I am not a “skinny” girl.
I don’t have perfectly toned arms or a flat stomach, but I’m not necessarily a “fat” girl, either. I’ve got stretch marks and a few lumps here and there. Could I take the measures to lose weight and become super fit? Maybe. Should I? Possibly. Should I have to feel like it’s necessary to fit in and feel attractive? Definitely not.
In our desperate human desire to fit in, people are finding themselves comparing their bodies to that of the “ideal.” The ideal changes throughout time, but the same basic principle remains: the idea that “I’m not attractive, because I don’t look like ‘x.’”
Stop it. Now. Just stop.
It’s time to start loving your body exactly as it is, not how you idealize it to be.
When God planned our lives, when He created each and every one of us, He created us to be exactly how He wants us to be. We are His wonderful and beautiful creations, and He makes no mistakes. He made us in His image. Why do we allow ourselves to feel like we are not good enough physically? Why do we continue to wish we were different than He made us, if He made us and loves us exactly as we are?
I’m not saying that setting goals to be healthier or to take better care of yourself is wrong. I’m just wondering: what does it say about our relationship with God and our trust in His perfect plan, if we keep doubting His creation?
I’d bet that you don’t often think about it that way. I sure didn’t. It’s so hard to think of our bodies that we are living in as anything but only our own, as if we have total control over our lives and our bodies. Guess what? We don’t, and we never will.
God gives us choices every day on how well we take care of ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. He gives us guidelines, rules, and examples in the Bible so we can keep ourselves healthy on every front, but it’s ultimately our choice what we do with that information. What we do with those choices is up to us, but His plan will always win out.
He made you EXACTLY as you are supposed to be, right now. Down to the last wrinkle, the last roll, the last stretch mark. Whether you struggle to gain or lose weight. Whether people accuse you of eating too much, or not eating enough. God sees you exactly as you are, and His heart is overflowing with love for you and every cell in your body, be it fat, muscle, or even cancer.
Stop and think for a second; think about the way that God sees you. Think about how much He loves you. Think about the fact He sent Jesus to die in your place, because He doesn’t want to be without you forever. That’s a lot of love. More than we, as humans, will ever comprehend while we are living on this earth.
I encourage you to continually seek out God, and ask Him to show you yourself through HIS eyes. Learn to love yourself, your mind, and your body, the way that God loves it.
After all, the eyes of the world will never mean anything when the arms of our Savior are open and waiting.
