Feeling fat? Me
too. And so are a whole lot of other people around you, believe it or not. This
week, I have talked to more girls than I can count about body image issues,
guilt about eating, disordered eating patterns, and discouragement from not
being able to fit into certain clothes.
I’m not a writer, and I’m not a
theologian. But as I was sitting here tonight, God really burdened my heart to
share some thoughts that He’s given me today. So, if you’re feeling fat,
feeling discouraged, or are just curious, then I suggest grabbing your Bible
and a pen and spending a few minutes reflecting on God’s Word.
Romans 12:1 says, “I
appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship.”
Read it again. Let it sink in. Your body, if you are a believer, is a living
sacrifice to God. That means that everything
regarding your life belongs to the Lord. Your entire life should reflect Him
and should be focused on Him and Him alone. You should wake up in the morning
with the intent of doing nothing that day except for being obedient to what God
puts in your path and to bringing glory to His name. Your thoughts should be
centered on praising Him and your heart should yearn to truly know Him. I don’t know about you, but as a girl that
has struggled with eating and body image problems for years, I spend a whole
lot more time worried about calories and weight gain than I do Scripture. My
biggest fear is not disappointing my Lord but outgrowing my pants size. I’m
forced to ask myself, “Is my lord truly Jesus Christ or is it myself, my body?”
If you keep reading, you come to a
Scripture that we’ve been reading in youth group and on t-shirts for years now
but listen to what it says. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Not only are we living sacrifices, but
our mindsets are also supposed to be completely different from that of the
world. Guys, my mindset is not different
from that of the world where weight is concerned. I am still caught in the trap
of comparing myself to every other girl that comes along. I still squirm in my
seat when some guy looks at me too long and I feel fat. I still spend way too
much time figuring out how to eat my favorite foods while skipping the calories
that are in them. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Our thoughts are to be 100%, completely devoted to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Forget counting calories, worrying about the extra weight you’ve
put on, etc. It’s time to focus on the Lord. It’s time to praise Him for giving
us bodies that work. It’s time to use our bodies to go find others who don’t
know Him. It’s time. Not just for you—for me too.
When we do this, Satan no longer has control. He can’t rule
our thoughts anymore or distract us from all that God has for us to do—because
it’s a distraction after all. Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the Lord always
before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” When the Lord is always before you, you
won’t be shaken. You’ll be strong in the Lord. You’ll be able to fight back.
Guys, I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy. But
Christ has the victory; He won a long time ago. So praise the Father for His
saving grace and “be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Here are a few Scriptures that have helped
me in my journey in taking back my mind. Check them out—and find your own
Scriptures to cling to.
1
Timothy 4:7-8 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly
myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of
some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the
present life and also for the life to come.”
Romans
13:12-14 “So then let us cast off the works of
darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime,
not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in
quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no
provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Ephesians
6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the schemes of the devil.”
Psalm
34:5 “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall
never be ashamed.”
Lamentations
3:22 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies
never come to and end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Hebrews
4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who is
unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been
tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to
the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time
of need."
2
Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may
rest upon me.”
