Loving AS-IS

It was last week when I was just doing my daily scroll through Instagram that I came across a post that really left me thinking. The part of the post that interested me the most was when the person said, "How often do we get so caught up in how we (or others) look, what people will think, and whether we (or others) are fitting the status quo, that we fail to love AS-IS?" Think about this for a minute...is this you, do you do this? I began to realize how true this statement is. People are ALWAYS looking to others for their opinion, their input, and their reaction. People are ALWAYS telling themselves, "I'm not like them. I am different, and that's a bad thing. I need to be just like them." We're humans, so believing these things is completely normal. Yes, it's normal, but what if it wasn't? What if we could change this idea of normal and make it better by loving ourselves just the way we are. Everyday people are shaming themselves because they are not like "everyone else", but what people forget is that "everyone else" is different too. No two people are the same. We are all different. Now, I don't know about you, but I think that is pretty amazing! God wanted us all to be unique and special. My aunt shared a quote by Dan Allender with me a few years ago that has really stuck with me. He says, "You are the only you this world will ever know and there is something about you that can make something about God known in a way no one else can." Is this not so true? You are completely your own self, and whatever you try to do to be anything but you is not what God would want. He would want you to stay "AS-IS". He created you in his image and likeness so uniquely. You are perfect in His eyes, and that is all that should matter. We should all look in the mirror and say, "I'm perfect because God made me just the way I am, just the way He wanted me to be. I am completely His, and I should never change." So, from now on I challenge you to love in this "AS-IS" way. Do not only love yourself AS-IS, but those around you as well. You can help others to believe that they are so wonderful just the way they are. Your words could really help someone to see how special they are and how wonderfully made by the Father that they are. Sometimes it just takes someone else to give us a little help in seeing the truth about ourselves in order to believe that we are so wonderful AS-IS. I hope that you are willing to take this leap from believing that you can only be happy by being like others to believing that you are perfect AS-IS because honestly, that is where you will find your true happiness. 

Have a most wonderful week loving yourself and others AS-IS! 

Much love, 

Gracie