Have we ever been more self-conscious? It's almost impossible to log onto any form of social media and not see a selfie cropped or filtered to cast its author in the best possible light, complete with clever catchphrase captions and hashtags. It's a worrying trend that so many people attribute their worth to how othes perceive their external life and physical form. Especially when that physical form took hours to "perfect".
But in the midst of all this selfie madness, have we been guilty of neglecting the beauty of imperfection? A recent spate of backlashes against overzealous photoshopping by magazines caused famous female celebrities like Lena Dunham and Kerry Washington to call out publishers who drastically altered their images. But a lot of the time we play the role of the overzealous graphic designers in our own lives.
As Christians, we're wonderfully made by a glorious creator but our actions can sometimes suggest that we don't think God got it quite right with us. Whether it's applying a filter to appear "more flattering", or hiding the reality of our day by omitting the challenges and emphasising the envy inducing content, we're effectively saying that our lives and our bodies are in need of an edit.
So what can we do to ditch the self-imposed filter and "get real" with the people in our lives?
Tell someone about your day – the good, the bad and the ugly
Chances are you're not the only one who's had a bad day. Being open about the challenges you've faced won't just help you to come to terms with it and move on, it could also be the sign someone else needs to be honest about their own struggles. You don't need to moan about every single thing all of the time but make sure you don't constantly censor yourself either.
Go make-up free
A few years ago make-up free selfies were so uncommon that they became a fundraising phenomenon for charities. Fast forward to present day and dating website Match.com comes under fire after one of its ads implied that freckles were an imperfection. It seems that our society is starting to shift the parameters of what's considered beautiful for the better. Why not show your solidarity for the movement by uploading a natural selfie or braving the bare faced look offline. By doing so you can also make a declaration that you believe God made you beautiful, just the way you are.
Forget the filter
Professional photographers and amateur Instagram users will both be familiar with the filter function, when applied to photos they serve to enhance and manipulate the image. Sometimes we can find ourselves applying a metaphorical filter to ourselves when we interact with other people. Although it's important that we're mindful about what we say, being honest about who we are, what we believe in and what we look like is one step in the journey to accepting ourselves and having others accept our authentic self.
Throw away the rose-tinted glasses
Learn to love the faults in others and accept them warts and all, and you will probably find yourself feeling more at peace with your own faults. We are a fallen creation; it's tiring and dishonest to think otherwise. But the Bible tells us love covers over a multitude of sins. It's funny how we tend to find people beautiful according to how much we love them. Mother's insist their babies are the most beautiful, we love our friends not because they're gorgeous but because they're funny, witty and great company. So let's do away with judgementalism and see each other - and ourselves - through the lens of love.
