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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

In Other Words...

I've been meaning to take part in CWO's "In Other Words" but I keep forgetting about it. I read one blogger's on the following quote, and it reminded me that I wanted to take part in IOW as well. I'm not even entirely sure that what I've said makes sense, or fits in with the quote, but here goes:




"We are urgent about the body; He is about the soul. We call for present comforts; He considers our everlasting rest. And therefore when He sends not the very things we ask, He hears us by sending greater than we can ask or think."~ Richard Cecil ~

So often we are concerned, as a society, with having the perfect body. But really, when you stop to think about it, the perfect body doesn't exist. If we had the perfect body, we wouldn't be concerned with losing "just 5 more" pounds; we wouldn't be concerned with having grey hair and needing to dye it; we wouldn't be concerned about our blemishes, the big feet, the small breasts, that bit (or lot) of cellulite that shows up on our thighs or our butts. If the perfect body image existed, there would be no need for airbrushing to be done on magazine photos.

Media has played into our fears of becoming old and/or ugly, and we devour it like that last piece of birthday cake. "Have the hair colour you've always wanted!", "Lose 10 pounds overnight!", "Get the man of your dreams by following our advice!"...the list goes on and on and on and on and...well, you get the picture. We will spend money on the latest issue of a woman's magazine that gives step by step advice on how to "improve" your body and your self-image, how to become "perfect". When we see the models and actresses who are rail thin and wear size zero clothes we think that is the image we need to be, that that is the image men desire.

Granted, it is one thing to desire to lose weight through diet and exercise in order to become healthy, but it is an entirely different ball game when it is done simply to look like the latest fashion model who, if she turns sideways, would probably disappear. I'm not trying to knock these women; but when the women who do not look like those on magazine covers are told they aren't "good enough, thin enough or pretty enough" (or made to feel this way) because they might be a little overweight or too short or too plain, then something is wrong.

God gave us each a temple to take care of - our bodies. By all means, lose the weight, start exercising, eat healthier - but do it for your health; do it for the right reasons. Don't deny yourself food - don't overboard and end up dangerously thin in order to fit society's standards. No, we are not of the world and we are not to live as the world lives.

Find it hard to lose weight? Is it difficult not to compare your looks with others? Feel like you just can't do it, you just can't take care of yourself? Does it seem impossible not to give into society's standards? There is One who can help you through it all, no matter what trouble you face. There is One who loves you so much and desires for you to be healthy, who loves you and your imperfect body - God.

God understands our desire to fit in, our desire to look good. But in the larger scheme of things, this really is not important. He has far better for us than a life of striving for perfection according to the world's standards. I think that He wants us to be healthy, but I also think He wants us to be satisfied with what we look like - I mean, afterall, He is the one who created us. Granted He didn't create us to be overweight (I fit this category myself) or under weight, because neither is healthy. I think if we focus on Jesus, and ask for His help in our struggles to become healthier, He will help us. I also believe that we need to be doing this for the right reasons - for health benefits, to please the Lord and NOT to please the world and those who think that size zero is perfection.

So do what you can (with God's help) to take care of the body He gave you; afterall, it's the only one you've got - at least here on earth.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great Post Shelley! Thank you for your visit to my site.

http://www.freewebs.com/friendsareagift

Denise said...

Really enjoyed your post, bless you.

Janean said...

Hi, Shelley. Nice to meet you! Here from CWO IOW and wanted to read what you had to say.
I am SO glad God looks on the heart. Even though I have lost half my body weight, I've still got the saggy skin. I've had to come to the realization that I will never be "perfect" but God loves me anyway and He's the one who counts. :D
I enjoyed your post! Have a great week.

Miriam Pauline said...

Thanks for joining in! Great post!

Becky said...

Another way in which Satan has taken something good, such as taking care of your body, and distorted it so that being a size 10 or 8 or 6 is not good enough. It seems to be getting worse with each decade. When I grew up, size 8 was considered the "perfect" size, with measurements of 36-24-36. Now it is size ZERO?!? So what would those measurements be? 30-18-30? Now we have all these young girls with eating disorders? Satan certainly has his hand in Hollywood.

Bonnie W said...

Hi Shelley, Thanks so much for visiting my site and your encouraging words. I really enjoy hearing from you.

I saw this IOW from CWO and plan to try it too. It really sounds like fun. I enjoyed reading yours.
Bonnie

Dorothy is said...

Hey girl... long time since I've had the time to browse blogs. I'm glad that you're still posting your very positive messages. Today's post reminded me of this song by Justin McRoberts called "Into your Home" that plays on this website: http://www.justinmcroberts.com/mainpage.html

Second... I was reading a comment that you left on my blog last year on my birthday. Do you ever go back and read your old posts? My blog was created on the day I separated from my ex-husband... went all the way through the divorce, rebound relationship, breaking up, recovering and now dating someone new. Part A of this thought is that it helps me to go back and see the things I thought and the mistakes that I made in previous relationships. Part B is that in the past year, I've really moved forward on my goals and it feels good to take stock in that. Part C is that it's really refreshing to know that others out there (such as yourself) have such a strong faith in God. Othello (my bf) is by far, an impeccable man comparative to previous applicants. But his faith is very small (think mustard-seed). I continually pray for his faith, but even more, I pray that God will lead me in the direction that He wants for my life. (while, hopefully, finding me a husband... I really want to be married again one day, and have or adopt babies).

Anyways, this incredibly winded diatribe was meant to thank you for your positive words, both in your blog and commenting in mine.

Dot.

Anonymous said...

great post, shelley. we should appreciate ourselves more and take care of what God gave us. we should make it a point to live a healthy life, just the way God wanted us to live our lives.