By: Chris V Sometimes, we girls don't feel beautiful. We take one look at the mirror and think "Wow. My nose is so big. I wish it looked like that model's on the front cover of Teen Vogue." or "I can't believe my eyebrows look like that!". (I'm definintley guilty of thinking one or two- no, make that more than I can count- of thoughts like that.) Not only does this way of thinking and comparision hurt God (you're basically telling Him (the Creator) He made you (His creation) wrong! Check out Isaiah 64:8.), this way of thinking also opens up door after door of lies about your beauty and worth that Satan so desperately wants you to believe. Thankfully, God put verses in the Bible about our beauty and worth in His eyes. (I highly encourage you to memorize some of these verses!) And you know what? These verses about your beauty and worth are true because God declared it! Are you ready to see some of these verses? Check out five of them below! 1. Psalm 139:14 "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well". 2. Song of Solomon 4:7"You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you". 3. Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them". 4. Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end". 5. 1 Peter 3:4 "...but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious". Girl, You're BEAUTIFUL! You are God's beautiful creation He designed you to be. He already made you beautiful; us girls got this outward beauty part already nailed! I think the Apostle Peter already knew that when he wrote 1 Peter 3:3-4: "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious". Instead of fretting about our outward beauty (e.g. our hair, nails, makeup), we should be focused on our inward beauty (becoming Christlike), which is immensely beautiful (more beautiful than our outward looks!) and very precious in God's eyes. First Samuel 16:7 tells us "...For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart". Inward beauty is something that will last for eternity, while external beauty will just fade away. Working on our inward beauty instead of our outer beauty stores up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). Now, I'm not saying you can't take the time to have/wear nice, modest clothes, do our makeup, and brush our hair. However, we shouldn't let these things take over our time, mind, and hearts- we shouldn't make an idol out of beauty (Exodus 20:3-4)! Instead, we should keep these things to a minimum, and use that extra time that we will have to work on becoming more Christlike. So, what are some ways we can work on our inward beauty instead of our outward beauty? A few ideas are:
"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is worth to be praised" - Proverbs 31:30 I'd love to hear from you! What are your favorite verses about beauty and your worth in Christ? Tell me in the comments below!
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By: Chris V It's been two month into the new year! If you're like me, chances are you have already put together a mile-long reading list. Maybe it's even your New Year's resolution to spend less time on technology and/or read more books! This post it going to talk about four Christian books that I have read throughout the past year, and these books are absolutely MUSTS to your 2021 reading list. Real quick before we get started: I just want to remind you that you don't have to spend a lot of money on books. You can look for books at the library, at Goodwill, and on secondhand book sites like Thriftbooks. Save your money! Okay, here's for books that NEED to be on your 2021 reading list! 1. Girl Defined by Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird I absolutely love this book! Kristen and Bethany discuss what it looks like to live your life in biblical womanhood. This is something that is sometimes hard to identify when we look to our culture (which, by the way, tends to shame and do the exact opposite of what the Bible says)to identify how to live in womanhood! Kristen and Bethany paint a clear picture using passages from the Bible that help identify what God-honoring, biblical womanhood looks like. Please add this book to your reading list! 2. Jesus Over Everything By Lisa Whittle I'm going to be honest here: sometimes, it's hard to hand Jesus the keys to your life and trust in Him to drive it. (I should know- I've struggled so much with the sin of trying to control my life instead of living it the way God want me to!) This book was very eye-opening for me because it helped me identify different areas of my life- areas I've never even thought about!- where I was sinfully taking control of my life instead of trusting God and letting him be in control. 3. you're not enough (and that's okay) by Allie Beth Stuckey This book is a book where you definitely need to buckle your seat-belt before you start reading. Allie Beth Stuckey tackles the topic of self-love in our culture, and gives different myths (a.k.a. lies) that the self- love culture may tell you. Like Jesus Over Everything, this book was also very eyeopening. I realized there were several lies I was believing (ex: I'm entitled to what I want and desire in my life) that snuck into my life; lies that were labeled "normal" and typical for a teen girl. DON'T FALL FOR THAT! This book is such a good read, I have no idea what else to say about it other than READ IT!!! 4. You Can Trust God to Write Your Story by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Robert Wolgemuth This book is such an encouragement after seeing all the sin and chaos in our world constantly. In You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, Nancy Demoss and Robert Wolgemuth share real life stories in different circumstances, and even shared a few stories from the Bible. What do these stories throughout the book have in common? They all share the same message: you can trust God and His providence in your life every single day in every single circumstance. After pulling out of a year like 2020 and heading into a future of unknown waters, this is definitely a book to read in 2021! A Gospel- Centered Message A few weeks ago, I was talking to a friend of mine about solid Christian books. One thing that stuck out to me about the conversation was that she was sad to see so many "Christian" books in stores that preach things that weren't Christ-centered: the prosperity gospel, positive thinking, self love, you name it! I think one of my absolute favorite things about the four books listed above is that they are all gospel-centered. They all clearly preach what Christ has done for us on the cross, what it means to turn your life over to Christ and become a Christian, and learning how to grow closer to Christ in your daily walk with him. I highly encourage you to take the time to read the four books above. Who knows? They may be a huge encouragement in your daily walk with Christ!
I'd love to hear from you! What are some of your favorite Christian books to read? Tell me in the comments below! |
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