Dear Beautiful Girls,
We have all heard it before - you're perfect just the way you are. To believe those words is one of the hardest parts of my life. We are all flawed, broken, quirky and a little bit different. The lucky ones accept this, and they go about their days knowing they are who they are. But for some of us, we are stuck in this hole where accepting ourselves is the hardest part of our present lives. You doubt yourself, lack confidence and truly feel as if you will never be good enough. Not for your family or your friends, and certainly not good enough for yourself.
Insecurities are a daily part of my life, and maybe they are a part of yours as well. I often feel as if I am not pretty, that I am too dumb or too annoying. I constantly need confirmation in life, and I need people to make an effort with me because I am terrified to mess up a single thing. I find myself tripping over my own fears and insecurities, so to protect myself, I protect my mind as well as I can. I know I am not alone, so I am calling out to those females who, like me, just cannot find it within themselves to accept their abilities and to understand that messing up is a part of life, not a way of life.
Satan takes our deepest fears, and he turns them into something "real." I have never been in love or had much interest shown in me, so Satan takes that insecurity and he warps it into negativity. He wants to make me believe that I am not pretty enough, or that I am not appealing. Similarly, I do not have the "book smarts" that all my friends seem to have, and Satan tempts me every day by telling me I am not smart enough. He uses small, seemingly insignificant moments to try to instill in me that I am stupid. This is a battle that has to be fought, and only with Christ on our side will we ever overcome Satan's warped, misguided ways.
Romans 8:1 reads, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." When those despairing thoughts arise, I implore you to seek after the Lord with more assertion and desperation than you ever have before. When Satan is telling you, "You are not good enough", open the Word, and let the TRUTH of God overwhelm you and remind you of your true worth. If you must, fall to your knees in prayer and ask for Christ to fill your mind with Him. Life will not always turn out the way you plan because God's plan will take you places you never have imagined, but stay content in those times and things will get better.
There are points of my life that I wish I could forget and every day I wish I did not question every move I make and every word I speak. But, God wired me in this way for a reason, just as He wired you in your own special way. Some of the greatest rewards will come from doing the one thing that scares you the most, so in those moments when you cannot feel how great you truly are, turn and run into God's arms. When you don't get the date or that guy looks at your friends instead of you, close your eyes and ask God to remind you of your importance in this world. Physical beauty will change, people's minds will slow, yet your heart and passion for the Lord can cause a revival in this world that we desperately need.
Girls, this will be a battle we must fight. Insecurity is real, but you and I are both good enough. Don't fall victim to the petty words and accusations that will arise. Even those you love may hurt you, but I ask you to look towards the future, to better days and trust that God made you the way you are for a specific purpose. You are beautiful. You are smart. You, and I, we are all good enough for Christ.
