Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Today I am excited to share with you some very encouraging words from a friend in ministry, Dr. Linda Mintle. Linda is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in general clinical practice for over 20 years. She specializes in marriage and family therapy and eating disorders. Linda has played a key role in training our counselors and staff, and has provided resources that are used daily in our Mercy Ministries’ homes. She is the author of 15 books including Getting Unstuck, A Daughter’s Journey Home, and Making Peace with Your Thighs. I think you will really love what she has to share…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder by Dr. Linda Mintle

Do you struggle with liking your face or not feeling pretty enough? Well consider this. When Jesus walked this earth, his physical appearance would have garnered little attention in today’s culture. He’d be a candidate for an extreme makeover. We would prefer Jesus to have been described as tall, dark, and handsome, yet according to scripture there was nothing physically attractive about Him. He was looked down on and passed over. I wonder if this was so we wouldn’t make an idol out of His appearance and miss who He is—His true identity and His purpose for coming to earth. Jesus didn’t come as Adonis but Adonai. He did not draw crowds because He was drop-dead gorgeous. People were drawn to Him because of who He was—God’s only begotten Son. Son of God and Son of man. He announces over and over that He and the Father are one. In His mind, there is no question regarding His identity. And we share in this identity when we become one of His. To God, our faces are beautiful because they reflect His image. So when you struggle with feeling inferior based on your outward appearance, be reminded by Paul’s words “When I am weak or insecure, then I am strong because God’s power is working in me.” God uses imperfect faces to reflect the face of God. He uses our smile to show compassion and care. Through us, the radiance of God’s love can shine. What kind of an amazing God would do this? Only one that sees us as the object of His affection.

For more information about Dr. Linda Mintle you can go to her website at http://www.drlindahelps.com/ or you can visit her blog at http://drlindamintle.vox.com/. You can also look for her on ABC Family's daily television talk show, Living the Life, with Terry Meeuwsen and Louise Duart, where Dr. Linda appears regularly as the resident mental health expert. expert.