By: Chris V Do you ever look in the mirror and feel like you're ugly, fat, or both because you don't look like the model on the front cover of Vogue? How about on the cover of Seventeen? Can I let you in on a little secret? You're not the only one who feels that way. Our world has a very narrow minded way of thinking about beauty: if you don't look a certain way, are a certain height, and/or aren't a certain weight, you aren't considered beautiful. Believing this lie can lead to a dangerous way of thinking. To try to fit these standards, women often turn to harmful methods like starvation (which can result in eating disorders). Let me ask you another question: Is this what God, our Creator, intended beauty to be? Was beauty supposed to be a living nightmare for women, or was it meant to glorify God? Check out four truths about your beauty and worth below: 1. God Created You In His image Genesis 1:27 says "So God created them in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them". God created you in His own image; He created you after Himself. Men and women were made to reflect different aspects of God's character; women were made to reflect God's grace and beauty. We are beautiful because we were created by a perfect Creator (Matthew 5:8, Psalm 18:30, Romans 3:23). This brings us to our next point: 2. God Called You Good In Genesis 1:31, the Bible tells us "...God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good...". That includes you too! God made you, His beautiful child, and called you good. The way you look is good to the King of Kings, your Creator, even when the world tells you otherwise. 3. You were Wonderfully Made Psalm 139:14 tells us "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well". What does this mean? You were remarkably and beautifully made by an amazing God. ------------------------------ Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything beautiful in its time...". ------------------------------ 4. To God, internal beauty is more important than external beauty We see in Proverbs 31:30 that "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised". We are also told in 1 Peter 3:3-4 to "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious". Physical (external) beauty doesn't last- ask any older Christian woman and they'll tell you the same. However, cultivating a beautiful spirit (internal) grows over time and lasts for eternity. Also, as shown in 1 Samuel 16:7, God looks at the heart (internal) instead of outward appearances (external). You Are Beautiful God made you just the way you were supposed to be- freckles, green eyes, black hair, and all! You may not fit the world's impossible standard of beauty, and that's okay! (Because in reality, who can meet the world's impossible beauty standards? Even models are photoshopped to look like those flawless people in ads. To see this in action, check out the Dove model evolution video here.) You are God's beautiful daughter, and are immensely beautiful in His eyes.
We'd love to hear from you! What are some lies you've believed about beauty? How did you combat those lies? Tell us in the comments below!
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By: Julianna “He seemed to live in such a real world and to have such a real, great God.”
Such was Maria Dyer’s observation upon meeting her would-be husband, the great pioneer missionary to China, Hudson Taylor. I haven’t been able to shake off those words. They strike deeply into the heart of the theme written across all of Taylor’s life, one that I was beginning to grasp as I pored through his biography but couldn’t put into words until I stumbled across this quote. They encapsulate a life steeped in prayer and faith by pointing powerfully to the result: the way he lived out day-to-day life. He lived in a real world. So often I find myself segregating the reality of God from the mundane reality of life. I relegate my faith to my morning quiet time, evening Bible studies, or Sunday mornings instead of making Christ the reality through which I see every moment. But what this separation produces is a world that is, in my experience, less real. Let me explain. I’m learning more and more that when Christ is an ever present reality to me, the rest of life becomes more real in my experience. I notice the birds singing as I walk to class. I stop and admire the sunset. And I relish the everyday blessings of an encouraging talk with a friend, time to sing with my sisters, or a rare chance to curl up with a good book. The joy comes not merely from experiencing the reality of these gifts but all the more from the ongoing fellowship I have with the Giver. Even more, fellowship with Christ enables me to face the stark reality of the future with boldness and even laughter (Prov. 31:25). The Bible doesn’t promise that life will be easy, that my circumstances will change, or that my dreams will come true. But instead of having to escape difficulty in my life, I can live in a real world — be it a real world marked by suffering as well as blessing — with complete confidence that my Redeemer is just as real and present as the challenges I face. How did Hudson Taylor come to so experience the reality of God? Interestingly, this theme shows up earlier in Taylor’s life when as a nineteen-year-old he lost a relationship with the young woman he loved because of his call to China. The decision marked a time of new consecration in his life, and shortly afterward, he recorded in his journal: “Unspeakable joy, all day long and every day was my happy experience. God, even my God, was a living, bright Reality, and all I had to do was joyful service.” Do such sacrifices make God the more real to us? It certainly was the case for Hudson Taylor. Taylor learned early on that as He lived and breathed a life of prayer, every sacrifice could hardly be considered a sacrifice when compared with the infinite retribution he met with: more of God Himself. In other words, counting all things as loss compared to knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8) made Christ more real to him than anything else. Which in turn made the world around him more real. When the enmity between God and me was removed through Christ, I gained a transforming peace. Even more, I gained the right to access fellowship with this altogether lovely Christ every moment of every day. When I allow that truth to sink in, it changes the way I see the world around me. The old hymn, “Loved with Everlasting Love” says it best: Heaven above is softer blue, Earth around is sweeter green; Something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen: Birds with gladder songs o’erflow, Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine, Since I know, as now I know, I am His, and He is mine. This year, my prayer is that I would better know the reality of Christ — and in turn, fully live in the real world around me. Will you join me in that prayer? Your sister in Christ, – Julianna The original post appears on Julianna's blog, called Whole Hearted, at https://juliannawrites.blog/2020/01/08/a-real-world-and-a-real-god/ |
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