Day in and day out you are just plain unsatisfied with how YOU look. You go on all these crash diets, buy all this makeup, get your hair all done, spend your whole paycheck on outfits and handbags to portray a some self image. You walk into rooms and no matter what you have on or how you look—you have this sinking feeling like you aren’t good enough, pretty enough, tall enough, small enough and you sure don’t make as much money as those around you. You feel stupid even going into certain stores because one shirt is the cost of your rent. You constantly beat yourself down from head to toe and rip your self-image apart as you compare it to everyone else around you.
Did you know that ALL of those thoughts are being used to distract you from the WILL of God for your life by destroying your confidence? If you don’t believe that you are “good” enough, you most likely won’t believe that God can really USE you. You’ll get stuck in this circle of inferiority for the rest of your life and remain AVERAGE. Then, you’ll get married to some guy that will make you feel even worse about yourself because you attracted what you were all along then you’ll have children and they’ll come out thinking and looking just like you. Then you’ll raise up another generation of kids that are all messed UP.
Did you know that God NEVER uses one’s outward physical appearance to determine beauty?!. When the prophet Samuel examined Jesse’s sons in search of the next king of Israel, he was impressed with Eliab’s appearance. God told Samuel: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things you lookin’ at. YOU are lookin’ at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). NOTHING in a person’s outward appearance impresses God. God is constantly checkin’ out what’s goin’ on in your HEART.
And to make all this relevant, did you know that the holy women of old made themselves beautiful by trusting God and accepting the authority of their husbands (1 Peter 3:5). And that’s FREE. You’ll pay a cost to learn to trust God & submit to your husband but that now means that you can get out of credit card debt and focus on what’s really important.
WHO are you to criticize the way you look or talk about anybody else? On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). If you are made in the image of God Almighty, He didn’t make any mistakes. God is not surprised by your hips, lips, eyes, face or any part of your body. So for you to sit up and talk about anybody else, his or her personality & style is NONE of your business. God made you to look the way you do for your very purpose. You are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). Your talents, gifts and everything on the inside of you is NOT a mistake. God placed those desires in you and attached your personality to complete your very purpose. So stop tryin’ be like everyone else. BE YOU. Aint no person on this earth like YOU.
Part of being a free moral agent is that you have a CHOICE. You can eat terrible food all day, never work out and never spend time with God and feel horrible about yourself & pretty much be average. Or you can spend time with God, learn what clothes works for you, eat healthy, work out & live an abundant life. This aint rocket science. NO to the donut, YES to the fruit. Don’t tell me what you CANNOT do because you are doing what you want to do. Just say you don’t want to do it.
Did you know that ALL of those thoughts are being used to distract you from the WILL of God for your life by destroying your confidence? If you don’t believe that you are “good” enough, you most likely won’t believe that God can really USE you. You’ll get stuck in this circle of inferiority for the rest of your life and remain AVERAGE. Then, you’ll get married to some guy that will make you feel even worse about yourself because you attracted what you were all along then you’ll have children and they’ll come out thinking and looking just like you. Then you’ll raise up another generation of kids that are all messed UP.
Did you know that God NEVER uses one’s outward physical appearance to determine beauty?!. When the prophet Samuel examined Jesse’s sons in search of the next king of Israel, he was impressed with Eliab’s appearance. God told Samuel: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things you lookin’ at. YOU are lookin’ at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). NOTHING in a person’s outward appearance impresses God. God is constantly checkin’ out what’s goin’ on in your HEART.
And to make all this relevant, did you know that the holy women of old made themselves beautiful by trusting God and accepting the authority of their husbands (1 Peter 3:5). And that’s FREE. You’ll pay a cost to learn to trust God & submit to your husband but that now means that you can get out of credit card debt and focus on what’s really important.
WHO are you to criticize the way you look or talk about anybody else? On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). If you are made in the image of God Almighty, He didn’t make any mistakes. God is not surprised by your hips, lips, eyes, face or any part of your body. So for you to sit up and talk about anybody else, his or her personality & style is NONE of your business. God made you to look the way you do for your very purpose. You are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). Your talents, gifts and everything on the inside of you is NOT a mistake. God placed those desires in you and attached your personality to complete your very purpose. So stop tryin’ be like everyone else. BE YOU. Aint no person on this earth like YOU.
Part of being a free moral agent is that you have a CHOICE. You can eat terrible food all day, never work out and never spend time with God and feel horrible about yourself & pretty much be average. Or you can spend time with God, learn what clothes works for you, eat healthy, work out & live an abundant life. This aint rocket science. NO to the donut, YES to the fruit. Don’t tell me what you CANNOT do because you are doing what you want to do. Just say you don’t want to do it.
Often times people get tattoos for enhancing their beauty or to remember a loved one, do you think tattoos are biblical?
ReplyDeleteThe Old Testament law commanded the Israelites, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28). So, even though believers today are not under the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15), the fact that there was a command against tattoos should raise some questions. The New Testament does not say anything about whether or not a believer should get a tattoo.
DeleteIn relation to tattoos and body piercings, a good test is to determine whether we can honestly, in good conscience, ask God to bless and use that particular activity for His own good purposes. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). The New Testament does not command against tattoos or body piercings, but it also does not give us any reason to believe God would have us get tattoos or body piercings.
An important scriptural principle on issues the Bible does not specifically address is if there is room for doubt whether it pleases God, then it is best not to engage in that activity. Romans 14:23 reminds us that anything that does not come from faith is sin. We need to remember that our bodies, as well as our souls, have been redeemed and belong to God. Although 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 does not directly apply to tattoos or body piercings, it does give us a principle: “Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body.” This great truth should have a real bearing on what we do and where we go with our bodies. If our bodies belong to God, we should make sure we have His clear “permission” before we “mark them up” with tattoos or body piercings.
I have a tattoo of "Yahweh" on my finger. I prayed about it and had peace before I got it. I encourage you to pray about it as well.
What was your reason for wanting a tattoo? You have God's name in Hebrew tattooed on your finger is a definite indicator of your belief in him, so how do you feel that it glorifies God? If we as believers know that we belong to God, and our bodies are not our own, do you honestly think God gives us permission to get tattoos or piercings?
ReplyDeleteI love that Yahweh is next is on my ring finger. For ME, it's a constant reminder of my marriage to my husband and the truth that God is married to ME. I submit to my husband and by submitting to my husband--I'm submitting to Christ. I had peace about it and I LOVE my tattoo. You do what YOU have peace about! If you dont' like it, dont' get one! ;-) Remember that same "levitical" law says you cannot cut your hair. Thankfully, the law is abolished when Jesus came so you won't find it ANYWHERE in the new testament. But it sounds to me that you have a conviction about it. Dont' do it then, but for me--I'm gonna rock mine! ;-) Bless you!
DeleteAwesome Heather!!! You are so right!! I just got Yahweh on my wrist and had a Jehova witness crack up laughing at me. She said i cant believe you have God's named tatto'd on you, she said i just find that very funny! I was kinda of was shocked because like you , I did pray over it and felt that people will ask me what that means and it's my opportunity to speak about God to somebody that may never speak Him or care for Him. I think it is doing the will of God. I didn't know if that ever happened to you.
Deleteawesome :)
ReplyDeleteEating for nourishment vs eating for pleasure has been on my mind lately. I'm sitting here eating a avocado with lemon juice mind you I hate avocados. I know it is good for me...So I am eating it lol
ReplyDeleteI would think like this from time to time. Not wishing or saying I wish I was like her. I would say I wish my hair would look like that or if I had a butt like that but yes I've realized and am realizing Psalm 139:14 now to be true. I look in the mirror and say one thing about myself concerning the outside and then concerning the inside. This is thanks to the advice of one of the sisters on pinky promise. So, you are soooooo right when it comes to this blog. God bless!
ReplyDeleteI've got serious acne problems and it's really affected my confidence. I worry a lot about it and I just want my face back and not riddled with acne or spots. I've pleaded with God to heal me, and sometimes I think he put it there to punish me or doesn't want to hear me. Is my wish to have a clearer face vain? I don't want to be like anybody,i just want to be a better me.
ReplyDelete