Having the Heart to Love Yourself

I didn't really know what to write about this week for my blog post but this morning when I woke up I remembered this devotional I had read from Soul Matters for Teens about self-esteem, we talk a lot about beauty and ways to do our hair and make-up and still look modest but we've never talked about the biggest factor in being beautiful. Which is being able to love yourself. To be able to feel beautiful we have to accept ourselves the way we are and how God created us. Otherwise we are going to be doing our hair and make-up to try and better ourselves instead of doing it to please God.

Every time I look in the mirror and think I'm so ugly don't you think that's a kick in the Heavenly Father's face? He created me that way for a reason, so every time I say I'm ugly it's like telling an artist his painting is horrible! And we would never do that. We would look at it abstractly and appreciate the artists' way he captured a picture and just so we need to appreciate the abstract art of God.

Maybe we're fine with the way we look but are having trouble loving ourselves because we think we've messed up too much to be loved or have too many things in our lives to make us lovable. Well let me tell you, you're wrong. "God loves and cares for us, even to the least event and smallest need of life." -Henry Edward Manning.

I'm sure most of us are familiar with the story of The Woman at the Well (John 4:4-26). This woman had so so so much junk in her life and so many offenses against her but our merciful, loving God was right there to say "hey, I love you. I don't care about the junk or the offenses. You're my child and I love you."

If God can love a woman even though her peers didn't and even though she took part in various affairs don't you think God can love a woman like you too? And if God loves you then and you receive his love then you can love yourself. "Your ability to express love to others is linked to your ability to love yourself." Don't be afraid to love you for who you are or to love your body. I'm not saying be boastful but be confident in who you are in Christ for he sees your heart and he declares you beautiful.