Hello Friends!
I am doing something new on the blog this week! I am going to be sharing my book notes from a book that was gifted to me by a dear fiend. The book is titled "Look At You Girl" by Caitlin Zick. The book is separated into 7 chapters and each chapter is intended to be read on each day of the week. The goal of the book is to help you see yourself the way God does.
I am not gonna lie...I am not much of a reader, I never have been. However, the thought of reading this book in a structured way with a friend seems so much less daunting and more manageable. Plus, writing daily notes about it will help me refract and soak up what I am reading. I will place a link to the book below! (Ps: I know you aren't supposed to a judge a book by its cover, but this cover is supper cute!)
Social Media Reality Check:
Just two short pages into the first chapter and Zick hit me with a reality check regarding social media. She described how we have begun to judge ourselves based on the number of followers that we have... when in reality that value system is simply NOT REAL! I am so so guilty of this, I constantly place value on people based on how many followers they have and I personally feel defeated whenever my followers begin to drop. I know this is a sin that I have confessed to friends and now to you that I need to snap out of it' But lets be honest, it is so much easier said then done. Zick went on to explain how we are "no more or less valuable weather we have 232 followers or 232K followers" (p.15). Well aint that the truth!
After I read that I knew it was so so so undeniably true, however, I struggled to come up with a paradigm shift on how I view social media and the value I place on followers and likes.
Influencer Tangent:
Culture tells us that people with millions of followers have more influence, thus, we think of them as more valuable. As a result, many ordinary people strive to achieve this goal of being an "influencer" to feel famous and valued. I think this in of itself isn't bad but the way that it warps our understanding of individual's value is not okay. Full disclosure, If I look at a gorgeous girls Instagram page with only 200 followers I instantly think less of her. And after reading this section of the book I am going to strive to reverse this way of thinking by being very self aware and cauntious of this way of thinking.
Who Told You?
I was feeling pretty helpless with my way of thinking surrounding social media until Zick provided a great way to combat the Devils lies! She described how after Eve ate the forbidden fruit in Genesis she was afraid of being Naked, and God replied "WHO TOLD YOU you were naked? Genesis 3:9-11. She then stresses to ask yourself "Who Told You?" whenever you feel lies creeping in to your head. Zick explains that "recognizing the lie and the source of it is key"(p. 20). I know that I need to let go of a ton of lies that swirl around me in order to fully live a transformed life. I know that if I want to wlak in freedom it starts with realizing who I am in Christ jesus and knowing what his Word says about me and others so that when I hear the lies creep in I will know that it is not of Christ.
I want to challenge you to ask yourself "Who Told You" the next time you begin to believe the lies of the devil about how you look, how valuable you are, or have you place value on others. Ask God to help you see yourself the way he does so that you can begin to fully walk in grace and love.
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