“I don’t need makeup. I’m naturally beautiful.”
For a moment, these words gave me pause. I was standing in my dressing room before a performance, touching up my makeup before going on stage when my friend, Ashley,* made this statement. A very introverted individual, she is not one to brag, and when she said this she spoke quietly, yet with complete confidence. Her words sounded innocent and sure, said in the same way that a child will proclaim that their parents love them. It was an atypical statement for a high school sophomore.
I was incredibly impressed by my friend. Her humble confidence was something that I wished for all girls, myself included. I, unfortunately, did not have a self-image so untouched by the media.
The truth of the matter is that we can all say the same as Ashley! And more than that, we can work towards believing it. As beings created in the image and likeness of God, we are absolutely beautiful and perfect the way God made us.
I mean it. You. Are. Beautiful.
It’s true all the time; whether you are dressed up for a formal, or when you’re dripping with sweat after coming from the gym. In every moment spent criticizing our perceived “imperfections,” God was looking down at the beautiful person He made.
Working on believing this myself is an ongoing process, as I am extremely self-critical. But I have become better at catching myself in the midst of this criticism. I am working to gain a different perspective and trying to see myself as God sees me. Ashley’s words were a welcome reminder of what I strive for—a sense of confidence in knowing that all things created by God are naturally beautiful.
“I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!” –Psalm 139:14
Blessings,
A Friend of GWA
*Not her real name
God Working Anonymously 