Seeing Ourselves Through God’s Eyes
The hope for our daughters [or the young women in our lives]
As we begin more and more seeing ourselves through God’s eyes and as New Years passes, many of us will be making a very similar pledge – to get into shape, eat better, and drop a few pounds.. Maybe even find those abs that are hidden somewhere in the mix lol… As women, we always have these examples of what the “perfect woman” should look like. And even if we do end up dropping jean sizes, and finding our muscles, we still are left feeling like we can and should be doing more.
Why? Because TV and media are constantly false advertising what “sexy” looks like. Sexy is not being anorexic. It is not skipping out on meals to cut weight. It is not going on Hollywood diets, or eating only baby food like models do. Being “sexy” is being confident in who we are as women, and embracing the body and life that has been given to us.
Please do not get me wrong, sisters. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting healthy and doing what you have to do to get in better shape. In fact, I encourage it because a healthier lifestyle bring longevity to our lives! The problem lies in where our eyes and hearts wonder in the process. This is when we truly need to start seeing ourselves through God’s eyes.
In my mind, I am fat. When I look in the mirror, I still see an overweight girl just trying to survive in a skinny world. I should clarify, this isn’t all of the time…but it happens enough that my husband is starting to get upset over me putting myself down out loud. Right around the same time I noticed myself becoming more of a Negative Nancy, I saw a really encouraging post that was written to one of my girlfriends from another woman of God. She wrote “Don’t ever forget how beautiful you are. You have three girls who will learn true beauty from YOU.”…….”Who will learn true beauty from YOU”… Thoughts of Mackenzie raced through my mind…Not only am I fighting this battle for me, but I am fighting this battle for the future of my daughter. If Kenzie only hears me talking about how I am not good enough, she is going to learn quickly all about low self-esteem. She will learn to look to vanity, and not to heart. Break us, God.
True beauty – Something we can experience only when we look at ourselves through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus loves us just as we are. When we stop searching for the perfect look, and start searching for the one who gives us purpose, we will discover real joy and real beauty.
Maybe you don’t have a daughter, but you have a sister, a niece or maybe even a friend who looks up to you. Do her, (and you) a favor and learn to live by these two powerful verses. (Remember, seeing ourselves through God’s eyes is the key)
1 Peter 3:3-4 – “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry, or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. “Lord, help us be happy in who we are in you. Let us focus less on what the world calls beautiful, and more on what you call beautiful. Help us be an example to the younger generation of ladies in our lives.
AMEN.
This article was written by Brittaney Zimmerman of, “Love Life Ministeries”
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A little bit about Brittany and what she does, Our mission statement here at LOVE LIFE reflects our name perfectly. We choose every single day to wake up and be victorious. We choose to encourage. We choose to live in faith EVERY SINGLE DAY. Most of all, we choose love.
How was LOVE LIFE created? — Back in 2012, The Lord laid it on my heart to start a Facebook group called “Love Life”. This group was designed specifically for married women between 20-30 years old to come and have a safe place to talk, learn, and pray with one another. Since then, God has confirmed it to me that this group needs to have its walls stripped down, and that all women across the globe need to learn how to LOVE LIFE. The only requirement to be a part of LOVE LIFE is that you have to be at least 18 years old. It doesn’t matter if you are married, single, engaged, divorced, or widowed. Jesus loves us all the same. By bringing all women together, we can all learn and grow together in any season of life. As for right now, LOVE LIFE MINISTRIES is a Facebook driven ministry. The Lord has bigger plans for LOVE LIFE MINISTRIES though, and I know that one day LOVE LIFE MINISTRIES will be known all around the world. Please pray and believe with me today for this beautiful ministry that God has placed on my heart.
Some more inspirational writing by other Godly women.
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