I’m so excited to welcome Rachael Adams to Threshold today as part of my series Beyond the Labels, where we’re exploring the parts of our stories that don’t fit neatly into the boxes or labels the world gives us.
Rachael is the author of A Little Goes a Long Way and Everyday Prayers for Love, and her writing beautifully reflects her heart for helping women recognize God’s love and purpose in the ordinary moments of life.
She’s been featured on Good Morning America, Proverbs 31, and Crosswalk, and she hosts The Love Offering podcast, where she encourages listeners to make small, intentional acts of love that point others to Jesus.
Rachael lives in Kentucky with her husband, Bryan, and their two kids, Will and Kate. I’ve been so encouraged by her words and her gentle wisdom, and I know you will be too. You can connect with her at rachaelkadams.com or find her on Instagram @rachaeladamsauthor.
I hope you enjoy her words as much as I do.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. -Ephesians 2:10
Our two children were toddlers then, and we were enjoying a summer day at the community pool. In the midst of applying sunscreen and adjusting swimmies, an acquaintance approached me. After exchanging pleasantries, she said, “I didn’t know you were expecting again.” This comment would have been acceptable if I was pregnant with my third child; however, I was NOT. Obviously, I was still hanging on to the weight from my previous pregnancies.
This brief interaction left me overheated despite the cooling effects of the pool. I let one person’s one-minute comment ruin an entire 24-hour period. That evening, I rehashed the conversation with my husband. The next morning, I found Ephesians 2:10 written on an index card taped to my bathroom mirror. Bryan had personalized the verse for me: Rachael, you are God’s workmanship, and what a beautiful work He has created. My husband’s words were a desperately needed reminder of my inherent worth to him and to God.
Though it is not nearly as crisp and white as it once was, that index card is still taped to my bathroom mirror. I see it every day as I look at my reflection. Some days, like that summer day a decade ago, I need the verse to encourage my heart regarding my physical appearance—especially as my hair begins to gray and my smile lines become more pronounced. But more often than not, I need the verse emotionally and spiritually.
You see, just like I allowed that woman’s comment (that I’m still hanging on to and writing about a decade later) to stir up comparison, guilt, insecurity, and shame about my body, I do the same thing when it comes to my personality traits and talents (or lack thereof). I’m not like the Evil Queen in Snow White who is under any pretense of thinking I’m the fairest of them all. I don’t always look in the mirror and admire who or what I see. Because I know how often I fall short and how unloveable I really am. So how do we love our neighbor as ourselves, as God commands, when we don’t even love ourselves?
Self-love isn’t what I’m referring to here. Self-love is being focused more on yourself than on God. While we want to keep our gaze on the Lord, we also do not want to have a skewed, unhealthy perspective of ourselves. I’m afraid some of us fail to not only love ourselves, we don’t even like ourselves. There can be a healthy balance between egotistical love and self-disdain.
Here’s where I hope to change that line of thinking. Genesis 1:27 says, “We are created in God’s image.” That means we are a reflection of Him. So when we do not love ourselves, are we saying we do not love God, since we are His image bearers?
Knowing that we share many of His characteristics provides us with a solid basis for our self-worth. Our significance is not based on possessions, achievements, public acclaim, or physical attractiveness (even in a bathing suit). Because we bear His likeness, we can feel positive about ourselves. Criticizing ourselves is devaluing what God has made and the abilities He has given us.
Since the beginning, when God looked upon all He had created, He said it was very good (Genesis 1:31). You, too, are a part of God’s creation. He is pleased with how He formed you. He created your innermost being and knit you together in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13). You are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).
If at times you feel down on yourself and of little value, remember God intentionally created you for His purposes. You should have as much respect for yourself as God has for you. I know it’s hard to love yourself sometimes, I empathize. I wish I could give you an index card with a personalized version of Ephesians 2:10 and it would cover the distorted reflection you’ve been seeing in your proverbial mirror. While I can’t give you a card, I hope you can receive these words in your heart and mind: You are God’s workmanship, and what a beautiful work He has created.
Thank you again, Rachael, for sharing your words with us here! I hope Rachael's words remind you that God is present in the smallest moments, and that His love is never dependent on how others see us — or how we see ourselves. This is part of my ongoing series Beyond the Labels, where I'm sharing stories from women who are learning to embrace the fullness of who God has created them to be. Drop a comment to thank Rachael for her contribution!
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