God made my body good! Yes, He did! I am sure that most of us would agree with this statement on some level, and yet in our hearts, minds, and souls we disagree, complain, and actually reject this statement. In Genesis 1, when God made man and woman, He pronounced them “very good”. In His own image! Yes, He did! Nevertheless, our youth-oriented culture, our visual-image culture, our bodies-as-trophies culture says otherwise. Culture tells us our bodies are never good enough. Satan has used these powerful images and words as lies that we, too, speak over ourselves. Over, over, and over.
In these past 6 weeks, I have studied, along with four dear sisters in Christ, a book called, “Breaking Free from Body Shame”, by Jess Connolly. I felt prompted in my spirit to study this book, this summer, but I honestly did not know why. Through this book and these ladies, the Holy Spirit showed me. I have been living in Satan’s lies about my body for an exceptionally long time. Too long! And I didn’t even realize it. I have known for a long time that things were off with my thoughts about my body, but I didn’t realize just how off they were. Can I share with you just a little?
Satan wants women, especially,
to always be feeling uncomfortable about their bodies.
Let me say it again, God made my body (and yours) good! I can easily say that I do agree with that statement; however, it is one thing to agree and another to live it. There was often a disconnect for me in this area. Satan wants women, especially, to always be feeling uncomfortable about their bodies. As Jess Connolly said, “Always making our bodies a project.” I am not talking about being healthy, I am talking about never being satisfied. I am too ____ (you fill in the blank), too pudgy, too thin, too pale, too wrinkly, too gray, too curvy, too straight, too old, or too whatever.
I came to see that these statements about myself dominated my thoughts and distracted me from more worthwhile things that the Lord had for me to do each day. The Holy Spirit showed me I was believing lies. I was wasting so much time. I needed to repent, turn, and head in a new direction. I needed to believe that my body was and is good, created by the One who loves me – every part of me!
God made your body and mine good!
This led me to a realization. If I was believing all these FALSE statements about myself, perpetuated by culture, but actually from Satan, then, in fact, I was calling my good, good Father in heaven a liar! When I believed and lived in the lies, I was not believing what God said about me. Ouch! This was hard.
Somehow, I thought all my body complaints were just a small thing, no big deal. How wrong I was. They are a huge deal. I was calling God a liar. Each day, I was wasting the precious time He had given me by fussing, worrying obsessively about me, my body, and my looks! Oh Jesus, forgive me! You are so much better.
Jesus is…
Better than worrying about my not-so-flat tummy.
Better than counting carbs.
Better than weighing myself every day.
Better than always making my body a project.
Better than foods deprived and rewarded.
Better than the constant berating about what I did or didn’t eat.
Better than the time wasted on myself.
Jesus is better. He is worth all our time and these things are not. Jesus is freedom. More of Jesus and less of me. I am learning that Jesus wants all of me and that His ways are best.
“So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.”
John 8:36
If this resonates with you and you are seeking freedom in this area,
here are some next steps.
1. Start with confession.
2. Read the Bible and supplement it with Jess Connelly’s book, Breaking Free From Body Shame.
3. Meet and share with others. Accountability will be key.
Friend, I hope that you will join me in believing the Truth. When God made man and woman, He pronounced them “very good” and in “His own image,” (Genesis 1:26-27, 31). My prayer is that you will begin to believe this for yourself and those around you.
Please contact Women of Renewal for further assistance and resources in this area. We want to see you live in freedom! Email us at: weekendofrenewal@gmail.com.
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