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Ideally you love your body. But in reality, for most of us, there are aspects of our body that we dislike. Have caused us tears. And have led to insecurities.
So then when people tell you to love your body it can seem too big of a reach. Something other people may be able to achieve but impossible for you. The concept of body love may even cause you to feel resentment.
If that’s you, I would like to propose a different process. You don’t have to love your body. Just respect it.
Respect: Find Appreciation for Your Body
Everyday your body is working for you. As you are reading this you are breathing in and out. Your heart is pumping. And your eyes are reading the words. Your brain is firing to take in and comprehend what the sentences mean. It then also stores the information.
God created for you a magnificent and complex body.
An important way to respect your body is to learn to appreciate all that it does for you. Even the parts you dislike or believe to be flawed. Especially those parts!
Lysa Terkeurst in Made to Crave and Staci Eldredge in Becoming Myself both talk about this process.
Take the time to write down each area of your body that you dislike. Now view that part through a lens of appreciation.
I’m not a huge fan of my midsection. Like most women, I wish it was flatter. But everyday that area of my body takes in my food. Breaks it down and allows the food’s nutrients to be utilized. That area of my body has also has also been the home for my two children. They grew and were safe in my body until it was time for them to join our world.
Yes, this will be hard and uncomfortable. But I urge you to do the same for your body parts.
Once you write down the appreciation statements, read them. And again. Every morning. Before you go to bed. Keep them in your head so that when you start to have negative thoughts about those body parts you are able to replace the thought with your appreciation statement.
This is a process that takes time. These negative thoughts didn’t just happen over night.
This can be an especially difficult task for individuals with chronic illness and pain and physical or medical issues. It can feel like your body is rejecting you. But this can be a powerful exercise in finding and focusing on the ways your body is taking care of you.
Respect: Don’t Damage Your Body
We are called to treat our body like a temple as it houses the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Treating our body in a damaging way goes in direct opposition of that command and leads to even further negative views of your body.
Don’t:
- Fill your body with junk food.
- Starve your body with too restrictive of diets.
- Binge eat.
- Be too inactive.
- Workout excessively.
- Purge.
- Use laxatives.
- Self-harm.
If the above issues are areas you have been struggling with and are unsure how to stop. Or if you tried stopping in the past but continue the behaviors. I urge you to seek support. Find a therapist, talk to your pastor, or confide in a mentor.
Your body is worth taking care of. You are worth taking care of.
Respect: Work Towards Body Love
The more you work on respecting your body. Appreciating what it does for you. And appropriately taking care of it. The easier it will be to embrace your body in love.
But again, recognize that this is a process.
You don’t have to love your body. Just respect it. And eventually, in time, love for your body will come.
God bless!
Melissa
I love this perspective! It is taken me years to apply these truths. I mentor young women and this is such a great illustration I will definitely be sharing with them.
I’m so glad you found the post beneficial Carolina! Thank you being a mentor to our young women. That is a service much needed! God bless!
I think it’s funny that men don’t have the same perfectionistic view of their bodies never being good enough. I think it’s because the media is more realistic about men’s bodies but only portray women that are airbrushed toothpicks with curves–which is strangely unnatural.
Yes, it tends to be quite different expectations for men and women. Although I do believe men have a desire to be physically strong and appear so. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
Very few women love their bodies as a whole. They might pick out one or two features that they just love, but we almost always have one or two things we would change if we could. But honestly, I think that’s a good thing. While we were created in God’s image to reflect His glory, if we spend too much time wrapped up in how much we love our bodies, it’s definitely not healthy.
Unfortunately, I think far too many people spend significant amounts of time loathing their body which is not healthy. They are unable to find most anything that they feel comfortable with. There certainly needs to be a healthier balance. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
This is a wonderful and informative post. I love the idea that you have given us about writing down appreciation statements. We are all fearfully & wonderfully made in God’s image, he does not make mistakes. Thanks for reminding me of that today. I need to respect my body more and love it too!
I’m glad you found the post beneficial Keisha. He definitely does not make mistakes! God bless!
God only gives us one body and it is a gift. So many people dont know how to listen or tend their own bodies these days : (
You’re right people don’t. The view and need of our body has gotten very distorted. Thank you for stopping by. God bless!
It’s difficult to love something you don’t respect. It’s a good insight for laying the foundation of the attitude we need to have towards our “temple” because no matter what we have to deal with or the condition we are in it’s all we have, it’s what God gave us.
Yes! This is the body God decided to give us. We need to take care of it like the gift it is. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
Such a simplistic message, but so hard to do. I’ve learned to just accept my small frame, but sometimes I wish I could gain weight… and when I do, I want it gone because it’s not in the right place. When we stop and think about our bodies, we realize just how beautiful they are.
It is so hard to do. It has to be a continual process of acceptance and appreciation. The complexities of our body truly is amazing. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
Such good advice. We must become reconciled to our bodies. Without them we would be nowhere! I think accepting our bodies is an important key to emotional health.
Yes, the women who own their size and shape, irregardless of what it is, are the women who shine the brightest light. Because you’re not distracted by their lack of self-confidence. It is a very importance aspect to emotional health. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your insights. God bless!
My midsection is my problem area also! I need to appreciate my body more as the temple of God.
Thank you for your tips and suggestions on how to embrace it.
When we are able to focus on our body as God’s temple, I think more about appropriately “keeping house” and ensuring it is clean and well maintained. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless, Julie!
Yes! I’m so glad you posted this! This is where I’m at – respecting my body even though I may not “love it.”
I really think it is an important first step. With greater respect can come love. Thank you for reading and commenting. God bless!
I was thinking along similar lines today while pondering the questions someone threw at me::
“Why do you talk about food along with spiritual matters?”
I thought how truly ever part of us is integrated with our love for Jesus including our food. Not just saying grace but believing how we fuel our body can honor or dishonor him.
Yes! Food is a physical necessity that we can’t get around. It needs to be honoring to God as well. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your insights. God bless!
Wow! Beautiful…. yes when we become so outrageously concerned about our body we do so much harm to it. But when we accept and know changes will happen in His time and live ourselves like Him, our body begins to do us immense good.
Yes, as with all things. When we appreciate it as a gift from God our view and perception changes. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
I think respect is largely a lost notion in our culture, and appreciate the way you apply it to the body here!
That’s a great point Bethany. Respect is not taught in the way it should be at all. Thank you for stopping by and adding your comment. God bless!
What great advice, Melissa! I like to think about the cool things that my body can (still) do–run, walk, hike, mountain bike-the list goes on. I can crawl around on the floor with my grandson, climb mountains with my daughter, and go mountain biking with my husband and students. But if I stop respecting my body, I won’t treat it right and I’ll lose the ability to do those things.
Yes, God made our bodies to do such amazing things! And you’re right, when we stop respecting our body we don’t care for it in the way it needs. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your experiences. God bless!
A perfect post for a newish mother whose once-fit belly has become…I don’t even know. Thank you!
Just remember all of the wonderful things that tummy area was able to do! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
I love this mental swap! I typically point out all the things I dislike and refuse to look at the positive! I also love your wording, “respect”. I do want to love my body one day and in order to love it, the first step is respect. Just like in marriage. <3
Yes, it’s important to meet people where they are. Too big of a shift “body love” just isn’t attainable all at once. So you have to break it down. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
This is really good. I shared. Visiting from God-sized Dreams.
Thank you for your kind words and for stopping by. God bless!
The principle of appreciation that you outline here basically works for everything. When we stop looking at the negative and start looking for something to be grateful for, our perspective shift and gives us a whole new outlook. Yep, like you said, it doesn’t happen over night, but will change us if we work at it. Thanks!
Yes, absolutely, Karen! This process does work for everything. Our thoughts truly do positively or negatively effect or emotions and behaviors. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
I honestly do not respect my body. Time to make a change.
It is a difficult task. I pray that you find truth and guidance to respect and eventually love the body God gave you.
My husband turned 40 last year and I do next year. We are finding it harder to stay thin like we used to be, and I know, for me, that is how I see myself. If I’m not thin, it’s like I don’t know who I am. That sounds crazy even as I type it. I have been trying to love my body and accept it whatever size I am.
Age has a way of rebelling against us if we view it that way. However the process also allows us continued growth in who we actually are and where our worth come from. Acceptance and respect will lead to love. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!