How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? How many times do you think, "Oh, I look awful today," or, "Oh, I look good today?" How many times do you find yourself comparing how you look to others?
God created each and every one of us uniquely, and the best part of that is no one looks the same or has the same personality. A lot of the time we find ourselves comparing the way we look to those around us, and we forget to be ourselves. I'm here to remind you today that you are God's masterpiece, and He created YOU to be YOU. Don't try to change who you are just because you want to be someone else.
Here's a short story I wrote relating to insecurities and comparison:
Insecurity Strikes Again:
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” ~Psalm 139:13
“Did you hear we’re getting a new neighbor next week?” Joanna asked her friend Rebecca one day. They were sitting at the counter eating a snack after school, and Joanna saw a moving truck already unloading their neighbor’s stuff next door. The house had been empty for several months, and Joanna remembered her younger brother, Todd, being super excited about having new neighbors’ when he first heard about it.
“Oh yeah. The Thompson’s are moving into that house, right?” Rebecca wondered.
“I think that’s their name. I heard they have a daughter our age, so maybe we can make a new friend!” Joanna exclaimed in excitement.
The next week there was a knock on Joanna’s door. She ran to the door, almost tripping over her mom’s basket of laundry sitting at the end of the stairs. “I’m coming!” she yelled, expecting her friend Rebecca to be on the other side. Instead, it was a girl she had never seen before. The girl had strawberry blond hair, freckles sprinkled across her nose, and a sweet smile.
“Hi!” she said jubilantly. “You probably already know, but I just moved in next door, and my mom heard that there was a girl my age over here. I think she saw your mom the first day we moved in when she was getting boxes out of the moving truck,” the girl twirled a piece of hair around her finger, “Anyway, I’m Emily!” Emily stuck her hand out for Joanna to shake.
“Welcome to the neighborhood Emily! It’s so nice to meet you!” Joanna shook the girl’s hand. “I’ve been wanting to meet you. My friend Rebecca and I thought we would come over and introduce ourselves, but it looks like we don’t have too. It was nice of you to come over. Do you want to come inside? I could show you my room.”
A month later, Emily was having a sleepover at Joanna’s house for the first time. Joanna went to church regularly, but Emily had only been a couple times during the holidays. So, that night Joanna was planning on bringing Emily to church.
“Does this look good on me?” Emily came out of the bathroom wearing a tight dress.
“I like it a lot, but it’s not really appropriate for church in my opinion. You can wear it if you want,” Joanna said.
Emily walked over to the mirror in Joanna’s room and sighed, “I wish I looked as good as you. This dress is ugly on me and way too tight, but when you wore it for our school program when I first met you, it was stunning.”
Joanna smiled, “Thanks, but there’s no need to bring yourself down. You know, I think you’ll really love the lesson at church tonight. According to my teacher, we’re talking all about insecurities.”
Joanna reminded Emily that she didn't need to bring herself down. Emily felt insecure about the way that she looked, and wanted to compare herself to Joanna. Don't do that. Don't compare the way you look to someone else. You're just lowering your self esteem, and instead of making yourself feel bad, be more positive about who God created you to be. Remember, you're His MASTERPIECE.
ALL ABOUT INSECURITIES:
When it comes to insecurities, we often think a lot of negative thoughts about ourselves and our outward appearance. We compare ourselves to others, and we don’t like the way we look.
Everyone has some kind of insecurity, trust me. So, let’s get into talking about insecurities.
What are some of your insecurities? Take a minute to think of some, and keep them in mind as you continue reading. Also, next you will see a video from Annie Rose. If you want to take a minute to watch and hear what she thinks about insecurities, you can.
This video was made by Annie Rose, and you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ujsiAbZPk&list=PLgpM69P4kj5dUV0cYc4y0ZNG7_Rj4z30W&index=7 on YouTube.
I really think it’s cool to hear what other people’s insecurities are because you kinda get to thinking about how you don’t think that should be an insecurity for that person. Do you understand what I mean? Like if someone were to say that they don’t like their hair because it’s too frizzy, but their friend tells them that they love their hair and think it’s beautiful. When you share your insecurities with someone, you might learn something new about yourself by what your friends think.
Never let anyone tell you that you're ugly, not good enough, or anything negative towards the YOU God made YOU to be. We are all unique, and we can’t be anyone, but ourselves because everyone else is already taken.
It’s a great idea to write a note and place it on your bathroom mirror, or somewhere that you will surely see it to remind yourself that you are God’s masterpiece. So, after this Bible study, I encourage you to write yourself a note on a sticky note or note card that says, “I am God’s masterpiece.” Because that’s so true! You ARE God’s masterpiece! That’s where Psalm 139 comes in. It’s a great reminder that you have been created perfectly in God’s eyes.
-Now, if you will take out your Bible and read Psalm 139, I'll be writing about some verses from that chapter next.
PSALM 139:
I think Psalm 139: 13-16 really goes along with what I'm writing about today more than the other verses. Verses thirteen through sixteen remind us that God created us. He knows us. It says that we praise God because we are fearfully and wonderfully made! Praise God because He created us to be us!
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." -Psalm 139:13-16
After reading that, take some time to think of what you love about others. Maybe go tell one of your family members, or friends what you love about them. Just take some time to build others up and encourage them!
Don’t compare yourself to others who you think look prettier than you, or look better than you! Those thoughts and comments are just going to bring you down and make you sad. Those thoughts make you think you’re not good enough, and that God didn’t create you as a masterpiece. You’re letting the devil put these negative ideas about yourself in your head, and we don’t want to let the devil do that! We want to remind ourselves that we are loved, and we are beautiful, and God created us just the way we need to be.
It makes me really sad when I hear someone say they want to get plastic surgery to change this on their face, or they don’t like the way their hair is. They feel like they need to wear makeup because their skin looks so bad.
You are beautiful, you are unique, you are loved, and God made you His masterpiece. There is no one else in this whole world that looks exactly like you, and has the same personality as you. God loves you just the way you are! Don’t feel like you have to change anything about yourself just because of pictures you see of someone else who you think looks better than you, or something someone says about you. Don’t listen to the devil telling you that you’re worthless, and ugly. I’m telling everyone of you right now that you are amazing just the way you are!
Finally, think about a couple things you love about yourself. I love my eyes, and hair. I also love my personality. What do you love about yourself? Take some time to bask in the glory of who God made you to be!
The last thing I want to talk about is our outward appearance versus our inward appearance. Every time I think about those two things, I always think of the story of when Samuel is commanded by God to go to Jesse in search of the new king of Israel. My favorite verse from this story is 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, '“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”' God looks at our hearts, and not at our outward appearances. Focus on growing your heart towards loving others, and obeying God’s plan for your lives. Try not to always focus on yourself, but God’s great plan for you.
We are all special, and I thank God for how he created us all. Below is a prayer for you to read. Take a minute to thank God for how He created you!
Dear God,
Thank you for creating us the way you created us to be. I’m so thankful for each and every person who is reading this right now, and for the ones who aren't. They are all your masterpiece’s, God, and have the most wonderful personalities. I hope that they will keep your words in their hearts next week as they go to school, and as they learn more about your plan for their lives. I want them to always remember that they are unique and you created them as special human beings that each have a purpose, and each have a gift. They are all amazing, and they shouldn’t feel like they have to compare themselves to others, or alter their appearance in any way to look like someone else. I want everyone to be confident in the way you created them, and to love themselves. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
To conclude this blog, please listen to Annie Rose's song Love For Me. This song is a great reminder to LOVE YOURSELF.
This song was created by Annie Rose, and this video can be found on her channel on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxdJiTeg0ow
In conclusion, don't compare yourself to others, and learn to love yourself. You were created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Love YOU for YOU! ~Ella
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