Winning the Food Fight. 5 Unhealthy Patterns for God-Honoring HabitsSample

In our world today, we put a high value on appearances. For someone who struggles with unhealthy patterns, the mirror can reflect not just our faces, but all our deep insecurities. We judge books by the cover instead of the Good Book. The Bible cautions us against putting too much emphasis on how we look. In 1 Samuel, God appoints the next king of Israel, the lowly David. Samuel mistakenly believes that God will choose Eliab who was tall and pleasing to the eye. But God warns Samuel:

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV).

It’s comforting to know that our appearance does not dictate our purpose or our value in God’s eyes. If our jeans are too snug, it may mean we have some work to do in the area of healthy eating, but it’s not an opportunity to beat ourselves up. Rather than allow the flippant words of others who have criticized our appearance to boomerang inside our minds, we should remember how God views us as “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image of God.

The freedom from such damaging scripts lies in replacing them with scriptural truth.

When we have a biblical view of our appearance, our body image shifts. The warden’s keys rattle in the lock and freedom looms in front of us. Has our unhealthy pattern been to feel ashamed of our bodies? To listen to the voices—or our own—that tell us we are not pretty enough? Handsome? Accepted? Do we cross our arms and curse our appearance? Biblical habits are healthy habits. God tells us not to look at appearance or physical stature as a means of worth or suitability. We must begin to examine our hearts—and to invite God to do the same:

“Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.”

(Psalm 139:23–24 NIV)

Our self-consciousness is the snuffer Satan uses to dim the light God asks us to shine. He wants us to feel miserable. Ask God to help you let go of your insecurities and give you courage to believe your value and worth.

Prayer suggestion: God, I know that You made me and that you accept me. Help me to have proper body image and to stop looking at myself with shame and criticism. I want to be thankful for the way You designed me, and I am committed to being as healthy as I can be. Release me from thinking too much about appearances and help me to see that you do all things well, including making me, me. In Jesus’ name, amen!

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