On G-d’s Easel

June 4, 2010 at 11:19 am · Filed under Lifestyle/Halachah, Reviews, Tuesday Night Study and tagged: 10 unchangeables, beauty, inward qualities, makeup, Marks of Ownership, mirror, Motivations, personal appearance, Principle of Design, servant spirit, unchangeables

by cndllighter

You’re standing in front of a mirror looking at yourself. Your mind is flooded with imperfections as you stare back. You have the power to change anything and everything with which you’re unhappy, unsatisfied. It is painless, immediate and efficient. Do you use this power?

Most people do not accept the way G-d made them – myself included. 😦 Every relationship in life will be affected by how we view ourselves. If we reject our design, it will be difficult to trust our designer. It makes us feel inferior and inadequate. We develop a balance: there is no good in the flesh (Romans 7:18), but we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), but we are made in the image of G-d (Genesis 1:27).

But, we still feel inferior. The reason? Because we are comparing ourselves to others. Comparison of things we can’t change. The Ten Unchangeables are:

1. Parents
2. Time in history
3. People groups
4. Race
5. Gender
6. Birth order
7. Number of siblings
8. Physical features
9. Mental abilities
10. Aging and death

Now I know you’re having trouble with number 7. And of course, number 8 shouldn’t be on the list for women nowadays. And what does 3 mean? Well just bear with me here. I didn’t come up with the Ten Unchangeables. The key is don’t compare yourself. Comparison = bad. Never compare appearance, aptitudes, parentage, or social status. It’s a recipe for disaster and dissatisfaction.

Outward beauty is not related to inward happiness. G-d sometimes sacrifices outward beauty for inward character. I love that thought!

I heard once that we should attach “new meaning” to “old scars.” Old scars? Those are the imperfections that you cannot change. Anything you’re dissatisfied with can be transformed with new meaning into Marks of Ownership. We are G-d’s possession – we are His children, marked specially to Him (1Corinthians 6:20). We use these Marks as Motivations to develop inward qualities. We can thank G-d for these Marks, and pray that they become signs of ownership in our eyes and others (Matthew 5:3-12). Lastly they can be a Means to be a better servant. (Mark 10:43-45)

Through self-acceptance we can thank G-d for the way He has made us so far, especially anything we are ungrateful for. G-d is not finished making us yet (contrary to popular belief). We are masterpieces on G-d’s easel, and every step we take to change our image through human power is us hopping off the easel and marring the image G-d has in mind. We need to put ourselves back on G-d’s easel because He isn’t finished, and purpose to cooperate in developing the inward qualities G-d has planned for His work of art. 🙂

With this in mind we come to a conclusion: G-d created everyone. G-d loves everyone. G-d created and loves me.

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