For the longest time, I cringed at the idea of “women influencers.” I’d hear all the polished talk, see the aesthetic posts, and then watch their actions behind closed doors tell a different story. And if I’m being honest, it made my heart grow cold. It’s hard to trust something that looks put-together on the outside but feels so… different underneath.

Growing up, no one taught me how to be a woman—let alone a godly one. I was taught beauty meant the right makeup, the right brands, the right friends. And when I didn’t care about those things like everyone else seemed to, I thought something was wrong with me. Then came the teenage years—the cruel years. Girls were mean, and I watched insecurity turn into manipulation, gossip, and exclusion. If you didn’t wear the right clothes or have the newest phone, you were a target. If you liked the same boy as someone else, you were enemy number one. So many girls tried to cover their brokenness by gaining power over others.

As I got older, I saw even more. I watched betrayal unfold in my closest friendships. I saw the girl who praised God on Sunday who criticized those who sinned get drunk and passed out by Friday. I saw comparison, pride, and insecurity destroy the very sisterhood we’re meant to thrive in. And for a long time, I let that taint how I viewed other women. I kept my guard up. I stopped believing we could be for each other.

But what I’ve learned is this: God will use the pain we’ve seen to help us become what we never had. He’ll invite us to fill the gaps. To rewrite the story. To be the women we needed.

So, for the girl who was hurt by another girl—you don’t have to stay guarded forever.
For the girl who was picked apart with words—you’re still deeply approved by God.
For the girl who got dropped without explanation—your circle is being refined for something better.
For the girl who feels behind or unseen—you’re not. You’re right on time.
And for the girl who’s been made to feel small—just know, you are more than enough.

Let’s be the women who cheer so loudly for one another, it silences insecurity. Let’s call out the gold in each other. Let’s heal what competition tried to break. And when insecurity tries to sneak back in, let’s remind it who we are—united, called, and free. Not covering our pain with pride, but using our authority in Christ to call each other higher.

Let’s be the girls we always needed.

xoxo,
Hope