These days, it's not unusual to flip through a magazine and see some sort of body shaming. It's not unusual to see a "Who Wore It Best?" or a “Hot or Not" section. Society is obsessed with weight and beauty and the latest trends, and I think that puts a lot of pressure on young women. Society tells young women that they are supposed to be skinny and pretty, but society wants women to be its definition of skinny and pretty.

What happens when a young woman doesn't live up to society's expectations? A lot of times, a young woman's self worth is defined by society. Society says a lot of things about young women, but what does God say?

God says you are loved.

John 3:16 NIV says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God loves each and every one of us so much, so unconditionally, that He gave His only son to die so that we can have a relationship with Him and spend forever in His presence.

God says you are beautiful.

1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV says “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, 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." Of course, there is nothing wrong with braided hair and wearing gold jewelry and fine clothes, but your outward appearance is not what makes you beautiful in God's eyes. The Lord looks at the Heart (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV), so make your heart, beautiful because beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

God says you are one of a kind.

Psalm 139:13-14 NIV says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God made you, and you are the only one like you. You are one of a kind. God knows everything about you and made you the unique, beautiful, wonderful person that you are.

Instead of letting society define us, we should let God define us. Society places definitions and labels on us, but God has already labeled us. We are more than what society says about us. We are loved. We are beautiful. We are one of a kind. And we are worth more than gold.