How many of us have felt like we are never enough? Have you ever thought, "Oh, if only I can lose weight, my life will be perfect!" Have you ever tried to squeeze yourself into a jean a size too small for you? Have you ever felt like you are not so important? Here's the good news friend, you are not ALONE. There are several of us who feel inadequate as well.
Well, while I may not have struggled with losing weight, I struggled with adding weight. You see, in my culture, full curved women were admired and those of us who are skinny were considered 'too skinny" and sometimes some people take it too far and call us "malnourished". Whattt?? Yes, I had to deal with all kinds of name calling and I still have a big scar on my right arm as proof of a time when I did not like what someone called me and it led to a bad fall that put my arm in a cast for several weeks.
You are probably thinking that my story is not as bad as yours. Yeah? Well, it might not be but I can tell you that struggling with weight affects everything about a person. It affects your countenance, your output to life, your career, your family...and many more. Feeling insecure because of how you look is a terrible place to be in life. But the good news is, you can overcome that feeling and rise above your insecurities. How? I'm glad you asked. The first thing is recognizing that you are beautiful just the way you are. You are perfect. God knew about this day and how you are feeling right even before you were born.
Jeremiah 1:5 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."
It may not make any sense right now but until I gained control over who I was, until I began to love who I was (I am), I was held in bondage by insecurity. Now I love my body because I understand my identity in Christ. There is nothing anyone can say to make me feel awful about how skinny or tiny I am. Now, I am able to laugh and joke about my body because I understand that I am not defined by what people say or see, I am defined by a higher calling. I am called by God, I have been chosen and set apart to look just like this. There is no one else that is an exact replica of me. Even if I had a twin, she would still be different from me because we are all different. God made us unique and beautiful.
Here are a few steps to love yourself just the way you:
Acknowledge that you are beautiful
Get help, look for a support group which can be trusted friends and families
Do something about what you do not like -- exercise if that is the case, eat healthier
Do not focus on the things that are not working right in your life
Surround yourself with positive vibes
Say your affirmations
These points may not be enough to solve your problem of insecurities. I am going to open up this forum for conversation as I would love to talk with you personally about whatever you are dealing with. Please send me a message or comment and I will glad to answer any questions you have. I will be praying for you as well. You are important, I care about you and God cares even more, that is why He has inspired me to write this piece. I hope to hear from you.
Love, Mac-Jane
