Victim.

Girls like to be the victim.

Before you go all Beyonce on me and start preaching about feminism and equality, let me explain. 

She said this.

She called me this.

She did this.

She she she. 

Placing the blame on others, even in small situations, often times (sometimes unintentionally) makes us the victim. We don't want to take ownership of our side of the story, because that makes us look like the bad person, so we put the blame on the other girl. This not only gives us a false sense of righteousness, but it also unfairly puts the other girl in the wrong. We take on the crown of victory by playing the victim. People will take your side if that's the only side they know. 

Instead of being victims of our circumstances and our situations, why don't we see ourselves as victims of grace? Think about it. Victims don't deserve what happens to them. They are helpless and they have no say in their circumstances. As Christians, we are victims of grace. We are sinners who do not deserve the grace of Jesus Christ. Instead of placing the blame on other girls and not extending grace to them, why don't we look at the "blame" placed on our lives by our sin, and then see the INSANE amount of grace given to us by Christ. 

As girls, we know how hard it is to be a girl. So why do we make life hard for other girls? Instead of placing blame and playing the victim, let's set aside the drama and the gossip. Let's join together as sisters in Christ and extend grace to each other in the same way that Christ has extended it to us. 

If you're interested in diving in to solid spiritual community with other girls, check out the info below. 

GIRL'S COMMUNITY GROUPS

Light Love Hope: Geared towards 7th, 8th, & 9th grade girls, LLH meets at Simply Yo on Campbell     every Sunday night from 6-7:30pm. 

Moore Mondays with Beth: Tailored to 10th, 11th, & 12th grade ladies, this Beth Moore based study meets on the first Monday of every month at Karla Thrasher's house and starts at 6pm. 

Braums Bible Study: This is for Nixa High School girls, and meets every Monday before school at Braums in Nixa. 

We're Back!

Hello lovelies!

Nothing says "time off" like a year-long blogging hiatus, right? Well, rbcgirls is back in action! We are so excited about the things happening at Ridgecrest, especially in the student ministry. The presence of God is so evident and powerful and we are just waiting to see what He does next!

Today I want to talk about the goodness of God. Not the kind of goodness where, because you prayed before dinner, He gives you a puppy and a lollipop. The kind of goodness where, in a world overrun with evil and deceit, we know that there is a greater reasoning and purpose for us as believers.

This type of goodness is sometimes hard to swallow. Not just on a large scale, where there are children dying and countries at war, but on a scale that directly affects your day-to-day life. When life seems to fall apart and it gets overwhelming, we can often question the goodness of God.

Of course, we would never say outwardly that we don't think God is good. As believers, we are taught from a young age that God is good and loving and patient. While all these are true, we often forget that perhaps God's definition of these words does not match our definition. Maybe what I want isn't what the Lord wants. And if I truly believe that He is good, isn't that ok?

…I want to live in a nice house with a jacuzzi tub…and if not, He is good.
…I want to find someone who will love me well and love Christ more…and if not, He is good.
…I want to be successful in my career field…and if not, He is good.

You see, it's not the things that are bad, it's our reaction when we don't get them. Do we base our perception of the goodness of God off of getting what we want?

Check out what these verses say about goodness:

-Romans 8:28
-Psalm 23:6
-Psalm 107:1
-James 1:17

Ladies, as emotional beings (just being honest here), we like to throw fits and stomp our feet and cry all of our mascara off. The world tells us that this is a normal, expected response when things don't go our way. However, we are not normal, we are called to be set apart for Christ. This means in all circumstances, good and bad, we are glorifying Christ and His goodness.

Remember this school year, as you deal with teachers who don't like you, classmates who are mean, and bad hair days (the worst!), that God is God and He is good.

Love you all!

Emilee