Ex-Victoria’s Secret model leaves career to follow Jesus, says no girl should go into modeling

Nicole Weider, a former Victoria's Secret model, told the Christian Post that she left her modeling career behind to follow Jesus.

Now she's explaining why she doesn't believe young girls should enter the modeling industry at all.

What are the details?

The Christian Post reported that Weider, who is the founder of a positive online community for teenage girls called Project Inspired, also wrote a Change.org petition calling to raise the awareness of dangers posed by women's magazine, Cosmopolitan, which often features charged sexual content directed at teens.

Walmart decided to remove the magazine from the checkout aisles of at least 5,000 stores and implemented a policy requiring that the magazine be sold to those consumers age 18 years and older, according to the outlet.

In an interview with the outlet, Weider said that she left the modeling industry after feeling "degraded" and that "perfect" was never perfect enough.

"Being judged only on my appearance was hurting my self-esteem," she explained. "I rediscovered my faith that I had as a little girl, and it changed my life because I was passionate about using my gifts for God instead of the empty modeling industry."

What advice did she have for young women?

Weider also had advice for young women growing up in today's society.

"[T]hey are beautiful just the way God made them," she said, and cautioned young women "[t]o not get caught up in the comparison trap. It is too easy on social media to feel like you need to compare yourself to other people."

"What I do often is, I just make a post about Jesus, and many times I just sign out and not scroll through a lot," she added, stressing the importance "[t]o remember that we all have different callings for our lives."

"We are all uniquely made and equal," Weider explained. "My most important advice is to focus on the character of our heart, because that is what matters most to God."

The former model also went on to caution young women away from striving to be a part of the modeling industry.

"I don't recommend modeling as a profession to any young woman. No matter how beautiful the person is. It's just not worth it to be judged only on how you look," she explained. "However, pursuing music, acting or other elements of the industry can definitely be fulfilling if their passion is always focused on what the Lord wants and making choices that are going to honor God. It is possible to be a part of storytelling and movies, and I believe God gave us unique and creative gifts for a purpose."

What was her final message?

Weider concluded her interview with a strong message for the outlet's readers.

"My main message is this: Jesus loves you and He has a wonderful plan for your life," she said.

"When I was doing things my way I was always trying and striving but nothing was working. It was only when I let go and [l]et God (I love that phrase) that my life completely changed for the better, because I made choices that honored Him and gave Him glory," she explained.

"The second thing is to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself," she concluded. "Jesus said those are the most important commandments and I try to live by them every day."