Young Women Searching After God’s Own Heart: Part 1

This is the first part of an encouraging message my sister shared with the young women of my church.

Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

As young ladies, you are confronted everyday By things such as: the desire to fit in with others, being bullied, and the pressure to perform well in school. Allowing your minds to dwell on these obstacles for too long can lead to feelings of anxiousness, sadness, and depression.

Because every woman, young or old, desperately desires to know that she is loved and valued, beautiful and desirable; that she is good enough. In a culture that is predominantly image-driven, many young women’s identity and self-perception are easily shaped by what/who they see in false images that are doctored, in celebrity lifestyles that are unattainable, and in peer relationships that are shallow and ever changing.

On a daily basis, we find ourselves bombarded by messages and images that tells us to look, act, or be a certain way; Leaving us to sometimes feel that, “I’m ugly, fat, stupid, disgusting, too tall, too short, too loud, too quiet.
I’m unlovable, unworthy, invisible, and alone. I’m not smart enough, popular enough, holy enough, funny enough, rich enough, or good enough.”

We must realize that these thoughts come straight from the enemy of our soul: And unfortunately, we see the outward expressions of them in: the confusion about identity, bullying, eating disorders, self-harm,depression, and suicide.

We are in a battle, not just for our time, attention and money, but also in a spiritual battle for our hearts, minds, and souls.

So Young women, in order to change our circumstances, we have to start by changing where we are searching. If you are looking for a perfect role model, Someone you can place your total trust in, Someone who loves you unconditionally, Someone who will never fail you. Look up, Look all the way up!

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Remember that no one knows us better than our Creator. God is aware of all of our strengths and weaknesses. He is even aware of all of our secret thoughts that we’ve never shared with anyone else. It is only a matter of us recognizing that we truly need Him in our life, and choosing to allow Jesus Christ to come into our heart and save us, when the Gospel is witnessed to us.

Now in order for us to be able to distinguish God’s voice from the voice of the enemy and our own desires; we have to spend quality time with God; studying His Word, interacting with and learning from other believers in Christ, and taking our concerns and questions to God in prayer and then listening to/applying His instructions. As we yield ourselves to God, His Holy Spirit works within us to renew our mind.

BENEFITS OF SEEKING GOD:
Perhaps the biggest question a person could ever ask is, “Who am I, and why was I placed on this earth?” So as we seek God, he will help us to discover our gifts and talents, and how to utilize them to fulfill the purpose He placed us on this earth for. This fulfills our inner need for significance and validation, and once we know who God says we are, we are able to dismiss whom the world is attempting to tell us we should be.

God has some encouraging promises for us in His Word, that will help us to fight off the devil when he shows up again with those negative thoughts we talked about earlier.

When the enemy says you are ugly.
You tell him, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalms 139:14.

When the enemy tells you that you are unloved.
You tell him that it is written, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39”

When the enemy tells you that you can’t do it or that it is impossible.
You tell him that it is written, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
And
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37

A young woman who is actively searching after God’s own heart, experiences the privilege of God pouring into her: His wisdom, grace, joy, and love. Furthermore, she understands God’s will to be glorified throughout the earth and to save the lost from their sins.