(Be advised, some graphic content shown.)
Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1Peter 3:3-4
A lot of us women certainly struggle with this issue of self-esteem, and if you have a daughter, be assured she is struggling with this. Even though we home school our children, my daughter still receives enough influence from the media and the outside world that appearance, clothing, hair styles and relationships play a huge part in her everyday thought process. Some days it seems more like her minute by minute thought process.
I found a very interesting site designed for teen girls and those who love them that offers biblical guidance toward real beauty. Teen Beauty Tips is written by Shelley Hitz, a physical therapist who’s been given a heartfelt passion for teen girls and the issues they struggle with. You’ll find articles discussing everything from make-up tips and clothing choices to sex & dating and the practice of cutting. It is very informative but with the gentle spirit of a Christ-led young lady guiding the discussion.
My daughter has also found useful and encouraging information and advice from her subscription to Brio And Beyond, a magazine published by Focus On The Family for girls age 16 and up. It’s sister magazine, Brio, is designed for younger teen girls. The articles between them are often the same, with some variation in the level of discussion. My daughter gets to feed her need to drool over teen TV and movie celebrities but with a healthy dose of scriptural perspective as opposed to who’s dating who. (Note: Focus on the Family has suspended publication of these magazines until further notice. 3/09)
And finally, I’ve been saving this one for quite some time under my starred items in my Google reader. My friend, Norma Weekman, author of Smellin’ Coffee, wrote this article back in the middle of August. She talks about being the dress code monitor at her kids’ school, but she also offers a link to a video where young Christian men discuss their view on how a girl should dress and conduct herself.
Our daughters have an uphill battle in not only learning but accepting and abiding by a godly standard of beauty and purity. As parents, we have to help them understand that their worth is not found in the eyes of the world, but in the eyes of the Lord who loves them. And that’s an uphill battle for us.
If you find these resources helpful, please share them with a friend by emailing this post. Go to the bottom of the article and click on the link that says Email This.
Related Articles:
Appreciation Does Not Need To Equal ImitationAre You Sending Your Student Into The Lion's Den?Inside The Mind Of A Christian Girl
4 comments:
I guess great minds think alike. I love that Dove commercial. I think that their real beauty campaign is awesome.
Great post! I struggled through this issue with a ton of prayer and stumbling with my two daughters. The resources you recommend look great. This blog will help many families. Keep up the good work!
Hey Jen, thanks for visiting. Dove has some other equally high impact videos about the distortion used by the beauty industry. One is called Evolution and demonstrates how a model will go through an incredible transformation through make-up, curling irons and computer enhancement to change her facial structure and neck length, thus making her 'unreal' but still someone women want to emulate through diet and other extremes. I have to hand it to Dove for taking the stand that they are.
Thanks Rick! I remember what I had to deal with when I was a teenager, which can be both a blessing and a curse. I'm hoping with keeping my focus on Christ that I and my daughter will get through this all right!
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