The dreaded swimsuit season is upon us. This is possibly the worst time of the year my self esteem. I know I’m not the only one who dreads this season. We all want those ‘summer’ ready body, but let’s be honest we aren’t all Victoria Secret models. Our culture has promoted the idea of "perfection" through social media. From a very young age, we are taught what "pretty" is and what "ugly" is. But who decided these labels? Why are labels even necessary? Why do we rely so much on social media to tell us what we should ‘believe’?

The truth is, we are all created in God's image. Maybe you don’t believe that, and that’s okay. No matter what or who you believe in, we are all created the same. Yes, we have different personalities, and different ways of living but, deep down to our core we are the same. We are perfect in Gods eyes. He created our bodies carefully. He has a plan for each and every one of us, and his plan includes our physical appearance. He spent so much time into making you perfect, and our society treats his creations like they are nothing.Along with our physical appearance, He also worked hard to craft every aspect of our souls. He had to get it just right, and with all of the different, unique personalities on this earth, I think He did a pretty darn good job. Therefore, there is SO MUCH MORE THAN YOUR BODY. You are worth more than what the media says you are. Because those judgements are based off of pure looks, and that's the least important thing about a person. So it's time to stop worrying about how we look and start worrying about God’s plan for us.

I know it's hard not to want that perfect body. I've fallen into this trap so many times, I have been on so many different diets and exercise programs because, I always wanted to be as pretty as the other girls and I always viewed myself as less than them rather than one of their equals. Even now, I still have issues with body image and self esteem. I am now going as far as learning about different weight loss surgeries. But you cannot focus on that. Trust me it eats you up. You and I have to learn to put those issues aside for the work of God. Because there are so many more important things in life than what we look like. And trust me, you'll be a whole lot happier when you forget about these things. We have to start loving ourselves for who we are and what we look like. We have to start thanking God for our "flaws" because they are not flaws at all. They are actually just want God wanted for us. We have to start seeing ourselves the way God sees us: beautiful, perfect, and just flat out awesome. Now, I understand that not all people have the same view of God that I do. Even so, please just learn to love yourself and cherish your personality and soul over looks, because no matter what, everyone is beautiful.