Seeing Yourself and Others as Beautiful
Photo credit: by Christine Mcllhenny of daughter Kate :)
Beautiful You
Handcrafted by a loving Creator, you were etched from head to toe. You are not a mistake. Society may say you don’t fit the beauty mold, but God looks at you and smiles, knowing that He created you just the way He wanted. Do you think God failed to get the latest fashion magazine to see if you fit today’s view of what is beautiful? Over the decades our society’s view of beauty has changed but God’s has not.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart
Jeremiah 1:5
Yay for Uniqueness
God is an artist and you are His canvas. All around us is the beauty God created, and it is the variations and uniqueness that sets us apart. It would be pretty boring if everyone acted and looked the same.
Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’
Isaiah 45:9
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Luke 12:7
Change the Way You See
I read a great quote the other day. It said, “Don’t change the way you look. Change the way you see.” No matter how much we try to alter our outside appearance it won’t make us truly happy. The heart needs to be transformed, so we may begin to see ourselves and others through God’s eyes. If we spent half as much time beautifying our inside as we do our outside we would be receiving a lot more joy and victory.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
What Does God See as Beautiful?
You are God’s masterpiece. If He wanted you to be designed another way He would have created you that way. Dwelling on what you don’t like about your physical appearance probably isn’t that appealing to the one who created you. What God sees as truly beautiful are qualities of the heart that glorify God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Isaiah 52:7
What is hindering us from seeing the beauty in ourselves & others?
1. Our pain
Sometimes we let past hurt allow us to feel dirty and rejected. We have not accepted that we are beautiful, so we can’t imagine others seeing us that way.
2. Lack of feeling beautiful/accepted
Sometimes, when we fail to see ourselves as God sees us, we have a hard time seeing others with God’s grace. We need to start reevaluating how we view ourselves, then we will start to be able to see others through God’s lens.
God’s Lens
In John 8:1-11, we see a women who was caught in adultery. The pharisees were about to condemn her before Jesus, but Jesus looked deeper than the outside appearance and saw her heart. Realizing she was a broken and hurt woman, He embraced her with love; gave her a second chance, and allowed her to turn from her life of sin.
People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
You are Loved
Embrace the fact that you have a God that loves you personally. He did not compare you with His other creations but lovingly designed you. He looks past our masks of hurt and pain and sees His beloved child. You are beautiful!
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14
Suggested Cites/Readings