Self Worth

 This has been a topic specifically written for women, has been weighing heavy on my heart. I pray that it comes across clear and precise and that you are able to take something out of it.
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    The world has been telling young girls/women that we have to look and act like such in order to stand out and gain a man's attention. And we as women have been listening and paying close attention to what the world is whispering in our ears. I honestly find this kind of ironic because when we dress in the latest styles and act a certain way we aren't catching (the average) man's attention. We're catching other women's attention. From what I've gathered from my brother in law, brother and some of my guy friends, they hardly notice (if at all) if you're wearing the latest shade of lipstick, donning the most recent pair of uggs, or have your hair styled perfectly. I'm not talking about your husband, boyfriend, or fiance; they are important men in your life and they should notice! I'm talking about your average Joe, the guy you walk by in Walmart or in the class hallway.

     First day of classes and I decided to ditch my tall brown boots for my warm bogs. (In case you don't know what they are: picture heavy duty rubber boots that clunk when you walk) As well as pulling on my warm, oversized hoody instead of the original outfit I had planned. I figured warmth was better than dressing,"cute" seeing that we had accumulated two feet of snow in 48 hours. In the first class of the semester the professor likes to make everyone introduce their self. In the 30 seconds of saying my name and sharing a bit about myself I cannot tell you how many young women gave me the up-down. Yet, the men in the class albeit there were only four out of twenty-two just listened and made occasional eye contact. 

     Women are such.. Hypocrites. I know both male and female are but it seems to me that women are incredibly talented at it. And that's coming from me, a young woman myself! Why do we feel like we have to impress the other people around us? What has our outward appearance come to? I'm pointing fingers at myself as much as I am the next girl. I've succumbed to looking and acting the part so much that I don't remember who I am some days. When a woman scrutinizes the way I look it makes me feel like I'm the weakest and most insignificant person around, and yet I turn around and do it to the next girl that walks by.  Why do we do this? Why do we constantly judge, scrutinize, and analyze what other people are doing?

Now, please realize I'm not bashing the women that enjoy noticing what other girls are wearing because I do realize that is a thing.  But if you're obviously going to analyze someones outfit make sure you compliment them! Otherwise the women that is being looked at will wonder whats wrong! I mean seriously if I was going to give you a complete top to bottom-good-long-stare you're going to wonder what's wrong with your hair, whether your shirt is stained, jeans are ripped, etc. and you will dwell on that for a long time. But if I were to look at what you're wearing and then compliment you on some aspect of it you'll float on cloud nine for a couple minutes.

We judge becuase we are insecure and we are insecure becuase we derive our worth from the people around us. We are insecure because we are not trusting, relying, and seeking the one who created our very being. We as women seem to have a hard time accepting who we are. There is always something that we will be complaining about, whether it's a bad hair day, our jeans are, "suddenly" too small, or our conditioner didn't rinse. We are imperfect human beings created by a perfect God. A God that see's you as a precious child and holds you in the palm of his hand. He adores you. Utterly adores you and not just the parts that you actually like. He adores the stretch marks on your thighs, your dimples, the freckles, and scars on your face. Every aspect of your body He loves and adores. If I were to take something that you created and loved and told you everything that was wrong with it you would be crushed. So when we take our bodies and complain, destroy, and hate them it deeply saddens our creator.

It goes hand in hand with how we judge, scrutinize, and belittle a woman for what she looks like/is wearing. We are instructed by God to, "do not judge, or you too will be judge" and not only that we will be judged by God in the, "manner that we judge". So all around we are hurting and causing sorrow to other women and our creator by the actions that we choose. How you view yourself and the way you view others will be taken into account by God, and that isn't something to be taken lightly..

Dear one, stop looking for the affirmations of the world. It will get you nowhere and you'll only end up feeling worthless. Take your worth from Him because He is the only one that will give you the truth.

In Him,
Rachel