As I sit here with my daughter in her condo in Atlanta, I have glanced at all the magazines she has on her glass coffee table in front of me. Every time I turn the last page of the magazine I'm struck with two thoughts:
1. How does my body, face, skin, and hair compare to those on the magazine pages?
2. I wonder what kind of insecurities the women on those pages face?
As Christians, we've all heard the verse from Psalms that says "I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Although our heads know this, it's hard for our hearts (thighs, tummies, stringy hair) to believe it! We look at women that seem to have it all- and we always fall short of that illusive glossy magazine page. When I get that sinking feeling, I remind myself that even those women on the pages don't look like the images portrayed. Their images have been cut, pasted, air brushed and doctored- and we are the victims that stand wistfully wishing we looked like someone other than ourselves.
At the heart of this is Satan's successful strategy to make us discontent and unhappy with who we are. As long as we stay wrapped up in this blanket, we don't really move freely in our lives- as God intends.
Discontentment leads us to envy what others have that we want. It makes us feel forgotten- as if God overlooked us in certain areas of creation, and it holds us back from freely expressing love and hope in our own lives and the lives of others that God brings to us. I can think back to many times I pushed away from opportunities to love because my pants felt too tight, or I felt intimidated by someone that looked better than me.
The good news is that in God's magazine, we are the front page cover girls! We are precious, and perfect for the exact life He has planned for us. This is more than something we tell ourselves to make us feel better. It is the truth...splashed across the pages of God's word, and the faces of God's women. We are fearfully and wonderfully made- no matter how the current magazine cover makes us feel.
So true! As the father of two daughters (and two sons), I really appreciated the line, "Discontentment leads us to envy what others have that we want!" Thanks for making all of us think. As a parent, I hope that I can continue to prayerfully help my children deal with those times of "discontentment" in a positive way... even when dealing not with looks or weight, but in other areas of life too!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Needed to hear it and am blessed.
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