July 2, 2016
#NOFILTER
It’s interesting how you can take a picture of anything and then throw a filter on it to make it look like our burritos were made by angels in heaven.
I saw a video on YouTube of a girl doing a makeup tutorial and she was good! She literally transformed herself into a completely different person before my very eyes.
It’s ironic how we live in such a health conscious society where we preach that we want organic and nothing artificial, and yet when it comes to who we are as people we do all we can to “artificially sweeten” our appearance daily.
Our pictures on Instagram make our lives look so glamorous, but are they telling the real stories, or are they filtering out more than just the blemishes and imperfections?
We think that the filters make us look good, and in reality they filter out the truth. You can manipulate an image all day long, but the scars, the belly fat, and the dark circles under our eyes are still there.
I’m not saying makeup is wrong or that using filters on photos is from the devil. I just notice that we as a society have placed an unrealistic demand on ourselves to always look our best. It feels like if we show a blemish, flaw, or wrinkle we are a hideous beast that should be removed from society.
The pressure to present ourselves as being on point 24/7 is impossible. So, we invented filters to help us keep up with the demands. Sadly there are many problems with this filtered way of living.
Over time we begin to see ourselves as those filtered images we post. With every filter and cover up we lose more and more of our original image.
This selfie culture has made a huge impact on us, but has it made us better? I’m not hating on anyone who snaps a shot of them enjoying life. I take a selfie now and again, especially when doing something fun or crazy.
However, I do believe we are experiencing “artificial living” in our culture today. I’m not just talking about pictures and makeup. I talking about the filters we put on our souls.
It’s tragic that we cannot honestly express who we are or how we feel without being nervous that we will let someone down if they really saw the true us.
“I don’t want people to see me sad, or in pain. I don’t want others to know my insecurities and anxieties. I don’t want people to know what I really enjoy in life, I can’t let them see me happy because they might hate it or hate me…so I will filter myself and mask who I am”
Psalm 139:14 says “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well”
The context of this verse is the amazing nature of our physical bodies. Our bodies are the most complex and unique organism in the world, and that complexity and uniqueness screams epic volumes about the mind of its Creator.
Every aspect of the body, down to the tiniest microscopic cell, reveals that it is fearfully and wonderfully made.
Without a doubt we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Think about that the next time you feel the pressure to hide that thing you think is a blemish or a flaw.
Not everything in life needs an X-Pro II or Valencia filter. You were created by a God who is absolutely crazy in love with you, inside and out! #nofilter