Today on Facebook I came across an article about how H&M has pasted the heads of real models onto virtual bodies to promote its new lingerie line. And a few weeks ago, I noticed the Internet exploding with news articles, tweets and Facebook statuses about how Miley Cyrus got “fat.” When I saw both of these the same simple question popped into my head: why?

Just like every other girl on the planet, I struggle with insecurity now and then. Sometimes I wonder if I’m just not pretty enough. I color my hair and wax my eyebrows and rarely do I leave the house without makeup. But what does the bible say about having a mentality that we have to look perfect? If supermodels aren’t even good enough to model clothing anymore and virtual bodies are being created in Photoshop for them, this only further proves my point: we girls will never be good enough for the world’s (impossible) standards.

So what about God’s standards? In 1 Samuel, we’re told that appearances are not so significant as our hearts:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

So for starters, I think being overly concerned about the way we look is not as important as where our hearts and relationships with Christ are. Our insecurities are a perfect time for us to check our hearts and evaluate them.

I also found the words of Peter in 1 Peter when addressing wives to be noteworthy. Peter tells us that God considers each of us to be precious in His sight when we focus on letting our hearts display our “adornment,” rather than our physical appearance!

“Do not let your adorning be external—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 heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

The point here is that what’s inside is what matters most. And perhaps you’ve heard that before, and maybe this blog is nothing new to you. But sometimes we get so caught up in materialism—and sometimes we’re just overly exposed to television and magazine ads—that we forget what reality really is.

I just have to say… Miley isn’t fat. She’s beautiful, and I think each of us is, too. We’re made in HIS image (Genesis 1:26), so how can we not be? Be yourself today and don’t let anyone tell you you’re ugly. This life is fleeting and one day we’ll be in His presence where things like a bad hair day have no significance anymore! Focus on what truly matters…and I’m preaching to myself here, too.

Jen

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