It is our own responsibility to clothe ourselves and we choose the clothes we will wear.  What we mean by that is that you can choose either to be compassionate, or you can choose to be judgmental.  You can choose to be positive, or you can choose to be negative.  Let’s make a choice to display the fruits of the Spirit…to be people who are good representations of our Father.

I think it is important for us to keep in mind that it is not fruitful to compare our girls to other girls. Some of the saddest little faces I have ever seen of those of a young lady who feels as though she is in competition with other girls around her: for boys, in sports, in beauty and in academics. It is simply not healthy. There will always be someone prettier, smarter, and more athletic. Our girls are made exactly the way the Father intended, and their only goal is to be all He has designed her to be. The only comparison is to Christ…it is His Spirit who lives within them; it is Him we seek to imitate.  Over and over scripture describes God as compassionate. Let’s pray that the Lord would give our daughters hearts of compassion.

Exodus 22:27 “for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.”

Exodus 33:19 “And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”

Exodus 34:6 “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God,compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;”

Psalm 51:1 “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.”

Being compassionate doesn’t mean that we do not use wisdom. As precious, godly girls enter their teenage years, too often I see them fall into unhealthy friendships and dating relationships.  Oftentimes, the motive begins as pure…they want to show love and compassion to a young man who may never have known it before. When an innocent, naïve, compassionate young lady gets entangled with a needy, domineering, worldly young man…she usually ends up compromising and getting hurt. Pray for wisdom and discernment for both daughters and parents. We want our girls to be lights in their world. But we don’t want them to be swallowed up by peer pressure.

Deut. 34:9 “Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

2 Samuel 14:20 “in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.”

1 Kings 4:29 “Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.”

Psalm 51:6 “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

Compassionate, yes. Naïve, no. Raising girls who know who they are in Christ, secure in the calling and focus on impacting their community for the Kingdom…YES!

Love you,

Please join us on Sunday, July 23rd for a Mini-Women’s Retreat! Click here for all the details!