“But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”—1 Samuel 16:7

 I am going to be transparent here. I know that what is important to God is my heart, but it is really hard for me to not focus on the outer appearance, especially with the way our society emphasizes it so much. Only God truly knows a person’s heart.

 As I approach my 54th birthday this Saturday, I am really trying hard to age gracefully, but I’ve got to admit that it is sometimes a struggle for me. As I watched the halftime super bowl show this year, I couldn’t  help but think, “Wow, Jennifer Lopez is 50. She looks amazing!” And then, I started to beat myself up….if I just worked out more, ate better…which is exactly what Satan wants me to do.

 Rather than, look in the mirror and see that God sees my heart, I tend to focus on my aging face and crepey skin. The reality is that many of celebrities my age that I might compare myself, may have had procedures to maintain their youthful appearance or filters have been used to smooth their skin. It is not realistic for any of us to be comparing ourselves to that airbrushed perfection that is presented to us in some of the photos we see.

Not to mention, those smile lines are evidence of a life well lived. The not so perfect abs are a sign that I delivered two healthy babies. The crepey skin on my arms and legs, well I don’t have a good explanation for that one, except that is part of aging and praise Jesus I am alive to see another day.

While l think it is important to take care of what God has given me, there needs to be a healthy balance. Does that mean, I let my body go, stop exercising and forgo my anti-aging regimens?  Not likely, I only have one body and I want to take care of it. However, I do need to be careful to not obsess over it.

Now I know Proverbs 16:31 says, Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life, but I’m not there yet. Clairol is still my friend. The question I need to ask myself is, am I spending more time on my outward appearance than my inner being? I hope not, but there are days I walk in my closet and I spend more time picking out my outfit than I do with my morning prayers. If I can’t love myself as God loves and sees me, then how can His love flow out of me to others?

I know that I am not going to have the perfect life splattered across social media; the perfect house, the perfect body, the perfect husband and the perfect children. First of all, no one has that, so trying to attain that is unrealistic. It is probably part of the reason anxiety and depression are at an all-time high. Who wants to try to life up to perfection? Not me.

My platform is right here, right now. My worth is in Jesus not my reflection in the mirror. My affirmation is God’s love for me not the love of others. While there is nothing wrong with taking pride in my outer appearance, I also need to make sure I am taking the time to nurture my inner character as well. God has knit us unto who we are. You are no mistake. You are His masterpiece. He has chosen each and every one of us to be who we are. You are worthy. You are loved. You are a daughter of the King most high. Don’t let the world tell you otherwise.

Dear Lord,

Help me to not listen to the enemy’s lies of my self-worth. I know beauty is fleeting and having a heart for You lasts forever. I praise You for Your Word that tells me that I am Yours. You love me. I am Your beloved child. You are my Father. You are faithful. Help me to view who I am in Your eyes and not my perceived imperfections that I see in mirror. Open my eyes to look at every wrinkle as a reminder that You have given me another day to live. I give thanks to Your grace and mercy You bestow upon me each and every minute of the day and Your love that flows so abundantly in me and through me. Thank You for loving me even when I don’t love myself. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen.

December Memory Verse

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”—Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

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