Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1 Peter 3:3-4
So much of our health can be tied to our outward appearance. When our outward appearance isn’t ideal, body hate can set it. When we reclaim our health reclaiming our emotional and spiritual health should be a high priority as well. Someone filled with hate for their own body isn’t healthy.
No good comes out of body hate. It seldom motivates, and mostly depresses. So STOP. Seriously STOP.
But as I tell you to stop, know that I struggle with it as well. Yesterday I accidentally had stevia with added dairy ingredients. It didn’t take long for the familiar feeling of cystic acne to start on my upper lip, cheek, and chin. Soon enough I was faced with tiny cysts on my face when I walked by the mirror. Fortunately now that my acne is under control and I know what’s causing it, it shouldn’t get worse. (Plus this drying lotion from my affiliate Amazon works amazingly well.)
There are still times though when my reflection makes me feel so inadequate. I think about the beautiful women in the Bible like Sarah, Esther, and the Shulamite, and then I feel even worse, like I’ve failed as a Christian.
Instead of accepting the fact I had three children in 4 years time with joy, my reflection taunts me. The number on the scale is fine, I’ve lost all but 5 pounds after my pregnancies (working on that), but my reflection, that’s another story. The change in my shape is enough to ruin my day even though my body did amazing things.
Have you been there friend?
You walk down your hallway, and it catches your eye. You’ve been avoiding it all day, but now there’s no ignoring it. Walking over to your mirror you cautiously peer into its silver depths, and
dislike hate what you see.
Maybe it’s your round face, a stray eyebrow (as my mother calls them) above your lip, or a pimple in the worst possible place. Maybe you see lumps and bumps under your clothes that weren’t there ten years ago, or maybe you’ve never liked your shape. You might think your skin is too pale, or too dark, maybe it’s blotchy. Perhaps you think your knees are too knobby and your calves too chubby. It could be that you’re too short, or perhaps too tall. Chances are when you look in the mirror there will be something that you don’t like.
You wonder how Narcissus couldn’t stop looking at his reflection, when the sight of yours makes want to run and hide. After looking at yourself in the mirror your perfectly good day suddenly turns sour.Gazing upon your reflection brings back insecurities from years past, and sometimes looking at it might even bring tears to your eyes. You think about the women who keep sheets over their mirrors, and consider for a moment doing the same to yours.
Logically when I pass by the mirror I know that my body has done absolutely amazing things, chief of which is bringing 3 children into this world. I can logically know I am healthy and have a lot to be incredibly grateful for; but there are times when I look in the mirror and it just hurts. Taunts from the elementary schoolyard ring in my ears, jealousy of women I wish I looked like flares up, and in that moment I hate my reflection.
The truth is though, we are not the only ones who hate what we see in the mirror. There is someone who in fact hates our reflections more than we ever could.
That someone of course is Satan.
Lucifer was created as a beautiful Angel of light covered in precious stones. And as beautiful as Lucifer was, he wasn’t made in God’s image, and was not His greatest creation. Mankind however is both, and Satan hates it.
When Satan sees our reflections in the mirror, the chubby thighs, double chins, saggy backsides, extra weight, and minuscule imperfections that we hate so much, Satan hates too. Satan however doesn’t hate our reflections because they don’t measure up to some Madison Avenue ideal. No, Satan hates our reflections because every aspect reminds him of the Creator that he so vehemently detests.
Let that sink in a moment: Satan hates our reflections, because we remind him of God!
We are made in God’s image. We are His most precious creation. When we look in the mirror and hate what we see, we detest something that was made after God’s own glorious, perfect image.
You deserve to see yourself as the beautiful creation, made after the image of God that you are. That is how Satan sees you, and he hates it. That is how we should see ourselves and celebrate it.
Imagine yourself free from insecurity. Imagine never again getting intensely depressed when you look into the mirror. Emboldened by this truth, set free from this plague, what does your walk with God look like? Are you more effective in his service? Are you able to draw from the Lord’s strength or are you held back by insecurities? Are you more able to reclaim your health?
You were made in the image of God, see it and celebrate it.
Now it’s your turn, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And be sure to Share this post with all the beautiful women in your life!
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