You're Beautiful, Really:)

 

Do you have a positive image of yourself?

 

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created him; male and female he created them"

 

 If you could describe the physical characteristics of Jesus, how would you describe His beauty? And if God says that He created US in His image, how would you describe yourself after you've already answered the first question? Would you call Jesus ugly?...If your answer is no, then why would you call yourself ugly since you look just like Him? And did you know that by calling someone else "bad-looking" you're only disrespecting God's creation being that they were created by Him?Think about it, if God created us in His image, wouldn't you think that we are just as beautiful as He is? But even then, when thinking about the beauty of Jesus, their is really NO words to describe how beautiful He is. Their is no makeup of words in even one 20 page essay that would be able to describe His glory, His beauty, and even His love. There are not even enough adjectives in the world to describe the beauty of Jesus Christ. And its amazing to think about that because just as we see Jesus like that, God sees us the same way. But how come we don't see ourselves that way? Why is it so hard for us to accept the fact that we are beautiful in our own special way? Why do we compare ourselves to other women who are just as beautiful as you are? Why do we try and bring each other down because of this insecurity, by slandering each other's names and calling each other ugly, sizing up one another, and comparing who looks more beautiful or has the best body?

  

Well, like before, I'll start with my story...

 

 

 

Growing up as a little girl, I would get teased a lot. I then had adopted the names of pop-corn booty, because I was super skinny with a little bottom that apparently stuck out farther then usual lol I got teased so much that the thought of me being ugly taunted me and eventually led me to thinking that that was who I was. I would literally look in the mirror and try to pull my hair out because my hair was super course and wasn't as straight as some other girls hair was. I would pick at every little thing that I didn't like about myself instead of what I love about myself. I hated my lips because I thought they were too big for my face, I hated my jaw bone because it was more prominent then most females faces which made me think that I looked like a man. I would hate my brown skin complexion because it wasn't light enough, and I thought that by being light skinned would allow me to be accepted more. Throughout my school years, I would never get chosen to be apart of the "pretty girl clique" and wonder, am I not pretty enough to hang out with them?

 

I would literally walk into a store or see another beautiful girl and wish that I was that pretty, not knowing that I was just as beautiful. I would just beat myself up about the thought of not being beautiful enough, or being accepted by the girls that I thought were super gorgeous. And about a year ago, one girl in college told me that I was too skinny and looked anorexic, (when I wasn't) but when she told me that, I started to focus on that part of my body and just cry because I was never as "thick" as the urban society views that African American women should be. It was sooo many times when I thought I wasn't pretty enough, and I would continuously ask guys "Am I really pretty?", or "Do I really look gorgeous?". And even when I got that answer, it still wasn't good enough. People would look at me and think that I was the most confident person in the world, but don't be so quick to judge, because I never was that person.

 BUT glory be to God! When I got saved and adopted into the royal family of Christ, I began to see just how beautiful I am, inside and out. No kidding, I would literally look into a mirror and see the glory of God shining upon my face. It was as if I was missing something before that I now see. I would say "how come I didn't see this before"?, or "wow, I really am who He says that I am,". My negatives became positives and once I began to see who I was in Him, I gained more confidence. I began to walk with my head held high, and refused to look to the ground. Most people would say "oh, who does she think she is", "she think she's all that", "she think she cute". No ma'am, I  KNOW, that I'm cute, &I KNOW that I'm all that, because I am a Child of God and if you were too you wouldn't be trying to judge but only join in my joy! If you knew what I've been through, and know what I know in Christ Jesus, you would KNOW the same thing.

 

 I have no reason to slouch my shoulders when I have a King that brought be out of the darkness and lifted me up so that I can live again in His fullness. Now don't mistake my assurance for arrogance, because as a Child of God, with this new found confidence, came humbleness. The Bible says "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Phil 2:3-4), "Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”(1 Peter 5:5). When you know who you are in Christ and see yourself as He sees you, some people get intimidated by that, and mistaken it as being "conceited" or "arrogant". But this is only because the world is not used to seeing someone who radiates confidence because being insecure is really all they know. The world wants to see people down and out just like they are. They want you to join in on their sorrow and spread their diseases only to share them with you.

 

Meaning, when they are insecure, they don't want to see you all confident and happy, (ooh nooo) they get upset and would rather want to see you even more insecure then they are. But when you are born again into  the Body of Christ, you are set apart, and transformed from the ways of this world. God has definitely changed my MINDSET in how I view and think about myself. God has shown me my true beauty in Him and has given me the courage to use my testimony to help those who are battling with the same thing.  My sisters, so many of us struggle with this insecurity and with this post, I pray that your mindset is changed and that you allow God to show you who you are in Him today!

 

 

 

 

"You were very beautiful and became a queen. Then you became famous among the nations, because you were so beautiful. Your beauty was perfect, because of the Glory I gave you, says the Lord God"



                                                                                                    -Ezekiel 16:13-14

 



 

Here is God making Israel beautiful. The description is very captivating and if this is God's description of what we look like to Him, I can only imagine how beautiful Jesus is. God made us in His image, which makes us just as beautiful! Wow! How amazing:)

 

So often do we try to make our outer appearance beautiful to fill the void/insecurity we feel inside but later finding out that it doesn't change anything. We don't need jewels, makeup, fancy clothes, money or a nice body to make us feel beautiful. That shouldn't be our focus, we must shift our focus back on Him, our Creator, in which He calls us His "masterpiece, anew in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:10), and watch Him make us beautiful instead of wasting our time and money in futile attempts to be physically attractive on the outside, only to be accepted by the world's standards. Our beauty is made perfect by God's glory, His character in you, and His opinion of you.

 

 

As women, many of us can never pass up a mirror without picking out the slightest glitch in your appearance. ""OMG! I have pimples", "My nose is TOO big", "My legs are huge!!", "I'm fat," "I'm too skinny," "My hair is a hot mess,!" And even with that, for some reason we don't even like to take pictures anymore, because we say that we look "too fat" or "not ready because I'm not dressed up"...? It's even gotten so bad we REFUSE to go anywhere without makeup, and complain that someone might see you -- and catch this, they will see YOU! Not the makeup, the hair/wig, the fancy clothes, purse, etc. etc., We're afraid that they will see our natural beauty, the person God created before the media and celebrities changed the way society should interpret a woman's beauty.

 

And honestly, the women on television shows, magazines, and runways (that are perceived to be what beauty is) are actually the one's that God doesn't want you to be like! 1 Peter 3:3-4 says "Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, 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" NLT Version says "Don't be concerned about the outward beauty...you should clothes yourselves with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty..." Even though God did create us uniquely beautiful on the outside, what really matters to Him is the inner beauty, the spirit. What truly makes a women beautiful is her inner self. Just because someone has a beautiful face, doesn't mean their beauty illuminates on the inside. Some women can be very beautiful, but have a very ugly heart, which indeed makes them ugly-- Proverbs 31:30 says "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain(fading), but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised," Also in 2 Cor 4:16 says "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day"

 

 

There are so many women who go "under the knife" just to change something about themselves that God already made perfect. Plastic surgery, breast implants, face injections, weight supplements and other synthetic body matter is yet only temporary pleasure. It's simply something that momentarily satisfies your wants for the outer you but doesn't cure the internal damage acquired from the inner you. They only camouflage the outer presentation but doesn't heal the pain from not feeling beautiful enough.

 As a woman of God you must remember that your body doesn't belong to you, but to God. Anytime we consider the body and how we treat it, we must begin with the fact that, as Christians, our bodies belong to God and are used to bring Him honor. 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself And with this being said, we have to appreciate what God gives us.

 

Are we not satisfied with God's perfection?

 

So very often do we pick at our "awkward externals" in which we would call our "flaws"; We claim them to be a flaw, yet their really a blessing from God that makes us who we are. You want to know what God says about this?

 

 

Song of Solomon 4:7 "You are altogether, my darling, there is NO flaw in you"

 

 

 

Psalm 139:14 also says that you are "FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY created"!

 

Which means that everything about you is beautiful and just plain ol' amazingly gorgeous! Embrace your blessing, don't hide those big ears, or cover those big teeth, don't cake your face up with makeup to hide the random freak break-out (which is totally normal) or even your natural beauty, don't cover those huge hands with gloves, don't hold your head down to hide your beautiful face, don't hide under a hat or even hide those larger lips, 3 toes, 2 elbows, 1 leg, whatever it may be. These things make you who you are. Can you honestly say that without the quirk, would you really even be set apart or described as uniquely made? God gives us these quirks to see how we approach them when their noticed by others. He wants to teach us to appreciate the things that we have no matter materialistic or physical. And He also wants to know your motivation, Do you hide your true beauty to make the world feel comfortable? (If the world doesn't like it, tell them to look the other way because you're not going to cover the quirk, their just going to have to get over it and just bask in your beautifulness!:)Or do you honor God and be grateful and thank Him for making you different from everyone else? Do you want to be like everyone else? Or do you want to be the one-of-a-kind jewel that God created you to be?

 

I really loved the MSG version of this verse "You're beautiful from head to toe, my dear love, beautiful beyond compare, absolutely flawless"

 

And I know what you're thinking...who me? (which is EXACTLY the same thing I said when I first read this) YES YOU! This is how God sees you, and how He wants you to see yourself. If God created you in His image, beautiful wouldn't even be a good enough description to describe His beauty and better yet YOURS! This is who God says you are so just accept it! He wants you to know who you are and when you are confident in your God-given beauty, you won't have to "fish for compliments", listen to sweet nothings from a knuckle headed guy, or even get discouraged when someone may try to say something negative about you in regards to your physical appearance. And sadly, those who try to tear you down are usually the main one's that are insecure about their own appearance. However, when this happens to you, take advantage of the opportunity to share the gospel, stand in the gap and be an example to other sister's who aren't confident in themselves. Someone has to speak out, and God is going to use you! So don't get discouraged but instead encourage your sister so that both of you will win! Plus, God can't work with two insecure women, one of you has to be confident in who you are. Once you know who you are in Him, nothing can mislead you because you are a Proverbs 31 woman who is far more precious then jewels. Know that you are special and divinely created.

 

 

God took His time with you, He carved every facial feature, cheek bones, body shape, fingers and toes with perfection. Jeremiah 1:5 says "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart,"  This verse highlights that before you were even born He already had a blueprint of you and knew exactly who you were going to be. He basically knew what you looked like before your mother even got to see you...wow:) But before something is created, it has to be prepared, you have to go through trial and error, it has to be manipulated, and since God is a perfect perfectionist, it took Him some time to get you just like He wanted. Isn't that amazing? God took His time forming and molding you into who you are. Isaiah 64:8 "And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand"

 

 

He had to make sure that you didn't look like your best friend, cousin, or even like your mother and father. Although you may resemble them, it's fascinating to know that you still are very unique and don't look exactly like them. This process is beautiful itself, that goes to show you just how special you are, just how perfect you are, how beautiful you are. And once you know this, of course there is nothing that you can't conquer and then you can go and share the good news!

 

 

Don't depend on a man to tell you you're beautiful, then that would be based off of feelings and emotions.

God wants you to know that you're beautiful, knowing is not a feeling, and God doesn't work off of what you feel. He wants you to be confident in who He has already ordained you to be. With some guys that are in the world, it's as if you have to be qualified to be with them , as if you have to have certain qualifications in order to be worthy to be with them. As if you have to be light or dark, or be this pretty or that pretty. But with God, you're already qualified, so why not look to Him to tell you that you're pretty. If their is any compliments that you're looking for, look for them in Christ, the one who created you. Personally, I'd rather hear it from Him knowing that He has a pure heart other than receiving them from a guy with wrong intentions that is most likely telling you you're beautiful just to get into your jewelry box! 

 

 

KNOW WHO YOU ARE BEFORE SOMEONE TRIES TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE NOT!

 

 

 

 

Where did this insecurity come from, and how do we overcome it?

 



Many of you may have dealt with self-doubt or lack of confidence since you were a child. After reading Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind", it is understood that the enemy beings to initiate his well-laid plans to sow his deliberate deception at a very young age, he tried to develop strongholds through "the girl who said you were ugly at the playground", "the boy who dumped you for a cheerleader", "through the mother or father who abused you and called you names", or "through a modeling agency, televised talent show, or recording label that refused to accept you because they said that you didn't have "the look".  It becomes a continuous, drawn out, repetitive plan in which overtime takes captive of you and your mind, heart, and soul. This act would then eventually end up brainwashing you into thinking that you're worthless, ugly, fat, or good for nothing. But God is using me to warn you that the enemy is the Father of lies and all that is false (John 8:44) He tried to infiltrate our mind with these lies so much that we usually end up believing them. But to God be the Glory! We have a God who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We have a God that's not like man, that He should lie Numbers 23:19. Because He is the TRUTH! And in His word is His truth, and with the word, it is the mighty weapon to defeat and cast down the tactics and lies of the enemy (2 Cor 10:4-5)

 

 

When we read His word daily, which is our daily bread "For it is written that "man shall not live by the bread alone, but by every word that come from God! Matt 4:4, we will begin to acquire the mind of God "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ," 1 Cor 2:16 -- "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, said the Lord" Isaiah 55:8 But once again we can't obtain the mind of Christ/or defeat the taunting lies without reading His word and building a relationship with Him. Once you begin to grasp this concept, get into His word, study, meditate, and do it all over again, then you will begin to think like Him and by having the mindset of God, you'll not only know Him, but know who you are in Him, and by knowing who you are in Him, you'll begin to know how He sees you and will be confident in who He says you are --BEAUTIFUL, FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY CREATED!:)

 

 And along with knowing who you are, you'll begin to acquire the eye's of God and visually see your true beauty in Him. You'll begin to see that you're beautiful, and when you look in the mirror it will be as if a thin layer of film that was on your eye-ball (that has blinded you) has been stripped away. Everything will become clearer than before, and you'll notice beautiful things about your features that you may have never noticed before. You'll start to love that "blessing" in which you claimed as a flaw and once thought was ugly and embarrassing.

 

 Then once you've received the eyes on God, as you continue to study His TRUTH, your language will begin to change as well. Your negatives will start to become positives. The negative things that you've once said about yourself and others will begin to change. You'll basically start to talk like Christ. It's written in 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come". The Lord also says in Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto those who hear" Which also includes YOU! When you begin to say negative things about yourself, you become those things, and eventually you'll make yourself believe them, and then everything and everyone around you will become negative.-- And then EVERYTHING Is just full of a bunch of negatives! lol -- But when you start to speak life and positivity, you'll get positive feedback that won't just benefit you, but also those around you who would recognize that you speak life.

 

And with having a new language, you'll being to speak His word and take captive of those deceptive thoughts that the enemy may try to conjure in your mind (2Cor 10:5) Through this transformation and renewal (Romans 12:2) you will once and for all KNOW, SEE, & SAY everything that God said that you are! What a great fulfillment, and what a gratifying process in which you'll receive emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing from all of the hurt and deceit from your past.

 

 

My Beautiful Sisters in Christ,



 

I encourage you to encourage others who have dealt with the same issue. As 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up!" and share your testimony and "go into all the world, and preach the Good News" (Mark 16:15) to not only your sister, but your brother as well! You'll be surprised how big of a difference you could make in your sister's life by simply telling her that she is beautiful. It may sound corny, but anytime I speak to my sisters in Christ or even just a lost girl that I would so happen to meet, I say "Hey Gorgeous!" or "Hey Beautiful!" They probably think I'm weird because it's not "the norm" or "expected"  to greet someone that way. But by doing this alone, you would be planting a seed, God would send someone else to plant another, and other, and then He'll send the rain, then He'll make it grow! (1 Cor 3:16)

 

 

Sisters,

 

Never ever, ever forget this. Keep it in your hearts. This isn't just something that I randomly posted to make you feel good, but merely something that God knows many women deal with today. Remember, no matter the color of your skin, the make-up of your hair, how big or wide your nose, how spaced out your eyes are, how tall or short, big or small, bow-legged or pigeon toed, your beauty is perfect and according to God's standards, you have NO FLAWS!:)  Even more, don't try to compete with the world's standards of beauty, because unfortunately,  they'll never be met, no matter how many lip injections, butt lifts, breast implants, you get, the world is NEVER going to be satisfied. For instance, you may notice when most women celebrities get those cosmetic enhancements to please the world (thinking that they'll be loved and admired) THEY STILL GET TALKED ABOUT AFTER THIER PROCEDURE IS DONE! crazy right? But instead we have a loving God, our Father in Heaven that says come as you are no matter what you look like. He sees you as beautiful, He created you, and makes no mistakes, and everything that He creates was and is always good and perfect (Genesis 1:31)

 



 

I pray that your eyes, mind and heart are opened and that you will begin to allow God to manifest Himself in your life like never before so that you can see, and that He can show you who you are in Him.

 

 

Today, by looking in the mirror, look back at yourself, be gentle, (we're fragile) and try not to judge, but simply say "I am beautiful" and by repeating that every time you wake up to brush your teeth, you'll begin to see Jesus:)

 

Remember,

 

 

 

 

LOVE YOU:)

 

Chat with you later beautiful!

-tay