I want you to know that you are beautiful. You are made in the image of God, a natural beauty. Please don't let media, men or anybody else convince you otherwise. The world has distorted the true meaning of beautiful, and so often we fall into the trap of trying to make ourselves fit this new definition. Keep your body as a holy temple to God. Dress it in such a way so that it is not a hindrance to our fellow brothers in Christ, but most importantly so that it glorifies God.
Don't forget that your heart is to be guarded above all else. Give God control of your heart as he is the only one who will- without a doubt- keep it safe.
Don't let the small worries of life bring you down. No matter how hard you try, you will fail at times, you will have bad days and you won't be perfect. Forgive and forget. Don't let grudges hold you back from living life to the fullest. Forgive others, but don't also forget to forgive yourself.
Please keep in mind that the influences you have in your life today will be the same influences that shape and mold you into the person you will be in the future. Have a set of friends that you can lean on when times get rough. Be there to support and love each other, rather than judge each other. Most importantly, get involved in the Word of God. Get to know your wonderful Saviour rather than just hearing about him on a weekly basis.
These years are hard, but if you lean on God rather than your own understanding- you will not be disappointed. God has big plans for you-- let him reveal them to you rather than making your own-- his plans are always the best. I pray that you will live life the way that God intended and never look back.
Praying for you,
Bre
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Could you please clarify the line "Dress it in such a way so that it is not a hindrance to our fellow brothers in Christ"?
ReplyDeleteModesty is very important - though it is not our job to make sure that the Christian guys in our lives do not lust - often as women I think we could help them out a bit by dressing modestly. I do not mean though that if they do it's our fault.
DeleteBut I do think we could help them out a bit if that makes sense?
I agree with the rest of your letter, but I have a hard time with this one part. This statement harms both men and women. You clarified what you meant on the female side, about it not being our responsibility to ensure that men don't ogle women.
DeleteBut this statement also puts down men. It reduces men to basic animal instincts and assumes that they are not capable of making moral and logical decisions. This is a hot topic in the media right now too, with Ms. Ford's comments on not "dressing like a whore". Ultimately, it is not a woman's responsibility not to be lusted after/ogled/raped. It is everyone's responsibility NOT to lust/ogle/rape.
The type of statement you made just perpetuates patriarchal beliefs and stereotypes that harm men just as much as women.
I do not in any way mean that- but there's no denying that guys are more visual than woman. They can control themselves- as women can control ourselves with the many temptations we come across- and not all men have as hard of a time with this type of temptation that is true. But it does exist, and as women we could help them out by dressing modestly.
DeleteI absolutely loved reading this, Bre. What beautiful words of encouragement and love. I wish I would have read this when I was a teen; it would have helped me in so many ways and would have prevented a lot of heartache. At least now I can say I learned from those mistakes and can help prevent other young women, like my daughter, from repeating those mistakes.
ReplyDeleteAs for the part about dressing modestly, I understood what you meant. We shouldn't dress with the goal to entice men. We should be modest and we should be ladies; a beautiful prize to be won. This doesn't mean turtlenecks and jeans, but dress in a way that shows you respect yourself and want that respect from others. Don't just 'let it all hang out'. That's the way of the world, and we as Christian women should be different; we should stand out in a positive way.
Thank you for posting this. I'm going to share it with my niece who just started middle school this week, and will save it to share with my little girl when she's older. Your little baby is so blessed to have you as his/her mama.