Christian Challenge: No Mirror for a Week! By PI Girl Jessinia

Christian Challenge: No Mirror for a Week! By PI Girl Jessinia

Written by Contributing Blogger
PI Contributor

posted on January 3, 2012 at 10:52 am

TAGS: Articles by Project Inspired Fans, Female Empowerment, Fun, Makeup, Prayer, Try This

Challenge: No mirror for a week (less about appearance, more about God).

I was inspired by Kjerstin Gruys, who vowed to not look in the mirror for a year. Six of those months led up to her wedding day! Read her blog here.

Women look in the mirror an average of 70 times per day! Our world is becoming obsessed with appearance, myself included. Though I dress modestly and don’t wear a ton of makeup, I still care about my appearance, as every woman does–it’s in our nature. It started with Eve in the beginning of time:

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate (Genesis 3:6).

Eve saw that the fruit looked good; the appearance was beautiful. It’s natural to worry and focus on appearance because that’s how our sin began. God made us beautiful but wants us to focus on Him and not worry about how we look.

So I decided not to look in the mirror for a week. It wasn’t very long, but it was a challenge. My aim in the beginning was to bring me closer to God.

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

During the week, compliments I received on my appearance were even more of a confidence boost than before. I’ll admit that I was paranoid the first couple of days because I couldn’t make sure my outfits were just right or that my hair looked okay. But eventually, I didn’t care about every detail of my appearance. It was liberating not to worry about how I looked.

I encourage you to try this! It definitely is worthwhile and will give you an amazing sense of confidence. I already find myself looking in the mirror less. You can make up your own rules to be more or less strict; here are some rules and tips to get you started:

1.) Before you start, take down mirrors in your room and ask your parents if you can remove mirrors from your house. If it’s not possible to remove them from the wall, you can put a sheet or towel over them.

2.) Reflective surfaces do “count,” so don’t look in windows, glass, or phones.

A note on this: I kept seeing my reflection everywhere! The best thing to do if this happens is simply to look away.

3.) You should look in the mirrors while driving so you don’t crash, but make sure you aren’t looking at yourself.

4.) If video chatting, turn off the part to see yourself. Make sure you know how to do this ahead of time.

5.) Avoid looking at pictures of yourself during this time. It’s hard not to see pictures if you’re on Facebook or around your home, but try your best because you may start criticizing your looks otherwise.

6.) You can ask others to make sure you don’t have anything in your teeth or anything that may cause embarrassment, but don’t ask about every little detail. You are beautiful and shouldn’t worry.

7.) Wear minimal makeup and apply it without looking. I suggest practicing beforehand. Eyeliner may not be a good idea–you don’t want to end up poking your eye while applying it. The best thing to do is just put on foundation. I ended up not wearing makeup for the majority of the days.

8.) Focus your time on God and read your Bible. This is a perfect time to start devotions on appearance or confidence. There’s a great one on the YouVersion Bible app for your phone.

9.) Pray! This is very important. You should tell God about this challenge and ask for His help and guidance.

10.) You don’t need to tell everyone. I would keep this between God and your family and closest friends if you must. It’s a personal journey and doesn’t need to be announced.

I’m going to start a topic in Girl Talk under Real Beauty. Here PI girls can support each other and I’ll be able to answer any questions you have about this challenge! This is truly a great experience and I assure you it is worthwhile!

Written by Jessinia Ruff

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