i’m writing to the girl who wants to give up. to the girl who’s just opened up this blog post, maybe almost mindlessly.
there’s always going to be difficulties. yours isn’t any less important than others. you shy away from mirrors, wear baggy clothes, and don’t stand tall anymore because you don’t like what you see in the glass.
the world shoves its ideal in front of us at every corner: instagram fitness accounts, ads on the sidebar of websites, commercials for weight loss, movies with abnormally thin movie stars, even billboards advertising the latest and greatest workout machine/diet.
the model has been formed:
- flat stomach
- angular cheekbones
- perfect eyebrows
- muscular arms
- small waist
- big hips
- that thigh gap tho
- dainty feet
if you don’t fit into all the categories above, you can’t walk around with confidence. you can’t post instagram photos that deserve thousands of likes. you can’t talk to that guy, you can’t nail that interview.
what’s
outside
is
all
that
counts.
my heart is hurting for the countless girls fighting these lies. please: let’s reevaluate.
genesis 2:22 says, “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” God made woman—God made humans, so only He gets to decide what is beautiful and what isn’t.
genesis 12:11 says that Sarah was “very fair” . . . but it doesn’t list out those qualities and command us to seek after them.
the first mention of beauty in the Bible is in Exodus and refers to the holy garments of Aaron. That which is holy is beautiful to God. a few chapters later, the Bible mentions gems in these garments. gems were made by God, and they made the garment beautiful physically.
psalm 27:4 is david’s passionate statement that he only wants one thing in life: to see God’s beauty. (is our craving for a certain number on the scale overshadowing this more important desire?)
the word beauty is used most often to describe God and His attributes (most often, His holiness). it’s also used to refer to israel.
proverbs 20:29 goes against the grain of our world because it says the gray hair of old men is beautiful. our culture tries to hide the gray. God doesn’t. this just reminds us that our culture’s idea of beauty is warped.
and of course, proverbs 30:31. beauty tricks you, disappears, fades, evaporates, is fleeting, is vanity, is passing, comes to nothing (all words used in different verse translations). what doesn’t fade is our fear of the LORD: our awe and love for Him.
beauty often leads to pride, which God hates.
isaiah 52:7 gives a description of beauty: feet that publish peace, bring good tidings, + that publish salvation.
the Pharisees were said to be like tombs that, though beautiful and spotless on the outside, were only full of “dead men’s bones”.
God used so many women in the Bible. women who came from nothing. women who were barren and ashamed. women who had awful pasts. (in their day, being barren was as shameful as being a little chunky around the edges.) but God still used them.
yes, rebekah was said to be beautiful: but the servant trying to find a wife for isaac didn’t ask God to send the prettiest woman in all the village. He asked God to send a woman that would stand out from the crowd by serving and showing initiative.
the women said to be beautiful in the Bible are always followed up with a story about their character. there may be stories later about how they failed, but often their beauty goes hand in hand with their admirable character qualities: faith, honesty, godliness, humbleness, kindness, initiative, respect, + hospitality.
it’s great to respect your body, the temple that God has given you. (we only get one after all) but, if you’re
- obsessed with calories
- depressed because you haven’t lost weight
- starving yourself
- binge eating
- trying every diet
- refusing yourself even a little sneaky weekend ice cream
- over exercising (maybe even using the time you should be in the Bible to exercise!)
this is where we have to draw the line.
it’s all about correcting your thinking. you’ve come so far, beloved. don’t allow something like this to take control.
eat what makes your gut feel good. put in the work, pray hard. Jesus talks about reaping what we sow. sometimes, you won’t see the results for a long time. (a lot of what we do won’t be rewarded until heaven.)
BUT put in the work now. use this disappointment to train yourself to keep going even when there aren’t visible results. even when it seems like you’re failing.
good things are coming. please, friend. don’t give up.
