I can’t remember the day. It wasn’t like in the movies where the girl slowly brings her face up to the mirror and she suddenly feels different. It did not arrive suddenly, and I didn’t even see it happening. I noticed it more and more…that I looked in the mirror and I hated what I saw. When I looked, I cringed. I did whatever I could to do to get away from that mirror and move on with my day. As I went on with the mundane chores I had on my agenda, I felt a heaviness. I felt a weakness. It transformed from “well….It will have to work for today” to “I can’t look at myself at all today”.
Looking at the mirror and hating what I saw was starting to turn me into a different person.
I didn’t want to be around people anymore. I stopped caring about myself. I would stop doing my hair and my makeup, I wouldn’t get excited about the fun things I would do this weekend. Instead, I looked for any excuse to get out of the plans.
But it wasn’t just the physical sight that I started to hate. It was the person inside that I started to hate too. Why couldn’t she just pull it together? Everyone around me could just get up and go on about their lives, why not her? What is wrong with this person that I see? Why does she act like this? How pathetic could one person be?
How could I have fallen so short of ideal?
One day, I saw a post from a friend who I knew was struggling with something similar. She had posted a picture of herself looking so happy. She looked like one of “those” people, the ones who are just peppy and full of sunshine. The caption spoke about how she transformed her view of herself by looking at a photo of herself as a child. I had seen other people talking about this but I never gave it much thought until I saw this post. It was personal. So, I did what any normal person would do, posted a comment of support and love and then went back to hating the person in the mirror.
A short while later I was packing up some boxes in my room, a small photo box peeked through the corner of my closet and caught my attention. I grabbed the box, opened it up and to my surprise, there she was. That little girl that I looked at in the mirror years ago. She looked so happy. She didn’t have a care in the world. Even her smile was different. Ironically, that little girl LOVED looking in the mirror. She loved dressing up and being in front of people. She loved just being alive and living life to the fullest.
How did she turn into this? As I pondered the many solutions I had thought of, there were two things that stood out to me.
I have to forgive myself for not being what I think I should be, it’s time to embrace who God created me to be.
AND
That little girl had one thing right, she sang one song the best, ‘Jesus loves me’.
She wasn’t looking in the mirror and comparing herself to the people around her. She wasn’t looking at all the things she didn’t get done that day or the things she could have done differently. She was looking at herself singing that song, not questioning if she was ideal.
Have you ever looked around or maybe you looked in the mirror and thought, “Well… it’s less than ideal, but it will work”? Whether it’s about your appearance, mental health, physical wellness, or just feeling completely drained, it’s easy to dismiss ourselves. Life can feel like an uphill battle, making it tough to get out of bed and face the reflection staring back at you. Trust me, I get it. But girl, it’s time to give yourself some grace!
We often extend compassion, forgiveness and grace to everyone else—family members, friends, coworkers, etc. Yet we can struggle to show that same kindness to ourselves. Remember, when God called us in His Word to take care of His creation, He meant to take care of ourselves, too! We can’t pour into others if we’re running on empty ourselves. I don’t just mean being exhausted, we can’t pour love into other’s if we have not poured it into ourselves first. So let’s start listening to the truth about who we are.
The things we confront in life can feel intimidating, distorting our view of ourselves. But here’s the reality: you are a fearfully and wonderfully made child of God, loved and cherished by Him! While being God’s children doesn’t shield us from the world’s struggles, it gives us a profound hope. Scripture guides us on how to love and care for ourselves just as we do for others.
Let’s shift how we talk to ourselves. Yes, our flesh may fail. We get tired, face conflict, and experience a whirlwind of emotions. It’s so easy to look at what we used to be or what someone else has and feel like we’re falling short. Sometimes it’s even the opposite, we see what we can do or have done and we get angry when someone else won’t do it how we want. But the truth is, the “ideal” we create in our minds is not what God desires for us. It’s not about perfection; it’s about living into the calling He has for our lives.
So, maybe your kitchen is messy, you didn’t put on makeup today, you forgot to do that important thing at work, you feel like you failed, maybe you couldn’t even get out of bed—does that define you as a child of God? Absolutely not! The pressure to conform to an “ideal” can cloud our vision of who we truly are. Instead of looking at ourselves through the lens of society’s standards, let’s turn our gaze toward God and His Word. He calls us His sons and daughters, created with a unique purpose to glorify Him and to use the gifts He has given us.
Even on days when you feel like a broken mess, remember this: because of Christ’s sacrifice, you have been redeemed. You don’t have to strive for perfection, because in this world, perfection doesn’t exist. Instead, look in the mirror and see a redeemed child of God, perfectly and intentionally made.
Your Challenge for the Week
Take a moment to check in with yourself:
Take a few deep breaths and let your mind and body just be. Have you been imposing an unrealistic ideal upon yourself? If so, ask yourself if it’s shaped by worldly comparisons.
Talk to God about it. Share your struggles with seeing yourself as He sees you.
Remember, you are loved and you are His!
Let’s embrace the grace that God freely gives, so we can truly reflect His love to ourselves and the world around us. You’ve got this!
