Growing up, I loved Anne of Green Gables.

If you don’t know the red haired girl with green eyes and freckles across her nose, you need to watch it or better yet… pick up a book and read it! But, carrying on — one day, a friend came up to me and said, “How can a 12-year-old’s book be your favorite story in the world? Don’t you know that it makes you look like a little girl when you say that?”

When she said that, I laughed. It was actually side-splitting hilarious when she said that. This was simply because it just reminded me of what the world’s expectations were.

It expects us to dabble in the R-16 because that’s what makes us ‘grown up’ in the eyes of the world. And perhaps it does. But like Matthew 18:2-4 says, “He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

But when churches advocate for ‘purity’ (and not just in the relational sense) with phrases like ‘modest is hottest’, I think that they miss out an excellent opportunity to really speak truth. Because let’s be honest here guys. Modest is NOT hottest.

How can we talk about how ‘modest is hottest’ when we see endless aisles of magazines of showing trendsetting crop tops and short flippy skirts? So let’s not talk about how modest is hottest when it’s simply not true. Modest is definitely NOT hottest. And I am not coming from a place of acting all ‘holier than thou’. This is because for a number of years I did struggle. I struggled that while so many other girls at school were hitching up their mini skirts even higher, I was lookin’ like an absolute dork next to them in my regulation length skirt and I really wanted to be more like them.

I won’t go further into the deets of modesty too much, but there is one thing I really wanted to quickly address. You aren’t called to dress modestly for guys! If guys are going to want to leer after a girl, they will find some girl to lust over. Instead, we dress modestly because there is nothing that we desire more than to seek God’s glory over affirmation from the world 🙂

So in all areas of life — we are called to seek the Kingdom. We aren’t called to seek attention. We aren’t called to seek fashion trends (although there is absolutely nothin’ wrong with trying to look your best!) and we aren’t called to expose ourselves to things that will only lead us to stray from the path that He has set for us. He wants you to focus on a life that is different than the world’s calling. He calls us to glorify Him through our lives.

So How Did ‘PG-ing’ Up My Life Grow My Relationship with God?

#1 It Broke Down the Walls

I was never really an R16 kind of girl. Let’s be honest. Anything too gory or horror-worthy would only cause me shake and tremor. I would literally run to the bathroom every time memories of these things crossed my mind. BUT I was definitely the kind of girl that had myself exposed to the R-16 of everyday life.

I lived in a student city. And let me tell you, when a whole bunch of 18+ year olds are all congested together, you are bound to see things! Seriously! I came back home one day from church (of all places!) — and the guys living next door to me had their naked bums pressed up against the window. Yeeeeeep! They were all having a good ol’ laugh as I scurried off feeling all embarrassed inside!

The problem with this is that even though you might not necessarily engage with all these things that are going on around you that is very much ‘R-16’, your mind will begin slowly thinking that it is all so normal. But Romans 12:12 calls us to “not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will”

We are influenced by what we are exposed to — no matter how much we believe we can resist. Is there something that you are exposed to that makes you play the comparison game? Or is there something that you are exposed to that makes you want to chase after worldly things? Being actively aware of what we are being exposed to can help to break down those walls that we have created of culture-driven thinking.

—> You might also like this blog post: How to Overcome Negative Thoughts and Capture Them Captive!

Hey girl! Just for you, I have designed a beautiful devotional on How to Find Your Identity in Christ! Simply click the image below to grab your FREE 20+ page devotional right now!

#2 Opened Up a Flow of Communication

I’m a Netflix lovin’ girl.

I love a good tv show and a great movie.

BUT, one thing I did notice was that the moment I took more care of what I allowed myself to watch and be exposed to, my communication with God seemed to open up.

This is because, sometimes when we expose ourselves to certain things, it creates a mind shift that only serves to cause us to stumble. It causes us to feed and grow negative thinking patterns. And this only serves to create a ‘stronghold’ that exists to separate us from the truth of God.

But according to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, with weapons that aren’t of this world, we can demolish these strongholds, arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And one of the best ways to do this? To start by removing the sources and opening up communication with Him again! So how about you give tryin’ to PG-up your life a go to grow your relationship with God?

—> You might also like this blog post: How to Find God’s Calling For Your Life (and actually pick up the phone!)

#3 Lessened the Intensity of Struggles

Lemme use an example that is surely relatable to 90% of all ’em girls out there!

Have you ever struggled with having your heart broken? Or have you ever struggled with allowing God to just take the reins of your love life? Or perhaps, you have struggled with believing that you are loveable.

Chances are, you have been exposed to media, books and social media showcasing what the world believe relationships to look like.

The plight of the single girl (and even the young married woman!) is so real. We struggle because there are pre-existing thoughts in our minds of what things should look like and this causes a lot of strife in our lives. BUT it doesn’t have to be this way!

When we begin to be more actively aware of what we are allowing ourselves to be exposed to, the lies that we feed ourselves will lessen. And eventually these lies will slowly lose their significance in our minds. This in turn will allow for more room for God’s truths to be firmly anchored in our hearts.

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” — Psalm 119:9

You might also like this blog post: How to Find God in a Difficult Season of Life (when it just seems like He is playing a game of peek-a-boo)

Now let’s read on to find out how to grow your relationship with God by keeping it PG!

How to Grow Your Relationship with God by PG-ing Up Your Life

This is definitely a cheesy question, but something I heard someone tell me to ask myself questions along these lines… ‘If Jesus walked through the door right now, would you be comfortable saying something along the lines of “Come and watch this with me” to Him?

Other ways you can learn how to grow your relationship with God by PG-ing up your life is to be more actively aware of what you’re are feeding yourself and exposing yourselves to. For example…

#1 Be aware of what you are watching on Netflix, YouTube and even Disney+!

Ask yourself are there big messages or themes running through this show/channel that is against God? —> Lemme tell ya, this one is a pretty hard one for me! I love a movies, tv shows and YouTube channels! What can I say? I appreciate a good cinematic experience 😉 BUT it is true that we are called to live set apart lives for Jesus. And that does also mean that we need to be more picky and choosy of what we watch.

Check this out! I have designed a beautiful devotional on How to Find Your Identity in Christ! Simply click the image below to grab your FREE 20+ page devotional right now!

#2 Be cautious of the conversations that are going on around you!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a girl and that means I love chatting too! BUT it is so important that we regularly keep our conversations (especially with our friends because that is when we truly begin to speak without inhibition!) in check and make sure that what we are sayin’ REFLECTS Christ who lives inside of us.

#3 Be careful about the lifestyle that you are exposing yourself to!

This means both online and offline! Psalm 1 describes beautifully how important it is to surround yourself with good influences. Whether it is what kinds of people you follow on Instagram, or who you hang out with on the weekends, we are called to be careful! That isn’t to say that we can’t be friends with non-believers — because that ain’t true! BUT it is to say that we need to always have Jesus at the centre of each of these friendships and relationships.

Hey! Here Are Other Resources…

—> CLICK THE LINK TO READ … Signs of a Lukewarm Christian | Jesus Didn’t Die

—> CLICK THE LINK TO READ … 23 Hilarious Lessons in 23 Lifechanging Years

—> CLICK THE LINK TO READ … 5 Creative Daily Quiet Time Ideas for the Busy Girl

or browse the blog HERE!

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Before You Go…

Hope ya enjoyed this lil’ blog post on how to grow your relationship with God.

I definitely have struggled at times to live out a fully PG friendly life and living out this truth. This is not me acting as if I have it all together. However, I know we are all called to serve Him today, tomorrow and forever.

So, pray to receive the fruits of the spirit. Pray to seek your Creator, not the world. And finally, if you can’t find anyone who can bring joy into your life, be the one who loves like Jesus in a dark world. Sin may be contagious but so is joy. So be the change you want to see in the world! You were made for a time such as this!

Drop a comment below and let me know — do you struggle with living a ‘PG’ life?

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