Our Culture screams "you need to be more" all the time. This system is flawed. Please don't let people or magazines with this view point define you. Instead, let your Father in heaven who made you define you. You have infinite worth and intricate design. Walk in your God-given beauty with confidence.

It's so hard living In this messed up culture and being completely secure when it seems like Every billboard, every commercial, every add, and every song talks about and portrays Women like we are objects or pieces of meat. We aren't skinny enough, fit enough, and our boobs aren't big enough. We spend hours in front of a mirror so we can fix and cover up our flaws to get as close to the world's view of "flawless" that we can. At the end of the day, after we did our best to fit the title of "American Dream Girl" we realize that it's still not enough. But that's the thing about our world today....it's never enough. No matter how much we cover up and how much we hide our flaws, it's still not enough. It will never be enough. So why even try? The thought of having to be perfect makes most of us just want to bury our heads in the sand and give up. It's exhausting and we always fall short. So my question is, How do we live in a culture that constantly screams "you aren't good enough" and feel secure? Do we cut our heads off and stay oblivious to it all? We can't hide from it because it's everywhere. So is there a solution?

Gosh, we have got to stay on guard every day and protect the very fiber of our feminine souls. We were made to be captivating and to be the crown of creation. No billboard or commercial will tell you that you are the peaceful beauty of the earth. The kind of beauty the world offers is anything but peaceful. It strives, it claws its way to the top, and it craves more. On the contrary, we have to learn to be women that live in constant peace and content with who we are and the specific beauty that has been given to us. This kind of beauty says "I am beautiful and my beauty does not define me. I define my beauty. The very core of who I am becomes the determining factor to my beauty. If I am looking for beauty I will find it in the wrong ways. But, if I am accepting myself and my beauty, then my beauty grows and flourishes." This type of beauty welcomes others and does not demand the wrong kind of attention. Only this type of beauty can comfort and bring ease to everyday life. So we have to choose each day what we believe about beauty. Are we going to let it define us? Or are we going to turn around and define it? Because let's be honest, our culture does not define or portray beauty very well most of the time. We must make a conscious effort to remember what true beauty is and the way it acts. When we become secure in The Lord, we turn to Him to ask the question we are all dying to know "am I worth it, am I good enough...." The list goes on.

Until you hear a personal answer from your maker on this subject, your heart will be screaming at someone or something to answer this question. The response we will get from the world or our mirrors is not satisfying and it can sometimes leave us feeling less beautiful than before. The next time your heart asks a question about your beauty, look to The Lord for your answer and expect fulfillment. Then, be determined that your beauty won't define you but that you will define it by knowing your worth in Christ and the impact that peaceful, secure, beauty can make. A secure woman is a peaceful woman. A peaceful woman is a beautiful woman.

You don't have to prove your worth to people. You have a Heavenly Father who sees so much worth in you that He decided you were worth dying for. Jesus Christ took on our sin and our shame and died in our place so that we could have right standing with God, our Father, who created us. Let me repeat that last part, WHO CREATED US. God takes great pride in His work, He made no mistakes when He created the beautiful work of art that you are. If you have to convince someone your worth it, don't. Especially if you are trying to prove your beauty in a worldly way by having better makeup, more skin showing, expensive clothes, and flashy jewelry. You are worth more than that. Let those material, worthless things be beneath your natural beauty. Now, I am NOT saying it's bad to wear makeup or buy nice clothes that you feel good in, but when those things are taken out of the equation, you should still feel valuable. If you don't, I challenge you to go without those things for a week or longer and drill your worth into your head.

Speak life over yourself. Speak the Word of God over yourself and just see what happens. See how your confidence grows and your insecurity fades. Practice speaking life over yourself everyday when you look in the mirror, and don't feed the lies of the enemy anymore. "I am a secure, peaceful, affectionate, kind, gracious, loving, caring, compassionate, and BEAUTIFUL woman. No person or MAC Makeup kit had to tell me this. My security is in God alone and my beauty is a gift to the world. Thank you Lord for the beautiful, intricate, woman you have made me to be. I rest in the beauty you have given me. Help me Lord to guard my heart and remember what you say about beauty. Thank you Lord for making beauty a gift. I receive a true beauty that comes from The Lord alone."

Originally written on my personal blog at https://callimayhey.wordpress.com