Woman in the Mirror

What has been crossing my mind lately is how we treat ourselves...not how we treat each other (which is of great importance also) but how we treat ourselves. We always hear the adage "Words hurt" and we always apply it to how we speak to others. I want to apply it to how we speak to ourselves.

We have a personal 'bubble' (as my 12 year old puts it) and it should not be shared & we need to protect that bubble. We need to watch how we treat our own personal bubble also.

I get very upset and very passionate when I hear women especially,calling themselves names....swearing at themselves, degrading themselves, abusing themselves, demeaning themselves. I hear young teen girls out there using the 'b' so non-chalantly. My Spirit cringes inside and out when I hear them do that to themselves.

Or how about when you stand in the mirror (I struggle with this myself) and pick out everything "wrong" with you?

Or how about calling yourself stupid or dumb....incompetent.

A lot happens when we do that to ourselves....We open the door to allow others to also do that to us. Maybe you don't realize it but when you call yourself a 'b' you can not get mad when someone else does. If you stand in the mirror and call yourself fat or ugly--you leave it open for someone else to--and then what do you do?

I have called myself many names; I have degraded and demeaned myself; I have put myself down; called myself stupid; dumb; ugly; fat....Then the next step is:

Letting someone in your bubble to do it too.....once you start popping your own bubble you allow others to--when you hear your best friend saying "yeah you are right you are this or that" What can you be mad at?

Our self-esteem falters, our bubble pops, our self-image (image of Christ) falters, our self-worth (Jesus thought we were worth it to go to the cross and die for us) falters....everything comes tumbling down. And then there we are -----in a pit of self-loathing, depression...and a whole slew of other things.

We need to set up some boundaries....boundaries for others and how far they can step and boundaries for ourselves. God made us in HIS IMAGE. He is the potter we are the clay. He formed us, created us, before we were in our mother's womb.

I always think of Him sitting there--thinking out my eyes, the numbers on the strands of my hair, the freckle here, the birthmark there, what about her nose, her smile, will her hands be small? And then just like on a potter's wheel, He takes this shapeless, formless, bit of earth and takes the time to form, mold, put all together and then makes a plan and then says "She is mine, I formed her and created her before she was formed in her mother's womb, I gave her a plan and a purpose before her mother thought of her" So the Creator of the Universe, Our God, Our Saviour the Great I AM.....sent His Son to die for me, He thought I was worth it...............why would I do things to make myself feel worthless? Why would I allow names to be called to me and accept them? Why do I call myself names and agree that is who I am? Why do I allow people to cross over that boundary and disrespect me? Why?

I have the great I AM, I am His and He is mine.

Father forgive me for all the times I have put myself down. That I have called myself names and demeaned and degraded myself....Father forgive me when I have allowed others to define my worth.....My worth in You is priceless, thank You Jesus for that forgiveness.

I don't know if I planned on all of that coming out....but, apparently it needed to..........

I have always been self-conscience, worried what other think about...I have always put myself down...always made myself  'lower' (not in a humble manner) but more of "I am fat, I am not that smart....I can't do it....I am inconsistent....My lips are too big.....My chin has doubled..." The road has been long and I am still traveling this journey of finding my worth....of healing....of deliverance....

Now when I look in the mirror and self talk---it's more about who I am in Him. Who He sees me as...............the next step? Pass the word on to other women out there.....

There is no perfect woman, no perfect looking woman, no perfect body or perfect legs, perfect smile or nose, no perfect 'image', no perfect size.....nope none.....

Next time you look in the mirror remember what your life was worth...Someone else & that He made you and created you.....just the way you are.....I am not telling you not to eat healthy, exercise and take care of that temple; I am telling you that you shouldn't concentrate on it so much it becomes an idol to you or takes over your life or distracts you.............you get the picture.....