Over this past year, many of you have shared how God used the Girl Defined blog posts and vlogs to help you overcome the darkest of sins, relationship struggles, guy complications, unfulfilled longings, growing in your walk with God, and much, much more.
God is so good and He’s done amazing things in your lives (as we’ve learned from the many emails you all have sent us), and we praise Him for that!
We, Kristen and Bethany, launched Girl Defined in 2014 with the prayer that God would use this ministry to do exactly what it’s doing:
To help you fight the lies of our culture, discover God’s truth, and embrace your God-Defined identity as a daughter of the King.
During the year of 2017, we also published 104 new blog posts and 52 new video posts.
That’s a lot…and we’re guessing you probably didn’t catch every single one. Since you probably don’t have time to “catch up” on the archives (although that’s not a bad idea), I thought I’d ring in the New Year by bringing you the very BEST posts from 2017. You can also catch some of our popular YouTube videos here.
These are the top 5 most popular and shared blog posts of 2017.
If you haven’t read them, I HIGHLY recommend it. There’s no better way to start your year off right than filling your mind with truth.
Drumroll, please……
And I give you the most popular, most shared, and most read posts from 2017 from #5 down to #1.
#5: How Modesty Taught Me to Value My Body More, Not Less
Here’s the question I want to pose: Is modesty actually valuable for women? Or is it simply a regressive idea from the past? And as many people are asking today, “Can Christians promote modesty in a way that doesn’t ‘shame’ women?”
These are great questions to ask that demand solid answers.
After my short-lived career in the modesty industry, I attempted to do just that. I (along with Bethany) went on a research journey with the goal of discovering exactly what it means to be a woman defined by God’s truth. READ POST
#4: Four Reasons Modesty Empowers Women and Nudity Doesn’t
Women demand respect. We demand dignity. But then we pose half naked for the cameras and wonder why we’re being objectified.
Sadly though, as obvious as this contradiction may seem to some, it’s brushed off by our culture as “no big deal.” Feminism continues to promise women that stripping down will somehow empower us. Feminism promises us that sexual liberation will somehow bring about the respect that we desire.
Sadly though, the results have proven to be anything but empowering. READ POST
#3: How to Discover if He’s The One You Should Marry
My boyfriend and I had been pursuing an intentional relationship for quite some time. He was ready to move forward with engagement. I wasn’t so sure. I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision.
I’d been in the relationship long enough to have all of the facts in hand.
I knew the ins and outs of his personality. I knew his strengths. I knew his weaknesses. I knew his likes and dislikes. I knew his convictions. There was only one thing left for me to figure out. I needed to decide if I wanted to commit to spending the rest of my life with him. READ POST
#2: Dealing With the Heartache of a Breakup
I think the hardest part of a breakup is the mornings that follow it. The nights are hard too, but the mornings, I think that’s when the pain is the rawest.
When you’ve spent the past 6-8 hours (or 5 if you’re anything like me) sleeping in a blissful state of ignorance, and then you wake up and for the first few seconds everything is fine. And then your brain wakes up and reality comes in, and it hits you hard.
Another day of trying to make it through. Another day of trying to move on. READ POST
#1: Is it Wrong for Christian Couples to Live Together Before Marriage?
Regardless of the terminology, “playing marriage” is the name of the game now.
“According to USA Today, more than two-thirds of married couples in the United States now say they lived together before marriage. The number of unmarried, opposite-sex households is rising dramatically.”
This trend is rising and seems to appeal to a lot young Christians. Instead of diving headfirst into marriage, couples now want to test drive their potential mates. READ POST
And there you have it!
Those are the top 5 most popular and shared posts from 2017. I highly recommend taking the time to read each one as you launch into the new year. God is good and we (Kristen and Bethany) can’t wait to see what He is going to do in YOUR life this coming year!
If you’re looking for additional ways to be challenged as a Christian girl this year, I encourage you to read our book, Girl Defined: God’s Radical Design for Beauty, Femininity, and Identity
Now I want to hear from you. Let’s chat below!
- What is your all-time favorite blog or vlog from Girl Defined?
- Looking back on this past year, how have you grown the most as a Christian girl?