Ever Felt Insecure?
By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie
I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. – Psalm 139:14
I was born with knocked knees and I’ve struggled all my teen years to quit letting something I have no control over define my life. Part of the reason that this little defect hampered my life and the things I did was because other people wouldn’t let me forget.
Every time I felt confident and walked with my head held high, someone would slide next to me and whisper, Why would you wear that? Or, Are you sure you can handle those heels seeing your knees are knocked? I’ve even heard, Wow you're wearing a short skirt, you are bold.
Well, after hearing those comments my confidence would wane and I walked with my head down. I unknowingly started craving the attention and recognition of men and their compliments that had nothing to say about my defect. I took pictures of my face or half of my body and if I did take a picture of my entire body, I fixed my legs in such a way that you wouldn’t notice it.
But somewhere in my early twenties I had a revelation. I read the verse in Psalm 139, I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I realized God didn’t make a mistake when he created me.
He is our God of variety and everyone on this earth has something about them that they may not like. I realized that moping about my defect wasn’t going to change it. Having surgery on my knees might mess them up and cause me to live the rest of my days in a wheelchair. I want you to think about that quirk or body part that you wish looked differently and realize that someone somewhere has it worst than you.
You may not like your nose, but you can smell, can’t you? You may not like your knocked knees, but you can walk. Isn’t our God good? When he was finished creating you, he looked at you and said that his job was very good.
God made no mistakes when he made you exactly the way you are. This is why self-care is so important. Our bodies are the temple of the Lord and the Holy Spirit resides within us. If God has said that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and he created and fashioned you, who are you to fight against what God has created?
There is a certain island near me that decided to redirect a river so they can use the land for housing. For many years everything was fine. Houses were built and a nice community was formed. However, after a hurricane devastated the island, it was unfortunate that the river reverted back to its original position. It went back to the way that God intended for it to be when he created this world and many of the inhabitants of that community perished.
God designed you, he looked at what he created, flaws, beauty spots, freckles, knocked knees, gap tooth, etc. and he decided that what he made was not just good but very good. God’s good is superb, it's so much better than our good here on earth. After I realized that the God of the universe took the time to fashion and shape me just the way I am; I started walking with confidence and now it’s hardly ever mentioned.
Sometimes I might mention it to someone and that is the first time they would notice. Whenever someone does mention it, my reply is always simple, “This is how God made me and I’m proud to show off his handiwork.” This is my prayer for you:
Dear Jesus,
I humbly bow before you today lifting this dear soul up to you, if she struggles with body image or any quirk or birth defect that she thinks she has, may your love and grace rest upon her. Help her to see that she is beautiful in your sight and that the inner beauty is most important as well as acceptance of your design in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Keneesha is a wife, mom and writer. She is an avid reader of wholesome romance novels and a lover of writing. She is hoping to one day add author to her list of accomplishments. As a pastor’s kid she fell in love with the way Jesus loved her at an early age and want to encourage others to live for him through her words. You can find more musings from her here https://www.womenlovinggodsway.com.
Looking for authentic conversations about how to deal with body image, insecurity, and comparison issues as a Christian woman? The Compared to Who? Podcast is the show for you! Twice a week, we tackle tough topics like dieting, disordered eating, weight loss, aging, body dysmorphia, and more from a practical, grace-filled, gospel-centered perspective.
