You are a beautiful daughter of God.

True? Yes. Encouraging? Perhaps. Helpful? Not really.

This is the message we hear from a lot of Christian women speakers. We see it hand lettered on pretty Instagram pictures. You are beautiful. You are so loved. All you need is Jesus. This is all true. It sounds good. It feels good. But are these sayings really all that helpful?

How does knowing you’re loved help you when you’re struggling with crippling anxiety? How does knowing you’re beautiful help you battle the shame over the damaging sins of your past? How does knowing you need Jesus help you when He seems to be silent as you’re swallowed up in grief? We need something more.