Was the Proverbs 31 Woman Skinny?

As I have previously stated in a blog post, I want to be healthier this year.  Yes, that's still my goal, and I've been doing a really good job at making healthier eating choices and working out lately.  My goal is to feel healthy.  Most of all, I want a healthy self image.  


I've seen several pictures that have been posted to Pinterest lately, and they have made me think.  This one, specifically.

Why do we, as women, let Hollywood tell us what is hot or sexy?  I've struggled with self image my whole life.  It's tough being a girl in today's society.  Honestly, those women in the top pictures look gross to me.  I'm not condemning you if you're fortunate to have fast metabolism, but I'm saying that those of us who are not as fortunate, should quit comparing ourselves (myself included) to those top pictures.  We are all built differently and we may not have the body structure to physically look like that.


I found this on Pinterest as well.  There's a lot of truth to this statement.

As long as I'm working out and making healthy eating choices, why does it matter what I look like?  I'm not going to deprive myself from sweets or "unhealthy foods," because I don't believe that is possible.  I'm going to eat what I want, understand portion control, and be healthy about it.

God gave us our bodies.  We are to treat it well and use it to honor God.  If you're doing those things, then why does it matter what you look like?

God talks a lot about beauty in the Bible, more specifically, He talks about inner beauty.  When someone is beautiful on the inside, it makes them beautiful on the outside.  

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

I know a lot of girls, Christian included, who spend a lot of money on clothes, makeup, tans, diets, and hair.  I'm not saying that wanting to look pretty is bad.  But it becomes bad when that's the whole focus.  We need to make sure that we have a healthy balance of spending time fixing our outer beauty with spending time fixing our inner beauty.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

When we are diving into the Word every day and having that daily quiet time with Him, we are spending time fixing our inner beauty.  To just be transparent and honest, for awhile I had lost my inner beauty.  I got wrapped up in what people were saying to me, how people were treating me, and I lost my focus.  It's so hard to change.  I think a lot of times friends and family don't let you change.  They know you.  They know your actions from the past, and a lot of time they continue to hold on to that.  But when you're constantly in the Word, you can't help but exude the change from within.  Those friends and family will really see the change within you.

One thing that will change is self image.  God has written the ultimate love letter to you.  God talks about how much He loves each and every one of you.  He talks about how you are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14).  When you start to soak in all that God has to offer, you can't help but have a healthier self image.

Proverbs 31:30 (ESV)

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 

I don't know about you, but

I'M RECLAIMING MY CONFIDENCE THIS YEAR!

And not just any confidence...I'm reclaiming my confidence in Christ!