Lanna Andersen » Worldviews Body Heart Wisdom Culture

Body image is not a struggle to be managed, but a lie to be rejected. A lie only has power if we believe it, but if we call it a lie, we disarm its power. Here are four ways to fight the body image lies.

A changed legacy

Body image has long been a topic of conversation between my mom and me. Why are we women so preoccupied with our appearance? Why do we care so much what other people think? And why in the world do we let some cultural “ideal” influence our identity more than what God says about us?

Now that I have two daughters, this has become an even more important issue to us. By God’s grace, we will not pass down the struggle over body image to my daughters. Because God has changed our hearts, he has prepared us to walk with my daughters through the temptations and lies that are sure to come their way.

Taking back ground

God has given us some specific convictions about how to live in order to take back the ground we had given up to the Enemy. God has granted us a changed legacy, and we want the same for you. I invite you to join us in throwing off the chains of body image. Here are four ways we are taking back ground:

1. We will love and obey the Bible.

The Bible is our main offensive weapon against the Enemy, sin, and shame. Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). When we know the truth of our Father, we see the lies of body image for what they are. When we know they are lies, we don’t believe them. They then have no power over us. Let us be women who are set free by the truth.

2. We will use discernment about cultural influences.

There is no formula for interacting with culture; this is an area in which to ask the Holy Spirit to give you personal convictions. Some things may be permissible but not helpful for you personally (1 Cor. 10:23). Depending on your conscience and convictions, this could mean not owning a scale, not reading fashion magazines, or not watching certain TV shows or movies.

By God’s grace, we will not pass down the struggle over body image to my daughters.

Our interaction with culture includes not only what we consume, but also what we produce. Is what you are posting on social media and talking about in social circles helping women to live in God’s truth? Or are you fanning the flames of body image comparison? Let us be women who are not swept away by the tide of culture.

3. We will confess sin openly and repent quickly.

Hiding, managing, and accommodating secret sin leads to one thing: destruction in our own hearts, in our relationships, and sometimes in our bodies. Sin hardens our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s voice and blinds us from seeing God clearly. Unconfessed sin also gives ammunition to the Enemy to continue to accuse us, tempt us, and lie to us.

Body image is not a struggle to be managed, but a lie to be rejected.

The truth is that Jesus took the full weight of our sin, shame, and condemnation upon himself on the cross. Let us be women who believe that there is no condemnation left for us, but only freedom and forgiveness (Rom. 8:1).

4. We will worship Jesus and not ourselves.

At its root, body image is a lie. It is the lie that we must look a certain way to be loved and accepted. It is the lie that we can achieve it on our own. It is the lie that loving our bodies as they are will end our struggles.

But the truth is that looking for satisfaction in ourselves or anything apart from Jesus is a false gospel. It is idol worship, and it will not work. We were made to live for eternity with the King of kings, and nothing less will satisfy our souls.

Body image is not a struggle to be managed, but a lie to be rejected. A lie only has power if we believe it. But if we call it a lie, we disarm its power. Let us be women who call body image a lie and reject it, to the glory of God.

Paving new ground

What would happen if we actually called body image a lie? What if we stopped striving for beauty, value, and acceptance, but instead rested in the fact when our Father looks at us he sees the splendor of his beloved Son? I find that so comforting! When the Father looks at us, he doesn’t just see an improved version of us. He sees us clothed in the beauty of Jesus.

Is what you are posting on social media and talking about in social circles helping women to live in God’s truth?

As much as I pray that we experience individual freedom from body image, the fact is it’s not just about us. There’s another offensive weapon in our King’s arsenal: the church. But when individual women in the church continue to engage in the struggle over body image, or write it off as “not that big of a deal,” the cumulative effect is tragic. We become distracted and divided, and our lives don’t present compelling evidence of the freeing power of the gospel.

Yes, we are daughters of the King, but he does not adopt us into a life of ease. He gives us armor to engage in battle with the Enemy. Even though the war we wage is not yet complete, it is decided. We know we are on the side of victory. This should embolden and excite us to fight against the Enemy and to see more of God’s people redeemed into his family.

When the Father looks at us, he doesn’t just see an improved version of us. He sees us clothed in the beauty of Jesus.

There is a lot at stake. That’s why we must not accommodate the lie of body image any longer. Instead, let us go forward united as witnesses to our children, our fellow Christians, and our culture.

Satan is a liar. Freedom is possible. Jesus broke the bonds of body image. He is our victorious King. And he is coming back for us. Heavenly Father, I pray that the lie of body image would die with us.

As Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

 

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Join Mars Hill Church Bellevue on Saturday, October 19 for IMAGE: A Theology of Beauty, where together they will explore the themes of beauty corrupted, redeemed, and restored.

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