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Biblically Beautiful

Don't Know Jesus?· Hope Lives Here· No Jesus?

From Beauty Blogger Jillian Lancour, Clothed n Beauty.

I knew this post was coming but I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to write it…until now.

This is my official farewell to Body Positivity…at least the movement as so many of us know it.

BODY POSITIVE MOVEMENT according to Google.

Body positivity is a social movement rooted in the belief that all human beings should have a positive body image, while challenging the ways in which society presents and views the physical body. … Body positivity has roots in the fat acceptance movement as well as the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.

I found acceptance in the BOPO Community. I felt that I was able to showcase my larger body with confidence and receive praise because ultimately, I was going against Society’s norm, and women found it to be refreshing.

A larger woman isn’t encouraged to photograph herself and show off her body. In fact, Society forces the exact opposite.

Bigger women need to work off their large bodies, at almost any cost, and once they do they should PROUDLY show their “AFTER” selves.

Weighing in at almost 270 lbs. and being able to proudly and boldly show my reality, without shame, was empowering and even healing.

I thought I would be fighting for the body positive crusade for the rest of my life and then something almost extraordinary happened.

I lost weight.

I’ve lost over 50 lbs. by treating a chronic illness I have with the Keto Diet.

This is when I started to feel differently towards the community I had found so much praise and support from when I looked like this:

Once upon a time, losing 50 lbs. would’ve had me in complete tears. Like, wow! I did it! I’m disciplined. I’m more attractive. I am happier.

But this time, losing 50 lbs. had me feeling guilty.

I started being told through messages and some comments that I was triggering women, that they started following me for true BOPO and now I’m backsliding, that I shouldn’t even mention “keto” because I am 100% supporting toxic Diet Culture, etc.

So losing weight, a natural side effect to treating my body with respect, almost seemed an offense to a lot, not all, of the BOPO community.

This really really turned me off but that’s when God swooped in and spoke more truth into my heart about my body positive journey.

I really think God allowed me to go on this journey, to dive all into the idea that women should love themselves at every size and every weight, because He knew I’d end up here.

And this is when He hit my heart with this:

Every woman, you Jill, should love ME at every weight and every size.

My journey took me from thinking less of myself to thinking less ABOUT myself.

I’ve realized that my body really is nobody’s business and me fighting alongside other women who, in the name of body positivity, are making their bodies other people’s business was only hurting my worship and posture with God.

Body Positivity is a pride issue.

I seriously cannot believe I just wrote that sentence. lol.

But it’s true.

Whether I am thin, fit right into Society’s standard of Beauty, and show that all off for admiration or I am large and showing off how proud I am of my skin…there is PRIDE in self.

Pride is satan’s logo.

It’s his calling card. It’s His poker-tell.

It’s all about pride with satan.

Just read Ezekiel 28 and the account of satan’s fall from Heaven.

“Your heart became proud on account of your beauty.” vs.17

The more I’ve been leaning into the Holy Spirit and seeking God in my life the more I have been deeply reflecting this choice I made to be a Christian.

Being a Christian isn’t just knowing God, reading the Bible, saying prayers, going to church…No, it’s enlisting yourself into the greatest war EVER.

I don’t want to be like my Heavenly Father’s enemy. I don’t want to be proud of being a larger woman in a world that tells us big girls to stay in the shadows. I don’t want to lose weight and be proud that I accomplished what Society celebrates most. I don’t want to be focused on myself.

I want to enjoy fashion and make-up because those things have there place in glorifying Jesus.

I love watching my daughters play dress up and twirl in their tutu’s. I love seeing them look in a mirror and make the sweetest face because they feel pretty. It makes my mother’s heart so warm. Even my little two year old sees her hair done with a big bow and wearing a frilly dress and exclaims with glee “Oooo!!!” when she sees herself.

God loves when we twirl and skip and feel pretty…because we ARE pretty. This was never supposed to be up for debate…for ANY woman.

But satan comes in with his all time oldest lie and says “Did God REALLY say… that you’re made in His image? That your appearance to the world’s standards don’t matter…that you were carefully knit together in your mother’s womb…that your beauty should be in what honors God…are you sure it’s not supposed to be about your weight and physical features?”

I bought the lie. I’ve bit that lie so many times and chewed on it and swallowed it. Threw it back up and did it all over again.

All this to say, I am saying goodbye to the movement that touched my heart so deeply.

I want women to KNOW that their beauty is sooooo deep and soooo wide because it’s absolutely rooted in Biblical truth. This I’ll continue to preach and humbly be a role model in.

I want women to be able to live their lives in freedom: going to the pool in a bathing suit, not hiding their fat, not obsessing over losing weight NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO TEACH SOCIETY ABOUT “THE RULES” but because they have freedom in Jesus and don’t even need to acknowledge the “rules.”

As Christian women, we’re exempt from the world’s opinions and definitions. They claim beauty is one thing but we don’t follow their teachings. We follow Jesus, the creator and definer of beauty.

I’m ready to stop discussing our bodies in terms of “plus-size” or “skinny.”

You have permission dear one to not play in the world’s game of labels. And I do too.

WE DO NOT HAVE TO PARTICIPATE.

In God, you can be still. You can focus on the Gospel, fighting the good fight, working on becoming a prayer warrior and listening for the Holy Spirit’s voice.

You can be God’s daughter and delight His heart by living a life that celebrates His beautiful craftsmanship in who He created you to be.

God knows who you are.

Satan knows who you are.

Do you know who you are?

This is one of my battles to fight in a much greater battle.

I have chosen to pick up my sword, God’s Word, and fight for women’s beauty.

I’ll still discuss makeup, fashion, health, our bodies. These are good things when they’re in their proper place of priorities.

I am going to be challenging myself and you to become Biblically Beautiful, which is a whole harder ballgame than deciding what mascara works best and what foundation perfectly matches your skin tone.

Your flesh is going to work against you. The world may publicly mock you. Like me, you may lose friends and followers.

It costs, sometimes everything, to follow Jesus.

Moving forward with this blog and my social media, The Bible is our make-up palette. This is where we gather all the tools to transform ourselves in Christ as the best kind of beautiful.

This kind of beauty only grows with maturity and no disease or blemish can touch it.

“Let the King be enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord.” -Psalm 45:11

Keep Standing

Don't Know Jesus?· Hope Lives Here· No Jesus?

From Best-Selling Christian Author Suzanne D. Williams

My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. (1Pe 5:12 NLT)

I’m standing in a moment between life and death, between success and poverty, between peace and the sword. What happens next is based solely on my influence, the steps I take, how I react, the words I speak.

I can complain and argue and worry and relate my fears, or I can stand in faith for the victory that’s been bought for me.

I can choose death and the effects of death – sorrow, turmoil, grief, unhappiness, sickness, instability, fear – or I can choose life and watch God change my circumstances, my troubles at home, at work, at school. My thought patterns. (Deu 30:19)

I can agree with the lies of Satan and stay focused on only what I see, what I feel, the damage that’s been done to me, or I can look forward with the eyes of faith and refuse to turn loose of God’s promises.

I will not give up, O Christian! In the darkest moment, in the midst of the storm, my emotions shattered, I will speak words of encouragement. I can do this! He has made me tall enough, strong enough, wise enough.

He has equipped me and having done all to stand, I will keep standing. I have the God of ages on my side. Power that parted a sea and drowned an entire enemy army, mercy that dripped manna each morning for His people, grace that caused a 16-year-old girl to give birth to the Savior of the world without any physical actions on her part. (Eph 6:13)

Just words. I will. I believe. I can do this. And God made a way where there wasn’t one. He created life in her that shouldn’t have existed.

This is the kind of God He is, and these are His instructions to me. To you. Awaken and stand firm. Teeth gritted, hands clenched, eyes forward, shield lifted, sword unsheathed. For the battle is His, and the end result guaranteed. If we will take hold of it.

If we will stand and walk, roll up our mat, and ignore the voices of doubt around us, listening instead to the words of the Holy Spirit. Holding hands with those who have gone on before, who know, who have seen His goodness, we will walk through the valley of shadows into God’s miraculous light. (Ps 23:4; Mt 9:6)

Failure asks, “Who do you think you are? You’re too young, too old, too uneducated, too broken, too depressed.”

But God: Remember to stay alert and hold firmly to all that you believe. Be mighty and full of courage. (1Co 16:13-14 TPT)

The voice of defeat speaks, “You will never achieve that. You are unable, inept, insufficient. It’s too hard, too much work, too expensive.”

But God: Keep your eyes open, hold fast to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping. (1Co 16:13-14 MSG)

Your neighbor, coworker, supposed friend tells you, “There is no way you can do this. It’s too big. Too hard. This is just the way life is.”

But God: And by standing firm with patient endurance you will find your souls’ deliverance.” (Lk 21:19 TPT)

There are thousands of voices speaking around me, but I will hear only the voice of the Master. I will follow Him and stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. (2Chr 20:17; Jn 10:27) He has decreed it.

— More For Your Heart —

Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Jos 22:5 NLT)

Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. (Ex 14:30 MSG)

Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: “… ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.” (1Sa 7:3 MSG)

He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of his life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous. (Ps 1:3 TPT)

They will never be shaken; they will stand firm forever. (Ps 15:5 TPT)

They will not live in fear or dread of what may come, for their hearts are firm, ever secure in their faith. (Ps 112:7 TPT)

So now, beloved ones, stand firm and secure. Live your lives with an unshakable confidence. We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures. (1Co 15:58 TPT)

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. (1Co 16:13 NLT)

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. (Eph 6:11 NLT)

Hold firmly to the word of life (Php 2:16 NLT)

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. (Col 1:23 NLT)

All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in. (1Ti 1:18-19 MSG)

Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. (1Ti 4:15-16 MSG)

It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. (Heb 2:1 MSG)

So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. (Heb 10:22 MSG)

Did this devotional help increase your faith? Leave a comment and share with a friend or save on social media.

Hope Lives Here.

When God Says No

Don't Know Jesus?· Hope Lives Here· No Jesus?

From Best-Selling, Award-Winning Author Morgan Busse

Years ago, I read this quote in a book. For the life of me, I cannot remember the book or the author. But the author made a statement that has stuck with me ever since: It is easy to have faith when God says yes and everything happens the way you want it to, but it takes a deeper faith when God says no. The moment I read those words, I wanted that kind of faith.

I should know by now to be careful what I wish for. In order to develop a faith strong enough for God to say no, I have to let Him say no. And that’s not easy. Sometimes I think that is about the only word I sometimes hear from God: no. In big things like not moving so much, to little things like finding a lost phone. I have asked…and not received. After a while, it weighs down on me and made me ask what is faith really?

I think we subconsciously view faith like this: if I have enough faith, God will do it. If I don’t, then it’s my own fault. And that has paralyzed me. I am a woman of little faith. Some people have the gift of faith. Not me. I have always been a logic, scientific kind of gal. I need to see it to believe it, figure it out, understand how it works, and then I will accept it.

So because of my natural inclinations, does that mean I will see less of God’s blessings? Because I don’t have enough faith?

Then it hit me: that kind of thinking is the same kind as hoping I am good enough for heaven. People who strive to be good enough for God always have a fear in the back of their mind, “Am I good enough?”

Same with faith. “Do I have enough faith?” And when a loved one dies, or the bank takes the house, or you lose your job after praying hard on your knees, you can’t help but think you didn’t have enough faith, so God didn’t provide.

But in the end, doesn’t that place everything on ourselves? That we need to first have faith, then God will work?

Perhaps our view of faith is wrong. It is not about what God does, but who He is. Because if our faith is set on what He does, then we are going to be disappointed. But if our faith is set on who He is, then we will be confident no matter what happens because we know that He is in control.

When He says no, we will not be shaken. We will believe He has a reason for saying no, a reason we may not see or understand (after all, if we truly understood everything God did, then He wouldn’t be much of a god, would He?).

I still have a ways to go in developing this kind of faith, a faith placed squarely on God. But I want it. And I will continue to pursue it.

How about you? Has God told you no before? How did you react? Was it hard? Did your faith grow from the experience?

Did this devotional help increase your faith? Leave a comment and share with a friend or save on social media.

Hope Lives Here.

Biblically Beautiful

Keep Standing

When God Says No

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