Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless YouExemplo

 I Am His

Coming back from lunch break, you sit down at your desk, holding back the well of tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

Why would she say that about me? you can’t help but wonder. You keep thinking back over the conversation you heard between the girls at the table next to yours. Their conversation was about you and it hurt. You’ve never been mean to either one of them, so why would they say mean things about you?

As girls are growing up, sometimes I think there is some confusion. We think that if we can make another person look bad, it makes us look good. This is definitely a little messed up. 

Since we can’t control what someone else says, how can we guard our hearts when someone’s comments make us feel ugly?

Feeling unaccepted is nothing new. If you read through the Bible, you’ll find lots of people who at one point or another felt unloved or rejected. Even Jesus was “looked down on and passed over” Isaiah 53:3 (MSG).

Remembering who we are in God’s eyes helps to heal the hurt that comes from meanness. When I know that the Lord accepts me, it puts me exactly where I need to be to deal with ugly words. Yet, when my heart is hurting from words that have been said by others, it doesn’t automatically go to the positive things God has said about me. Instead, I have to remind my heart of what God says. 

He has filled the Bible with many verses about how He feels about you:

“My beloved is mine and I am his” (Song of Solomon 2:16 NLT). 

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1 NIV).

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).

Becoming Brave 

When mean words come your way, chances are you are not going to be near your Bible or this devotional plan to help remind you of what God has said about you. That’s why I put notes with God’s truth everywhere, where I can read it over and over again. 

When we feel rejected, God’s words remind us that we are accepted. But not just accepted—we are the “apple of His eye.” (Zechariah 2:8)

Choose one of the verses listed above to memorize. I know memorizing can be hard. Start by reading the verse you choose three times a day: once before school, once after school, and just before you go to bed.

Courageous Call 

Thank you, Jesus, that You are mine and I am Yours. Heal my heart when others wound me with words. Help me to respond in a way that would honor You and the person You have created me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.