Are You a Princess?

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us, one drive at a time!

Buckle up! You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus!

Welcome to the True Girl podcast featuring Dannah Gresh with Staci Rudolph. In this season, we’re exploring all the songs on the True Girl Original Album because the music we listen to can have a big impact on our emotions and, more importantly, our beliefs. 

Today, we’ll hear the song “Royalty.” We’re tackling princess culture. Is it good for us? Is it bad for us? Does it matter? 

Let’s get moving for season 3, episode 4: “Are You a Princess?”

Dannah Gresh: Hear ye, hear ye, I present to you your cohost for the True Girl podcast, Princess Staci Rudolph.

Staci Rudolph: Thank you, thank you. You can’t see it, but I’m curtsying. Hey Dannah!

Dannah: Hey! So, growing up Staci, what did you think of all the princess culture stuff around us?

Staci: Okay, now you know me now, so you can imagine I was the same when I was little. The princess culture is just not my thing, you know? The only royal ball I’m concerned with is a basketball. That’s how I do it.

Dannah: Yeah, you didn’t fit into the princess mold?

Staci: Not at all. 

Dannah: I kind of like the idea of being royalty. I do like dressing up. I do like getting fancy. But there’s a whole lot of controversy about princess culture these days. In fact, some people think it’s really bad for girls to be introduced to what is called a stereotype—the idea that being a princess is what it means to be a girl. And if you’re not princessy, then you’re not really a girl.

We talked about stereotypes in one of the other seasons of True Girl, you can go back and listen to that, if you need help with that. But that’s why some people don’t like princess culture.

Staci: Well, since I never fit into the ball gown image of being a girl, you know you have my full attention. But what do you think about being a princess?

Dannah: Well, I don’t think it’s as bad as some people say. Research reveals that there aren’t really any bad results when a girl is exposed to the idea of being a princess. In fact, one interesting thing, some studies reveal that some girls tend to be more interested in being feminine after they’re introduced to the idea of being a princess. 

And so, I think that’s a good thing, since the Bible talks about the fact that boys and girls should be really different. And so, whether you like to shoot hoops or wear a tiara, if you’re acting in way that is distinctly female, that’s a good thing.

Staci: I agree.

Dannah: At the same time, it’s never good to be obsessed with our external appearance. So as long as it’s just for fun and you don’t take it too far, I think the idea of being a princess is okay.

Staci: I gotcha, but I guess here’s the more important question we should be asking: What does God think about princess culture? 

Dannah: There you go, that’s the right question!

Here’s my friend and True Girl Lead Teacher, Chizzy Anderson, reading Psalm 45 verses 4 and 13–15.

Chizzy Anderson: 

In your majesty, ride out to victory,
   defending truth, humility, and justice.
Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds! . . .

The bride, a princess, looks glorious
   in her golden gown.
In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king,
   accompanied by her bridesmaids.
What a joyful and enthusiastic procession
   as they enter the king’s palace! 

Dannah:  Now, those verses remind us of two really important things. First, God is a King. That verse calls Him “your majesty!” It pictures Him riding out in victory. Fighting for truth, humility, and justice, and doing awesome things! We get a very powerful picture of God as our King in this chapter of the Bible.

Staci: And the second thing those verses give is a picture of who we are. It says “the bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden robe.” That’s a description of you and me! God calls us a princess. 

And that made sense to me when I read it along with the rest of the Bible. Let me explain. When I was young, I made a decision to give my life to Jesus. The book of Ephesians in the New Testament says that when you or I make that decision we’re adopted into God’s family. Well, what do you call the adopted daughter of a King? A princess, right! And that’s what Psalm 45 calls you and me.

Dannah: Woah! That’s deep stuff for a hoop-shooting, blue-wearing tomboy!

Staci: Well, I’m not finished. 

Dannah: Okay. Go on.

Staci: Okay, but the problem with the modern-day princess culture is not that we invite girls to be princesses, but that we’ve limited it to a personality type that loves tutus, tiaras, and tea parties. 

Instead, we should be telling girls that it’s our position in Christ that helps them understand their royal value, and that helps them control their behavior. And it doesn’t matter what size you wear or if you like the color pink.

Dannah: Preach it, Staci! I love it. 

Staci: Princess is a position, not a personality.

Dannah: Exactly.

Staci: You can love basketball or be a ballerina. You can get a great education to be a doctor and be a hairdresser. You can have a black belt or paint pictures. 

You can volunteer at church or be a grandma. You can be white, black, and any shade in-between. You can be great at math or love diagramming sentences. You could become a vet, a teacher, or a lawyer. You can love cooking or hunting. 

You can always have a new hair style or always have your hair in a ponytail. You can love dresses or hate them. You could love shopping ’til you drop, or you could love your brother’s hand-me-down t-shirts. 

You could love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Princess Diaries. You can have red, black, blonde, brown, or grey hair and still be a princess!

Dannah: Okay.

Staci: Being a princess has little to do with what you look like on the outside and a whole lot more to do with what’s on the inside. Bible verses like 2 Peter 3:3–4 tell us our beauty should not come from the outside, but from inside. We need the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.

Dannah: Okay, I totally agree. I love that Bible verse, but Staci, does that mean I cannot wear my hair in totally cute braids with a ball cap when I’m feeling sporty?

Staci: Come on now, of course not! You can do that if you want!

Dannah: Okay, okay. Does that mean I cannot buy cute chunky jewelry at Claires?

Staci: Absolutely not. Go for it. But that’s not the source of our beauty. 

Dannah: Exactly.

Staci: It should come from inside of you. The fashion inside of us is what makes us beautiful in God’s eyes.

You can wear things like: kindness, helpfulness, encouragement, love, forgiveness. These are the things God says are fashionable.

Dannah: Yes. 

Staci: And He likes it when we accessorize with some laughter, and when we give a few hugs and some high fives to each other.

Dannah: I love what’s coming out of you, my friend. This is truth! And you know one thing I think that God really loves to see a princess wear?

Staci: Go ahead and tell me. We’re on a roll here! 

Dannah: Service. God loves it when we serve one another. He loves to see a girl who serves others. Yeah. Being a princess isn’t all about getting your royal feet rubbed. 

Let me read Galatians 5:13 to you. It says, “Serve one another in love.” What a simple verse, right?

Staci: Okay, now this is clickin’! It’s starting to click. Let’s go back to our key verse. What does God the King do with His power and authority in Psalm 45? He defends! He fights for truth, justice, and humility. He does good deeds with His power. He serves! Right?

Dannah: Exactly! Yes. 

Staci: So, my role as a princess is not to get all caught up in myself and my value. A true princess's job is to take care of the King’s people. A princess gets to serve others. It’s not really about crowns and ball gowns in spite of what the world might say. I know you just let out a sigh of relief if you’re a tomboy, like me, right?

Dannah: Exactly. 

Staci: Thank God. 

Dannah: I bet so; I can hear it. 

Staci: On those days you’re tempted to have a royal pity party because the concept of princess in our world just doesn’t fit you, I want you to straighten your invisible crown and go help someone! Be a true princess! Girl, you are royalty, and you’re supposed to be serving God’s people.

Dannah: Well Staci, that was so good. But we’re out of time, and we haven’t even played our song. 

Staci: Come on, it’s our show. Let’s do it anyway!

Dannah: Okay let’s do it. Today’s song is called “Royalty,” and it’s based on Psalm 45. What we wanted to do when we wrote this song was really just invite you to soak in God’s royalty and our position because of His royalty. We invite you to do that right now. We’re going to end today’s podcast with the song, “Royalty.”

Look out of my window and wonder,
Am I missing something or another?
I just don’t fit in them,
Keep tryin’, tryin’.

Don’t wanna be lonely, just happy.
Don’t wanna just see what I’m lacking.
I know if I trust You, then I'll be flying, flying
‘Cause You see me.
You know me;
You got me;
You are my King.

Cause when I close my eyes,
I see You smile.
I’m precious in Your sight,
Yeah, I am Your royalty.

I don’t need a crown,
Live from the inside out,
This world will try to hold me down,
But I am Your royalty.

I want that unfading beauty,
The kind where people can see through me.
Seeing God fill me up, so I'm not hollow hollow.
You see me,
You know me,
You got me,
You are my King.

Cause when I close my eyes,
I see You smile.
I’m precious in Your sight,
Yeah, I am Your royalty.

I don’t need a crown,
Live from the inside out,
This world will try to hold me down,
But I am Your royalty.

Are you down? Are you shameful?
Wanna be in the kingdom with angels?
Know your beauty inside,
So you can know love, know love.
So when you close your eyes,
You will see Him smile.
You’re precious in His sight,
And You are royalty.

You don’t need a crown,
Live from the inside out,
This world will try to hold you down,
But you are royalty.

Oh, oh, oh, you are royalty.
Oh, oh, oh, you are royalty.

Claire: Being a princess isn’t about personality, it’s about your position in Christ. And when you understand that, you rise up to serve God’s people. Well, that turns the world’s definition of princess on its royal crown, doesn’t it!?

I hope the song “Royalty” helps you remember this important truth on the days you’re forgetting to remember that you’re a princess. You can download the song or the whole album and find more resources to bring moms and daughters closer to each other and closer to Jesus at MyTrueGirl.com. Or check our songs out on Spotify and Apple Music.

Hope you’ll bring your royal self right back here next time for another episode of True Girl. We’re planning to have a bit of a ball celebrating King Jesus! No tiara required!

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to serve the King of kings, Jesus Christ!

“Royalty”was written & produced by Carmen Hadley and David Thulin

All Scripture is taken from the NLT.
 

*Offers available only during the broadcast of the podcast season.