I felt so unsure what God wanted to me to share this week. But then I was scrolling through all my old photos…scrolling through Instagram and the endless feed of pictures. And I thought “what would my life look like unfiltered?…what would their life look unfiltered?” So many times I find myself comparing myself to others on social media. Even comparing myself to photos of me on social media. Really, what would life look like unfiltered?

What if we stopped comparing. Stopped feeling the need to put a filter over everything. Like being real isn’t enough. I know most images we see online are edited or retouched in some way or another. Still, it doesn’t make me feel any better about who I am. Measuring myself up and all that I am versus the perfection portrayed online. And then I start to question “who am I?”

These images we all overload ourselves with aren’t real. Yet they affect who we are. How we think. How we perceive ourselves. How we live our lives. Personally, I try to live up to this standard of perfection that just isn’t realistic. I go through waves of security in who I am only to crash when I see an image that just seems too unattainable. Just when I start feeling worthy enough I compare myself to someone who seems they have it all together. That’s the trouble with basing our worth off of the worlds standard of success and beauty.

When you turn to the world for worth and value you will never be secure in who you are. This world is constantly changing. Shifting. What’s beautiful today may be considered ugly tomorrow. Fashion, beauty, sex …all these standards are constantly shifting. But when you base your worth on Gods word. The truth. You can be sure you won’t be shaken. Gods word never changes. Just like Psalm 139:14 says “You are beautiful for you are fearfully and wonderfully made.” God created you to be unique! That really is amazing when you stop and think about it. There never is or will be another you- EVER! So why not be the best you that you can be? No one else could ever be a better you!

When I’m feeling down I have to sit and remind myself of what Gods word says about me. I can sit and compare myself for hours and have a pitty party. Or I can celebrate all the gifts and talents God has placed in me. God will never ask you to be someone else – so we might as well stop expecting ourselves to be. I think its easy to look at everyone’s perfectly filtered curated lives on Instagram and think they have no flaws. But the truth is perfection doesn’t exist and we all fall short. I know it can be hard to do but look at all the amazing qualities you do have. No one person or their life is perfect no matter how it looks online. Start looking at things as if there were no filter.

Remember…YOU are Fearfully Made

xoxo Taylor Nicole