Chapter 8: Anchored in God's Word...

Basic principles from Scripture about how God views our bodies...

1. God knows humans are tempted to overemphasize how a persons looks in evaluating his or her character
"We need to be more concerned about how beautiful our hearts are than our looks"

2. God does not place the emphasis on outward appearance that humans do

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. " Isaiah 53:2

God purposefully created Jesus without "beautiful" characteristics

3. God knows that women are particularly interested in making themselves look nice

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment... instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

God doesn't condemn outward beauty, but He wants so much for us than that.

4. What we think we look like on the outside depends on how we feel about ourselves in general
You can change your thoughts to think of yourself as beautiful, even if your outward appearance hasn't changed

5. It's fine to wear nice clothes and be well groomed as long as you keep this in balance with other qualities
"The important thing isn't the label, it's the balance you find in your life"

6. You can be outwardly beautiful and still be unattractive to others

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Beauty is not purely defined by physical characteristics, but by your actions

7. God decided that our bodies are the best temple for Him to dwell in
"God created me and he wants to dwell in me"

8. God made our bodies and that alone makes them wonderful

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

9. God wants to make all things new in your life

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

There will be an adjustment period when your body image begins to change


The Testing Period...
Every day will bring challenges to see yourself with a healthy body image. God brings this testing so that we can grow in confidence and trust in Him. Standing firm in prayer will prepare you to stand against the temptations that will surely come. Prayer is the key to your victory over body hate.

Having a healthy body image is more about changing the way you think than changing your body.

Chapter 7: Feeling Beautiful... Transforming Your Feelings About Your Body

By nature, women are emotional creatures. God made women that way on purpose. A woman's sensitivity is beneficial in expressing her emotions and being sensitive towards the emotions of others. But those same emotions can lead to either positive or negative feelings about her body. Negative feelings about your body can not only crush your spirit, but hinder you from receiving the life God desires for you. Scripture states...

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:13

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

"A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?" Proverbs 18:14

THINK ABOUT IT...

How much damage are your negative feelings
causing in your life?
Are you willing to let God heal your negative emotions?

Women often deal with
negative feelings in 2 ways...

Stuff their feelings with food
OR
Try to change their feelings by changing their bodies

Neither of these bring peace to our emotions!

God is the only one who can bring peace to our souls and heal our negative emotions. When we give God consent to heal our pains, he will heal us... he PROMISES to heal us. With our willingness, God can turn our self hate into praise for a Creator who made us.

We may not have direct control over our feelings, but we do have control over how we think and what we do. Follow these 6 steps to start taking control of your feelings...

1st Step: Identify Your Feelings

Once you can identify your feelings you will discover that can change your feelings. Having negative feelings deceives you into believing lies about yourself. Sharing those negative feelings is needed to resolve them. God calls us to forgiveness for healing from our negative feelings.

2nd Step: Identify How Your Negative Feelings Are Harming You

What are your negative emotions costing you? Are you skipping social functions? Are your relationships being affected? Are you happy?

3rd Step: Believe The Truth

After assessing your negative feelings about your body you might come to conclude that you are wasting valuable time and so much of your life obsessing over these feelings. Instead of wasting precious time, focus that time on God's truth through Scripture. Surround yourself with Scripture about God's view of your body.

4th Step: Enjoy How Your Body Feels

Take the time to appreciate all that your body is capable of doing, feeling and being.

5th Step: Eliminate Body Shame From Past Experiences

If something happened in your past that is holding you back from forgiving yourself or forgiving others, God says that he is "faithful to forgive your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness. " 1 John 1:9

6th Step: Feel Confident In Your Own Body

Your negative feelings will change when you get the right thoughts in your mind. The choice is yours. Your feelings are based on what you think. You can change your focus from how you want to look to how you want to feel about how you look. You can be free from self hate and live in confidence when you trust in God's word.