It suffocates me– the pressure to be perfect.

The numbers on the scale lunge out to vandalize my confidence. Society whispers its expectations into my ear. The twisted culture of the world nags at me to strive for a form of counterfeit perfection. My thighs could use some airbrushing. My sides need the help of a computer. The blemishes on my face have to cease to exist in order for me to be accepted.

In this world, beauty is defined by how many ribs you can count. Don’t eat too much or you’ll grow into an ugly creature. Go make yourself throw up; maybe then you’ll be pretty.

“Lose up to 10 pounds in two weeks!”

They say this as if beauty stops once you hit a certain number.

I open the book to find my resolution to this web of self-doubt, which entangles me. This is the force that allows me to believe in the appreciation of inner beauty. I flip through the pages until I reach my destination.

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

The relief resonates through my heart. I hold fast to the promises His Word, the Bible, brings to me. In God’s arms, I am no longer held captive to the labels society throws at me. I am set free. I am me.