[guestpost]Today I’m moving over to give audience to my good friend, Elisa Morgan. Actually, picture me a sponge sitting at her feet, soaking up her hard-earned wisdom. Because that’s precisely what I do when I’m with her. I have great respect for this woman, and I happen to feel strongly about her topic. Especially now. As for my friends of the male persuasion? You needn’t fear. The subject matter is just as timely for you. I needn’t say another word, because I’m quite sure she has it covered. Enjoy, my friends. [/guestpost]
Most of us don’t think we’re beautiful. In fact, a recent poll revealed that 96% of women globally would never use the word beautiful to describe themselves.
Even women who know they are made in the image of God.
Women like you and me.
Beautiful? No…instead we feel not enough. Not pretty enough. Not smart enough. Not strong enough. Not spiritual enough.
I know. What I see is not beauty but the world of ugly within.
I say, “I’ll pray!” and I don’t.
I forget about the suffering in the world, even after I’ve seen suffering up close and personal. And then I go ahead and buy another purse, pair of shoes, trinket for my home.
I wake up in the middle of the night and worry.
I think I’m better than others when my life goes well, even though I know full well that I’m not.
I eat too many Doritos. I drink too much wine. I watch too many episodes of The Bachelor (and The Bachelorette).
I assume I’m the only one.
The only lonely one.
The only depressed one.
The only one who doesn’t know the answers.
The only one who feels like a failure.
I don’t like my body.
I like some people more than others—a lot more than others. I pretend to be interested when I’m not.
I’m jealous when someone’s life goes better than mine.
I want to just stay in bed on some days.
I’m ugly. At least there are plenty of ugly parts of me. “Beautiful?” HA.
Some words I read a while back from Brennan Manning’s classic book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, seep up into my thoughts. Manning reported a 1677 prophecy to a thirty-four-year-old widow in Lynn, Massachusetts. God’s words to her way back then—and maybe to us in this moment? “More pleasing to Me than all your prayers, works, and penances is that you would believe I love you.”
I may think ugly thoughts and feel ugly feelings and do ugly things, but to God, I am filled with beauty and therefore beauty full. He holds out three words and calls me to receive them, knowing that when I see myself the way he sees me, I will be free to be who he made me to be and to live the life he made me to live.
Hello, Beauty Full.
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who pushes away God’s pronouncement of personal value. Likely you do too. Likely you embrace the ugly and discard the beauty in yourself. And likely you feel incredibly inadequate, stuck, and even alone.
Here’s what we need to know in order to live the lives we were made to live: God loves us. He sees us through Jesus: beauty full. He wants us to see ourselves the way he sees us. We struggle with embracing such a thing. But the truth is, when we don’t embrace how God sees us, we don’t embrace God. We miss out on the very lives he created us to enjoy—and died to make sure we could experience. When we do embrace how God sees us—beauty full—we are freed to live loved, and in so doing, we love God back.
Three words reveal how God sees us – through Jesus – and how he invites us to see ourselves.
Hello. Beauty. Full.
Yes, I am.
And yes, you are too.
[callout]Elisa Morgan is a much-requested speaker and the author of The Beauty of Broken, She Did What She Could and the newly released Hello, Beauty Full. For twenty years, Elisa served as CEO of MOPS International. Currently she is the co-host of the syndicated radio program, Discover the Word. Married for over three decades to Evan, she is the mother of two grown and married children and two grandsons. Her Rottweilers, Wilson and Darla, love to take her on walks in the open space behind her house.
Click HERE to order Hello, Beauty Full.
Click HERE to check out the Seven Video Teachings by Elisa that you can use in your small group.
Click HERE to find out more about this topic. [/callout]
BOOK GIVEAWAY! This week I’m giving away one copy of Elisa’s new book, Hello, Beauty Full. To be entered to win, leave a comment below telling us why this book and topic matter to you, and share this post via your favorite social media channel. Be sure to tag me so I can find you! Thanks, Beauty Full.
UPDATE: The winner of the FREE copy of Elisa’s book Hello, Beauty Full is CHRISTY! Check your email for more info about your prize, friend. Congratulations! ~MC
Since brain surgery in February, it is hard for me to feel beautiful. I “sort of” look the same on the outside, but I see how one side of my mouth doesn’t work right, and how I get food on my clothes, and how I walk like an elderly person who needs a cane. It’s hard to feel sexy with my husband. And even though I know God doesn’t hold it against me that I got sick and can’t ‘work, work, work,” for him, it’s hard to picture Him seeing me beautiful as well. It’s like He must feel about me as I feel about me. I would love to read Elisa’s book. I felt like she was reading my mail!
Thank you for your beauty full honesty! God truly sees your beauty and loves you so!
Holy smokes….. I am in tears right now after reading this. I struggle with this EVERYDAY, EVERY Minute….. I’ve struggled with and Eating Disorder and so many other things for 13 years now. I don’t see myself the way HE sees me. Its hard to see me that way.
Oh baby, you are so not alone! I pray that you are able to get the book and go through all the “Not Me’s” I share in order to get more access of all the ways God loves you! (We need each other so much to hold up the mirror of how God sees us so that we can finally SEE what he sees!) Love to you today!
Think this was written for me !!!!
Having struggled with self esteem and issues with body image my whole life, you would think that by this age, 58 , I would have been able to overcome debilitating issues around self worth. Nope……… not so !
This sounds like a must-read and apply immediately for me!
Thanks for this post and for the chance to win a copy !
It seems it doesn’t really matter our age – we tend to listen to the “hiss” of “Not Me!” more than the truth of how God sees us. I hope you win – or get the book – too and that you can gather with other women just like you in a group to work through it in a study with the 7 video teachings at elisamorgan.com. It seems we need the mirrors of God in each other to help us see ourselves the way God sees us. You are so very loved!
Wow. This is certainly a topic that hits home with me. I’m 44- years old, and for most of my life I have struggled with who I am, and have never seen myself as beautiful. Even after coming to know the Lord, and after all the work he’s done in me over the years, I still struggle to see it. Past experiences and hurts seem to have left permanent scars that keep me from seeing how beauty full I am in God’s eyes. This book sounds amazing.
It’s funny – not – how after YEARS of knowing Jesus, we can still struggle to see ourselves the way God sees us. But we do. The “hiss” is just so much louder. I hope you can get this book – and maybe watch the 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com to take the message deeper? Grab a friend and dive in? You are so very loved!
My husband and I have been struggling with infertility for 4.5 years and my hormone disorder is 100% of the medical diagnosis as to why we can’t get pregnant. I’ve watched most of my friends have their 1st, 2nd, and some now 3rd babies. I feel so inadequate and unbeautiful as my body can’t do the one thing it’s supposed to do as a woman. Even though my husband is wonderful and never blames me for our infertility, I feel shame and guilt over not being able to give him children. With such a long struggle comes grief, depression, anger, and jealously. Then I feel more ugly for having those feelings associated with my pain, thinking I should handle this better! It’s a daily battle to trust God and know He is walking in the midst of the pain and that He does see me as beautifully made.
Sweet one. You are not alone. In this book, I outline 5 elements of beauty: Voice (Your Unique Personality), Vessel (Your Physical Body), Womb (Your Creative Potential), Scar (Your Painful Story) and Sway (Your Influential Legacy). My hunch is that like me, all of these are worth sinking your heart into. There are 7 video teachings (FREE) as well at elisamorgan.com. May God encourage you through this offering. You are so very loved!
I would love to have a copy of this book. I get discouraged when I look in the mirror at my middle-aged face and body. Sometimes it depresses me. I need to take the focus off myself so I can be busy doing what God has for me to do, Blessings!
And maybe…you need to focus – more accurately – on just how God sees you. He sees each element of you (Voice, Vessel, Womb, Scar, Sway) as beauty full because he sees you through Jesus. There are 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com. Grab the book and dive in and…be enough. You are soo loved!
I think this book is for me. I just texted my mother last week and said, “Pray for me. Feeling lonely and invisible.” It’s weird how all these “high school” feelings follow you into adulthood. You think you find peace over it all and then some situation pops up and it’s all back. I needed this post today!
I’m so glad you connected with this post! There’s more in the book – but also in the 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com. Grab a friend and dive in and learn to see yourself the way God sees you? Through Jesus? You are so very loved!
I’m so glad you connected with this post! There’s more in the book – but also in the 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com. Grab a friend and dive in and learn to see yourself the way God sees you? Through Jesus? Sometimes it helps to have others mirror God’s love back to us. You are so very loved!
Thanks! I will go check this out right away! Excited to read your book!
Congrats, Christy. You won the free copy of Elisa Morgan’s new book, Hello, Beauty Full. Check your email inbox for more info! <3
Thank you so much! Looking forward to reading this book! God bless you both!
Thank you for this very timely post. God knew I needed to read it today.
He loves you so!
I love challenging myself to grow in how God sees me. I would enjoy being able to read Elisa’s book. I also lead Book Chats through my Coaching practice and I am always looking for good books to lead others in learning about their faith as well.
Blessings,
Rayna
Glad to hear it Rayna! You might be interested to know that there are 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com. The book and these videos make a great curriculum. Spread the freedom to those who need it? You are so very loved!
I completely resonated with this post. I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life then puberty hit and I was completely covered in it and still am. I have given up on my looks for now, since I know no one cares. I can completely learn through this book. This book sound amazing.
Thanks for sharing Miranda. In this book I talk about Beauty as having five elements – not just one. Voice: Your Unique Personality. Vessel: Your Physical Body. Womb: Your Creative Potential. Scar: Your Painful Story. Sway: Your Influential Legacy. God sees all FIVE elements as beauty full in you.
I hope you can get this book! And maybe spend some time viewing the 7 video teachings (FREE) at elismorgan.com and go deeper in these elements? You are SO very loved!
This is definitely something I struggle with. …but I want to learn to rest in His love and be secure in who He created me to be, how He sees me, and who He is growing me to become for His glory. <3
So precious. My prayer as well. I hope you can get the book! Also, check out the 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com. Love to you!
This post nailed me right in the heart. Feeling fat, frumpy and full of failure lately, but feeling doesn’t always reflect truth. I am loved by God. The rest is just window dressing.
Absolutely true! And so very hard to remember. I hope you can get the book! And check out the 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com. So much love to you!
I have overweight my entire adult life and struggle daily with this issue. I can look in the mirror and see the fat lady looking back me and say ‘what difference does it make’.
I know God loves me but I don’t like me.
Sweet one. God loves you. ALL of you. In the book I share the FIVE elements of beauty – not just one. I hope you can get it! And check out the 7 video teachings (FREE) at elisamorgan.com. God so wants you to be free. Love to you!
The opportunity to remind myself that I am beautiful is never a waste. Otis so easy to believe the lies of our insecurities and is imperative to replace those lies with truth! I have my good days an my bad regarding internal dialogue and there is always room for improvement. I hope to share the wisdom that I learn and pay that knowledge gift forward. #michelecushatt
Dear one. You get it. You know you are loved. Yet, like all of us you still struggle. There are 7 video teachings at elisamorgan.com that can guide you through this topic. I hope you win the book too!
May God convince you all rover again of his unending love!
This hits home! The reminder of things you know in your head but can’t seem to keep in your heart.
I am in a time of trying to define myself, like most: Who am I? Where am I going? How does God want to use me & am I listening to His calling? For example, my career took a major hit when I was not elected to have the position I have working for over the past 10 years to receive but there has to be a bigger better plan.
How do I pass this message on to my two boys so that they know that beauty is from God not from appearances or the world? How do I set the example of loving myself but continuing to work on myself to be better & grow closer to God?
Beautiful comment! And yes, you totally get it that it is your example that will lead your boys!
Dive deeper into this topic at elisamorgan.com and search the 7 video teachings?
The fact is…how we view and love ourselves will directly impact how others around us view and love themselves.
Grateful for your heart that wants to do its homework!
Wow! That really was just what I needed to hear. Why are we so tough on ourselves when it only leads to pain and unhappiness to those around us. I bet Beauty Full is contagious, right?