Being a Woman - Who Does Not Conform

I was shocked at how it made me feel! I went from being a perfectly content brunette to wanting to be a blond! Within five minutes I went from feeling good about myself to feeling completely dissatisfied with my physical appearance. I couldn’t believe what an affect it had on me and if that is how it affected me, someone who is quite OK with my physical appearance, then how much more would it have affected an insecure person! 

That is effective advertising and marketing for you. It’s a multi-billion pound industry dedicated to making you feel bad about yourself so that you buy their products or services. Have you ever read a magazine and felt better as a person or encouraged about who you are? Have you ever watched a movie or advert and felt better about your life! I doubt it very much. You see advertising and marketing strategy is to get us to conform. They make us believe that we are not happy without ourselves and our life and so we must conform to what they say is acceptable. The best revenge we can take is to NOT conform to the things of this world. It’s not an entirely revolutionary idea, it has been around for thousands of years already. Read what the Bible has to say about conforming.

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

1 Peter 1:14-16

as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

So how do we be holy? By not conforming! That is how powerful not conforming is. Now of course this applies to all sorts of things in our lives and we should be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is pointing out to you specifically. I, however, want to zone in specifically on being a woman who does not conform to what the world says we should look like. I say this because I meet far too many women who are unhappy with their physical appearance. You would be shocked if I showed you a photo of them. They are beautiful women, really beautiful but all that they can see if their one flaw rather than all their positive features. 

It is simply ridiculous and girls we need to get revenge as the enemy has taken quite a bit of ground in this area. Take a stand against this lie and start to renew your mind so that you can prove the perfect will of God. I have compiled a list of verses with my own thoughts about them. Please join me in reading one of them daily and spend the day thinking about it, say it out loud several times, if necessary go to the mirror and look at yourself and say it out loud. Transform what you believe about yourself by renewing your mind with the truth! Life will be so much more enjoyable once you find freedom from conforming to the world. 

Girls, get angry with me about this! Stop reading glossy magazines and clothing shop catalogues unless you are strong enough to not conform. Observe how you feel when you read these things, when you see billboard advertising with a pretty girl and when you watch movies. Take note of how you feel afterwards.

Step 1 – Don’t compare, ‘they’ are not real they are ‘Photoshopped’ or ‘edited’ in some way. What you see is not attainable for any woman alive, at all, EVER. It’s like comparing and apple to a steak – there is no comparison so don’t compare yourself to a women you see on TV or in a magazine.

Step 2 – Don’t believe, the message the media is sending you is a lie. The Bible contains the truth about who you are. Billions is poured into the advertising industry to make you believe, which is why it is so convincing. We are already quite brainwashed by it all so start to your part and stop believing the lie.

Step 3 – Don’t lust, after all, wanting something that is not yours to have is a form of lust. God clearly says that He will take care of our food and clothing needs . Trust Him and see how He will give you the desires of your heart , which will make you more beautiful than ever before.

Step 4 – Don’t conform, you will lose if you try to conform because it is not God’s will for you. Rather, be transformed! That is the best sort of change and it’s permanent. Conforming is an ongoing thing that requires lots of effort, energy and money. Transformation is something God does and although it requires a bit of effort initially, once you are transformed you will never be the same again.

Here are some Bible verses to get you started but do some searching and add your own to the list:

You are not a mistake, you were chosen

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4a

You are pure and Holy

That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Ephesians 1:4b

You are no accident, you were specifically designed

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Psalm 139:14

You are VERY beautiful to God

So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Psalm 45:11

You are loved

We love Him because He first loved us. 1John 4:19

You are free

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John8:32

You are the apple of His eye

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Psalm 17:8

The Being a Woman book and worksheets are available here. 

See yourself the way He sees you...

PS... Based on this post I would like to look into starting a magazine that makes women feel good after reading it! It will start as an online magazine and hopefully one day go to print, if you are interested in exploring this with me please get in touch.