Eating is the new skinny.

Sadly, I think most women/girls struggle with their self-image. We measure ourselves against models, actresses, or whoever guys are giving their attention to. We can never seem to become who we think people want us to be or who we, ourselves, think we should be. Regrettably, I spent years trying to be this image I somehow formed in my head. If I wasn’t “that” then I was going to be unloved and/or rejected. Around the age of 18, I took diet pills and worked my butt off to be and stay in shape. That almost-there six-pack is long gone. It said goodbye, thanks to chocolate chip cookie dough. In seriousness, I started becoming convicted of my behaviors. I had no pure motives for exercising. I was obsessed. My addictive behavior weakened, but my self-image was never dealt with. I still kept “control” by what I ate. I couldn’t even enjoy food. Sounds pathetic, huh? Even when I am thin, I always think I have to be skinnier. I can find something wrong with my body. It’s awful to constantly be unhappy with how you look. I’ve been guilty with letting how I look preoccupy my thoughts. God tells us in His word what we should be thinking on.

My self-image/esteem was extremely low for many reasons that I won’t go into right now. But I’ve finally begun to realize the depth of Christ’s love for me. It is beyond the surface. Yes, He created me, and He thinks His creation is beautiful. But He sees His Son and not me anymore. Man looks at the outward appearance, but our God looks at our hearts. And He takes His holy place very seriously. That holy place is now—me… and you! It’s a place for Him to dwell. Since the Old Testament there have been strict regulations about God’s dwelling place. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 asks, “Didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.” (The Message) Not to say I grasp all of this, and not to say I’m not going to struggle, but I can sit back and know that God cherishes me, delights in me, loves me, and I am precious to Him.

I didn’t know how much I like food until I recently started understanding some of these Truths of who He is and what He thinks about me. ☺ I’m eating fried food, pizza, cookies, brownies, chocolate, sweet tea, etc. Now, I’m not condoning eating whatever you want. Back to our bodies being the temple of God we should be taking care of them. It goes both ways though… we should neither starve ourselves nor should we gorge ourselves either. But we are allowed to eat and enjoy! The other night I was out with a few girls… I ate Krispy Kreme without feeling rotten and guilty! Talk about yummy and an amazing step for me!

So where do you struggle the most with your body image? Not eating right? Not exercising regularly? Abusing your body with some habitual sin? Constantly comparing your physical appearance to others? Whatever the case, realize that God has redeemed you. Let the Truths about His love for you sink into your every being.