A big passion of mine is empowering women to know their true worth and value in Christ. Having been in the modeling industry, I witnessed so many gorgeous girls who are among the most insecure people I know. I, too was a victim entrapped in the world of “look is everything”, rarely satisfied with what I see in the mirror. Growing up with being compared to, for the longest time, I fought a long hard battle with insecurities and the feeling of not enough—“not skinny enough”, “not loving enough”, “not smart enough”. This semester in Biola, a big theme God has taught me is self-esteem. Through prayer, community, and the Word, God slowly reshaped the way I see myself, which in turn affects the way I see others and the way I live. Now that I am more secure in my God-given identity, I am liberated from people’s approval or cultural expectations. I want girls, who struggled with self-image like me, to be able to live with so much freedom in their true identity, knowing who they are and what they had been called to. I want girls to be able to look to the mirror and LOVE what they see.

The devil has long attacked womanhood, making girls live short of the maximum potential they were created to be. The world is tragically full of beautiful women who have no revelation of their true value or God-given authority. Many are cruelly subjected to things that devalue their true, precious, and royal priesthood (Romans 2). Generation after generation, women are often overlook and seen as less. Too many has allowed life and others to assault them because they don’t realize they deserve more.

To my ladies friends, we need to counter these lies with God’s words. The language of heaven, written and spoken, soothe and heal like no other. Speak life over yourself and always be reminded that the King of Kings lives in you and loves you dearly.  We are the daughters of the Most High God. Daughters of The King. Fearful and wonderful. Anointed for a divine purpose. Cherished. Created with authority a little lower than the angel(Ps.8) and crowned with honor and glory. Given the Spirit of love, power, and self-discipline(1 Tim). Let us walk with our heads held high and scepter in our hands because we are partakers of the blessing, authority and power of God. Lift you head long enough until you know the God who cares and created you with something more. Do not live less than who you are created to be. Do not let the culturally programed eyes around you define your worth.

When we start doubting we are “not enough”, we are doubting the perfection of God who has made us perfect according His own image.

"And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority."-Col 2:10

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God"-2 Cor 3:5

Whenever I start to doubt myself again, I choose to not look within in despair but look upward to Christ and believe in His sufficiency for me and what He says about me.

Friends, I pray we will see ourselves the way God sees us and see others the way God sees them too.

There is no single person we will not like if we know their complexities. Like digging a treasure mine, value is to be discovered in each person. God has been teaching me lessons from people I least expect. I am constantly appalled by the wisdom, passion, and poetry I find in every person’s narratives when I offer to listen. God showed me His manifested glory through people’s vulnerability. 

Listening to others is empowering. I challenge you to live bigger than yourself by offering people the gift of attention. Be interested, instead of seeking to be interesting. Jimmie Manning says, “there is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.” Even if you do not see eye to eye, you can always work shoulder to shoulder.

My fellow sisters-in-Christ, beloved daughters of the one True King, let us together march to live out our true worth in Christ and the 'grand' purposes He has in store for us. Let us hold hands with our heads held high and encourage other sisters around us who are struggling to accept the value God has given them freely. 

Let us break free from the bondage of lies telling us we are incompetent and boldly claim our rightful throne in Christ. We are royals.