Have You Tried Everything? A Biblical Way to Improve Your Body ImageParaugs

I’ve Tried Everything

I have no idea how I ended up with type B blood because every ounce of my personality is type A. Give me a plan; I’ll work it. Give me a goal; I’ll try to reach it. Certainly, with enough effort, an overachiever like me could find her way out of body image issues.

But no amount of planning or striving ever led me to a place where the scale and mirror sang, “You are so beautiful.” One look at my thighs, and the only thing I heard was the Mission: Impossible theme.

Maybe you feel the same. Perhaps frustration furrows through your mind. It doesn’t seem fair that you’re still trying to make peace with your body after all you’ve done. Why won’t God just zap this away?

Decades ago, I would have told you my problem was with my body, not my body image. I was sure that all the negative feelings about my appearance would resolve if I just changed how I looked. Obsessive thoughts would cease. As soon as I found the right formula to fix it all, my body image would transform.

But, the ducks never lined up. Instead, those thoughts of my inadequacies quacked daily, hourly, and sometimes every minute. They plagued me even when I finally wore the size I’d always wanted.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not obsess over every calorie or missed workout. But now, I’ve experienced true freedom. Do you long to know it, too?

What if the words, “Let’s take a picture!”, no longer made you want to go hide in the bathroom? How would it feel to confidently wear shorts in the summer or a swimsuit at the beach? What would it be like to see your reflection in the mirror and not spiral into negative thoughts?

Perhaps you’ve ridden up the escalator of hope so many times you can’t bear the thought of another letdown. On this journey, I offer encouragement so you can:

• know you are loved beyond what you measure
• be free from the judgment of the scale and the dressing room mirrors
• experience the freedom of entering a room without fearing what others think of your body

Culture tells us we’ll feel loved when we get our bodies to look a certain way. Today, let’s explore what Scripture says about love and where God’s love is found.