Our culture is obssessed with beautiful bodies…or the elusive pursuit of them. This is entirely opposite of God’s priorities. Read this candid guest post and listen to the convicting reminders shared by wellness leader Dawn Rutledge. Diane Markins
Have you ever noticed how hyper-focused we are on people’s bodies and appearance? Spend some time listening to people greet one another in church, at social events, or when they meet for lunch, and you will hear a lot of greetings that sound like, “You look great!”, “Did you lose weight?”, “Have you been working out?”, “I love your outfit!”, or “Where did you get those jeans? They look great on you!” We live in a society where the focus is external. In fact, people use our appearance to make decisions about how we are feeling and how our lives are going.
The other day, a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while was over at our house for a party. She made a comment about how “good” one of the people at the party looked because he was tan, had lost some weight, and looked good on the outside. “He must be doing well,” she said. What she didn’t know is that he has been struggling with addiction and is in all truth not doing well at all. She made the same mistake in reference to another friend who had gained some weight, and said, “She really doesn’t look good.” Ironically, this person who once had some serious struggles is now doing incredibly well and is happy and healthy. While I use my friend as an example of how off-target we can be, we all have made these same mistakes.
The truth of the matter is this is just a projection of our own body obsession, and in many cases, our own body dissatisfaction. Why do we focus so much on our outward appearance? There are many reasons, most of which have to do with the pressures society places on us to look a certain way. We internalize those messages and allow them to affect our self-worth in a positive or negative way, depending on how we “measure up”. As long as we are listening to these messages from the media, Hollywood, advertisers, and others who influence us, we will continue to remain focused on our bodies and how we look. And sadly, we will not focus on the things that really matter, like our character, our relationships with God and others, our gifts, talents and abilities, or living in-line with our purpose.
God’s word says something different about our bodies and appearance. Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Clearly, life is more important than the food we eat or the way we look. With respect to our bodies, the word also tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”
It blows me away to consider that my body is a temple of the living God, that He indwells me. When I think about my body as a temple, it helps me shift my focus away from making sure it looks good to whether it is honoring and glorifying Him. How we are living means far more to God than how we look. So a far better question to ask ourselves and others is “how are you living?”
If you are interested in connecting with your heart, spirit, mind, and body in an entirely new and healthier way or are seeking wholeness and healing, consider joining us for an upcoming retreat. Visit Living Well Retreats for more information or to register for an upcoming retreat.
Listen to my interview with Diane Markins on her Words in High Def site. Share your body image experiences or concerns and wisdom in a comment below.
