Am I Beautiful and Standing Out Bible Study

by Abbey Sharts

Worthless. Unloved. Hurting. Alone. There seemed to be no cure for the intense feelings inside the girl’s heart. I have to be beautiful. The thought ran through her mind like a tornado whizzing through a town destroying everything in its path. No matter what the cost, nothing was going to get in the way of her journey towards beauty. It would not be easy, but the outcome would be worth it. She had to know that she was beautiful.

These feelings are common in today’s society. So many girls are wrapped up in what the world portrays as beautiful. They go to great lengths to try to match up to the media’s impossible standards of perfection. Some think they are overweight and starve themselves. Others alter their bodies through cosmetic surgery. Many decide they will never be good enough to reach the standards and become depressed, even turning to self-injury and suicide. The pain of feeling inadequate is shared in the hearts of girls across the world. Every girl has a desire to know that she really is beautiful.

The problem is increasing and little is being done to stop it. As a young woman in this world, I have experienced many of these painful feelings myself at some time or another. These past few months I have been on a journey to discover what beauty really is. The type of beauty that goes beyond hair color and clear skin. True beauty. The passion grows within my heart to expose the lies of this world and to reveal what it means to truly be beautiful.

Last year I began a weekly Bible study for teen girls through email called Standing Out. The topics included things such as guys, temptations modesty, and prayer--just to name a few! My vision was to see young women both growing closer to God and learning how to stand out from this world. The study ended in early 2009. Recently, I have felt God calling me to start it once again. Therefore, a new study will begin in Summer 2009.

The first thing we will be studying is self-image and what that means in today’s society. If you are a teen girl and interested in joining us, then feel free to send an email to standingoutbiblestudy@hotmail.com. Please include your name, age, state you live in, and email address (all information will be confidential).

If you have any questions, then send them my way and I will do my best to answer them. The pain is real. The desire is there. The cure has been found. Join us this summer as we take a stand to answer the question, "Am I Beautiful?"