TRUTHFUL
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As a girls minister, self-esteem and body image are areas I see girls and women struggle with on a regular basis.  As I was preparing to write today’s post, I thought a lot about how the world chooses to battle those topics and how the church does. Unfortunately, if we’re not careful, we may be sounding a lot like the world when it comes to talking with our girls about their self-esteem and body image.

For example, the overwhelming way that I hear women talk with women about their value is to remind them that they are princesses, and girls and women eat it up! “Once upon a time…” Those words often cue girls of all ages to settle in for a fairy tale. Girls love a princess story!  If you don’t believe me, just think back to  all the news frenzy fascinated with the recent Royal wedding that just happened.  It may seem like a logical step and even appropriate to discuss our spiritual heritage as daughters of the King, but unfortunately we have allowed our mentoring with girls and women to become bedazzled with tiara talk so much that we’re losing the story of who we are in Christ.

We’ve concerned ourselves for so long regarding the  self-esteem of girls that we may have teeter-tottered the gospel story to cater to their needs by sharing with them that they are princesses of the King.  Unfortunately, this princess theology has taught girls to put a period at the end of that statement where there needs to be a comma.  Yes, they are daughters of The King, but that is only a snapshot of the story.  In fact at the very end of the story, we can read about the casting of crowns at the feet of our King. When we know who our King is we worship Him; not our entitlements, ourselves, or our worth.

Here are just a few passages that serve as an intentional infrastructure to build a spiritual heritage that leads girls to giving their life away in worship instead of the alternative message that moves them to focus on their entitlements as a princess in God’s story.

• 1 Corinthians 6:20   ( you are not your own. you were bought with a price)
• Colossians 3:3 (you died and your life is hidden with Christ)
• Phil. 1:6 (God will complete the good work He started in me)
• Ephesians 1:5 (I am adopted as His Child)
• Ephesians 2:10 (We are God’s workmanship created in christ Jesus to do good works…)
• Ephesians 2:19 (we are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household)
• Ephesians 3:12 (We may approach God with freedom and confidence)
• Ephesians 2:22 (I am a dwelling in which God lives)
• Gal. 2:20 (I am crucified with Christ)
• 2 Cor. 5:17 ( I am a new creation)
• Romans 8:2 (set free from sin)

How do the above verses help you understand more about who God is?

What above verses put into perspective the type of daughter/son we are called to be in His Kingdom?

How does that impact the way we view ourselves and live out our daily lives?

You’re homework today is to pray specifically for a young woman or girl you know in your life. Pray that her heart thirsts for a relationship with Him in such a way that she does not cheapen her identity but rather becomes rooted in His purposes for her life.

Amy-Jo Girardier is the Girls Minister and Student Missions Coordinator at Brentwood Baptist Church. She runs girlsminister.com, a website dedicated to girls ministry.