What I Want My Daughters To Know, Part 1

Your Value is in Jesus

I want you to know that what makes you worthy or valued has nothing to do with how you look. Your cheeks and crooked teeth and tummy and hair length and all of the things you love and hate about your body can’t touch your dignity and value! And it’s not because you’re beautiful just the way you are. You probably are, but that doesn’t make you valuable and worthy which is what you’re really after more than you’re after being pretty. This may be more or less difficult for you, but you must learn that what you see in the mirror does not define you, nor do the clothes in the closet. When Jesus paid for your sins, the Father was pleased with his payment. In his sacrifice for your mistakes, you were completely forgiven and don’t just start from scratch again but are given the purity and worth of the Son of God. That’s yours! So when I say you are deeply valuable apart from your body image I mean that because Jesus’ body was crushed for you, you are now loved and accepted by the Almighty God! And you’ll spend your life being liked by this person and disliked by this person and if you stake your joy on how much they value or like you or how they treat you, you’ll ride a terribly unsatisfying and dangerous roller coaster. Learning to abide in the sacrifice and work of Jesus is a life-long work, but it is a deep privilege and joy. When you hate your weight or the way you stutter or the fact that certain boys won’t pay attention to you, you will lean into this reality, and I hope it takes hold of you. All of these places we deposit our value into (good grades, popularity, being adored, having a great job, having power) will at a point, let us down. Learn to look at Jesus more and your friends’ acceptance of you and the mirror less.