That does not ask to understand
But confident steps forward in
The darkness guided by Thy hand.
~Elisabeth Elliot
What does it mean to be set-apart? To be set apart is to stand out, to be different, to be special. The Lord has been teaching me so much about this lately; this set-apartness that we, as Christian young women are called to. It sounds constricting doesn't it? And we don't like to be different, because we live in a world that is constantly telling us that we are supposed to be like everyone else, that we are supposed to do what everyone else is doing. So why would we want to be different? Why would we want to dress, talk, act, or think differently than the world? Maybe because it's time we discover the meaning of true beauty. "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, 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." ~1 Peter 3:3-4. "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." ~Proverbs 31:30. This doesn't mean that we can't dress cute, paint our nails or curl our hair; it just means just we should focus more on inward beauty than outward beauty. It doesn't matter how we look if we have ugly hearts. To have a gentle and quiet spirit doesn't mean you can't have fun or enjoy life (because some of us just aren't very quiet), I think it means a heart that rests in the Lord and trusts in Him. If we are striving to be more like Jesus, and to have the fruits of the spirit in our lives, which are; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we will naturally begin to look more like Jesus, having that gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in His sight. God's Word never changes. We can always get our instruction from the Word. It is timeless.
"There's a difference between being a princess only in title and truly living as a princess. Today it is much more vogue to carelessly hold nothing sacred than it is to carefully protect our heart, emotions, or body. It is even considered prudish or snobby to hold purity sacred and fool yourself into believing that there is actually a man out there somewhere who will value your heart as a treasure." "Authentic Beauty" ~Leslie Ludy To live set-apart is to live different than the world, to go against everything the world is telling us about who we are and how we should look, act, and even feel. We must protect our hearts from being influenced by the world, telling us that we're not special, not worthy of respect, love, or being treasured as a daughter of God. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." ~1 Timothy 4:12. We have to also remember that there is always someone looking up to us. We have a responsibility to live a life worth following, because people are following us. Where are we leading them? We're called to live pure and holy lives. So many young women hold their sexual purity as a trophy, something to be proud of, rather than their gift from God to be treasured and protected out of love for Him and a desire to honor what He designed to be sacred. Life is hard, and we will experience hurt, but a lot of the time we bring our pain upon ourselves because we aren't guarding what is sacred, protecting the essence of who we are from the inside out-our heart, emotions, intimate thoughts, and physical body. When we give our hearts to Jesus, they are no longer ours to give away. I know it sounds cheesy, but we should be so lost in Him, that no guy can get to us without first seeking Him. This is something I am very passionate about because I have seen so many girls give themselves away just because they don't see themselves as being worthy of waiting for, they don't see themselves as the treasured princess they are. It's okay to still believe in fairy tales. We have a Heavenly Prince who is constantly pursuing us, calling us into a romance so beautiful that no relationship on earth will ever be able to compare.
Don't live your life as if you're waiting on something to happen, or someone to show up. You'll miss so much life along the way. Yes, wait, and pray for your future husband, that is a very important way to invest in a future relationship should God choose to bless you with a husband one day. But don't miss the beauty of where God has you right now. He has a detailed plan for your life. Trust Him with every aspect of your future. Fall so in love with Him that He is enough for you, no matter what your future looks like. Ask Him how He wants you to begin your journey of becoming the truly set-apart princess that He has called you to be.
"God, please now my future see, make it clear where I should be. Open windows, close the doors, not my will, my God, but Yours." "Fame" ~Karen Kingsbury
Beautiful! ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you Momma Bullard. :) <3
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