Perfectly in His image.

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)

This week I was reminded of an amazing truth. One that I find peace, shelter, and comfort in.

This past weekend I ran the first meeting of a girls club that I have started here. I was expecting 10 or 12 girls (all from our campus) to come after church last Saturday, and probably only because the house mom, Rita, told them they had to. But when I entered the room, 19 smiling faces looked at me. 19! What a blessing.

I timidly began teaching on the story of Rahab, an incredible woman who God used to exact his will in the city of Jericho. We learned about courage, faith, and trust in God. And the more I taught, the more engaged the girls seemed to be. And the closer they leaned in. As the spies came, were hidden, and kept safe by the mother of Boaz. And as God provided for her every step of the way.

Then we discussed the woman behind the story. Rahab. A prostitute. An ordinary, sinful woman who found favor in God's eyes. We talked about honoring our bodies, and giving them honor because God dwells inside of us.

I told these young women how God made them UNIQUE. BEAUTIFUL. And how every time we see the flaws that we think we have, or we are upset with our appearance, we break God's heart. He worked SO HARD to make us JUST the way we are. And we need to celebrate that. We talked about how we don't belong to ourselves. How we are not in charge of our lives, our bodies. Because Jesus BOUGHT US.

Little did I know that at the end of the week, during a bible study with the women at our campus, God was going to reiterate the same, glorious truth to me. We read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 together (quoted above). And I began to get emotional. As I pictured my Jesus, my savior, hung on the cross. Giving EVERYTHING for me. Because he loves me, his daughter, that much. It's something that I don't fully understand. Something that leaves me speechless.

Something that I am RESTING IN this week. I am reveling in this truth.

That God gave up everything for me. I am the daughter of THE King. And he spent time designing my hazel eyes, sculpting my prominent nose, and frizzing my hair to perfection.

At the end of girls club, I gave each girl a piece of paper and a pen. I told them they could do one of two things...either draw a self portrait, looking at themselves through God's eye, or they could write about themselves. Saying what was unique about themselves. I gave them about 10 minutes, and at the end I took a picture of each girl with her paper.

Here are some of my favorites that I wanted to share with you...

Erusha, grade 5, "I like my hair because in front of my hair there is curly but in the back it is straight."

Jenny, a girl from the community, "Oh! My dressing styles are very good. I laugh very well. My face gets red when I laugh much."

Sanjina, age 9, "I like my face because when I went to the outside in the sun my cheeks will be pink."

 

 

 

These girls get it. It's not about being perfect, and being a cookie cutter, like we are expected to be. It's about celebrating YOU. And how you were made different. It's about loving yourself because Christ loves you, and made you perfectly in his image.

I hope that these young ladies encourage you to look at yourself through the lens of Jesus Christ, and what he thinks of you. Not what society says, not what media says, not what your friends and family say. Those things are temporary, they will pass. But Jesus paid the ULTIMATE price for you. And he wants to you be concerned ONLY with him. Seek his face, run after him. Rest in the truth that He BOUGHT you. You are his. What a glorious thing.