We are told a thousand different things in one day by what seems like a thousand different people. People like to talk. They want to be heard just like we all do. But there’s something important that we need to talk about today that is a popular subject among everyone: body image.
There is no perfect body. But at the same time, every single body is perfect.
This statement is true because God created us in His own image. To say you are less than perfect is to accuse Him of being less than the perfect Creator He is. Let’s pretend Vincent Van Gogh came back from the dead and painted a new picture -- let’s say a part two to the famous “Starry Night” or something like that. He worked and worked and worked on it and he finally showed it to the public. It’s a masterpiece, it’s like nothing anyone has ever seen before and its Van Gogh for crying out loud! He’s beaming with pride as he shows his painting to the world. One woman in the crowd pipes up and says, “You know I think the stars could have been a little bit bluer, Vincent. And those swirls in the sky just aren’t as swirly as the first painting. And why is there no orange in the painting? Everyone loves orange!"
WHAT??!!
That’s ridiculous! No one would say that to one of the most talented painters who ever walked the earth!! So why should we have the liberty to say things like “I think you could be a little thinner” or “my goodness you’ve got large thighs!” to the creations of the One True God of the universe. Every inch of your body was handcrafted by Him. These critiques on ourselves and others are no different from that lady telling Vincent Van Gogh what his highly anticipated final painting should have looked like.
I think we forget that a lot, myself included. I spend hours looking up new fitness routines so I can look better. This would not be a problem if I were doing it to be fit and healthy. But that’s not my motivation. Don't get me wrong, exercise is a great thing. It improves our chances of living longer and makes our bodies healthier. More times than not though, our motivation is to look good. We want to tone up that tummy so our swim suit looks awesome on us. We want to go down a jean size. I am also talking to the crowd trying to gain weight instead of losing it. This is just as big of an issue when it comes to body image. I’ve had quite a few friends struggle with being “too thin” and trying to eat their way into a “perfect” body simply because somewhere along the way someone has accused them of being less than or jokingly suggested they had an eating disorder. This is just as bad as being called overweight. It's also a false accusation of something that needs to be taken a little more seriously. If you think this is any less hurtful or harmful than being called overweight you are wrong. It all goes back to the Van Gogh metaphor. Would you dare to tell the Master Creator that he messed up on you or someone else? The sad thing is, it is something we do constantly without even thinking about it. We have consciously made it so difficult to accept ourselves and love the way we are. And in return, we've made it difficult for other people to do the same.
We are so hard on ourselves. Sometimes we even get to a point to where what we see in the mirror isn’t even real. This way of thinking poisons our view on our bodies, and in return other people’s bodies when we start to play the comparison game. We spiral in to this dark way of thinking that destroys and smothers everything good about ourselves because of one little standard that was set by a group of people in Hollywood that are PAID to eat only the healthiest of foods and have people constantly training them in the way of health and exercise.
“Is fat really the worst thing a human being can be? Is fat worse than vindictive, jealous, shallow, vain, boing, evil or cruel?” -J.K. Rowling
Now, how do we fix this problem? I do not have the entire solution, because I struggle with this very thing myself. But lately I have been trying to love myself and see myself the way God sees me, the way my family sees me, and the way children see me. I know that’s random, but children are wonderful. They don’t see in fat or thin. They see in mean or nice. If you are nice and lovely and carry all the traits that matter, you are beautiful to children. They will treat you as if you were the most perfect of humans. If you really do look like a supermodel, but are mean to them they will be quick to tell you how ugly you are. We should strive to be more like children in this sense, because they truly have the right idea. There are so many compliments in the world that mean so much more than “Wow, your body is awesome! Everyone must be so jealous!” What about...
“Your mind is brilliant."
“Your kindness really touches me.”
“You have such a gentle spirit.”
“You are a strong person.”
“You put me at ease.”
“You are completely unique. Like no one I’ve ever met before.”
These are the things that matter. These are the things that last forever. These are the things that people really treasure. Love those traits about yourself. We need to re-fall in love with ourselves. When that happens, we will appreciate that masterpiece that we are as human beings. Bodies and all.
