Dear Sisters in Christ (let’s chat about the halftime show, women who sat in opposition to Trump’s call for pro-life legislation, and our world’s messages in general)…
My heart’s so heavy for you. I’m burdened as I hear the messages our world bombards you with. Today, I want to encourage you. Christianity is very much pro-women, and Scripture’s message is far better.
Sisters, you’re image bearers of our Creator (Gen. 1:28), made to reflect the One who made us. While social media is full of noise which constantly makes us question and compare our beauty, the Creator already deemed us beautiful in him. The psalmist even declares God’s works, “wonderful.” (Ps. 139:14). There’s nothing wrong with makeup, fashion, or healthy routines, and these can be fun, but we need to be aware of the emotions stirred in our hearts as we scroll. We also must ask- do we spend more effort on our outward or inward beauty? Do we spend more time in the mirror, trying to “perfect” the physical, or reflecting on God’s Word, growing in his likeness? This is for myself too! 1 Peter 3:3-4 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.” Sweet sisters, while the world shouts for us to find worth in perfecting our makeup routine, Scripture tells us God finds worth in inner beauty. While outward appearance will change, inner beauty is unfading.
The ladies who send messages that contradict Scripture are image bearers too. We’re called to love them as Christ does. We don’t know where they stand with God, but let’s pray they’ll know him as Savior. We might never meet entertainers or senators, but we do encounter women daily who don’t know Christ. As they search for satisfaction in status, money, careers, etc., our hearts should break. This path leads to death, so we must boldly share the Gospel. Let’s lovingly call sin sin, while pointing to the only one who can save from it – Jesus Christ.
Dear sisters, Jesus died, not to give us a “get out of hell free” card and continue in bondage to sin, but so we could walk in new life. When we truly grasp this, it should alter everything – our dress, what we watch, our words, and even our opinions. We’re called to walk worthy, as Christ is worthy (Col. 1:10). We’re to present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord (Rom. 12:1). We’re to not love things of this world (1 John 2:15-17). The implications are countless, but for starters, it means we aren’t okay when women are objectified. It means we remember men are image-bearers too, so we treat them as such. We’re mindful of what we wear, as a way to follow commands to submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) and think of others as more significant than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). We’re also mindful of what we watch, careful to not be stumbling blocks, and also careful to not fall into the sin of lust ourselves.
Our world teaches sexuality is something we should get to use how we choose, but really, the consequences are vast and heartbreaking. Sisters, God designed sexuality, so it’s not shameful. However, he should be Lord over it, and life is far better when we live as he designed. God’s good design is this- He made two distinct genders in his image, male and female (Gen 1:27). God designed sex, so it’s good, but only in the way he intended- inside marriage between one man and one woman (Heb. 13:4). While the world tempts us to dress and act in ways that should only be inside of marriage, trust the Lord, and that his design for sexuality is indeed good.
We’re so blessed. We can choose what we wear. We can choose an outfit that saves what should be saved for our husbands. We can choose to save our sexuality for our husbands. Sadly, there are women who don’t get this choice. They’re enslaved by sex traffickers, utterly oppressed. God has a heart for the oppressed, so we should too. Things like the Super Bowl halftime show, provocative movies, sexual clothing, etc. do nothing but fuel the sex industry, which is filled with victims of sex trafficking. David Platt does an excellent job of going into more (and needed) detail on this in Counter Culture, but simply, if we truly want to empower women, we need to speak for those who have no voice. We need to stand up for the injustice of all types of sexual exploitation.
Sisters, it’s good for us to be strong and intelligent women. It’s good for us to celebrate one another and other cultures (we’re called to love the nations, after all!). But we cannot do this at the expense of Scripture. Instead, we do this to honor God! Be a woman who’s intelligent in theology and the Word. Be strong by speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves (such as pre-born babies, orphans, sex trafficking victims, etc.). Be strong by faithfully serving your local church. To my single friends, be strong by saving intimacy for marriage.
Sisters, I love you, and my heartbeat is for you to know how sweet living for Jesus is. The truth is, we’ve all messed up, including myself. We’re all hopeless without Christ, but Jesus loves us right where we’re at. The beauty is, he loves us enough to not leave us there. Put away the world and its fleeting messages, and pursue Christ with everything you have. Your worth isn’t in your body or what you can do, but in Christ alone. Walk worthy as Christ is worthy, and look to him for your value. His messages are what’s true and good, dear friends.
With love,
Your Sister in Christ
P.s. Maybe this sounds foreign to you. My message to you – find life in Christ. All have sinned and fallen short of a holy God (Rom. 3:23), but God loves you so deeply he made a way back to himself through his Son, Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life and died on the cross, bearing the punishment for our sin. 3 days later, he rose again and is now alive! It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jesus’ grace covers ALL! Come to Jesus. Find forgiveness and life in him. For more on this, please reach out to me or to another Christian friend.
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