Love Yourself
I’ve recently learned to love and accept myself. Flaws and all! It was definitely a work in progress, but I must tell you how liberating it feels. Firstly, I love my body for all that it’s allowed me to do. It lets me hugs my kids, be intimate with my husband, play volley, go to work, shower, cook, read, travel, and more. It allows me to love others and to help people. I am so thankful for this body. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to have relationships or enjoy life! I have even learned to love my stretch marks and oversized belly. This body has allowed me to have three beautiful children! What an honor! If you ask me to give up my 3 children in exchange for my pre-pregnant body, I’d quickly decline without hesitation. Absolutely not! Would you?
During my pregnancies, I had gestational diabetes and it assisted my 90 lbs. weight gain with each pregnancy. After delivery, I would easily shed 50 lbs., but the 40 lbs. stayed. Since then, I’ve always been about 30- 40 lbs. overweight. Pregnancy wasn’t the only contributor. I am an emotional eater and food was my comfort, but I am learning to let God be my comfort. I’ve always struggled with my appearance and confidence, since 6th grade and for a few years, the focus on being “skinny” was overwhelming; it made me miserable. Imagine diligently striving for something that you could never achieve? I’m not saying losing weight was unachievable, but the image in my mind of what I thought I should look like most definitely was.
Now that I’m getting older, I’m embracing who I am. I am not condoning being unhealthy or overweight, and I still have desires be healthier and more active, but it doesn’t consume me! It is no longer all I think about; I’m not obsessed with my looks anymore. It’s more about my health than my appearance. Diabetes and cancer runs in my family so I want to be healthy so that I can live a long life with my loved ones, not so that I look nice in a bikini. This body needs to be healthy to be working properly so that I can be all that God has created me to be. I don’t want diabetes or any other disease. Now that I’ve learned to love and accept myself, I am allowing God to help me completely with my health. I am working on eating better and getting exercise in. I was not ready before when I had such a warped mindset of myself.
In addition, I learned that God loves me and He is the one who created me. It is by His grace that I am alive. He is the one who gave me this voice (that some people have said sounds squeaky); He made me 5’2; He wove me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). People may not like me the way I am, but no one’s opinion truly matters except God's. Not even our own opinion of ourselves matter, but if I can’t accept myself, I am rejecting God and his handiwork. We need to line up our thoughts with the Word of God. God is perfect and he makes no mistakes, which helps me see now that He created me exactly how I am supposed to be. Instead of feeling bad for myself or thinking about what I might be lacking, I am now confidant (not boastful) and seek my value and significance as a child of God. The Bible says that those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing (Psalm 34:18) so I am content. God reminds me that there is no one else like me and there is no one else like you. So let’s stop wasting our life and time by wanting to be like someone else andLOVE ourselves. We are not a mistake, and we are created just the way God planned. So do yourself a favor LOVE YOURSELF!
Let us Pray.
Father God,
You are the Almighty Creator and I praise you. You are perfect and you make no mistakes. You are powerful and all knowing. Be glorified! Thank you God for the readers, and thank you for our bodies. You’ve given us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the rest of our body to be able to do our daily activities. We are blessed and it is because of your grace. Father, many of us (men and women) struggle with our body image. We have a constant voice in our minds and in the media telling us that we need to change. We need to be slimmer, taller, etc. They’ve given us a standard that they say is the only way to be beautiful or attractive. God, I know now that that is false. You are the Creator. Who else can create the breath-taking beauty of the horizon, the stunning colors of the sunset, or add to the exquisiteness of the stars in the sky? The answer is no one Lord. Appearance, weight, confidence, and self-image are so personal to each person. What works for me will not work exactly for the next person so speak to each reader in a personal way. You know the way to their heart. Work within these readers and show them their true beauty. Open their eyes and remove their distorted self-image of themselves. Your word says we were created in your image Lord (Genesis 1:27), so help us to see ourselves the way you see us. Silence the voice of the critical spirit. Deliver us from self-hate so we can be all that you’ve called us to be. Thank you Father, we love you.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayerfully,
Pam
