I stood in the mirror—sucking it in, tucking it in, and attempting to perk it up. It was a futile exercise, but one I felt necessary to my morning routine.
I tried to avoid looking too closely at my body. But it, too, was futile. And that old familiar narrative started playing in my head.
Look at your fat rolls, your thunder thighs, your second chin. What a wonderful testimony to the world, Kelsey! *insert eye roll* You praise God’s name with my mouth—but your body praises nothing but your sin. Look at all the food you’ve eaten for comfort. Look at all the Netflix binges you’ve had. Look at all the times you didn’t die to self and exercise or eat an apple. It’s all right there in your too-tight jeans.
Sound familiar?
I wish it didn’t. I wish you only saw your body as the beautiful miracle it is.
But the stats tell us differently. There’s an 4 out of 5 chance that you are dissatisfied with your body. (source)
Fearfully and wonderfully made? Ha, the mirror tells us a completely different story.
But does it really?
What if we were to take our eyes off our own body for a moment and set them heavenward to answer this: what does God see when he looks at me?
Let’s look.
How God Sees You
Righteous/Holy/Flawless
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. – Hebrews 10:14 (NIV, emphasis mine)
We look at our bodies and only notice the physical flaws and the outward appearance of our sins. But God looks at us, the ones He formed with His own hands—fearfully and wonderfully—and sees us as flawless.
We are flawless in His eyes because He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins. We are pure as snow because Jesus took on our dirt.
Beloved Daughter
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. -1 John 3:1a (ESV, emphasis mine)
God doesn’t see you as filth that’s best left unseen. He sees you as a daughter with a place at the table. Christ’s sacrifice has made us co-heirs to the throne.
Victorious
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33b (NIV)
Despite what you think the scale says about you, you are not a failure, a loser, or defeated. You are victorious in Christ! Because of Him are a victor, a winner, a conqueror. You can’t be defeated. You have Christ Jesus.
Radiant
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. – Matthew 5:14 (NIV)
You are a light. God made you to shine for Him. And you do. Every time you choose to love another, you shine.
Designed for good works
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:10 (NLT, emphasis mine)
When God sees you, He sees His masterpiece that He created to do good things. He knew you’d sin. But that didn’t change His love for you. Instead, He gave His Son, called you beloved child, victorious, light of the world. Your imperfections don’t omit from being part of the Kingdom of God here on earth.
He sees you as being designed for good works.
The Lies and Truth About God and Health
What was it like to read the Truth about how God sees you? Did it bring you joy or are you still skeptical?
If you’re still skeptical, I get it. The mirror and the lies it tells are some of our biggest barriers to full freedom in Christ. We wrongly think that…
- God would love us more if we lost weight.
- God doesn’t care at all about our bodies.
- God only uses those with not-so-in-your-face sin.
The truth is God DOES want us to be healthy BUT His love is not dependent on our BMI.
If you’re ready to dig deeper into the lies and Truth about God and his view of your health, I’ve got a Bible study just for you.
Holy & Healthy
Holy & Healthy is a 10-day study that digs into the two biggest lies we believe about God and his view of our health. Over the course of a week-and-a-half, you’ll dig out lies, replace them with Truth, and add practical, God-honoring steps to get your health on the right track.
It’s time to start seeing yourself like God does, friend.
With Him, you’re already victorious!
Kelsey is a recovering worrier, a former social worker, a forever wife, and a currently exhausted momma to two. She writes about letting go of shame and fear, loving others well (especially, the people in your home), and living free in who God made you to be. You can find her at The Unabashed Life.
Copyright: alexandralexey / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: alexandralexey / 123RF Stock Photo
I enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing.
Loved your post today. I can so relate to your comment “that man has to change” I am a widow now in my 60’s, but I remember when I was in my 20’s, I knelt beside my bed in desperation and prayed, “God, PLEASE change my husband.” Suddenly I heard a voice say, ‘But, Anita, YOU have to change.’ I literally turned around to see who had said those words. It was the first time I heard God’s audible voice.
Comments are closed.