Genesis 1:27 (NLT), “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Image is defined as “a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing, photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible.” Image is also defined as, “a mental representation; idea; conception.” The physical image you have of yourself is important but even more important is the mental representation you have of yourself. This is what gives you your self-image.
Every day you see ads around you telling you what your physical image should look like. Everything from the shape of that physical image to the clothing you should put on it. Celebrities tout the latest fashion trends causing many to bend over backwards to get them so they can be cool. Daily it is dictated to you what is cool, what is in, what you should be doing and what you should be wearing. This is how it has always been in society.
Unfortunately, many times you let the physical image of yourself dictate the mental representation you have of yourself. If you don’t feel your physical image measures up to what society says, it can cause you to have a negative self-image. You don’t feel that you look like the people in the ads or on the commercials so you don’t feel as valuable and your self-image takes a hit. This leads to all kind of issues like eating disorders, depression and addiction. It causes you to go outside of God’s plan for your life just to fit in.
The problem is your sense of self-worth has moved away from what God wants you to focus on. Now you are letting the world dictate to you how you should view yourself. Because of that many have lost faith and belief in who they truly are. If you are struggling with this please understand, God does not judge by physical appearances. God loves you as you are and what He judges is your heart. A great example of this is seen in 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT) when Samuel was searching for the next king of Israel, “But the lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the lord looks at your heart.”
Today is the day to stop looking at yourself through the lenses of everyone but God. Today is the day to pick your head up and believe in your value and worth. God wants to do so much with your life but he needs you to believe in yourself. He needs you engaged and enjoying your life not depressed and hating yourself. There are so many people out there who need the gifts and talents you have, but they will not receive them if you don’t believe in yourself.
My question to each of you is what do you see when you look in the mirror? Is that self-image a positive one? What you should see looking back at you is a person full of God’s love and strength. What you should see looking back at you is a man or woman with immense talents and gifts the world needs. What you should see is a reflection of a child of God, whom no one can make feel less than what you are truly worth. The self-image you have is extremely powerful and shapes how you walk through this life. Be proud of who you are and let that positive self-image start shining through every day so you can make an impact on this world!
Truth In Love! ~ Chuck