Becky Crenshaw

I will confess and praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. Psalm 139:14 AMP

Maybe it is because I work in a gym.

Maybe it is because people know my story.

Maybe it’s because my husband and I have spent a lot of years working with young adults.

Or maybe it is because I struggle with it myself…

Whatever the reason, I know a lot of beautiful women who are UNSATISFIED with their body.

A lot of women.

I know a lot of wonderfully made women who stare in the mirror with great distaste and suffer from a  case of the body image blues.

I know a girl.  Her name is Becky and she is a mom of three boys with a pastor husband.  Ahem.  And every so often, like everyday, she must remind herself that her external frame does not define her.  She must remember that her body is a vessel for the Holy Spirit to live and move and have His being (Acts 17:28).  She is perfectly portioned for the work she has been created to do.  Her mommy hands are perfectly fit for flipping grilled cheese sandwiches.  Her hugs are strong enough to embrace heavy-hearted little boys.  Her smile is just right to greet her husband after a long day at the office.  Her words are timely to encourage a discouraged friend.

She is fashioned, and so are you, for this day ordained …  today.

Body isn’t about size. Or weight. Or height.

Our bodies are created for movement into the places we are called.

Our bodies are vehicles of the Holy Spirit to live in and move through and bless a fallen world.

Body is about being a part of His BODY.  The Body of Christ.

Your body is about bearing His Image.

But how do we combat the war of our minds on a daily basis?  How do we not only know what Psalm 139 says { that we are fearfully and wonderfully made}  but deeply believe this Truth?

I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14

How do we make what we recite our reality?

Because there is a way to live in freedom from the body image blues.  And ladies, we need to know how.  Because we live in a culture that teaches that beauty is external and that your popularity, desirability, attractiveness, success, marriage potential… your everything  depends on it.    Culture allows little to no room for the internal beauty that never fades.  We live in a culture that teaches that beauty is about proportion and not Christ as our portion (Psalm 16:5).

There needs to be a place.  A routine reminder that body image issues are real.  And epidemic.

And bless God, I stomp my size seven down and say that body image disbeliefs can be dismantled.

Join me here at a Cup of Joe, where we will beat the Body Image Blues together.  On Thursdays.  Because there isn’t a day of the week that begins with B.  {and that stinks because I love alliteration}

Tell your buddies about Beating the Body Image Blues.  Send them here.  Don’t forget, Thursdays.

Oh, I am SO excited.  The devil is shakin’ in his boots, I betcha.  Let me pray for you.  And for me.  Because we are in this one together…

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us a body that is perfectly created for what you need for us to do.  Thank you for every square inch of it.  Even the extra inches we don’t really like.  Forgive us Lord, for any harsh word we have spoken against ourselves – Your marvelous creation.  Help me see myself as YOU see me… wonderfully made.  Amen.

I will confess and praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. Psalm 139:14 AMP

Reflection:

Does your inner self know this very well?  If not, what comes between you knowing this Truth with your mind and believing it in your heart?  Take a few minutes to examine your belief system about body.  Ask God to reveal what causes your body image blues.

 Instead, make yourselves beautiful on the inside, in your hearts, with the enduring quality of a gentle, peaceful spirit. This type of beauty is very precious in God’s eyes. 1 Peter 3:4 CEB

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