THE GIFT INSIDE OF YOU
THESE DAYS WE ARE SO BOMBARED WITH HOW SOCIETY SIZES US UP THAT IT IS A NEVER ENDING BATTLE WITHIN . FROM ADS TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO PEERS, WE ARE TOLD IF WE ARE NOT SIZE 0 OR HAVE A FLAWLESS LOOK OR NOT WEALTHY OR THE NEXT INTERNET CELERITY WITH 10,000 + FOLLOWERS WE ARE LESS THAN.
IT IS ALL THERE FOR US IN OUR FACE EVERYDAY, AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP. WHEN WE LOOK IN THER MIRROR WHAT DO WE SEE LOOKING BACK AT US? WHAT WORDS DO WE SPEAK OVER OURSELVES.
IT IS SO EASY TO GET SUCKED INTO THE WORLD’S VIEW OF BEAUTY AND WE MAY ALMOST KILL OURSELVES TRYING TO ACHEIVE THAT. THE ENDLESS STORIES OF SURGERY, BOTOX, EVEN SLICING AND DICING ON OURSELVES OR THE DESTRUCTION OF ANOREXIA OR BULIMIA MAY HAVE PUT US INTO BONDAGE.
WE NEED TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS ON WHAT THE LORD THINKS OF US AND HOW HE SEES US. THAT IS WHERE OUR SELF ESTEEM OUR CONFIDENCE SHOULD STEM FROM. GOD SEES THE PART THAT SOMETIMES OTHERS DON’T OR CAN’T SEE AND THAT IS THE PART OF YOU HE VALUES MOST.
1 SAMUEL 16:7 “FOR THE LORD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES: MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART.”
I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU I HAVE BATTLED WITH THE ISSUE MYSELF AND WAS IN BONDAGE TO THAT FALSE SENSE OF BEAUTY AND BECAME OBSESSED. AS A RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST, I CAN TELL YOU IT STILL CAN BE AN EVERYDAY STRUGGLE IF I ALLOW IT.
SOMETIMES I THINK…..WOULD I BE MY OWN BEST FRIEND. WOULD I LIKE THE PERSON IN MYSELF TO HANG AROUND WITH? WOULD I LOVE TO SPEND TIME AND ASSOCIATE WITH HER? OR WOULD I BE SHALLOW AND OBSESSIVE AND SELFISH? IN THIS WORLD THERE CAN BE SO MUCH OF THAT…BEAUTY ON THE OUTSIDE BUT THE INNER SOUL IS UGLY.
IN HIS WORD..JESUS SEES US IN A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. OUR ETERNITY AND OUR INWARD BEAUTY IS PRICELESS TO HIM. OUR PHYSICAL BODIES ARE JUST THE SHELL TO CARRY OUR SOUL, WHICH WILL ONE DAY FADE. BUT THE INWARD BEAUTY CAN CONTINUE TO GROW IF WE ARE LINKED UP TO HIM AND HIS WORD.
PROVERBS 31:30 CHARM IS DECEPTIVE, AND BEAUTY IS FLEEING; BUT A WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD IS TO BE PRAISED.
HE KNEW US BEFORE WE WERE EVEN BORN. HE FASHIIONED US AND GIVEN US CERTAIN TRAITS, GIFTS AND CHARACTERISTICS TO ACCOMPLISH HIS DIVINE PURPOSE. THAT’S WHY WE CAN’T BE A CHEAP IMITATION OF SOMEONE OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE OR SHOES TO FILL. IT IS EXHAUSTING UNTIL WE REST IN HIM AND HIS PLAN AND WILL FOR US. WE WILL EVER BE TRYING TO CHANGE LIKE A CHAMELION IF WE ARE SWAYED BY EVERY NEW FASHION TREND OR WHAT BODY TYPE IS IN TREND AT THE TIME.
PSALM 139:14 “FOR YOU FORMED MY INWARD PARTS; YOU KNITTED ME TOGETHER IN MY MOTHER’S WOMB. I PRAISE YOU, FOR I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE.”
NOW I AM NOT TELLING YOU THAT WE AREN’T TO CARE ABOUT OUR BODIES OR TREAT IT WITH RESPECT, AND TO TAKE CARE OF IT, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE ALL THAT CONSUMES US.
1COR 6:19-20 “DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOUR BODIES ARE TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS IN YOU, WHOM YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD? YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN; YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE. THEREFORE HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODIES.”
1 TIMOTHY 4:8 “FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING IS OF SOME VALUE, BUT GODLINESS HAS VALUE FOR ALL THINGS, HOLDING PROMISE FOR BOTH THE PRESENT LIFE AND THE LIFE TO COME.”
1 PETER 3: 3&4 DO NOT LET YOUR ADORNMENT BE MERELY OUTWARD- ARRANGING OF THE HAIR, WEARING GOLD, OR PUTTING ON FINE APPAREL- RATHER LET IT BE THE HIDDDEN PERSON OF THE HEART, WITH THE INCORRUPTIBLE BEAUTY OF A GENTLE AND QUIET SPIRIT, WHICH IS VERY PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.
IF SOMEHOW WHEN WE LOOKED IN THE MIRROR THE LORD SHOWED US OUR INWARD MAN OR SOUL WHAT IMAGE WOULD APPEAR? WOULD IT BE BEAUTIFUL OR WOULD IT SCARE US AND BRING US TO OUR KNEES???
I AM CHALLENGING MYSELF ALSO TO STRIVE TO WORK ON THE INNER BEAUTY MORE THAN THE OUTER AND NOT BE CONSUMED WITH THE WORLD’S DICTATES OF WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL. I AM ALSO TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE PHYSICAL BETTER SO CAN BE HEALTHIER AND MORE ENERGY TO DO WHAT GOD HAS FOR US TO DO . WHEN YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, YOUR BODY WILL BURN OUT BEFORE IT EVEN STARTS.
SO I ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TODAY…IF YOU ARE TORTURED OR IN BONDAGE TO LOW SELF ESTEEM OR WORTH,,,DON’T CONTINUE ONE MORE DAY TO LIVE THAT WAY, BUT INVITE THE LORD INTO YOUR HEART AND LIFE AND SHOW YOU WHAT HE HAS DESIGNED YOU TO BE. A PRICELESS JEWEL AND A PERSON UNIQUE IN HIS EYES WITH GIFTS AND CHARACTERISTICS THAT YOU ONLY HAVE. YOU ARE SPECIAL AND LOVED AND VALUED. DON’T LET THE WORLD OR SOCIETY OR SOCIAL MEDIA DICTATE WHAT AND WHO YOU ARE TO BE.
IN HIS LOVE,
JANISE
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