By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

Well friends, you surprised me. You really liked my post “Full-Time Christian, Part-Time Vegan.” I hope when you finished reading it that you took time to consider how you treat your body. Are you getting enough exercise? Are you staying hydrated? Are you taking your vitamins?

Again, I will remind you to consult with your doctor or a certified nutritionist before beginning any diet or exercise regime. But that’s not the point of this week’s post. I’m following up on “Full-Time Christian, Part-Time Vegan” not to reiterate how important it is to take care of your body (although it is), but to encourage you to love your body just as it is.

(Before we go any further, I want to acknowledge that in some instances it is totally valid to want to change your body because the outside doesn’t match how you feel inside. This post is not meant to force someone in that situation to love a body that isn’t the right body for them).

Not all of us like everything about our bodies. We look in the mirror and we see something we want to change, or maybe several things we wish were different. Feeling comfortable in your own skin doesn’t always come easy. It can take years, even your entire lifetime. And our bodies change as we age or experience pregnancy. As Christians, how are we meant to approach these insecurities? What does the Bible say about our bodies and how we are supposed to treat and love them?

Just the Way You Are

I am five feet tall. The world is not designed for someone of my stature. I would love to be able to reach items on the top shelf or buy trousers that don’t need to be hemmed. There are many times throughout my life that I’ve wished I were taller. Except for wearing high heels, I cannot be any taller than I am.

I have a couple spots that jiggle when I move. I don’t like looking in the mirror and seeing my backfat, or the thickness of my thighs, or my double chin. These are areas I’m trying to improve through diet and exercise but it’s slow going. I’ve had a double chin all my life so I don’t expect it will ever go away. It’s something I simply have to accept about my body.

There are things I love about my body, too. My eyes are my best feature. I have a small waist. All this to say, there are things about my body that please me and there are things about my body I wish to change. You can probably relate. What would you list in the “love” column, and what would you list in the “dislike” column?

We all have a list. The world constantly tells us what needs changed or improved, altering beauty standards on a near daily basis. Thankfully, God’s standards never change. God loves you just as you are because He created you just like you are: “The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (Job 33:4 KJV). The Creator, the One who formed the heavens and the earth, also created you. God gave you life because He wanted you to exist. All the things you don’t like about yourself are things God loves about you because He wouldn’t have made you that way otherwise.

The Potter’s Wheel

God loving your body is one thing; you loving it is quite another. Love your body. Easier said than done, right? We can logically acknowledge that God created us and God loves us, but that doesn’t always change our hearts so that we love ourselves.

I wonder if that breaks God’s heart. Every time I look in the mirror and I frown at another roll or another jiggle, am I making God sad? Think about it this way- imagine something you created that you were super proud of. Maybe it was a cake you baked and decorated, or a shawl you knitted, or a picture you painted. You can’t way to show your friends and family. You march into the living room, your creation held high, and you present it to them with a loud “ta-da!”

Silence. Someone raises an eyebrow. Someone else turns up their nose. They are not impressed. They don’t like what you created. In fact, they outright despise it. Wouldn’t that make you feel horrible?

I imagine that’s how God feels when we focus on the list of things we don’t like about our bodies. Isaiah 64:8 offers a beautiful metaphor of God creating us: “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (KJV). He is the potter, and we are the clay, molded into pottery that He is very proud of. And yet we don’t always like it. We look at the pottery and point out perceived flaws and argue about what we would change. Don’t you think that breaks God’s heart? He worked so hard on creating us. We strive to love all of God’s creation. Shouldn’t that include loving ourselves?

From Our Heads to Our Toes

Sometimes loving our bodies is challenging. We won’t suddenly fall in love with them just because someone tells us to. The insecurities we feel don’t go away overnight. It’s a process, and it can be arduous at times. But it’s important to remember that these are the only bodies we have. We must take care of them, and part of our caretaking responsibilities includes falling in love with them.

God didn’t create us to hate our bodies. All the imperfections we list are quirks that He loves. We can grow to love and appreciate those same quirks. When we try to see things through God’s perspective, our whole outlook changes. We recognize the beauty in ourselves, the remarkable craftsmanship of the human body. Let gratitude replace your bitterness, friend, and embrace the body God gave you.