We all want to “look good”, don’t we. In the process we often worry, probably too much, about things like whether or not the outfit we chose today makes us look fat, or if our thinning hair makes us look older, or we might stress about pimples or wrinkles, and usually we certainly want to project that life is “good” for us. We mostly have it all together as we outwardly handle what life throws at us gracefully, at least that is what most of us like to project to the world. The tremendous amount of money spent on hair dye, wrinkle cream, makeup, plastic surgery, counselors, and the like, is a testament to our addiction to “looking good”.
Do we customize the image of our lives by posting only the perfect photos and videos of our happy lives and wonderful vacations on social media? Do we sometimes get caught up with the day to day things at home or at work, and lose perspective of who we truly are, the incredible value of our stories, and the immense beauty of our true reflections as God sees us. When you think about it, we all have an inspirational story embedded in our life’s journey waiting there to be embraced and shared.
After being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis at age 11, losing my eye sight, much of my hearing, and spending a seemingly endless time in physical therapy, I just wanted to be “normal”, to fit in. Throughout high school and college, I applied massive amounts of that metaphorical makeup to cover up the “different”, to be just another kid, another student, another son, who was no different from anyone else. Much of this was unconscious, just a defense mechanism to help me weather the journey, one day at a time.
My friends, what I have discovered and what I want to convey to you is that, yes, life is a journey that we all must travel. All of you were created uniquely by God with a specific purpose in mind. You all have greatness and beauty within you; don’t let anything or anyone convince you otherwise. True beauty and value in life come from beyond our physical or even metaphoric image. I encourage everyone to have confidence in “you”, and believe in the promise of the future. Physical looks are only skin deep, while your true purpose, potential, and worth go much deeper. Don’t try to cover any of it up!
When you can journey beyond social conventions, past physical conformity, and become more of the person that God created you to be, can you truly get beyond needing to look good, by “being good”!