Self Esteem, Hollywood and the Christian Life

"For ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body." (ASV)

Self esteem is a huge issue in our society today. Television and magazines tell women that we have to be six feet tall, thin as a rail, and perfectly dressed and styled. Men are supposed to be thin but muscular, powerful, strong, and always in charge of their emotions and the world around them. Eating disorders, steroid abuse, plastic surgery, botox and other forms of self-destructive behavior are on the rise. And all the while we take it in. We wish we could look more like the celebrities on the screen. We strive for the "ideal" body. We forget that we have already been "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14)

In an age when even the Pope wears designer labels, it is time for Christians to cast aside the molds and standards of the world and remember the God who made us and who loves us just the way we are. It is time for us to remember that we are not our own. We belong to God. He paid for us with Christ's death on the cross, a very dear cost indeed. All He asks in return is that we love Him and strive for His glory above our own.

Every imperfection we see in the mirror, every time we tell ourselves we're not good enough, we allow Satan a foothold in our lives. We make the ideals of beauty and perfection our idols. We spend more time thinking about that extra five pounds than we do thinking about the God who loves us or the calling He's given us. We search for the perfect diet instead of searching for purpose. We waste our efforts trying to get rid of gray hairs instead of working toward ridding ourselves of sin. And we bask in our vanity, assuring ourselves that it's normal because it's what the rest of the world is doing.

Christians are not called to be just like the rest of the world. We are called to be a holy people. The simple definition of the world holy is "set apart". We are to set ourselves apart from the corruption and pride of the world in which we live. How are we to show them the difference God has made in our lives if we really are no different? It would be an act of hypocrisy to even try.