For Days When You Look in the Mirror and Don’t Like Your Body
I’ve always struggled with my weight. I wrote about it a long time ago here on the blog and well it’s pretty much 9 years later and the same ol’ story.
I grew up comparing myself to my super thin sisters and since I was always the “curvy” sister due to my unique eating habits (ie. my ability to rapidly eat a bag of potato chips in one sitting), I’ve always felt frustrated with my weight. I have had a few years in my life, where I was thin and fit. But most of the time, I’ve just struggled with it.
Do you have days where you look in the mirror and don’t like your body?
Me too.
Recently I’ve gained a few pounds and these thoughts of discontentment are plaguing me once again. And while it feels good to be working on healthier habits using my Habit Tracker – (I hope to write more on this soon), when I consider that some of my loved ones are battling very real and serious health issues – I can’t help but to feel convicted of my discontentment with my body.
Paul wrote:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
(1 Timothy 6:6)
Godliness + Contentment = Gain
To me – there is no higher compliment than being called godly.
What is godliness?
It is someone who is so focused on God that their conduct and character reflects their private, intimate walk with God.
They are walking with the King and it is evident by their daily life and speech.
Oh how I long to be godly. This struggle over my weight befuddles me.
It has caused me to turn to God and ask him for help and for right thinking time and time again. Sometimes I win this battle and somedays I am losing badly. But this I know.
This struggle is good for me.
You might think that is crazy to say – but I know it is good when we wrestle these things out and call on God to give us guidance. He cares!
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.(Psalm 119:71 & 72)
God is concerned with our bodies! He gave them to us to steward.
We are about to celebrate Easter Sunday – the resurrection of Jesus. And the resurrection is all about our future hope of eternal life.
It is because Jesus died on the cross and rose again that our bodies will be resurrected too! And that gives me hope. I’m not stuck in this body forever – PTL!
Let’s look at I Corinthians 15. It is a fascinating chapter not only about Jesus’ resurrection but also about the believer’s resurrection!
What will our bodies be like in heaven?
Just think about the most beautiful woman you have ever seen on earth – she is under the curse of sin. If we saw Adam and Eve most likely it would take our breath away – they were created perfect. And if they saw us – they might be in shock!
The Bible does not give us a lot of details about what we will look like in heaven – but it gives us a word picture so that we can begin to imagine what our bodies will be like in heaven. God’s word compares our bodies to a seed.
Many years ago, the children and I planted sunflower seeds and tomato seeds. When those seeds rose up – they looked nothing like the original seeds! The sunflowers grew to be 6 feet tall and glorious! The tomatoes became plump, juicy and bright red! They changed dramatically.
It is the same with our bodies – our bodies are like a seed…and after death we will be raised up with glorious bodies! Read this!
I Corinthians 15 says,
“If Christ had not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead (AMEN!!)…someone may ask, How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”
“When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. (37,38)…
There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another(40)…
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.(42-44)“
Oh I love this hope that God gives us!
Our body is perishable – but it will be raised imperishable!
Our body is sown in dishonor – but it will be raised in glory!
Our body is sown in weakness – but it will be raised in power!
Our body is sown as a natural body and will be raised as a spiritual body!
This world is not our home – we are just passing through. God calls our bodies weak – none of us are superwoman. And it’s okay – we were not made to be superwoman – she is a fictitious character!
But on Good Friday, when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we were redeemed and bought with the price of his blood. Our body is not our own – it is the Holy Spirit’s temple and we are to glorify God with our bodies.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19,20)
I feel like there’s to be a delicate balance between stewarding our body while also being content and understanding that everyone’s body is imperfect. The negative thoughts that plague our minds are not from Jesus. They are from our enemy who wants to tear us down.
If we are convicted by the Holy Spirit because of some unhealthy habits – then that’s a different story – but conviction and just plain lies, playing on a loop in our minds, are very different.
I think we need to remember how much we should thank God for our bodies and all that they do for us every.single.day!
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
(Psalm 139:14)
The reality is my body is just a seed – a seed I have to live in for no more than 60 more years. Then I am going to get a juicy body in heaven! And you will too!!!!
Praise the Lord that Jesus rose from the dead – our hope is in Him!
If you are like me and struggling a little with contentment – remember godliness with contentment is great gain.
So instead of weight gain –
let’s have some godliness and contentment gain today!
And remember – you have a a glorious spiritual body awaiting you in heaven!
Walk with the King,
Courtney
Let’s grow in godliness together!
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This is something I struggle with everyday. I have scoliosis so my back is very twisted out of shape. I pray for the Lord to help me. Most of the time I feel defeated and scared.
I’m sorry that you have to go trough this. But the Lord is with you. You know it right????. Praying for you.
Look every day to the small things that are working/ looking well that often helps me.
This is our desert if we stay close to Him trusting Him. He will get us trough it????
Blessings????
I have scoliosis. I understand your journey and your pain. ????
Thank you for this post Courtney! So much great insight on a topic that so many women struggle with. Going to re-read this tomorrow and again and again!
Amen here the same feelings
Some days more then others.
Those enoying hormones ????????
I have an unexplained chronic fatigue am praying for that. So I can’t often excersise much. But I try to do the daily 4 minute workout on YouTube. That works only need to keep it up.
It’s difficult whe my children get sick because then I get to tired and go out of my routine then I need to push myself to get back in to it ???? frustrating but I can laugh about it.
The day will come that we don’t need to feel like this. til then embrace it and we are not allone????
Courtney,
Wow!! My “word” for 2018 is “contentment”! I feel as if God is speaking right to me, through you. I also struggle with being content with my body and not comparing myself to others. I am going to put 1 Corinth. 6:6 on my bathroom mirror as a daily reminder that I am wonderfully and fearfully made. Thank you for sharing this.
Rachel M.
Thank you for the reminder and encouragement.
????????????
What a great reminder of how we should approach each day whatever our discontentment is. I’ll join you on focusing on the godliness with contentment gain!
Thank you Courtney!! I have similar struggles with my weight, contentment and comparisons regarding body image. I will meditate on these scriptures. Have a blessed Easter.
I would give this a love and wow. We probably all struggle in some way how we look. I am a senior citizen – when all my body changes started including wrinkles etc. I struggled with it big time. Thanks for your definition of godliness. I volunteer at our church’s resale shop – I can purchase clothes,scarves, jewelry, and purses that I can afford and that make me feel good about my outward appearance – I have fun mixing and matching – I do receive lots of compliments. I do believe godliness and contentment are the crown jewels that God gives us. I do agree “it is good when we wrestle these things out and call on God to give us guidance. He cares!” We all need to keep on keeping on with God’s help and try not to get to discouraged. Enjoy life each day to its fullest. Easter blessings to you and your family. Enjoy celebrating!
I needed this. This month marks one year of a diagnosis I receieved and I lost a lot weight. I’m totally okay with it, but I can’t tell you how many people look at me with pity and say ‘oh I hope you’re done losing weight’. It makes me uncomfortable in my own skin am I try to wear clothes that don’t makes me look too thin. Strange thing, my body doesn’t make me uncomfortable, it’s the comments from people ???? I did respond to one woman that God thinks I’m lovely the way I am???? lol
It’s a blessing that you’re so cheerful about it. Don’t let people get to you. We need to keep our eyes vertical, not horizontal. Then all the “stuff” grows dim, just like the hymn says. Happy, blessed Easter!
Thank you for this beautiful article the truth is whether we are skinny or curvy we strugle with body image distortion. I am going to have my daughter read this article. Just so you know curvy is not because some eat more than others. I can eat as much or more has you at a teen age and i was skinny. people made fun of me. Now i dont eat as much as a teenager and i am curvier after having 7 pregnancies. We must learn to love ourselves with our changes wether it been tin to thick ot thick to tin. Its hard when the enemy wispers to you and others speak out his words. Thank you again Courtney for being a blessing, sharing God word and love.
Maria
What a blessing to read! I am obsessed with my weight and make myself and my husband nuts talking about it constantly and trying every new diet that comes around. I so pray for that contentment!
Here here! I too am a little bit more rounder..than I would like to be.. I have always been more muscular and strong..than thin like my mom n sister.. But ya know when I look at my family as a whole.. We have all sorts of size people…. And who do you think they call on when a jar is too tight or something heavy needs to be lifted.. Yep this gal..
This is such a great reminder! Thank you!
Good Morning Courtney????
My challenge is my abdomen. Most of my life I have been tall and shapely (I am a Black woman)…..(After the birth of my son…..Prior to that I was tall and skinny……with a healthy appetite and a high metabolism.)
Now I know that I must be mindful of my consumption of what beverages and food items that I ingest. !Vitamins for supplements and incorporate a more intentional physical activity. It is a lifestyle change.
I would like to loose inches on my waist. I am changing my eating habits….More “fresh fruits and vegetables” less chips. Snacking on the wrong foods can cause weight gain, as well as hormonal changes can cause weight gain. I am making a conscious choice to be mindful of what foods I place in my body. Thank you for the encouragement.
Respectfully,
Patricia????????????
Addendum: I am in California (PST)
It is still morning….????
I just noticed that you are in (EST) time zone.
Love and Respect,
Patricia????
But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Corinthians 6:6 – this is the wrong reference for this verse.) The correct reference is I Timothy 6:6.
A great article! Thank you! I have read these verses so many times but now that you pointed out the word picture . . . WOW!!!!
Thank you for catching that!
Love,
Courtney 🙂
Sharing this on my wellness page. After two hours of classes in the gym with mirrors tonight, I left in tears. I searched the web for some insight and found it here. Thank you!
Cindy’s wellness journey on fb
Hello! Thank you for this inspiring article. And I want to share my opinion about it. No matter how hard you train, if your diet is poor you probably won’t make any significant progress. You can’t out-train a bad diet and I can’t emphasize this enough. If you struggle to create a good diet plan for yourself, there are many apps/sites that will do the job and are probably a lot cheaper than hiring a personal trainer. Dietary and trick diet are my top picks (used them personally), but there are many more
Thank you Courtney for this blog. I woke up this a.m. late and didn’t go walk. Now I have to get the kids up and I am beating myself up for not going. I just need to be content that, #1, I woke up. #2. I have my kids to wake up and get them ready for school. #3 I can walk later with them (although I love my quiet time). #4 I can even go tomorrow. Help me not to make exercising and idol Lord and help me to always make your first Lord. Thank you Lord for my health. Thank you for my children, my husband who works so hard so I can stay home. Thank you for providing for our every need Lord. Thank you for creating me just the way I am! Thank you for these verses that I needed this morning Jesus!! I am so blessed and so grateful that I read this blog right when I needed it. God bless you!!