Photoshop Devotional - a Five-Day Devotional Inspired by "Photoshop" From Leanna CrawfordSample

Day 1 - Edit

Edit - to correct a photo, reshape, crop, or color. 

It always happens when I’m least expecting it; I can’t explain why but some mornings I just wake up feeling kind of, meh. I look in the mirror and truly cannot find one feature that I like about myself. My hair isn’t right; I have bags under my eyes, and my skin is breaking out. I could stand there and point to so many things that I think are wrong with my appearance. And then I get so stuck on my outward features that it hinders me from really experiencing the day.

But, what if in that same moment that I look in the mirror, ready to criticize my appearance, instead, I choose to edit my attitude? How different would I be if I spent more time working on my character than I spent worrying over my skin? My day would be a lot less about me and more about how I treat others. My day would be spent looking beyond my outward appearance and working on being more like Jesus on the inside. When I’m able to look beyond myself, regardless of how bad my hair day is or how bad my skin is breaking out, I’m the best and most confident version of me. 

My mom always said that beauty comes from the inside. I didn’t believe her for the longest time until I had this crush in high school. I thought he was so cute, but the more I got to know him, the less attractive he became to me. Nothing changed on the outside. He didn’t dye his hair or anything crazy like that; yet, after seeing the way he treated others, the less I was drawn to him as a person. What my crush didn’t know yet in his high school years was that being attractive was less about having a perfect jawline and piercing eyes. It was more about being kind to people and loving everyone to the best of your ability. Jesus didn’t treat people differently based on status; He loved everyone the same. And the most beautiful version of ourselves would be when we are most like Him. 

Jesus wants to edit our hearts. He cares more about us being beautiful on the inside, filled with things like kindness, love, and joy than He cares about what color we dye our hair. Hear me say, makeup can be a great thing, and being stylish is not wrong. These things are fun and can be a reflection of who we are on the inside. Still, don’t ever let those outward things or your physical appearance affect who you were created to be. Don’t let your bad hair days ruin your week. You can be the most confident version of yourself because Jesus, the most perfect and kind person in the whole world, chooses you—every single day. 

Talk It Over: 

1. Think of the most beautiful person you know and list your favorite things about that person. I almost guarantee the things you love most about that person will be more based on character qualities rather than physical qualities. 
2. Ask God to search your heart and begin to edit areas of your life to be the most beautiful inside and out version of yourself.