Dr. Ashley Miller Anderson
The rise of social media has caused our culture to create a new standard. Today, our value and perceived influence on the world is determined by the amount of likes we receive on a
post and followers we have on a platform. We have fallen for the superficial — being deceived by snapshots into the lives of others, comparing ourselves, and finding ourselves wanting. As someone who worked extensively in the fashion industry, I can tell you how many hours of preparation and staging goes into getting the perfect shot. There is a colossal amount of effort that goes into making yourself feel exactly the way you do when you look at and compare yourself to an image.
Sisters, I urge you to refocus. There’s no shame in checking your likes and followers, but we have to be more than what we show the world superficially. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says,
"Do not let your adorning be external — the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear — but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
It is OK to care about and invest in your appearance — be cute, sis — but it’s what on the inside that counts. More time should be invested in the core of who we are instead of the optics that influence what others will think of us.
I know this is a hard one, ladies. I confess that especially during my modeling and pageant competition days, I compared myself to just about every woman I saw. I determined where I thought I fell on the spectrum of beauty, intelligence, boss babe status, and wife material based upon how I felt in the moment. You’ve heard the saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It truly is, especially considering when our time on this earth comes to a close, God is not going to be concerned with how we look. He’s going to be concerned with who we are on the inside.
Are you investing as much into the inside as the outside? Sis, it does no good to spend thousands of dollars to change your body if you have not changed your mind. You may have temporary satisfaction with the look of things but if your habits have not changed, it’s only a matter of time before disgust and self-hatred creep back in.
Do the work on you. Read, study the word, journal, listen to sermons, and truly allow God's mirror to be the only one you use to see and evaluate yourself. Keep your eye on the ultimate prize, sis. Focus upward and inward and the rest will fall into place.