Sunday, May 31, 2015

Boohoo Social Medial says I'm Fat

"I'm so fat"

"Look at her, she's tiny."

"My skin is disgusting."

"How'd he get so big?"


(source: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/appearance.html)


Good thing Heaven doesn't have a body fat criteria.

Because you're actually P E R F E C T.

Why does society think they can control my flaws? Why does society think they can dictate the very shape I was born in? Why does society ostracize me from what is considered "beautiful?" Why does society determine my worth by face value? Why do I believe them?

There is no genetics lottery. You didn't miss out. Even if there was one, you've BEEN winning since the day strange men and women checked you out of your 9 month holiday. 

When one of my closest friends came to me feeling deflated and exhausted from her constant battle with the parts of her body that she hated, I felt sad and even angry that we were fastened to this interminable cycle of artificial beauty and acceptance. We who are HUMAN. Flawed beyond belief, project upon ourselves and even worse, upon others this facade of the "exquisite", right down to these precise impossible symmetries. Does this not sound completely deranged? We love others because society has taught us that the size of their waist, biceps, the color of their eyes, the shoes they wear is what determines WHO they are. I'm sorry but your brown eyes and blemished skin tells me your probably not worth my time. Insane.

We all have insecurities. Let's be honest though, women are thoroughly more illogical, complicated and really just bordering on mental institutional at times. That's another post and a half. It kills me that we men and women can be so dissatisfied, almost disgusted by what we see when we look in the mirror, because of a laughable whimsical criteria of what is "attractive", "beautiful", "wife/husband worthy". 

The media does this to us. Social Media especially, has monopolized this role. Luckily none of us are on Social Media alot, said no 21st Century human ever. We are bombarded by these expectations and projections every day, subconsciously allowing them to build and permeate into our thoughts, decisions, which eventually trickle into our lifestyles, and onto those closest to us, beginning the cycle again. 

Okay. Let me just remind you. God made you in His image (Gen 1:27). He doesn't make mistakes, you are perfect. To dismiss what you see, is dismissing His Great Work and Love. Even more, you were fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14), Christians love throwing that one on a poster. You know what wonderfully means right? It's when something is EXTRAORDINARY, STRIKING and BEAUTIFUL. Anyone can tell you you're beautiful. But when God tells you, it builds hope, trust, strength and courage. He doesn't do it to stroke your ego, he says it because he KNOWS you, KNEW you, before you knew anyone or anything. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jer 1:5). 

Real beauty is from what flows from your heart (Prov 4:23). There aren't enough clothes, diets, make up, exercise, clever words that can cover up what's within. Don't rationalize your beauty, just because you don't look like these social media constructs. You are perfect. 

"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outwardly appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). This scripture demolishes all stereotypes.

I struggled with body image for a long time until I remembered that God made me, not to be pleasing to the eyes of mortals, but to His eyes alone. So let's BE THAT. Take care of the meat sack or temple (lol) He's given you. Nourish it, give it some time in Creation, but don't subject it to a false reality. You are perfect. Don't forget it.

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