Living by What We know is Truth.

I had to laugh at myself a few weeks ago. On my way to work, I decided that I would stop at my favorite mermaid coffee place where I knew there was a drive-thru to pick up a little caffeine-fix. The line was ridiculous, but oh boy I wanted that caffeine to make it through another winter snowed-in kind of day. So being a little tired (anyone else relate prior to your morning caffeine?)....I make it through the line and get to the window, and realised I never ordered before pulling up!!?!  Apparently I just never stopped at the little box to order, I just drove straight to the pick-up window. I laughed so hard at myself you guys! Not to mention the staff inside I'm sure were laughing so hard at me. 

So I had the park of shame as I placed my order and pulled aside to wait, while cars behind me had to navigate around me to exit from the Starbucks pick-up line. Cue the shades of red on my face! 

Anyway, that hilarious story reminded me for some reason of those moments in grade school. You know the ones where you feel as though everyone in school hates you because you look silly in your outfit that day. 

And in reality it may have been that one girl didn't like it and told you in an incredibly confrontational insensitive way while standing in the girls bathroom. Well you let it fester but act on the outside as though you don't care what they think. But by the end of the school day, you are convinced that everyone things you have terrible fashion sense and you vow never to wear that shirt ever again despite the fact that you saved up some of your own money to buy it. Anyone relate?   

Yeah - as if braces weren't enough of an issue ;) 

My own problem in situations like these, I allowed my feelings to guide my actions. I totally allow people to dictate how I am going to handle life in that moment. Instead of telling myself truth, I allow them power over me by telling me my value (whether that's my stupidity over messing up in a drive-thru line or the shirt I am wearing). 

Suddenly my entire worth in one particular area is in shreds and while perhaps a person was rude or insensitive towards me, I gave them the power to tell me my value. 

I handed it over to them on a silver platter.

The Lord has broken me in the last few months over this issue. He has began to show me that one of my greatest insecurities is what other people think about me. To the point where one person openly displaying they don't like me much causes a cascade of emotion and insecurity. 

I have been putting my value in the wrong places. I have previously allowed anyone with an opinion a say in how valuable I am.

And I see now just how plain stupid that is. 

'For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.'

Psalm 139:13-14

'For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'

Ephesians 2:10

'But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Oh friends, how I have just held on tight to these words and so many others as I have explored really learning where my value lies. I have been battling so hard to curb this bad habit of mine.

See the only way I have made progress at breaking this was to start shifting my surrender in this battle of worth. To realise that people don't dictate my worth and value. People will do or say things to continually hurt me, but it shouldn't shake my world like it has been.

Because I believe that what God says about me is true.

Now when these thoughts appear after a harsh word or comment, I remind myself of my worth and value through those precious life-breathing words in scripture. 

And I'm now finding that it's way healthier for my soul. It's so freeing taking back that power that I had surrendered to people I never should have given it to. 

To worry less & put less value in what people say or think about me. 

Instead to trust what He has to say about me. And to believe that is the truth.

Glossy Magazine Covers & God's Truth.

You know its so funny. I really think we are all our own worst critics when it comes to the way we look. How many of us see a picture of ourselves and immediately see the bad things. My leg looks funny in that picture, my thighs are huge, my clothes aren't sitting straight and well I won't even start on what's wrong with my middle. 
Even a professional photoshoot, I am sure that so many of us ladies would see something wrong in so many of the pictures. Even though they are professionally done, and everyone else probably thinks we look great. 

Picking up magazines and seeing the latest celebrities who are upheld as the leaders of fashion and body image definitely don't help us in this department. I'm sure you've all seen the amount of photoshopping that goes in to those glossy supermodel covershots. I've seen several bloggers comment on this issue, and couldn't agree more. We are being fed an image of beauty that doesn't even exist. Maybe with the help of surgery, fake tans, teeth whitening and intense software to remove the other flaws that can't be taken care of in real life we can get there. But all that will lead to is a fake looking body. 

I'm pretty sure that almost every woman compares themselves to these images. Wishes they were thinner, their hair was prettier, just insert your body issue here.
It's a daily battle to be content with the way God made us. 
But choosing to battle these issues can lead to a healthy outlook of the way God wants us to see ourselves. Not as someone to be compared to the latest version of what is beautiful today. But as a woman with value, created in His image. 

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 We are beautiful in His eyes. But I also believe we are called to care for ourselves physically. 

'Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? 

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. 

So glorify God in your body.'

~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ~

Lately, for me this has been pursuing regular exercise and eating healthy. I recognize that I will never be more loved by God for doing this, He loves me just as I am. But caring for my body is a way of obeying His word to glorify Him with my body. Caring for it as I only have one for my whole life on earth. Filling it with junk food daily just wouldn't be a good idea and wouldn't give me the energy I need to do God's work.
That's not to say that I can't eat junk food occasionally. But I should probably work on doing that in moderation. Choosing food to give me useful energy instead.

But before we get caught up in discussion over the specifics of how that looks in your life. This battle does start in the mind. 
'We must try to build our self image around what God thinks of us' ~ Rebecca St. James
How do we do that? By spending time with Him, reading His word and filling ourselves with truth about how He sees us. Not by allowing the world to feed us lies about how we should be prettier and 30 steps on how to get there.

Anytime I am upset by something, my sweet hubby always asks me if I am telling myself truth? He always wants to know if I am believing a lie or believing the truth. Because it is so easy to hear lies. I wrote a post about that a while ago here.
So I want to encourage you friends, to rest in the knowledge that you are beautiful the way you have been created. You are precious in our heavenly fathers eyes! He loves you just the way you are! So do care for yourself through eating healthy and exercise to honor Him, but know that you are already loved and beautiful to Him! 

Don't believe the lies.

You.Are.Loved. 

You.Are.Beautiful.

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Back in college I wrote on my bedroom mirror to remind myself of these truths everytime I looked in the mirror. If you need the reminder, why don't you try the same thing. (eyeliner works great for this). Or your bathroom mirror, wherever you look daily. 
Then when you see the words about how precious you are, how much you are cherished by God, choose to believe those truths.
And Shine brightly for Him! One day at a time. 

Much Love!

L

Some more verses about body image:

'You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? 

No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.'

~ 1 Corinthians 3:16 ~

(The Message)

'Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

    you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!

    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

    I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

    you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

    before I’d even lived one day.'

~ Psalm 139:13-16 ~

(The Message)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

~ Romans 12:1-2 ~

(NLT)

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, 

promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

~ 1 Timothy 4:8 ~

(NLT)

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; 

male and female created he them.” 

~ Genesis 1:27 ~

(KJV)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, 

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

~ Jeremiah 29:11 ~

(NIV)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

~ John 3:16 ~

(NIV)

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