Beautiful, ain't I?

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I was reading an article that spoke about how only 2% women consider themselves beautiful. This survey also asked women if they were satisfied with their body/appearance. And only a handful of women answered yes to that question.

This is not surprising to me. Growing up, I always thought of myself as an awkward teenager and that image stuck with me for a long time. I was never comfortable in my own skin, and didn't really view myself as beautiful or pretty.

We live in a culture that is saturated with images of perfect bodies and flawless faces. How can a woman even convince herself that her beauty is not defined by a number on a scale, a clothing size, or even skin color? How can she tell herself that her worth is not tied to the sum of her body parts?

When a woman has a healthy sense of self worth, she does not look for acknowledgement from the wrong sources. Her identity is not tied to how many boys want to date her or how many women want to look like her. She is able to view dignity, confidence, humor, contentment, attitude, spirit, and personality as more desirable in life. There will be many "pretty" girls out there, but they would be just another individual like you or me.

The Bible has a few things to say on this subject --
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalms 139:14)

This means that every individual is God's masterpiece, unique and beautiful. To view ourselves as anything less, would be like stating that God didn't know what He was doing when He created us.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

This does not mean that women should not dress up or braid their hair. It means that rather than spending hours working on hair, makeup, and finding the perfect outfit, God would rather see women work on becoming beautiful on the inside — the kind of beauty that lasts forever.

Here's to a more beautiful woman - may our tribe grow.

Tis' so easy for women to feel dejected,
With every little stumble and every little flaw.
Rise up and shine, precious woman,
You were created a beautiful YOU, God's wonderful child.

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