Diamonds

I’ve never met a diamond I didn’t like. From colorless, blue, red, canary, and now ‘chocolate,’ diamonds come in all colors. Some are more transparent than others.

Are any of them too big?

Ideally, diamonds are chemically pure, only made of carbon. They are formed through intense pressure and heat.

Most diamonds are flawed. Does that diminish their beauty?

Think about your body. 1 carat, 2 carat, square-cut or pear-shaped, figures come in all sizes and shapes. AND YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Our hearts are pure because of Jesus. We endure the pressure of life and now our facets reflect His light.

Feeling more like a collection of dead weight than a diamond? Know that you are not the total sum of your past, with painful and limiting memories.

“At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindess and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7.

If Jesus Christ is your Savior, you have this promise of a regenerating and renewing Holy Spirit. He will help you reshape your negative body image. He will help you remold burdensome memories into a past that doesn’t define who you are in the present.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

The renewal of your spirit can start by seeing everyone you encounter as lovely, inside and out. Even the most grouchy Christmas clerk at Toys-R-Us is a gem. Breathing a gentle, kind word into someone’s life, especially someone who radiates the opposite, is healing and comforting, not only to THEM but to YOU.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven,” Matthew 5:13.

After awhile, you are no longer willing your beautiful attitude to exist, it’s a part of you. You can start to see yourself as a diamond…uniquely compressed through the trials of life, with a flaw or two, but beautiful on the inside and out. God wants us to see ourselves, not with haughtiness or vanity, but with humility and awe at His wonderful creation (Psalm 139:13-14). Through the days to come you may be overcome with gratefulness as you witness your regeneration.

As we accept our diamond ‘status’, we can grow in confidence. Confidence comes from knowing, “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and putting it into action!

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline,” 2 Timothy 1:7.

My Prayer for You, Beautiful Readers

“Dear Heavenly Father, I pray this lovely person reading is filled with your love and growing in confidence. May they see themselves as YOU see them. A beautiful diamond, no matter their shape, their size or their background. We all have the ability to be regenerated and renewed through your Holy Spirit. I’m so grateful it’s not a one time action, but a daily one! May we be released from the past pain and realize the great potential we have as your children. THANK YOU for Jesus and his ultimate sacrifice so that we can know boundless, eternal love and come near to YOU dear God, with confidence. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.”

Practical Tools

Ask God to point these things out as you encounter them daily (Phil. 4:8)…

Truth

Nobility

Purity

Loveliness

Admirable traits

Praiseworthiness

If negative body image is nagging you, disengage from the media as much as you can. This can help break the cultural ideals of unrealistic body types.

What kind of diamond are you?