Day 27 of Beauty
Being yourself
When we are younger we don't need people, adults, to tell us to just be ourselves or just act naturally. That's not something we learn, that's something already within us, built into our coding. It isn't until we are school age, if we are lucky enough to have a healthy family, that we learn that we might not be good enough in some people's eyes. Or our parents might try to steer our fashion, our friend selection, etc in an effort to try and prevent being picked on. Fitting in turns somehow into a mission.
Well, I've been a rebel most of my life and when I was picked on, pressured and persuaded I fought back with even stronger individualism. Not saying that was healthy either, it wasn't. I embraced being ugly. Thought the system, and social beliefs about beauty were jacked up. I was right but I wasn't in a healthy place...and I was miserable.
After I became a Christian I swung all the way to the other side. I felt the need to fit in and even light comments or hints would make me feel pressured to act a certain way for approval. The longer I keep walking with the Lord the more I find freedom from that. He keeps sending messages through others that I need to embrace who I am. I am enough. I am beautiful just the way I am. All my quirks, all my talents, all of my preferences and all of my features. All of them.
Psalm 139:14-16
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 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.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Genesis 1:27
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
When we are younger we don't need people, adults, to tell us to just be ourselves or just act naturally. That's not something we learn, that's something already within us, built into our coding. It isn't until we are school age, if we are lucky enough to have a healthy family, that we learn that we might not be good enough in some people's eyes. Or our parents might try to steer our fashion, our friend selection, etc in an effort to try and prevent being picked on. Fitting in turns somehow into a mission.
Well, I've been a rebel most of my life and when I was picked on, pressured and persuaded I fought back with even stronger individualism. Not saying that was healthy either, it wasn't. I embraced being ugly. Thought the system, and social beliefs about beauty were jacked up. I was right but I wasn't in a healthy place...and I was miserable.
After I became a Christian I swung all the way to the other side. I felt the need to fit in and even light comments or hints would make me feel pressured to act a certain way for approval. The longer I keep walking with the Lord the more I find freedom from that. He keeps sending messages through others that I need to embrace who I am. I am enough. I am beautiful just the way I am. All my quirks, all my talents, all of my preferences and all of my features. All of them.
Psalm 139:14-16
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 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.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Genesis 1:27
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
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