Welcome, welcome, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here!! Because I’m excited to share that there will be a new hashtag floating around here. And it would be a complete disservice if I didn’t explain the meaning behind it! Let’s jump in, shall we?

Creation of the Hashtag

Before I dive into its meaning, I have to say that it has taken me a solid 7 months to discover what hashtag I wanted to associate with the Hanha Hobson brand.

Originally, I thought #TheConfessionsProject would be the hashtag, but it turned out that this hashtag was only associated with the movement itself. Plain and simple, people weren’t using it. Not to mention, I created this hashtag when my following was much smaller than it is now.

So back to the drawing board.

I prayed and prayed that I would be able to find something that would fit my brand. I wanted it to be catchy, simple, and meaningful at the same time. But it wasn’t until I was at a medical school interview in December 2017 that I heard it for the first time. I randomly asked my mom to share some wisdom with my followers on Instagram, and that’s when the famous words came out: be pretty, live life.

My mom may have said it in a jovial way, but her words stuck with me. I honestly didn’t consider it to be a hashtag until we were sitting at our kitchen table 2 weeks later. I brought the words back up, to which my mom dove deeper into the meaning.

The Meaning of Be Pretty

On the Inside.

To be pretty means to position your heart and face it towards God. Seek Him and you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) because He is the true vine, and we are the branches (John 15:5).

It reminds me of 1 Peter 3:3-4 where it says,

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

Related: Where to find your Beauty

When you live to be pretty, it means that you focus on being content in all things. It means that you find full joy in Jesus Christ, and produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The best part? When you cleanse your heart and find beauty from within, it always portrays to the outside.

On the Outside.

I love the famous quote that says, “When you look good, you feel good.”

That means that you should put on a smile, dress your best, and hold your head high. You are a queen, a child of God, and there’s no reason why you should be walking around less than that. You are important. You matter, and how you hold yourself should reflect that.

Related: 4 Tips for Better Self-Confidence

As a Whole

If you really think about it, God loves pretty things. When we look around, His creation is beautiful. The breathtaking view of the sun when it rises and sets. The luscious sound of the ocean when the waves hit the shore. The mountains that leave you speechless when you see a panoramic view. The stars that twinkle in the sky. Seriously, the list could go on forever.

God loves to show off. He is an artist, an amazing Creator, and it’s awesome to know that we are a part of that creation too.

The meaning of Live Life

This leads me to the second part of the hashtag. Live Life. God doesn’t just stop showing off when it comes to the sky and the sea. He wants to show off in our lives as well. We are called to live our lives to its fullest potential. I mean why wouldn’t we when He died on the cross for our sins, and freed us from all guilt and shame?

God is bigger than all the dreams we can imagine, so I challenge you to be all you can be! You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13, and He can do immeasurably more all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

To live life means to take action and walk in purpose!

The Order

Initially I went back and forth between whether the order of the words should be Be Pretty, Live Life or Live Life, Be Pretty. But I realized that God is a God of order, and I wanted these words to reflect that too. I decided to go with #BePrettyLiveLife for the following reasons.

As I described, being pretty signifies the posture of your heart while living life signifies the action you take once you are humbled, healed, and whole. Think about it. Before God can do a work through you, He must do a work in you.

[bctt tweet=”Before God can do a work through you, He must do a work in you.” username=”heyhanha”]

I’m not saying that you need to be perfect. God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) and His love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8). There is no perfect person, and you’ve heard the saying – God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

But what I am saying is that we must first seek the Kingdom of God before we do His work. We must follow His greatest command which is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27) before we love our neighbors as ourselves. We cannot be so focused on us, this world, our work, or even our work for Him that we lose sight of Him in the process.

#BePrettyLiveLife From a Biblical Perspective

Think about how this works in life. It’s not healthy to take baggage into a new relationship. We must first seek healing. Or it is difficult to move into the next season of life when we haven’t processed the pain or hurt we encountered in the past. There are even stories in the Bible that reflect this theme as well.

For example, let’s look at Mark 2.

A group of friends are the epitome of the word loyal. Their friend is paralyzed and unable to walk, so they go to great lengths to find the only solution that they know will work, Jesus. Jesus was preaching in Capernaum and there was absolutely no room for anyone to get into the room OR the area outside the building. Talk about the ultimate overflow.

But the friends were determined. They carried their friend and literally committed an act of breaking and entering. They dug a hole in the roof and lowered their friend on a mat so that Jesus would heal Him. But surprisingly to them, Jesus says,

“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus Demonstrates #BePrettyLiveLife

Now if you were one the friends of the paralyzed man, I’m sure you would have either been confused or mad. You just went through the most to get your friend some help and all you hear is that his sins have been forgiven. Jesus eventually healed the paralyzed man, but He first wanted to heal him of his true need. The man needed a Savior. He needed to be healed from the inside before He could live in His purpose, before He could get up, take up His mat, and walk.

Jesus wanted to make the point that He had the power to forgive sins. He literally got to the heart of the matter, and He also does this with the woman caught in adultery (John 8). He says in verse 11,

“Then neither do I condemn you,”Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

He didn’t condemn her. Instead, He forgave her and loved her. Then He told her to go live her life. And I’m willing to bet all the money in my savings that He wants to do the same for you too. He wants to heal you of your sins, of your shame, of your hurt, and then give you the power to live your live for Him.

So in a nutshell: be pretty – live like Jesus, love like Jesus (Him, ourselves, and others); and live life – knowing that there’s freedom because of what He finished on the cross!

Next Steps

Now that you know what the hashtag is all about, use it on Instagram! Share your story and show me your life from the perspective of #BePrettyLiveLife. You never know, you may even be featured on my account too!