Have you felt the endless war raging in your mind between what is true and what is deceptive? Has one thought consumed you so much that it keeps replaying in your mind? If you truly were aware of how much your mind was immersed in the negative thoughts of distortion you would be appalled by how much you allowed your mind to become entrapped to it’s falsity.
I’ve allowed the negative thoughts of my self worth to corrode at the truth of who I am in Christ. Lies that originate from one twisted thought explode into endless lies that consume me, destroying all accurate truths. These corrosive and harmful thoughts have deteriorated away all the truths that God had instilled on my heart as His child.
I can become so focused on my flawed exterior and disappointed with who I see in the mirror that I can grow numb to the splendor bestowed upon me as God’s child. I’ve become so lost in what this world views as captivating that I’ve forgotten what captivates God’s heart. Never in Scripture does it mention that an attractive external appearance is what pleases God.
What does Scripture say about our appearance?
- But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” //1 Samuel 16:7
- Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. // 1 Peter 3:3-4
- Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. // Proverbs 31:30
God didn’t create us to have a flawless body, as it will pass away, but intended our inner self to seek after perfection as that will remain throughout all eternity. When I’m so critical of my appearance, I allow my mind to become consumed with my lack of perfection, that it diverts my attention away from cultivating my character.
It is hard to overcome the rooted thoughts of negativity when we’ve allowed them to fester and decompose God’s truth. One way I have found to help me begin to restore my thoughts is to focus on what is true. If I can train my mind to fixate on what is true, it can relinquish the grasp the lies have on my mind. I can replace those penetrating lies with the hope I have as God’s child. I’m not defined by the negativity. I’m not defined by my appearance. I’m not defined by my mistakes. I’m defined by God’s love.
Philippians 4:8 has been a verse I’ve recited a lot recently to help me focus on all that is good, instead of becoming discouraged with the negative areas in my life.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
We can always find negatives in our lives that make us desire to have God change our circumstances. Maybe your circumstances haven’t changed because what God is trying to change is your mindset? Your life doesn’t have to be good for you to have hope. Your circumstances don’t have to be fixed for you to have joy. Joy is found when we remember who we are in Christ and the hope we have in eternity.
There is a lady I know that is enduring through triple negative breast cancer. She had sent my mom a card recently and what she wrote helped remind me of what truly matters.
Praising the Lord for my good news! I’m starting radiation treatments end of this month. My hair is slowly growing back. If all goes well I’ll be finished radiation at the end of June. My mom died of cancer. My son has cancer – after surgery and a year and 1/2 of treatment the cancer hasn’t returned, but it’s also a very aggressive cancer. Sorry about the messy writing I used to be right-handed. This type of cancer has a reputation of returning but considering my age hopefully I’ll be home with the Lord before that happens.
She didn’t focus on her pain or that her life was different than how she intended. She lost her hair, her health and even writing with her right hand, but yet she focused on all the good that God was doing and the hope she anticipated with seeing her Savior soon! Her outlook inspires me to not let the minute negativities of my life get me so distracted that I cannot see all the good that God is doing. Every negative circumstance has good that can develop from it, if only we are willing to learn, trust and lean on God through it.
I’m not sure what circumstance you may be going through right now, but I hope that you are able to focus on the great things God is doing in your life, even when it may seem hard to find. God is working and there is always something to be thankful for. I encourage you to look at your current circumstances and take note of the ways God is using even the negative areas to grow you. If you are a child of God you have an incredible hope in eternity spent with Him that can never be taken from you!