The "self-love" culture of our society pushes loving your body for how it looks, yet at the same time, our society encourages and normalizes plastic surgery. Our society focuses on showing your skin as a reflection of how you feel about your body. Nowadays, it is difficult to find a top that is not cropped. However, this is not a post about modesty; that is for another time. Anyway, it is ingrained into both men and women to focus on our appearances when it comes to our looks. Although I agree that when you look in the mirror, you should love every inch and curve, there is no "why" as to why we should love our bodies. We as people need a "why" to fully understand and follow a concept. I've been every size between size 6 to size 16, and I always felt the same about myself, never understanding until recently the importance of this "why."
As Christians, the most used Bible verse when it comes to this topic is Psalm 139:14, which says: "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well" (ESV). We apply this verse to show that we are each made aesthetically beautiful. This is absolutely true: God is a great artist and we are made in His image, which means that we are each beautiful. Nevertheless, there is more to this than just the shallow application of appearance.
What if when we looked in the mirror and instead of focusing on aesthetics, we focused on how God fearfully and wonderfully made our bodies to function? We should love our bodies not because of how we think we look, but with a gratitude focused on God and in awe of how He creates.
When I look in my mirror, I see a sinner who has been redeemed and made worthy by the blood of Christ, a child of God. When I look at my legs, I see the legs that enable me to dance around my room. When I look at my hips, I see how God created them in a specific way to be able to carry my babies one day. When I look at my stomach, I see what enables me to eat all my favorite foods. When I look at my arms, I see what allows me to give tight hugs to all the people I love, to hold my babies one day, and to raise my arms in worship. When I look at my hands, I think of how they will hold my future husband's as we will walk through life. When I see my face, I see my mother's face, and I think she is the most beautiful woman in the world. I also think of how many facial features I share with my family members who have lived, loved, and left a mark in this world. When I see my lips, I think of how many jokes, "I love you"s, and prayers they speak. When I see my cheeks, I think of how much they hurt from smiling. When I see my nose, I think how it scrunches when I laugh, and I personally think I have the same one as my Poppy, and I love him very much. When I see my hair, I think of my great great grandmother Amelia who also had blonde hair. She is the matriarch of my family's belief in Jesus, and I am blessed and honored to share her faith.
I don't know about you, but I want my body and being to be more than "beautiful." When people look at me, I want them to see an imperfect, humble, faithful servant of Christ. In all my actions and words, I hope and pray to reflect Jesus and to lead others to Him. I also want people to see someone who cares deeply and will exchange my smile and laugh for theirs. Someone who will sit and pray for them when they feel alone. I want them to see someone who believes in standing for truth, freedom, and doing what is right, no matter how hard or if it is standing alone. I want someone to see someone who deeply loves and is loved back by her family and friends. Heck, I even want people to see someone who paradoxically loves to laugh and being silly as much as I love deep, heart-to-heart conversations.
We are people, given worth through Christ, created with purpose. We were created to be more than how we look. Yes, you are beautiful, but don't you want to be more than that, even in your own eyes? Yes, love your body and feel comfortable in your own skin. When that acceptance comes from a place that is centered and rooted in God, that will give you a lasting feeling because it is rooted in truth instead of self.
By: Bible and Hot Cocoa (IG: @bibleandhotcocoa)
Jules is the founder of Bible and Hot Cocoa. She is a law student with a passion for standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves, such as unborn babies, and for connecting families through adoption. In any free time, she loves to read (Victorian lit is her favorite), study theology, write, and draw or paint. Jules's favorite book of the Bible would have to be a tie among John, Psalms, and Romans (as of now), and her favorite figure besides Jesus is King David or Paul.
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