It’s a bit late in the evening, and my eyes won’t shut. To make my time worthwhile, I’ll grab this opportunity to write some thoughts from my heart.
I visited a Christian bookstore about a year ago and got stuck on a book about women. I don’t remember the complete title of the book, but it definitely contained the word “MAKEOVER.” I was planning to buy it, but it was a bit expensive, so I backed off. Anyway, it was really interesting, and I’d like to share some thoughts I learned from what I read. I’ll pretend that all the readers are female 🙂
From the beginning, when we were still little girls, we were taught what a lady should be—or should I say, how a lady should look. We loved playing with our Barbie dolls—brushing their hair, changing their clothes into “in-fashion” styles, putting on high-heeled shoes, and doing all sorts of things that made our Barbie dolls look fabulous.
When we grew a little older, we were exposed to magazines that influenced and encouraged us to look like the pretty, skinny models on their pages. When we watched TV, we were bombarded with the idea that a pretty lady should have attractive lips like Angelina Jolie, curvy hips like Katrina Halili, soft fair and flawless skin like Scarlett Johansson, bouncy hair like Kim Chiu, and other features that female celebrities possess. Even when we surfed the internet, we saw gorgeous women we wanted to be like. No wonder many women choose to undergo expensive beauty treatments and cosmetic procedures. They are willing to pay huge amounts of money just to look fabulous and be accepted in society.
Actually, there is nothing wrong with being pretty, beautiful, or gorgeous. It is a gift—but there are more important things than outward appearance. I am not against beauty treatments or other beauty enhancements. I just want to point out something that struck me.
Congratulations to those who are naturally blessed with good looks and “perfect” body figures. And to those who feel they don’t belong to that category, I want you to know that sometimes I feel like I’m not in that league either—for real. I think the exact word for that feeling is intimidation. According to eLook.org, intimidation means “the feeling of discouragement in the face of someone’s superior fame, wealth, or status.”
It is time to face the truth: many women are intimidated by the world’s definition of beauty. You are not considered beautiful if you have a flat nose, a bulging belly, a face with pimples, or other physical “imperfections.” That is what our culture dictates.
But I want to share a comforting truth. Yes, it is nice to look good and feel good about ourselves, but isn’t it more important to be beautiful according to God’s standard? He loves us just the way we are. We do not need to put on makeup, wear the latest trendy clothes, or undergo expensive procedures to be accepted.
He loves you exactly as you are. You do not need to earn His approval or attention because you already have His heart. If the world says you are ugly, in His eyes you are beautiful, because you are created in His image and likeness. It is a sin to belittle yourself or to devalue God’s creation—you.
So learn to love yourself and allow yourself to see God’s beautiful creation in you. You cannot fully love yourself if you do not love Him first. You already know He loves you—it is time to love Him back and accept Him into your heart. Only then will you understand your true worth.
I tell you, nothing and no one can ever change your worth in His sight. He does not define you by your past or what you have been through. He loves you just the way you are.
So girlfriends, sit like a princess and stand like a queen. Let go of intimidation and hold on to God’s standard of true beauty. And what is God’s standard of beauty? I’d like to leave this verse with you:
1 Peter 3:3–4
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and wearing 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.”
Stay pretty, girlfriends 
See you around!
