Welcome back ladies,
In the previous week’s study, we talked about the Strength of Obedience. I trust you enjoyed finding ways your daughter exhibited this character quality and rewarding her! This week we will be talking about the very important topic of inner beauty.
The comparison women make begin so very early. Even fairy tales set us up for the comparing pitfall with lines like “Mirror Mirror on the wall…who’s the fairest of them all?” Like it or not, a beautiful physical appearance is so important in our culture, and how a girl of any age looks can determine to some degree how others accept her. And yet, how different are the world’s standards of beauty to God’s? He loves us and accepts us just as we are and designed us to His own specifications to bring Him joy and glory.
A desire to be beautiful is not unwomanly…but,
mark you, true beauty is not of the face, but of the soul
As the author of Beautiful Girlhood said, “A desire to be beautiful is not unwomanly…but, mark you, true beauty is not of the face, but of the soul.” Women, by nature, admire and desire to create beauty. This week I would like you to encourage your daughter to take that desire and work on creating true beauty in her life that will be unfading. (1Peter 3:3-4)
I know this week’s topic of True Inner Beauty in Beautiful Girlhood and additional activities and discussion of The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood will open up the conversation flood gates for you and your daughter!
Blessings,
Activity
1. Read Chapter 6 in Beautiful Girlhood and The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood.
2. I thought it might be a good idea to see what God says about true beauty. Sarah is described as physically beautiful in Genesis 12:11. So beautiful, in fact, her beauty got her into trouble because foreign rulers coveted her and Abraham delivered her to them. (My husband would have sooo been in the dog house.) But you will see that her greatest peril and disappointment brought her right to where she needed to be. Fearing God.
Read Genesis 11:29-20 about Sarah’s life. Record the ways she personifies God’s idea of beauty so you can share them with your daughter. Ask yourself these questions.
- Was Sarah beautiful?
- What were her good qualities?
- What were her weaknesses?
- Did she love her husband?
- How did God protect her during difficult times?
- What things have you learned from the life of Sarah?
3. Read 1 Peter 3:6 “like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” Did Sarah trust Abraham to take care of her or did she trust God?
Memory Verse
1 Peter 3:3-4
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, 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.
Ponder and Post
Come on girls! I know it can be scary to share what you are thinking, but please think about these questions and post them in the comments. We can bless each other!!
- How do you cultivate true inner beauty in your life?
- What are some ways you can direct your daughter’s love of beauty to develop her inner beauty?
- Is it hard for you to apply God’s beauty treatment of “fearing” Him to your life? Why or why not? How do you do this? {Fearing means to have the proper respect and awe of God}
Recommended Resources
Free! Make your Time Enjoyable! (Click to download) Here is one of Shelley’s handouts for fun spa time activities to do with your daughter!