There is no body shame with God

There is no body shame with God

I have, at times, thought that I was beautiful. Does that surprise you?  I think that all of us are unique and winning creations. Perhaps, even with jiggly underarms and love tires… I was lovely.

Then, I remembered.

That the world says I am not. and I would scold myself back into shame.

I remember that people and society and advertisements and weight loss programs and magazines all say that if you are not thin, you are not worthy of the title of lovely.

Other names, hurtful names are instead offered. Fat, chunky, hefty. And those are the nicer ones.

Worthless, disgusting, flawed, less than.

Lies, all of them lies.

 

What is body shame?

Where did the whisper in our childhood ears go that declared we were beautiful, simply because we were made in God’s image?

The children that danced without care, boldly declared that they were, in fact, the BEST______”  Those precious girls are still US.

And we are, unequivocally, beautiful. Just as we are.

My body changes, weight goes up and down. Age pulls all things dooowwwwnnnnn. Who cares?

We can choose health because it truly is good for us. Because we want to live longer, live well.  Because feeling strong beats feeling powerless. What we can’t afford to do any longer? Let anything about our physical image define our knowledge of the truth…

We are, all of us, made in the image of God.

No matter what the root of the lie is that makes us reject that truth, it is still very much true.

 

 

Celebrating what your body offers at any weight

I choose to look in the mirror and simply acknowledge the parts I would like to see with fresh eyes, but I don’t hate myself for it. I have let go, after many battles of putting myself down. If anything, I admire all of who I am.

Soft arms for hugging, creases on my face from smiling, sagging parts from the joy of knowing motherhood.

This physical body that houses our true beauty is a gift. It does so much for us that we neglect thanking it.

I am not saying this is an immediate change if you have been believing the lies for any length of time. And if you are a woman, there is a high probability that you have believed something negative about your appearance.

Start today with refusing to listen any longer.

Remember that our children are watching us, and forming their views about their own bodies based on what we think of ours. They often see themselves through the mirror of their mothers.

In spite of my very best efforts in this area, it still wasn’t enough. Costs were high.

Also, remember that our husbands or partners are listening to us, and when we point out all of our flaws that they’ll  “see” what we are saying. Nothing is sexier than a confident woman.

 

 

The freedom of accepting your body where it is at

Perhaps one of the best parts of getting older is the freedom that allows us to let go of the baggage we’ve dragged around too long. Seeing ourselves as others see us is part of the process that releases us from the bondage of self-abuse.

Hating our body is a high form of self-abuse! Loving our bodies is an act of humility before God where we ask him to heal those fractured perspectives. Where we thank Him and remember that Jesus himself was not characterized as having any great “physical” attributes.

Yet, would anyone deny the beauty of our Lord?

He is for us, and delights in us, right now. As is.

This doesn’t mean I never feel incredibly vulnerable, insecure, or unlovely. Sometimes I feel even worse and horrible descriptors than those…it goes way back to my childhood.  Those lies we replay don’t break easily. But when the nasty self-talk sneaks in, I refuse to let it stay. That is the difference.

 

The risk of discussing body shaming in my own life

Sharing this always feels risky. That someone who knows me in real life might worry (or worse…try to change me), or that a reader might feel that they are somehow the exception. However, when we find freedom, even in process…don’t we want to bring others that hope too?

God alone knows the full reason we struggle with unhealthy habits. He is a kind and empathetic God who would desire health for us but doesn’t base his love upon it.

Maybe you grew up with people who did. Or had a spouse that berated you for them. Or were picked on by friends or “well-meaning” acquaintances. Remember, health is good, obsession is not.

Overweight (or underweight) people don’t NEED anyone to let them know they have an issue. For crying out loud, they are fighting to find their value in the skin they are in. Zip it.

I am enough, right now. Overweight and trying to figure it all out. On a journey. YOU are enough right now too, whatever your struggle is. We are all on a journey of discovery, growth, and healing.

 

 

The best kind of lovely

Two books are on my nightstand that aren’t my norm, but were interesting reads I took a chance on reading. The first was interesting as a peek into a world I didn’t really know existed. The second was just phenomenal and I plan to implement mini habits asap.

Fat and Faithful: Learning to love our bodies, our neighbors, and ourselves by J. Nicole Morgan & Mini habits for weight loss: Stop dieting, form new habits, change your lifestyle without suffering by Stephen Guise (surprisingly interesting!).

Maybe you’ll find them interesting as well? The above I connected with affiliate links which might earn me a few cents (without raising the cost to you).

Just let them encourage not condemn. Offer interest, not comparison.

 You are beautiful to the world right now. Maybe to not to everyone, and who cares? I promise that you are the best kind of lovely to the people God has given you to love on. 

They see who you are, truly, and I celebrate that about you too!

I am talking about feeling beautiful as we are, but it is a good thing, not a conflict to this message, to pursue a healthier life.

Just let healthy be a different goal than thin is beautiful, and anything else isn’t. That, my friends, is the lie. Keep fighting, but for freedom not perfection.

 

Healthy body image Resources:

• 40 Days to Wholeness: Body, Soul, and Spirit: A Healthy and Free Devotional
• Compared to Who?: A Proven Path to Improve Your Body Image
• The Satisfied Workbook: A Spiritual Guide to Recovery and Food Freedom
• Grace Filled Plates: Ditch Diets and Find Food Freedom Through God’s Grace
• Disclosure: I only recommend products I do/would use myself. This post may contain affiliate links that at NO additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission to help support this blog. Read full privacy policy here.