Worth, Love, and Beauty

Like all girls, I’ve fallen into the same trap time and time again. Staring at my reflection in the mirror and tallying up the measly accomplishments in my life thinking, “You’re not worth that much,” and “You’re not that great.” I see my likeness in the looking glass and I take note of my pear shape that I loath, the hair that never wants to style the way I want to, my pale complexion that makes the dark circles under my eyes stand out, my gummy smile, and dry skin that I constantly have to moisturize. And then, listing my achievements and talents – that I don’t find very amusing – I think to myself, “If only you could be so great.”

We’ve all been there. You’re lying if you haven’t. At one point in time, even if just once in your life, you’ve been in the scene I’ve just described. No matter how many times we pull ourselves up, dust off our pants, and tell ourselves to suck it up and you’re better than this, we continue to habitually step off that cliff again.

It’s a curse, just as bad as Mother Nature’s monthly plagues.

You get to the point thinking prince charming doesn’t exist. He’s a fantasy in a Disney movie that you’ve watched over and over as you’ve sat on the couch in your favorite pj’s, with a heaping bowl of chocolate ice cream in your hand – guilty, I’ve been there. You feel neglected. Depressed. Nobody wants your mistakes. No amazing changes have happened in the world or people’s lives because of you.

I’ll be honest. I struggle with those thoughts daily. Since I’m spewing this mess of our inner lives for us to come clean about, I’ll go ahead and admit my guilt. Even now, in my adult life, married and owning my own home, I wake up to days where all I want to do is stay in bed and let the world fade out. I’m a very insecure person, my husband will vouch to this truth. I’ve struggled since high school believing in myself and what I am capable of doing. I constantly compare myself to others: how happy they are, how they glow with attractiveness, and that they got a job and I still haven’t, etc. And I get to the point thinking my life isn’t that important, I’m not worth much.

And while all of us drown in our misery, convincing ourselves that we’re not worth it, we’re not beautiful enough, not loveable enough, or whatever the case may be – we are telling ourselves second to the biggest lie on earth.

 (I say 2^nd because the 1^st being that people lie to themselves that Christ is not real, because indeed he is.)

How wrong I am. How wrong we all for thinking those things.

I am lovable. I am accomplished. I am beautiful. I am worthy. I am powerful.

You are worthy! You are beautiful! You are loveable! You are powerful! You don’t need people to make you believe you are these things. SOMEONE already has found you to be everything he ever wanted.

Those imperfections staring at you in the mirror, make you believe that no man will find you beautiful. Wrong. Someone already has. He sees you SO beautiful that he couldn’t stand to have one so unique and lovely to not exist. In his eyes, you are gorgeous!

And I’m not talking about the feminist movement’s idea of powerful. I’m describing a power of inner change that can transform others around me. An inner beauty that can seep into the hearts of the ugly, morphing them to shine with radiance. We all have this capability – this superhero power to change the minds and hearts of others. We only need to believe in ourselves and unlock that gift.

We are loveable. Everyone is in their own unique way. We tally up those mistakes, counting them against us. No prince, man, or even dwarf would or could love us after all our mishaps. But what we fail to recognize is that someone already has proven to us his love, a love that is stronger than all sin and pain. He already slayed the dragon for us. He admires us, flaws and all, finding us to be so worthy that he gave up the ultimate sacrifice. He rescued us. Died for us, just so that we would be saved and rescued from our own demons. How can we say that no one would ever love us or find us worthy, when plainly someone already has.

So, don’t fall into that trap. Don’t lock yourself in that dungeon of self-pity and deceit. You hold a key to yourself that will unlock an abundance of confidence, grace, beauty, power, and worth. And if you don’t know what that key is let me share it with you: Christ.

He is the key to unlock your hidden radiance. 

Remember that your confidence in who you are can only be found in the One who made you to be who you are.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s easy to let yourself fall back into those crazy self-doubting thoughts again. But fight them, because each one of you is worth a love and power that was crazy enough to die for you. I say crazy, because to us it is crazy, but to Him, it makes perfect sense.

I end this rant with a video that inspired all of these thoughts. It’s wonderful and actually brought tears to my eyes as I heard the gentle, yet still powerful voice of the One who loves me, reminding me of how great I really am.