Princess Under Attack

I hear the not so subtle screams of society telling our littles they’re just not good enough.  Not perfect.  I hear it in every magazine, commercial and shop window.  The blatant attack of clothes that hiss, “Eat Less”. 

But what is perfect?

Is it a pant size? Weight? Cup size?

It is, in itself, unattainable. 

Yet our society floods our sisters with images telling them that is exactly what they need to achieve to be accepted.  Loved. Wanted.  Beautiful.  Good enough.

And the more we strive to fit a mold not made for us, the emptier we feel.

And that hole cannot be filled with diets or drugs or sex or makeup or food or alcohol.  Those things only leave us feeling deadened, dirtier, and filled with shame.

It is like Alice chasing the rabbit down the black hole, and we fall further and further away from ourselves.

It is a hole only God can fill.  An ache and yearning only He can soothe. 

Daughters! Sisters! Darlings!

You are not a size.  You are a soul.

You are not a number.  You are a name.

 Ladies, your worth is not determined by the number on the scale, the size of your pants or the curve of your hips.  It can’t be measured or weighed; it goes far beyond anything tangible.

You are beautiful because of WHO you are and WHOSE you are, not WHAT (size, number, weight) you are.

You are beautiful because of what only you can offer: Yourself.

 Your heart.  Your dreams.  Your beauty. Your uniqueness.

And instead of fighting with all we have to guard the very things God has given us that make us so extraordinary, we loathe our temples and destroy them in an attempt to attain empty promises that only keep us from reaching our destiny. The lies keep us focused on what we think we are not—

Perfect enough

Pretty enough

Small enough

Tall enough

Smart enough……

And we completely miss seeing who we truly are—

Strong.  Unique.  Lovely.  Wise.  Smart.  Beautiful. Powerful.

But we will only see ourselves correctly when we see Him correctly, because only He Who created you can tell you who you are.  We will always feel empty and lost and inadequate as long as we continue to look to the world or others for validation.

The screams of lies can be deafening the longer we choose to listen, but isn’t it time we start screaming back? Fighting back?  Standing up for our littles?

We are not mindless drones.

We are not called to be timid, people-pleasing, pushovers.  We are called to ROAR!

To lead. To create. To inspire. To bring life.

And the world desperately needs your voice.  Our littles need strong, fierce, loving, passionate and free women to lead them.  Not ‘perfect’ women, exhausted from striving with nothing left to offer because they sold it all for empty promises. 

Be a fly on any wall at the salon, restaurant or girls night and what does the conversation inevitably seem to turn to at some point?

Weight. Diet. Exercise. Food.

Someone’s trying the newest fad diet.  Someone else is so unhappy with ‘this’, while pinching at their sides.  Someone else can’t eat this, this or ALL that.

Where are the life-giving, empowering, encouraging, self-loving ladies?

When did our world become no bigger than the size of our pants?

We are women! We are world changers! We are life givers!

Are we instilling self-confidence, identity and self-love in our littles by our words? Or is self-deprecating comments all they hear us speak about ourselves and others?

They need someone to show them the way and speak the truth of who they are in contrast to the garbage they are plagued with. 
They need someone to turn off the blaring radio of empty promises and whisper the truths of who God created them to be.

They need you, me, us!

They need us to take off the masks of insecurity and striving and show them how to be real, raw, and vulnerable.  And show them that in those moments, that’s where they’re truly strong.

They need what only you can bring--Your life. Your strength. Your vision. Your unique perspective of Christ.  It is a role only you can fill.

But we’ll never change the world and set women free buying into the lies the world feeds us.  It keeps us weak.  Chained.  Scared.  Powerless.

We must fight back.  Take a stand.  Be bold. Buck the norm.  And set a new standard. 

The fight is on for the lives of our princesses.