When the mirror gets you down
Katie Semple,
7th Jul 2018
Tags:
Life
Blog
Beauty
Body image
Eating disorder
Insecurity
People's opinions
Ever heard one of these phrases come out of your mouth?
“I had ice cream yesterday and now I’m reaping the consequences.”
“Ughh! I feel so fat!”
“My arms are so flabby! I really need to get in shape!”
I’ve said all of these things. Many days I’ve woken up and immediately felt bad about the food choices I made the day before, simply because I felt bloated or imagined how many pounds I might have gained overnight.
My mind becomes obsessed with weight and appearance so easily.
My mind becomes obsessed with weight and appearance so easily! And worse, I begin to criticise and evaluate others by these same, skewed standards.
My obsessive mean thoughts lead to anxiety and discouragement. And what do I do when I’m anxious and discouraged? I eat. I spend more time on my phone. I need other people to affirm me. I crave relief and comfort. What an endlessly discouraging cycle!
And I would guess that, if you clicked on this article, you might also find yourself living like this.
I want to share a few things that have led me off of this path and on to one that promises freedom and joy. I hope you’ll find this path and join me on it!
I realised that my body is just a temporary, physical tool, for me to use for the work in front of me.
One day I looked in the mirror and it hit me, that from the day I was born until the day I die, my body will never stop changing and aging. I realised that my body is just a temporary, physical tool, for me to use for the work in front of me. Suddenly I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.
In the Bible, Paul says we can be a “vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” A “vessel” is like a container that can be filled and used for all kinds of purposes. The “master of the house” is a picture of God.
He made us and wants to use us for a specific purpose (“good works”), but we can only be usable if we have been cleaned up from all the sin that has corrupted us (hint: only God can do this for us through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ). We must put ourselves into the hands of the master to be used for whatever purpose He has.
Other people’s opinions about me, and my physical beauty have very little to do with my purpose in life.
I had already repented of my sin and given my life to him years earlier, but when I started to understand this verse and think about myself this way, something really neat happened. I still tried to be disciplined and careful with my eating, exercising, and appearance. Those habits show respect and gratefulness towards God for the body he gave me. But I started to realise that other people’s opinions about me, and my physical beauty have very little to do with my purpose in life. I want to be a vessel used by God for his plan!
I don’t have time to sit around and obsess about my weight and appearance. I have work to do! Even better, if God “knitted me together in my mother’s womb” like the Bible says, then he is not looking critically at the body that he created and gave to me. And if I’m his vessel, then his opinion is really the only one that matters!
I was finally able to begin shedding my self-hatred, which was really just pride.
That day I was finally able to begin shedding my self-hatred, which was really just pride, (ouch), and to walk down the path that leads me closer to knowing God more deeply, and living with more joy and freedom from destructive thoughts.
That path is open to you! Will you join me?
