I looked it the mirror as I spun around in a dress I hadn’t worn in a while. Immediately, I began to panic about my reflection.
Why doesn’t this dress look the same as it did before? I thought, staring at the mirror.
Disgusted, I threw the dress onto my bed as I began to cry.
The tears continued to fall down my cheeks as I glanced at my closet. Finally, I put on something else to wear and rushed to class, with worries plaguing my mind as I walked.
Though I may be the exception to the rule, I feel like females constantly worry about their size, starting with adolescence. Facing the mirror with joy (or even minimal satisfaction) is always a challenge. Rarely can a woman say that she loves what she sees.
Even when I was underweight and at an unhealthy size as an anorexic, I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror.
Sometimes, I envy the girl I used to be because she was a smaller size.
Satan wants to convince me that something is wrong with me now. He whispers that nothing fits me well and that my body is dreadfully ugly, even though I’m perfectly healthy.
But Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44 ESV). He wants us to believe anything that will draw us away from the Father. One lie he uses to accomplish that goal is that we are our size. He says that we are nothing more than the number on our tags.
Society says the same thing. Have you observed the countless ads for running shoes, fad diets, and gym memberships? Have you seen the countless magazines with the uber-skinny models and airbrushed celebrities on the cover? Have you checked out social media to see the Photoshopped pictures that your friends post in their workout clothes?
Our culture is obsessed with sizes.
And Satan absolutely loves that! If we are focused on anything or anyone but God, he is happy. But you don’t have to believe his lies because you have a choice what to believe.
Believe it or not, there are more important things in life than wearing the smallest size, eating the smallest meal at dinner. There is no virtue in running every day, eating kale salads, or drinking countless glasses of water. Nothing in the Bible tells us that being thin is good, that eating healthy demonstrates righteousness, or that exercising pleases God. Rather, God says that our character is most valuable.
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised’(Proverbs 31:30).
That is the truth Satan doesn’t want you to hear.
As you read this, he is probably telling you that you’re wasting your time with this article. He’s whispering that I’m not an expert and that I’m just trying to brainwash you. He says that the culture is right and that you should start a diet or exercise plan ASAP.
I don’t think that eating healthy or exercising or being a small size is sinful.
In fact, we’re commanded to take care of our bodies because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us as believers (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But I also know that being obsessed with our bodies wastes valuable time. I know this from personal experience, but I still struggle to believe that.
We simply have to remember that being a certain weight, size, or shape will not make us happy.
As Proverbs 31:30 says, it seems like those things really matter; but in God’s mind, they don’t.
He can use any shape, size, or body type in His kingdom.
The good news is that you’re not alone in your struggles. Body image is an issue for most women, whether they’re thirteen or thirty. Remember, you are not defined by the number on your tag. And you have a choice what you’ll believe about your size.
What will you decide?
Blog Post Written By: Grace M. is a college student, a blogger, and a writer. She enjoys spending time with her family, chatting with friends, and eating cookie dough. She writes about the Christian life at Tizzie’s Tidbits.
