Shine Brightنموونە

Day One: Where It All Starts

We’ve all been there. We walk into a room full of people, and we’re convinced everyone’s looking at us. Our thoughts start spinning . . .Were they talking about me? Do they think I look stupid? Are they mad at me?

I (Kristen) know I’m not the only one who’s faced this. If this experience is relatable to you as well, I’ve got great news: you don’t have to keep wondering whether you’re special enough, pretty enough, or “worth” being liked, talked to, and valued.

Before we go any further with this devotional, Bethany and I want you to know that a girl defined by God can walk into any room and be confident in who she is. If you decide to believe what God says about you, you can do that too.

Maybe you caught in the first verse from Isaiah the three words that God uses to describe His children, the Israelites. Those three words are a beautiful description of how God sees His children today: precious . . . honored . . . beloved.

Being a girl defined by God doesn’t mean we’ll never have an “Oh no! They’re talking about me!” thought again. A God-defined girl just doesn’t keep her focus on the “What if?” moments. She chooses to remember that she’s precious, honored, and beloved. She embraces her true identity.

The Hebrew words God uses in Isaiah are powerful ones. God’s children are passionately cherished, loved unconditionally, and treasured so much that nothing can separate them from their true identity as His beloved children. If you’ve accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you are a child of God. Regardless of what other people have said or thought about you, it can’t compete with God’s truth.

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells us to “let [our] light shine before others.” You and I were made to shine bright to reflect our amazing Savior. So . . . will you choose to live in this truth today? What about every day?

This is where it all starts for a girl defined by God—our identity. When you’re confident in what God says about you, honoring Him with your life and choices makes way more sense than doing things your own way.

Precious . . . honored . . . beloved. How different would life be if you really believed those words described who you are as a redeemed daughter of God?