Reclaiming God’s Handiwork

(Editor’s Note: This blog was written by Brileigh Brown, who is interning with The Stand magazine.)

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well (Psalm 139:13-14).

This concept – the concept of our creation being God’s intricate handiwork – is what gives humans our worth. We are made perfectly in God’s eyes, and His eyes are the only ones that see clearly and truthfully 100% of the time.  

However, in today’s culture, God’s handiwork is often seen as accidental, incorrect, or mistaken. The details and components of our bodies are morphed and disguised by a false ideology that you can be whatever and whoever you want. Our individuality as men and women is becoming convoluted, and even the definition of what a woman is arouses controversy.  

For years, pageants and competitions have been an ultimate display of femininity and womanhood. Women put on the most extravagant dresses, apply a full face of makeup, and curl and fluff their hair until they are the classic definition of beauty – gorgeous, elegant, and, above all, captivating. Kayleigh Bush is one of the many women who have taken part in these pageants. Her hard work and effort paid off, and the crown for Miss North Florida was hers, but not for long. 

Miss America Organization (MAO) placed a contract on the table for Bush, one that they expected her to sign without disagreement. The contract requested her consent to perform in pageants alongside “transgender women” (biological males). However, Bush refused. The concept was not only unfair to her, but it also did not align with her religious views. She believed that signing the contract would mean that she consented to the transgender movement itself and the harmful alteration of young boys’ bodies.  

Kayleigh Bush’s crown was taken from her. Consequently, a letter was sent on her behalf by Liberty Counsel, demanding that it be given back to her so that she would have the opportunity to compete in the Miss Florida competition. But the MAO refused. They denied the demands of Liberty Counsel two times and refused to alter the terms of their contract or return Bush’s title.  

For many of us, this situation feels detached from our lives. However, this situation could turn into something bigger. It could turn into something on a larger scale – something that integrates itself not only into major events but into everyday life and occurrences. It could redefine who we are as women, not in our hearts and not in the truth, but by legal and societal standards.  

How can something as concrete as XX and XY chromosomes now be a topic for debate? How is biological makeup something that can be altered for convenience and mindset? How has God’s perfect creation of humanity turned into something that can even be questioned? And what do we do about it? How do we stop the train that runs down the tracks of comfort and ease instead of truth? 

The answer is simple: preaching and praying. Comfort is an epidemic, and to walk on the path of truth and progress is to move forward. We must share the truth with those we encounter because we could be the only ones seeing with God’s eyes and not the world’s. People living according to the world think and say they are looking for “the truth,” but what they are truly looking for is in agreement with their desires. They search for what validates their feelings that come from their flesh. Giving in to all feelings and desires of the flesh is what has brought us to this point in time. We are victims of a society that condones all things that feel good and has no basis for the definition of what is truly good. This is where and why we show them the truth. We know that the desires of the flesh are incorrect and that the only truth is in God’s Word.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:16-17). 

We were created in God’s image – fearfully and wonderfully. Although in the world’s eyes, we can be seen as mistakes, our attributes can be seen as incorrect, and the definition of who we are is frequently altered, we must look to God for clarity and for the truth.

We must set examples by praising Jesus for who we are and the circumstances we are given, no matter if they are good or bad. We must dig deep into our hearts and mourn for the lost, and we must make it our mission to tell them how to be saved. If we, as believers, are not displaying strength, then how can those with a rocky foundation be expected to follow in our footsteps? It is our job to show the world that we are made in God’s image and that no amount of external change can ever affect the design of our hearts, minds, and souls.