God sees me as beautiful!

This past week I have been seriously going through emotional battles with myself over body image, especially regarding my weight. I have been working out hard and eating right but the scale has been going up instead of down....very frustrating. Once again, I don't have complete faith in God that he will heal my body and that He will strengthen and enable me to lose the extra pounds I need to lose get back down to where I need to be. I have been overly worried lately about what the world's view of beauty instead of what God views as pure and beautiful. I'm not seeing myself in the true light. I need to stop worrying about what others think about me and I need to mediate more on the truth about what God thinks about me. Physical beauty is only temporary. Spiritual beauty is something you learn and it lasts forever. It crazy though because this part week, even though I feel fat, at least four people have randomly complemented me and told me I'm skinny. It's amazing how God works through people!

What does the Bible say about our worth?
Rom. 5:8 says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (It doesn't say that when we became gorgeous and thin that Christ died for us.) Ps. 139:13 says that God created our inmost being and knit us together in the womb of our mother. v. 14 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Remember the scripture regarding David where it says that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart?

What kind of beauty should we be seeking? Prov. 31:30 says that charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Prov. 8:11 says that wisdom is more precious than rubies and NOTHING you desire can compare with her.
Rom. 13:14 says that we clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus.
Col. 3:12 says to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. -- A side note here: I know a lady who has the virtue of patience, especially with children. I am not a patient person, so to me, she is very beautiful because she exudes that character trait that I desire God to develop in my life.
I Pet. 5:5 says to clothe yourself with humility, which is strength under control, toward one another.
Eph. 4:2 says to be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love.
I Tim. 6:11 says to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
I Pet. 3:4 mentions the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's eyes. I always wondered what a gentle and quiet spirit was. Since I love to talk, I always felt that I couldn't attain that characteristic. A gentle spirit is one who doesn't cause disturbances. A quiet spirit is one who isn't upset or boisterous at the disturbances caused by others. Now THAT I believe that I can attain! (with God's help, of course!)

It's obvious that God's view of beauty is so different from this world's. It is so easy to fall into the snare of the Hollywood version. We must be careful to guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life. Prov. 4:23

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