Made In the Image of God – Self Image

Imagine a vase.

The most unique and special vase.

Given to you as a gift by God.

The vase might be a little discoloured, too big, too little for your liking.

But God has told you that He has deemed it uniquely beautiful and Holy.

It is your job to take care of it.

It is yours forever.

Throughout life it gets chipped, stained, faded.

Others may accidently or purposely pour in dirty water instead of clean water into the vase.

They may chip it, stain it or sometimes even shatter it to bits.

But God still wants you to take care of it, no matter what.

He wants you to treat the gift with respect.

You start to compare your vase with other vases.

You envy other vases and you resent God for the one He gave you.

You start to think it’s ugly and not worth any value.

You start to use the vase carelessly.

Not filling the vase with clean water daily.

Holding the vase from the brim, swinging it back and forth while you walk.

You examine the vase closely.

Looking for any imperfections.

Wishing for a new vase.

You insult the precious gift God has given to you in front of Him.

But you will never know the deep sadness He feels.

What you don’t know is that one day there won’t be a vase.

One day it will fall and smash.

And at that time you wish you had taken more care of it.

- The Vase Made by God, K.R Turner

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always struggled with anxiety. Because of this anxiety, it’s been easy to overlook the wonderful gifts that God has given to me.

I’ve been blessed to have many amazing people in my life. *Gracie and *Isabelle, who are two friends of mine have really helped me in knowing my identity as a Christian, and focusing on that, rather than what the world sees of me. They have helped me remember that I’m known, loved by Christ and precious to Him, as all of you who are reading this are. Gracie and Isabelle have shaped and changed the way I look at myself, and the world around me.

Technology has caused a damaging effect on young people, especially girls and young women. Many young women don’t feel their value or their beauty, as with TV and magazines, there is so much comparison. In this last decade, despite the professed aims of protecting girls’ self-worth and protection, there has been widespread mockery and downplaying of the true worth of being a lady. The image of being a girl or a woman has been distorted, which can cause lasting effects on a person’s self-esteem. It makes me terribly sad sometimes that individuals (including myself at times) wish to be someone else to be happy.

We are all unique and so special. Everyone on this earth is a valuable gift and has an incredible role to play. No one is a mistake in the eyes of God. Even through failures and trials, God still loves you unconditionally. Something that I have learnt in the last decade, is how lucky I am to have the opportunity to know the people around me. Obviously, we all have flaws and weaknesses, but I believe that everyone has so many talents and gifts that can and should be brought out, because every single one of us is made by God, and for God.

It is very common for all of us to feel down in different parts of our lives for different reasons, but for some people, myself included, low mood or depression can be a hit in the face out of nowhere. Sometimes people see depression as a lack of faith or being too weak. Depression can present to be a big challenge to many faithful Christians. Just like a Christian who breaks a bone, stills feel the pain, and may cry because of the intense pain. Christians who suffer from an anxiety disorder or depression are not any less Christian than the Christians who don’t have anxiety or depression.