BEAUTIFUL

We can think of beauty as an external thing, but true, lasting, godly beauty runs much deeper. A transformation occurs when we align our hearts with God’s, where He changes us from the inside out to align more in Christ. But transformation takes time. It takes pressure. It takes circumstances we may not want to be in to get to a beautiful heart and soul God wants for us.

Some friends consume our time and minds with things that do not honor God, and friends can sting us when we let our guards down or turn our backs.

Some teammates consume all of the coach’s attention and compete against each other instead of complementing each other. Some friends, teammates, coaches, and parents see a better way. Some have heard the Good News and have responded. They probably faced adversity through the process, which in the end made them stronger, but they emerged as beautiful Believers.

Hearing God’s Word, responding to God’s Word, and spending time in His Word transforms hearts, and hearts that beat for God are beautiful. In the Old Testament, King Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He did right in the sight of the Lord. King Josiah humbled himself before the Lord. God heard him. God saw the tenderness of King Josiah’s heart. King Josiah gathered all of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets and all of the people, and he read them God’s Word found in the house of the Lord.

At that moment, the king made a covenant (or an agreement) before the people and before the Lord:

• He heard the Word of God.
• He believed the Word of God.
• He repented of His sin.
• He committed to walk after the LORD.

Many years later, when Jesus walked the earth, the disciples observed Jesus, understood the Good News (the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection), and then dispersed to share the Good News actively.

God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. He can change the hearts of even those who appear to be the farthest from God. Even those who seem the farthest away from God, hearing and believing the Good News allows for a light to ignite within a Believer, which is beautiful. Beauty on the inside outshines and outlasts external beauty because it’s eternal.

• The Light shines love and hope into friendships.
• The Light shines kindness, confidence, and patience to coaches.
• The Light shines respect, reliability, cooperation, and poise on teammates.

Talk About It:

As teammates, you can help each other learn the Truth about who you are as God’s daughters. The theory that there’s strength in numbers is supported in Scripture—starting with the Father Himself as One of Three—and it certainly applies to you in your quest to embrace who you really are. By joining forces with your teammates, you can multiply your strength and resources in the battle for your souls. As a group, let’s work through the following questions and activities together:

1. Have you surrendered to God to patiently let Him transform your heart?
2. Who do you desire to pass along the beautiful legacy of your faith?
3. List two ways God transformed your heart.

Prayer:

“Heavenly Father, I praise You for the Living Word, which transforms the hearts of those who respond to hearing it with belief. Thank You for the process of transformation I witness so beautifully in Your creation and through Your Spirit in human hearts. May I make time to spend in Your Word so Your Light may radiate from within me beautifully, and I may never be ashamed. Thank You for igniting in me the gift of faith, which is my beautiful legacy. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

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