Negative self talk is something I can’t stand.  It may be the yoga teacher in me that wants everyone to love themselves as they are, maybe it’s all because of the anxiety and pain it has caused in my own life, but ultimately I believe it’s because we are all worthy of unconditional love.

Yesterday at my favorite group fitness class, I walked into a conversation where an adorable woman only ten years older than me was so unhappy and even disgusted with the way her body looked.  It broke my heart.  I did what I could to tell her “You are not just your body! You are beautiful.” And words resembling “Everyone is different.  I hate how the media tells us we have to look a certain way.” And I just showed her practical love for what I could – chatting and accepting her.  What I wanted to blurt out was “You are the image of God!  Somehow God resembles YOU!!” and share with her this scripture:

“God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” – Gen. 1:27

I wanted to tell her “We are not beautiful IF…(enter your stipulation: we are thin, rich, voluptuous, powerful), like culture tells us. We are beautiful BECAUSE. Because you are in some miraculous way, a spitting image of the God of the universe! Because the One True God loves you now just as you are! Love your body, because it is a part of you, this beautiful creation called you.” Alas, I didn’t say all of those things, but I have every intention of meeting her where she’s at each week, sharing a little more love, a little more acceptance, and hoping (and praying!) that God will break in and speak to her heart.

I hope the same for you reading this today.  Hear these words and know:

You are beautiful.

There were no mistakes when God made you.

You image God.

You are loved, now.

If you want to learn more about this divine, awesome mystery read Ps. 139 or listen to this great message by Jason Mitchell.