Finding Beauty in God

As a follower of Christ, I know I should be searching for my worth and my beauty in God. But like most girls, I often struggle not to define myself based on the beauty standards I perceive in pop culture. Luckily, the more lost I get in my savior, the less i find myself worrying about such trivial things as clothing sizes. Sometimes though, it can be hard to disentangle myself from all the crazy standards  I store up in my head. I start to spiral into negative though cycles. "I'm nothing special", "I look ugly today..."

I've been struggling with these kind of thoughts a lot lately. But I know they are lies. I am beautiful- made in the image of God. Nothing can take my worth away because it lies in Him and He proved it when he sent his son as ransom for my life. I try to always remember that.

When i find myself struggling there are a few things I have to do to put myself back in the correct perspective. I try to see myself, as the song goes, "through heaven's eyes". First, I apologize to God for buying into the lies that I'm less than beautiful, because that demeans His artistry and puts my trust outside of him. Then I ask for the Holy Spirit to work in my heart, showing me my value and giving me good works to do to keep my mind on. Next I make a list of the beautiful things I see in myself, and thank God for each one. A friend of mine once told me to write this list down physically, not just in my head. He said that way I could pull it out when I lose sight of myself. It helps me remember how God made me. 

God made us each beautiful- in His image. But His image is so much more than aesthetic beauty. He made us graceful, and compassionate, patient and joyous, eloquent and giving. These things are of far more worth than physical beauty. Even the most beautiful visage is nothing compared with a God-fearing, compassionate heart.