Hey Clan!
Recently, I had the privilege of reading Tina Yeager’s Beautiful Warrior: Finding Victory Over the Lies Formed Against You.
As one who struggles with self-hate, this book spoke to the deeper parts of me. The parts I hide from others. It hit the mark, piercing to the truth that no matter how distorted my view, God sees me as something radically different. He sees each of us as His unique, and beautiful masterpieces.
As warrior sisters in Christ, we each face spiritual warfare. Most often, those battles are waged in our hearts and minds.
The War Within
For as long as I can recall, insecurity and anxiety were constant companions. Using surgical precision, they needled me with the fear I could never do right, and was never enough.
It covered the range, from limitations of physical beauty, to personal inability, and a lack of self-worth.
Basically, it was the classic comparison trap. I’d learned to let a distorted world view, coupled with the critiques of others (whether meant as direct attacks, or simply inadvertent comments) teach me how to perceive myself.
Chapter 2: Front Lines of the War Within, offered the greatest resonance. Like Tina, I believed in Christ…had a foundation in His Word. But I rooted my identity outside of Him.
Tina hit the proverbial nail when she said:
I had yet to learn that only the Creator can define purpose, and no human being can assess another’s value. Nor her own. “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” (Romans 9:20–21).
Even today, with that head knowledge firm in place, my heart struggles with self-enmity. This quote from Beautiful Warrior puts it aptly:
Self-enmity plagues the human experience. Too often we gaze with disgust at a distorted reflection of our identity. The struggle with our value takes place as deception fogs our view. We are now blind, and no battle can be won without the ability to see. Once able to see, we will stop fighting ourselves.
The war within serves a fog in battle. The enemy of our souls uses it to cloud our view, making us ineffectual in the ultimate spiritual fight.
It’s easy to turn upon ourselves, or each other, with an obscured view. But what happens when the veil is lifted?
God Loves Us!
We must grasp this reality in order to be free of hate’s shroud. As mentioned in the book, healthy esteem begins with God’s love for us.
We cannot extend His love to others effectively unless we accept it and abide in it ourselves.
This is a daily process. Continually going to Scripture, and seeing what God says about us, from our creation, to His atoning sacrifice for us, is necessary in order to over-write the negative self-talk we ingrain in ourselves.
Consider reading passages like: Psalm 139:13-18; Matthew 10:29-31; John 3:16-17; 1 John 3:1-3; and 1 Corinthians 13.
So as a woman, I am the mystery of God’s image wrapped in flesh—at once soulfully beautiful and fiercely strong. In femininity, I whisper life-giving beauty into the world like the breath of the Word in creation. As a supportive side to my husband, children, and siblings, I offer the Spirit’s wisdom as it is poured from God through me. I also roar like my Father, protective of the breath of my family’s life against a prowling enemy.
We are fearfully, and wonderfully made in the image of God. He perfects our imperfections, and girds us in robes of righteousness. All this, because He wants to be united with us for eternity, and equip us to share that desire with others, so they might know Him as well.
So it comes down to this…
Do you know your identity in Christ?
Are you equipped to face the war within?
If not, then it’s time to discover these truths for yourself!
You can buy Beautiful Warrior at New Hope Publishers, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
Author, speaker, licensed counselor, and life coach, Tina Yeager has won over twenty-eight writing awards. She is passionate about guiding people across the threshold of healing to access life’s potential and has over twenty years of teaching experience. Tina is the publisher of Inkspirations Online, a writers’ devotional and mentors four chapters of Word Weavers International. Her book, Beautiful Warrior, helps women overcome poor self-image by finding their identity in Christ. To connect with Tina, visit tinayeager.com.
