Becky Crenshaw

My husband doesn’t entertain my body image games.  Brent doesn’t respond to my game of standing in front of the mirror, cross-examining my this-must-have-shrunk  outfit, or examining my thinning hair, studying my aging hands, or lifting my tired eyes up at their corners. Nope, Brent doesn’t play my game.

In the past twelve years of marriage, Brent has listened quietly as I have mumbled under my breath about myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror — Standing in the bathroom, making jokes about the way I look. No, he stands silent and stares me down.  He doesn’t find the fun I poke at myself funny. At. All.

For ultimately, I am poking fun at his created-for-him bride.

Throwing punches at my body image offends him because what I am really saying is, “Hey Brent, the girl God created for you, that Becky girl, I don’t really approve of her.  And I am going to try my hardest to convince you that you shouldn’t either.”

I love Brent for his silence.  I love it because his muteness towards my body-bashing is a picture of God’s distaste towards it, as well.

I bet Jesus gets tired of me talking smack about his Bride, too.

God’s creation.  Me.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Genesis 1:26

Never do I place myself on the top of God’s “Beautiful Creation” list. I agree that the Heavens and the Earth are… A-maz-ing.   The Moon and Sun and the stars … Beautiful.  The waters and the land… Stellar. The plants and trees and birds and every [other] living creature on land and sea … Magnificent.  Or “good” as God said Himself.

But me?  Naw.  I’d say He did alright.

Do you think God agrees with us when we criticize ourselves over a sink of running water?  Do you really think God approves us cross-examining our thighs or counting gray hair or hanging our heads over cellulite and varicose veins?

God created you, not just on a whim,  but with great intentionality and IN HIS LIKENESS.

Hello.  WE BEAR HIS BODY IMAGE.

I almost feel bad typing this…  “Hello my name is Becky and I talk smack about God’s image.”

When I think of it that way, it feels like sin.

Because it is.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Paul speaks bluntly about how we should speak to those around us.  And no one hears my body image blues more than me.  I am my own captive audience. And what I say affects my own heart and belief system about myself.  Does that make any sense at all?

Unwholesome means worthless, not fit for use.

I have spent many a breath on words not even fit for use.  No good, worthless words spoken against my reflection.

To beat the body image blues, we first need to stop talking smack about God’s good creation… AND BLESS HIS NAME INSTEAD.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God, He created him, male and female. Genesis 1:27

Let’s change the game… say to yourself right now, wherever you are sitting… “I AM THE IMAGE OF GOD AND IT IS GOOD.”  

Thank you very much.

Brent’s silence toward me isn’t him being a jerk or giving me the cold shoulder. His head shaking expresses his distaste towards my “unwholesome words that aren’t fit for use”.  Brent’s silence is his way of saying… “I choose you.  I approve of you.  I married you, for pete’s sake.  Your words aren’t only offensive to you, but to me.”

Today, let us remember, that when we speak worthless words about ourselves… in any way… we are talking smack about God’s creation.  And not what He created as a side-note, but He created us after His OWN LIKENESS.  And our words are offensive to Him.

Today, beat the body image blues by refusing to talk smack about yourself.  God isn’t laughing.  It isn’t funny.  It is sinful.  It is serious.  And the more negative and unwholesome words you speak about yourself, the greater you reinforce your dissatisfaction with the beauty He created in you.

Instead, look in the mirror and bless His name for allowing you to be His image bearer today.  You are beautiful.  You are stellar.  You are magnificent.  You are good.

If you are beating the Body Image Blues with me today, leave a comment below saying, “I am the image of God and it is good.”