What’s on the Inside
Do you ever look in the mirror and feel like you are not worthy or accepted because of your appearance? Do you feel like in order to get a better job or be in a relationship, you have to meet a certain beauty standard? If you said yes to either of those questions, I want you to know that you are not alone. But I also want to encourage you with this: The Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us this, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” This scripture has been so impactful for me in a lot of different seasons of my life. What a wonderful and comforting thought. Yes, the Lord created you to look exactly as you do for a reason. However, your appearance is not what He loves about you, but rather your spirit.
Unfortunately, struggling with self-image and appearance is very common in our society these days. This struggle was very relevant in my own life when I was going on The Bachelor. Leading up to the show, I obviously had thought about that fact that I was going to be surrounded by thirty very beautiful women with great bodies and wonderful personalities. I knew in that situation, it would be very easy to fall into the comparison game and even find myself lacking confidence. So, for weeks before the show and all the way up until I left, I prayed that the most attractive thing about me would be my spirit. That people would be drawn to me, not because of my looks and my wardrobe, but because of my heart. I wanted to stand out and for people look at me differently, not because I wanted the attention to be on me, but because I wanted people to see Christ through me. I cannot sit here and tell you that I never struggled with self-image, because I did. Obviously, I’m not perfect and I struggle with my own insecurities. But through prayer and drawing near to the Lord, I am able to set my eyes on things above.
Our bodies are made good because God made them that way. It says so in Psalm 139:14. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” He made you exactly the way you are for a reason. He created us in His own image! Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” Obviously, He’s not talking about physical image here. He’s talking about our hearts. Because it’s what’s on the inside that matters! The Lord chose you for your heart and your spirit. Your height, the clothes you wear and the way your skin looks had nothing to do with it. Ruth, Esther, Mary, Eve, and all the other women in the Bible were not chosen by God because of their looks. There faithfulness and their righteousness were not marked by their bodies. They were chosen because they were willing to be used by God. Their hearts and their obedience are what stood out.
There is so much greatness inside of each and every one of you. You have a purpose and calling on your life. Don’t let the insecurities of your self-image limit your potential. Don’t be so focused on what you look like on the outside that you forget to take care of yourself on the inside. Psalm 31:30 reminds us, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” If we know that beauty and materialistic goods are temporary, then why do we spend so much time striving for physical perfection? Don’t we want something more? Something that is eternal? Living for the approval of man does not bring true blessing. Living to be sanctified and look more like Christ is what brings blessing. Living for what truly counts is what brings blessing. Living to glorify God and share the gospel with the people around you is what brings blessing. Your body is not the most interesting thing about you. What’s on the outside will never satisfy you to your liking. Don’t let the unrealistic expectations of society blind you from seeing the truth of who God made you to be. Someone who is beautiful in the eyes of their creator and someone who shines bright the light of Jesus Christ.
Challenges:
Write out 3 positive things about you, none of which can be physical. This exercise forces us to search beyond what is seen by the others and to take a look at how God sees us. Write out these 3 things and repeat them to yourself as a daily practice.
Memorize scripture. The Bible is full of truths about the way God made us and none of them name physical attributes. Find scripture that speaks to who you are as the Lord’s creation and choose to believe that over what society says you are or have to be.
Love yourself. This may seem really simple, but it’s such a good reminder. Choose to love yourself for who you are, not for what you look like. Remember, the Lord looks at the heart. What does your heart look like?
Prayer:
Lord, we praise you because we are fearfully and wonderfully made! We praise you because you created us perfectly in your eyes with no mistakes. Thank you that you made us with intention and purpose. I pray that we no longer cling to the beauty standards of the world, but we strive for so much more. That we live only for your approval and not the approval of man. Lord, help us to believe that we are made good because we are made in your image! Help us to live out the calling that you have placed on our lives and not be bound by our insecurities. Let us walk in confidence that can only be found in you. God, I also pray that we would learn to champion those around us instead of comparing ourselves to them. That we would look beyond what is on the outside and look at the hearts of the people in our lives just as you do. We love you and we praise you and we give you all the glory! We pray all these things in Jesus’ name! Amen!