Like a good little American girl, I've always been conscious about my weight. And because I'm more naturally conceited than I'd like to admit, I also kept tabs on other peoples' opinions of my looks. But you know what? By God's beautiful grace, I've stopped caring. Don't get me wrong, the struggle is real. And every day I have to decide all over again not to allow pride to dictate my life. The world likes to tell me exactly how much more in-shape and stylish this post-pregnancy body should be. But My Savior loved me too much to allow me to stay in that comparison, food-loving, food hating, self-loathing, guilt-ridden, self-worship cycle.
So I've decided not to do my hair and makeup ever again.
I'm TOTALLY KIDDING. You were worried for a second, weren't you?
But seriously...
I'm feeling transparent here...and a little vulnerable...but I'm gonna share with you some of the liberating Truths that He has been teaching my soul. I'm embarrassed at how simple these Truths are considering how long it has taken me to understand them. Forgive my simplicity.
1. Every body type is different. And how can I criticise an ingenious, creative designer? He is a lover of variety.
"...O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" Rom. 9:20
2. Physical health is important, but for a completely different reason than the tabloids teach. My body isn't for my glory. And my motivation matters to My Master.
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31
"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor. 6:20
3. There are no evil foods. In our low-carb, skinny latte culture it's easy to assume certain foods are "good" and others are "evil."
"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." Matt. 15:11
4. What I eat or don't eat doesn't make me more acceptable to God. In a different context, Paul explained that food has nothing to do with our standing with God. Us Christian girls somehow tend to write a spiritual version of the Skinny Culture Rules. And just like any other form of legalism, we end up living under a massive load of self-imposed guilt.
"But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse." 1 Cor. 8:8
5. Because of the power of the cross, I can choose who my master will be today. And every day, I must choose Jesus. He doesn't ask me to love myself. He tells me to love HIMself.
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey..." Rom. 6:16
6. Correct motivation, wisdom for daily health and a holy understanding of what moderation actually is are only possible when I'm controlled by the Holy Spirit. Seriously, I've tried all of this in my own strength and failed. The only things I got out of the situation were pride and guilt. Both of which make life feel empty.
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Gal. 5:16
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance [self control]: against such there is no law." Gal. 5:22-23
One day I sat down and wrote out a list of all the people whose opinions mattered to me with regards to how I looked. My list was long (told you I'm naturally conceited). I got down on my knees with the list and gave all that pride to God and asked Him to renew and control my mind. Then I ripped the list to shreds.
God is faithful.
The other day I actually put on makeup for the purpose of trying to highlight the joy and freedom I felt in my heart. That's a first for me. It's one of the great paradoxes of Christianity. In death to ourselves, there is joy and liberty in Jesus.
"O taste and see that The Lord is good..." Ps. 34:8
Oh girls, He is SO good.
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