I started into my default mode: panic. I was so worried that it took my best friend (who is incredible, my total other half) reminding me to pray before I realized, "Oh! Why am I worrying? God is going to take care of me!" How sad. I struggle with anxiety, and I often find my attacks distracting me to the point that I forget I have a God who will work everything out for "the good of those who love Him" [Romans 8:28]. Its times like that when I have to force myself to slow down and think, "Okay. Devon, shut up. God is going to handle this. You don't have to worry. In fact, he says not to! 'Do not be anxious about anything' [Phil. 4:6] 'Cast all your anxieties on Him' [1 Peter 5:7]." Wow. So why do we worry? At least for me, I think those anxiety attacks are a form of "spiritual warfare". My pastor, David Daniels, recently preached an excellent sermon series on this topic, and defined spiritual warfare as "any conflict or challenge that threatens my confidence in who God is and what God is doing and tempts me to think, feel or act in an ungodly way." Absolutely! When I have those attacks, it's like I forget that God is working on my behalf. That is spiritual warfare! I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Just a few weeks ago, in fact, when I was speaking to a youth group in Galveston during a worship service, I mentioned my struggle with anxiety and a young woman in the back raised her hand and said, "Amen!" It's good to know I'm not alone. Of course, I never am. My Abba Father is with me at all times. Anyways, reminders to myself and to those of you who share my struggle:
1. Trust God! One of my favorite verses lately has been 1 Peter 5:6-7, which says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Seems like it's easier said than done, yeah? It really is that simple. Our Father cares for us and (though we don't deserve it) cares about our problems. Psalm 34:17 says, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their trouble." We have a God who is mighty to save! He will deliver.
2. Take a deep breath. Present your request to God. Surrender control (which is something that I struggle really, really hard with) and let Him direct your course. I promise, it will turn out so much better than any course you could pick for yourself.
I started writing this blog intending to take it in a completely different direction than it actually ended up taking. Oh well. I hope that these words can be an encouragement to you, as well as serve as a reminder to myself! One thing I had intended to share, however, was Psalm 33. It is definitely one of my all time favorite Psalms, and as I was searching for some words of comfort, Biblegateway (lame way to look up a verse, but really helpful when you can't remember which one of the 150 Psalms your'e looking for) directed me to this one. I hadn't read it in a while, but each time I read it I fall more and more in love with it! I encourage you all to read it and take delight in the greatness of God! Sing a new song!
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.
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