Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139:13-16
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

So often, we find ourselves at a crossroad. We try so hard to try to figure out who we are. We call it "finding ourself" but are we really looking in the right places? Why do we try so hard to fit into "society's norms"? Society tells us that for us to be happy we need to have money, good looks, brand name clothes, Mr. / Mrs. "Perfect" and so on. It's so fixated on self-image and the materialistic value of everything. This makes me so mad! Who is society to tell us who we need to be or are. Was it society that created us......? No, God created us. It was in his image that we were made. He created each of us to be our own unique and wonderful person. So often we lose sight of that. We stop seeing ourself for how God made us and how the world sees us. It breaks my heart, because that is where destruction plants a seed. That is where we start to think that we are not good enough or pretty enough. 


As a woman, I know that feeling all too well. Before I started to see myself as God sees me, I tried to find my worth and definition in what everyone else thought. I cared so much about how others saw me that I lost sight of who I was. I tried to let men define me to fill the void. I thought that if a man wanted me than I was finally good enough or worth something. The problem was, I wasn't being true to myself. I couldn't see that NO man ever deserved to place a worth on my life. 


Needless to say, when things didn't work out between that man, and me I was crushed. I became so emotional and down on myself. I would spiral into a darkness that kept telling me it was because I wasn't good enough, pretty enough or had enough going for me. It kept eating away at me and creating a void in my life. I couldn't see my own value or what I truly had to offer someone. I had let a man define me and break me to a point where I didn't even recognize the girl in the mirror anymore. When I looked in the mirror I was disgusted by what I saw. I couldn't even look at myself for more than one second without having to turn away, because what I saw disgusted me.


Finally, I stopped letting the world and men define me and put that back in God's hands. I can't tell you the relief and joy that brought me. I won't lie and say it was easy... it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. To be able to stop all the negative and self-conscious thoughts and turn them into positive and re-affirming thoughts was hard. It took months for me to be able to really see my worth. When I did though, it was as if I was free for the first time. For the first time, I saw myself the way God sees me. I saw the wonderful and beautiful woman he made me. I was able to look in the mirror and what I saw shocked even me. Sure, I saw myself, but not the me that I always knew. I saw myself as my heavenly father sees me. There was a light and glow inside of me that had never been there before and that shown brighter than anything else. It was the love that God has for me that was finally showing through me. Beauty is skin deep, but when we have the love of Christ in us, that shines brighter than anything else. 


I challenge you to stop putting your worth and value in the hands of others and leave it in God's hands. For he is the only one that matters when it comes to discovering yourself and your own beauty. I guarantee that when you do that, he will open your eyes to who he has created you to be. Trust in him. Trust that he knows you better than yourself. For it says in Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Trust that he has a plan for you and a path laid out for you. All you have to do is let him guide you. So pick up your feet and start walking the path he has set for you (No, he won't do everything for you.... you have to meet him half way). When you do, I guarantee he will guide you and continuously show you who you are and where you are heading. He will start to bring people into your life that will help you with your walk. They will be there to strengthen you, support you and cheer you on as you come into your own. For you are Wonderfully Made in his image.

Psalm 23:1-6 
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."