Do you often feel pressure to have a perfect body?

What is your relationship to your appearance?

Is it positive, negative or neutral? 

Most of us struggle with being content with our appearance. After years of being a vegan and an avid jogger, I must admit that social media, entertainment, my family and peers have affected my perception of my body by urging me to embrace the trend of the flawless, skinny figure. But, after enduring the perils of the pandemic, which forced me to socialize less and focus on building physical and spiritual strength, I now realize that God wants to shape my beliefs about what my body should look like by viewing it through the lens of His Word. 

The good news is that there is no single standard of beauty in God’s Kingdom. It really comes down to understanding that we are illustrations of God’s beautiful creation, a diverse range of shapes, sizes and colors uniquely designed by Him. Ephesians 2:10 says, 

We are the Lord’s workmanship, the product of His hand, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (KJV and The Voice)

And Psalm 139:14 reminds us to,

praise God because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. (KJV)

After reading these scriptures, it becomes clear that God does not want us to lose our individuality by clinging to a false perception of a perfect body type. Instead, He wants us to accept, appreciate, and value our bodies as vessels that have been crafted according to His aesthetic requirements: awe and wonder. Overall, we will become most appreciative of our bodies when we pay attention to who we are spiritually and how we feel physically (rather than how we look), and when we remain grateful for God’s gift of good health.   

The greatest joy will come when you walk in your authentic self and what God has called you to. (excerpt from "Walking in Your True Identity pt. 1" by Assistant Pastor Vonda Pipkin)