The Best Version
Do you ever look at other girls in passing, or on social media, and you start to compare yourself? You may think “I want to be more like her.” You tell yourself, “I need to learn how to do my makeup like her, get my body as toned as hers, or gain muscle and eat like she does.”
It all can get exhausting, can’t it? Dealing with your thoughts of comparison and constantly trying to measure up to other girls around you?
What you may not always remember is how every girl deals with insecurities, not only you. In addition, most of the influencers you see on Instagram will edit many things that they don’t like about themselves, yet you are unaware since you don’t know who they really are. Everyone struggles with comparison to some degree. There are many other struggles in life that others don’t allow you to see. And as for the version of them that you do see, they still may not be satisfied and feel need for improvement. Many times there has been a long painful road leading to the version people allow others to see. You never know a person’s story, especially when they are just on the other side of a screen.
In Matthew chapter twenty-two at the end of verse thirty-nine it says, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” You may think “what does loving myself have to do with loving those around me?” Well, if you have a problem loving yourself, then how can you begin to love others the way you would want to be loved? Also, how could you believe others love you for you?
It’s important to know your worth so that you don’t settle for less than what you deserve.
In addition, you can also be in a place to help others get to know their worth. It all goes back to giving glory to your Creator, while having confidence in who He has made you to be.Romans 9:20 says, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” What a powerful verse, right? Remember, God took months to sculpt you in your mother's womb and has called you “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). He is your Creator and He loves who you are! When you criticize your looks, you are actually insulting what your Creator has taken time to sculpt you into. Who are we to question Him? Also, who are we to say that He is done with any of us yet?
It is great to keep in shape and partake in working out to better your own body image, but there has to be a balance. It is great to work out so you feel better about the way God has made you, but the catch is that you shouldn’t obsess about wanting your body to look like someone else’s. It’s also great to eat differently to keep healthy, but don’t get down on yourself if you don’t eat the healthiest one day. And please don’t feel the need to starve yourself to look skinny or to feel beautiful. That is a lie straight from the enemy. God has given you a healthy and working body. It is important to take care of it correctly to be a better version of yourself. The best version of yourself will come with finding your confidence in who God has made you to be. Remember, when you look in the mirror, that your beauty runs so much deeper than what you can see.
First Peter 3:3-4 states, “do not let your adorning be eternal- the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the hear with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”
While you can put work into your outward appearance and conduct yourself in a confident way, it is so much more important to have your confidence stem from the inside. Think about it, people gravitate to others when they see characteristics that they like about them, and when they see a good person portrayed. Your outward appearance goes deeper than just what you look like. If you are truly healthy and confident it will show in your actions, the way you live your life, and how you respond to others. You will notice that you don’t have to put on a show to prove yourself or look a certain way to feel better about yourself. It will be enough that God shines His light through you. People will notice you are truly happy with who God has made you to be. You just have to believe and stand on what your Creator says about you, and the rest will fall into place. So, instead of trying to make a better version of yourself through other people’s standards, focus on bettering yourself according to God’s standards. Doing this will result in the best version possible!