I Am More Than My Body

Learning to see beauty the way God does.

A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast

Raising two daughters has taught me a lot about girls—not everything, but certainly a lot.

One thing I learned early on is how deeply girls want to feel beautiful.

From the time they were little, their favorite game was dress-up. And while I can’t say for sure, I’m guessing that doesn’t change much as they get older.

My youngest, Makayla, once had the most beautiful Cinderella dress. Her grandpa bought it straight from Disney because of how much she loved Cinderella. For a while, we couldn’t get her to take it off. She ate in it. Played in it. Slept in it.

But her favorite thing was twirling.

She would spin around the room, skirt flaring out, and say,
“Dad, watch me twirl… I’m so beautiful.”

And she was.

What I realized—even then—was that the dress mattered less than how she felt in it.

As girls grow older, the messages change. They shift from clothes to bodies. From dress-up to comparison. From joy to scrutiny.

And those messages are relentless.

Girls are constantly told what they should look like, wear, weigh, and fix in order to be considered beautiful. And while women often feel the weight of this most acutely, men are not immune either. We all know the impossible images pushed in front of us.

Teenagers especially struggle here. At that age, identity is still forming, and it’s easy to believe the lie that value is found on the outside.

Beauty Grows From the Inside Out

One of the most important truths I want my daughters—and all of us—to understand is this:

Lasting confidence never comes from the outside in.
It always comes from the inside out.

Nothing external can give permanent security because nothing external lasts. Styles change. Bodies change. Skin changes. Trends change. And chasing confidence through appearance alone is exhausting and unending.

But inner beauty—the kind built through kindness, joy, compassion, humility, and love—never fades.

Think about the people you’re most drawn to.
They make others feel seen.
They lift others up.
They listen.
They love well.

That kind of beauty doesn’t age.

If we put the same effort into developing who we are on the inside as we often do on the outside, the transformation would be remarkable.

Start small. Choose one attribute—kindness, patience, compassion, listening—and practice it. Study it. Ask for help. Make it yours.

That kind of beauty can never be taken from you.

You Are Not Your Body

One of the most powerful truths taught in scripture is found in Jeremiah 1:5:

“Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee…”

Notice what God says.

Before your body existed, you existed.

You are not your body.
You never have been.
You never will be.

Your body is a gift—formed by God for a purpose. Not a mistake. Not an accident. Not something to be hated or resented.

It is a vehicle—meant to help you experience life, love, growth, and connection.

That doesn’t mean we ignore our bodies. We care for them. We nourish them. We respect them. Because caring for a gift reflects how we value the giver.

But we do not define ourselves by them.

A Word to Men

Much of this message speaks to girls and women—but men, this is for you too.

The way men see, speak to, and treat women has an enormous impact.

I once had two teenage students burst into class smiling ear to ear. The day before, we’d talked about how difficult it can be to dress modestly and still feel attractive in today’s world.

While at the mall, two young men approached them, gave them roses, and told them how much they respected them—and how beautiful they thought they were.

More than a day later, those smiles hadn’t faded.

Men, you have more power than you realize—to build or to damage, to affirm or to undermine.

Use it wisely.

Today’s Daily Challenge

For girls and women:
Practice loving yourself today. Look beyond the surface and see who you really are. You are more than your body.

For boys and men:
Say something kind. Offer a sincere compliment. Help someone feel seen, respected, and valued—for who they are, not just how they look.

Small moments of affirmation can echo for days.

For daily devotionals and episode topics, visit
https://joshdowns.com/daily-devotionals

For weekly gospel-based lessons designed for teens, visit
https://joshdowns.com/come-follow-me-for-teens