This is a letter that I wrote to women after spending a while scrolling on Instagram. I was left feeling down and inadequate, I felt somewhat sad, and was tempted to give in to Satan's lie that I need to look and act a certain way to feel loved, valued, and appreciated. I felt a stir in my heart to open my notes and pour out the truth, I felt the Holy Spirit call me to remind myself whose daughter I am. So I wrote this letter, it is blunt and raw, but I really felt that God was reminding me that I am so beautiful to Him, I was reminded to never forget my worth. I've even opened this up to re-read it several times in the past few months when I needed a reminder. So now, I am sharing it with you.
To every woman,
It’s so easy for us to forget the worth and the beauty of our bodies. We live in a world where a woman’s body is flaunted fully and shamelessly everywhere. We need to remember that our dignity lies within, and we are beautiful, not for our bodies alone. We were made to be loved, not used, not objectified. It’s hard sometimes when the pressure is out there to be like everyone else, we start to think that we’re not good enough, or that there’s something wrong with us. Everywhere on social media we see women flaunting their bodies and we start to feel as if we’re invisible, that perhaps we’re not sexy enough, not beautiful enough, we worry about what others think, and we believe the lie that we’re fed day in and day out by Satan: that our beauty and worth lies in what others think and in our bodies alone. So, we believe we must flaunt them, thereby degrading the sacredness of our bodies, the temple of God that it is. Our bodies should be approached with fear, trembling and utter reverence.
Remember that it is in our veiled mystery that our beauty is, and we do not cover because our bodies are bad. We reject the idea of flaunting our skin so promiscuously because our bodies are so good, God created us and said that we were good. Take comfort in the fact that your body is so loved by God. Love it yourself! Love yourself before you let someone love you, or else your raw wounds will bleed on those who never cut you. Be confident! Only you can truly heal your confidence and self-esteem, you need that holy confidence as a daughter of God who knows her beauty and worth. The compliments of others are just cherries on top. We must remember to take care of ourselves and to present ourselves as the beautiful women we were created to be by God. Let others smile when they see you and glorify and praise God for your beauty, not lust after you as if you were an object or a piece of meat. You are not a means to an end; you are not an object to be used. Take your insecurity and your desire to be desired to God, and He will fill your heart and help you walk knowing that you are so loved by Him. This will allow beauty to shine from within your soul. Others will look at us and see beauty that radiates from within but is also reflected on our outside beauty that God made uniquely for us. Our self-care and appearance should ALWAYS glorify the Father. Take pride in the fact that you are living bravely different than the vast majority of women in society, it is certainly not easy, but it brings us so much more happiness and fullness. You are a mystery and you are special, and your body deserves to be loved unconditionally and fully by a man who has given his life to you when you give yours to him. Take pride, feel beautiful because you are! You are sexy! God made you that way! Find joy in the fact that you are protected by God and are not seen as a tool merely for the pleasure of others who wish you no good. You were not made to be put out there as an object to be judged! You have worth. You deserve better! You are more special than that!
We need to curb and change this culture that uses the bodies of women as a commodity! It is not in our nudity that we are freed, it is not when show and give to others what is not theirs that we are empowered. It is rather when we see our bodies the way God sees them and take part in their beauty as God intended with dignity and respect for ourselves and others as His precious creation - that is when we are truly freed and empowered. Today’s women are so blind to the fact that they have not won the freedom, respect and equality that they fought hard for. They are still used for men’s pleasure, for lining people’s pockets, as objects to gawk at and advertise on, as disposable machines. Abortion, birth control, pornography, divorce, adultery, rape, sex trafficking and assault, are still just as rampant now as they were before the feminist movement, if not more! Yet, they think that this is freedom and empowerment, they are blind to the fact that all of these things harm and hinder women. They prevent them from living out their true potential as God intended. All of the things I’ve mentioned are seen as victories of the feminist movement, yet they have led to the demise of society and the degradation of women. What is so sad is that women think this brings them happiness and freedom but really, they are enslaving themselves and surrendering their power to those who want to hurt them.
We can shift this! I want to bring up a generation of ladies, of women with class and dignity, who know their worth and beauty in Christ! Of course, we’re not perfect, we’re human and we’ll make mistakes! But please for the love of God, women, stop letting people walk all over you! Stop letting men take advantage of you like that! Please remember that you are beautiful, inside and out! You are wonderful! Love yourself! Be yourself and grow! There is so much to love about you!
-R
