I spent years looking in the mirror disliking what I saw. It's hard to admit that, but it's true. I had been a certain way my entire life, so in my heart I had given up hope of ever being any different than I already was. Then somehow, I did it. I was able to break away from my excuses and achieve what I never thought possible. It didn't happen overnight and I made a lot of mistakes along the way but by putting one foot in front of the other, I figured it out. You know, 2 years down the road I still have days where I feel the same way I did when I was 45lbs heavier. I still feel awkward in a swimsuit and I still have my "fat days". It's funny how that works. When we are on the path to living a healthier life and loosing weight, we feel like loosing weight and being thin will fix all of our problems. We think we will always feel confident and happy.. and in some ways, that is true. There is great accomplishment to be found in weight loss but it's not the whole picture. Along this journey, I've learned that loosing weight doesn't mean you lose who you are and all your insecurities, it just means you are a thinner person with the same issues. Freedom isn't about that scale my friends, freedom comes from a changed heart. That's what I want to talk to you about today.

In our society, it's so easy to place significant value on our appearances. It starts at such an early age, doesn't it? For many of us women, or self worth is directly related to how we view ourselves and how society sees us, but God tells us that what truly matters is what is on the inside. 1 Samuel 16:7 says,  But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” So, yes we need to take care of our bodies, so we are strong and healthy but it's not the whole picture. Our appearance does not define who we are, our heart does.  First and foremost we need to focus on our hearts and what is going on in the inside, how we feel about ourselves and how we behave towards not only ourselves but others.  I love what is said in Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” 

Today lets remind ourselves that beauty comes from within, in the women we are. We are caring, loving, and helpful. As women we love on others and go out of our way to show our concern for the ones we love. Today I encourage you to start taking care of your heart, just as much as you are taking care of your outsides. Whether you have reached your health and fitness goals or you are just beginning, now is the time to start loving you for who you are, not for who you CAN be. Embrace that person inside you in all of her beauty. No longer do you have to be define by your outward appearance. God's measure of beauty is far more valuable than what anyone else thinks.