Image by Cailin Valente
Psalm 139 Hebrews 2:7 Proverbs 31:30 1 Samuel 16:7
How thankful are we about ourselves and the gifts that we have? How do you see yourself? There’s a huge difference between totally hating yourself and acting like you’re queen of the universe and seeing yourself the way that God sees you. I think it’s safe to say that we all struggle with self-esteem issues.
I remember one summer when I was out eating Chinese food with my family. When I checked my social media feed on the way home, I saw a video of men modeling women’s bathing suits, comparing their humorous antics to a woman who beautifully modeled all the types of bathing suits shown in the video. I couldn’t help but feel like a giant tub of lard when I looked at her. Worse still was that this wasn’t the first time I’ve compared myself to her. I was familiar with her because she was a model and an actress who worked in the independent film industry (which meant she wrote and produced stuff). Worst of all, she was nice. As jealous as I was of her, I couldn’t hate her for long because she was a nice person. Whenever I compared myself to her, I felt myself coming up short. I wasn’t successful and I didn’t feel beautiful.
This is where gratitude comes in. If you’re like me and don’t appreciate what you have on the outside, think about the way that God sees you.
“How much does he love me?” you ask.
Hebrews 2:7 says
“You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor.”
We are one step below angels and crowned as princesses in His eyes. We are daughters of the King. As today’s Psalm says, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Better still, “For it was you who formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” It means that you weren’t just created randomly or put in the wrong body. You were designed by God and created with purpose. You may not know what that is yet, but the fact that God created us with thought and care and love? I don’t know about you, but I consider that mind blowing.
As Pope Benedict XVI said “It is good that you exist.” No matter what anyone else says, you matter and you were created with a purpose! Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are worthless! You need to know that you are beautiful and own it because that gratitude will radiate from you. That is what makes you beautiful.
After all, Proverbs 31:30 says
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Back in high school, I was called “snaggletooth” because my teeth were crooked. In college, some kids called me a “Cabbage Patch Kid” because I wore bucket hats and had braces. Nowadays, I’m learning to appreciate how I look on the outside (such as how I love my long legs and hair), but I also appreciate the gifts that God gave to me such as my loyalty, my resilience, and my passion for life. I still struggle with self-esteem issues, but having gratitude in my life helps me out of that bad attitude.
As long as we fear the Lord, dearest sisters in Christ, we can learn to love ourselves without turning into divas!
Today’s song is another one by Danielle Rose, a song version of today’s passage, Psalm 139. It’s a beautiful rendition. I also recommend you check out her song “You Matter” (which is sadly not available on Spotify).
Stay beautiful, dearest sisters in Christ.
Study Questions:
How do you see yourself? How do you think God sees you?
What are some things that people compliment you on that you don’t see as anything special?
What are some ways that we can start having a healthy self-love without turning it into vanity
