Remember the last time a friend said something to you like, "I'm so fat." Or, "my legs are so ugly." I'm sure your response wasn't, "Yeah, you're right," but instead likely took on a tone of encouragement of how your friend's body was beautiful.
But what about the last time you had those thoughts about yourself. You know the ones that come right after you get out of the shower & catch a glimpse of yourself from the "wrong" angle. Or the thoughts you have when you wear a shirt to hide your perceived imperfections & then all you think about the whole day is how every other person you see has a flatter belly than you do?
Negative thoughts about our bodies, are like seeds that plant roots in our heads, & they can quickly grow from a passing assessment of ourselves to an all-consuming stronghold that leads us to believe that our body is somehow gross, disgusting, or unworthy.
Those thoughts then forge their way into believing that if we could just fix our body, we would be happier, accepted & more loved.
But this way of thinking comes straight from the devil himself & he uses it to our detriment. {1 Peter 5:8}
Instead, God wants us to take our thoughts captive & redirect them toward Him. {2 Corinthians 10:5} This concept can be challenging to grasp, but if we can do this, then we can not only change our minds, but we can also change our physical reality. {James 4:7}
By infiltrating our minds with spiritual truth, we will realize that our health is largely tied to what we believe. And guess what?
What we believe directly impacts our identity & our identity directly impacts how we choose to treat our body.
But how do we do this with all the noise that comes at us every single day about our body? Social media, television ads, comments from others & even our own thoughts are all so hard to silence.
Taking control of this noise can happen if we take a moment to sit with the one truth that never changes. This is how we can hear what really needs to be said.
You see the Bible, a note written to us directly from our Father that reminds us of His secure love. A love that will never fail. A love that is faithful. A love that comes running when we cry for help & lifts us when we are down. His love rejoices with us when we are happy. He sent us a note in His Word so that we would take it & hide it in our heart & never forget how much He loves us.
And if we apply that note to our body image, here is what God would say to us.
Dear Child of Mine,
I want you to know how wide and how deep My love is for you. {Ephesians 3:18} I have made you royalty through Jesus. {1 Peter 2:9}
I created you in My own image {Genesis 1:27}, which by the way, is beautiful. When you condemn your own body or let the world's noise condemn it, you make a mockery of what I created. {Galatians 6:7-9}
I want your entire being to be healthy & whole. I want you to understand that the way you look has no bearing on whether you are loved & accepted. {Ephesians 1:3-6}
Though My desire for you is to fill your body with foods I created, what you eat & drink has no bearing on whether or not you are good or bad. In Me, nothing you do can bring condemnation on yourself. {Romans 8:1}
I have given you my Spirit so that you may have power over temptation. {1 Corinthians 10:13} This includes the temptation to criticize your body or destroy your body physically by withholding healthy food. {Galatians 5:16-17}
If you bring your anxieties over your body image to Me, you will see that I love you deeply. {1 Peter 5:7} I can be your hiding place. {Psalm 32:7} I will help you take all these wild thoughts captive {2 Corinthians 10:5} & I can show you how to concentrate on the good about your body. {Philippians 4:4-8}
I know from your human perspective, the situation you are facing seems impossible, but trust in Me because I make all things possible. {Matthew 19:26} I understand you are worn out from living life for so long, trying to attain a particular physical image. Keep going & renew yourself in Me {2 Corinthians 4:16} & I will show you how to become the healthiest version of yourself. {Ephesians 5:29}
I have given you a spirit of power & love {2 Timothy 1:7} not just to show it to the world but also to show it to yourself. You can be all I created you to be & you can do it with a healthy mindset & a healthy body. {Proverbs 4:20-22}
Move forward with confidence that I am in the middle of every part of your life, including your health. {Jeremiah 33:6} I look at you every day & rejoice over you with singing because of your beauty. {Zephaniah 3:17}
I have really great plans for your life {Jeremiah 29:11}. I have always loved you & I always will {1 John 4:10}.
Love, Your Father
Do you need help figuring out how to get your body image thoughts & your nutrition on track with where God wants to take you? Contact Me & let's discuss how I can help you through nutrition coaching.