To all the girls out there who struggle with their thighs, their hair, or their skin, here's the Word of the Lord.
"Everyone who is called by My Name, whom I created for my glory, whom I have formed, whom I have made." Isaiah 43:7
"It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus, and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." Ephesians 2:10
The book is a great, light read by Max Lucade, but I really do think it's got a lot of depth to it beyond the shiny surface and brightly colored pages. We do all have a purpose here, and it is to serve and honor the Lord. He has given us the directions for this, and hopes that we will choose to love Him and serve Him.
However, how easy is it to fall into the traps of our culture? We are taught as females that we must be skinny and athletic, yet buxom in all the right places, and smart and submissive at the same time, even hardworking and successful without ever appearing to struggle with our daily obligations. Then, on top of all this, if we are believers, we are supposed to be examples of Christ's love and compassion and forgiveness, and are being compared to the other Christian girls our age who make it look so effortless. How on EARTH can we accomplish all this? It's no wonder I read stories of college students on Adderall or Ritalin, or living between cups of coffee and pitchers of beer. First of all, I'd like to say let's all take a step back. The first and most important goal of our life should be to serve God. According to Him and His Word, He even has a plan for us, individually (!), as to how to do this. He's given us each special and unique talents and characteristics that, though we may not see their usefulness now, will someday serve the purpose that God intended.
Sidenote: I'm assuming here that if you're following along with what I'm contemplating here, you're agreeing with the assertion that your ultimate purpose on earth is to honor and glorify God. Which, considering that He is the God of the universe, who loves you and took the time to plan out your life and all the minute details of you (that freckle, right there on your pinky finger, that looks slightly like California, yeah, that's God), and He also sent His Son to die so that you might live a blissful eternity in heaven, that seems like a small price to pay. At least, that's how I see it. Also, from what I've seen, those who give up their life to Christ and receive His love seem to find the most joy and satisfaction too...so I mean, it all makes sense now right?
Anyhow, I just wanted to put it out there that we need to spend less time focusing on the negatives, and more time figuring out what we can do, and doing it. If you allow yourself to get caught up in the minute details of life, like being upset by what size your pants are this year or making sure that your life is on track to pursue your second Ph.D., then I feel like you might miss out on the greatness of a life that just, is. Sometimes, it's nice to just sit down and have dinner with a fantastic, encouraging friend who pushes you to see the wonderful world that God has given to you to explore and enjoy. I'm saying all this because I know that it's definitely something I struggle with hugely. My biggest struggle has always been my weight, because it used to determine my self worth in my younger days. Now, even though I still have my lapses, I'm starting to see that things like that just don't matter. That's not to say that I'm going to have ice cream for breakfast every morning either, but that wouldn't be living in moderation or respecting the temple of our soul that God entrusted to us. I'm determined to see that I am more than a number, and to see that I have worth beyond what I could even have imagined for myself. God's plans for me are great, and each and every day I want to spend 19/20 (thanks Whitney!) of my day working on my inner beauty, the part that God values and appreciates most. He's already given us the outer beauty, but it's worthless unless the inner is shining right on through.
What's your inside looking like?
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