It's easy to think that if we looked a certain way, then that man might finally notice us or ask us out, or our family members would stop mentioning our weight gain/weight loss, or maybe people would treat us better if we only looked different.

It honestly becomes so consuming that some of us fall into destructive and harmful behaviors to change our bodies. We starve them, artificially tan them, overwork them, nitpick every flaw, spend an insane amount of money on products that "promise" perfection, and even surgically mess with our body.

I know the pressure. I know the desire to meet the criteria of trying to be "beautiful," and I have gone to extremities to meet them, too.

Your body is a temple that holds the holy spirit, the part of God that personally connects us to him.

He ALREADY has entrusted you to care for a piece of him.

Yes, the pressures of this world are strong, I understand and still struggle with them, too. But I also remind myself that my body is important and precious and that it isn't just MY body.

I have a responsibility to take care of it and by no means am I saying, "stop caring about your body." Take care of it. But shaming it and hurting it are not taking care of it. That's destroying it. Your body wasn't designed to just be something people could look at or something to be judged. It's Gods tool, His vessel, to work his plan throughout you. Through one's body, good and glory can be created on this earth.

At the end of our lives, I don't think we'll look back and wish we spent more time trying to perfect our bodies. Instead, we will want to know that we accomplished our purpose for the earth. Our messy, imperfect and beautiful purpose.

Instead of shaming it for its flaws, love it for its purpose.

No matter what size you wear in jeans or clothes or anything, whether it be a size 0 or a size 16. It DOES NOT MATTER. You are you and you are perfect. Size does not matter and if someone says otherwise then they are lying.

And if anyone hasn't told you recently, you ARE beautiful. Right now. As you are. You are handcrafted and designed with intention and purpose by the Creator. The One that does NOT make mistakes.