A while back, there was a popular song by Colbie Caillat called “Try”, and while the chorus is lacking depth, the lyrics are pretty true about the struggle of living in a busy, always look your best, put your game face on, comparing, overachieving culture.

“Put your make up on. Get your nails done. Curl your hair. Run the extra mile. Keep it slim.
So they like you. Do they like you?
Get your sexy on. Don’t be shy, girl, take it off. This is what you want, to belong.
So they like you. Do you like you?
You don’t have to try so hard. You don’t have to give it all away. You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up. You don’t have to change a single thing. You don’t have to try, try try…”

“Get your shopping on, at the mall. Max your credit cards. You don’t have to choose, buy it all.
So they like you. Do they like you?
Wait a second, why should you care what they think of you? When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like you? Do you like you?
You don’t have to try so hard. You don’t have to give it all away. You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up. You don’t have to change a single thing.”

“You don’t have to try so hard. You don’t have to bend until you break. You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up. You don’t have to change a single thing. You don’t have try, try, try…

Take your make up off. Let your hair down. Take a breath. Look into the mirror, at yourself.
Don’t you like you? Cause I like you.”

I think this song is a good reminder that I can’t do everything, I can’t be everything, I won’t always look fabulous, I won’t always feel good, I won’t always be fit, I won’t always have nice things. AND THAT’S OK.

God didn’t call us to have our life together. He didn’t call us to belong in this world so that others would like us. He actually said the opposite:

• “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.“ – John 15:18-19
• “Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.” – 1 Peter 2:11-12

He called us to follow Him on the good days and the bad days. He called us to be different from our “unbelieving neighbors”. He has equipped us with His love, so why don’t we love ourselves and why do we try so hard for others to like us? And if He loves us and He loves other people, why don’t we love other people well? Why do people feel alone, ugly, ashamed, judged, stressed, overwhelmed and scared? We should repeat the last lyric again: “Do you like you? Cause I like you.”