For as long as I can remember, I have struggled to accept and love my body as it is. These Bible verses about body image have changed my mindset and transformed the way I accept myself as created by God.
Deepen your faith and learn to love the body God has given you.
Body Image and Weight Loss: My Story of Healing
For most of my life I was seriously overweight. From as young as 3 years old, I carried more pounds than were healthy and eventually as an adult, I was obese.
I gained and lost 100s of pounds over the years. When I started therapy for weight loss and accepted God’s compassion and grace for me, I lost the excess weight. I have now been maintaining for 15+ years.
Sara Borgstede before and after 125 pound weight loss.
Body image struggles are deeply real and personal for those of us with food and weight issues. If you are like me, it’s part of your daily routine to:
- Put yourself down
- Beat yourself up
- Consider hating your body as what you deserve.
You might think you can somehow guilt yourself thin, but the truth is that hate is not Godly and never leads to anything productive. Hate is from the enemy, Satan. This includes hating your body.
Through my weight loss journey, I’ve learned the importance of body acceptance. Rather than waiting until I get my body the way I want it, I’ve discovered that now is the time to accept the beautiful ME I am right now.
As a Christian, I am a forgiven child of God. He created me and does not want me continually putting myself down.
If you struggle with body image, please know that this is an area where God can transform you and bring freedom in ways you never imaged. God has so much good in store for you.
What Does God Say About Our Body?
The Bible has lots to say about our bodies and the purpose of our bodies. Please take the time to read the Bible verses about body image below for a deeper understand of the wisdom of scripture in this area of your life.
FaithGateways says,
“When you say yes to God, accepting by faith what Jesus did for you and trusting His grace and forgiveness to save you, then God puts His Spirit inside you as a guarantee of your salvation. When God puts His Spirit inside you, your body becomes a temple of God, a residence for His love.
Rather than beating yourself up about your body, reflect on these Bible verses about respecting your body, which will guide you into letting go of physical insecurities and learning to love your body.
Bible Verses about Positive Body Image
Read on for what the Scripture says about improving your body image with God’s help.
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1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
This verse is a great reminder that God doesn’t look on our outward appearance. Your heart is what matters. I think it’s important to point out here that the Bible doesn’t ignore our bodies, either. It’s not that your body doesn’t matter to God – it does. Instead, we know that God doesn’t just look at our outward appearance but also sees deeper.
2. Psalm 139:4
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:4
You are beautiful. You are one of God’s wonderful works. You are not faulty and nothing in your life is outside of the possibility of God’s healing. Even if your body has been abused, hurt, or neglected, God can restore what has been broken.
3. Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
I love this verse and the reminder to renew our minds regularly. When negative thoughts about our body image start to creep in, go to God’s word and renew your mind with thoughts of truth.
4. Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians gives us another beautiful reminder of just how wonderful God thinks you are. He created you and you are His masterpiece. The old has been made new and you are transformed.
5. 1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19
Often when I read this verse about my body being a temple of the Holy Spirit, I feel guilt. I haven’t done the best job of taking care of my body. Rather than using this verse as a way to beat yourself up, change your thoughts to use this as a beautiful encouragement. The Holy Spirit lives instead of you and you are God’s temple.
5 Ways for a Christian Woman to Improve Her Body Image
If you struggle with accepting your body as a vessel of the Holy Spirit and beautifully made, take these steps to grow in faith and love for the body God’s given you.
- Focus on what your body can do. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do (“I can’t run a marathon,” focus on what you can do. Can you pick up your grand kids? Enjoy a hobby? Praise God for these abilities.
- Read Bible Verses About Body Image. I highly encourage you to check out my post, 7 Christian Healthy Eating affirmations for Bible verses (and free printable cards) that will encourage you to treat your body well.
- Love the ways God created you unique. You are unique. What’s different about you? Instead of hiding it, celebrate it! Those are the features that make you stand out from the crowd.
- Surround yourself with people who love and support you. My husband has always told me I am beautiful, no matter my weight or size. This kind of loving encouragement goes so far in helping me feel amazing about myself.
- Treat yourself as you deserve to be treated. Think of how you treat your best friend and give yourself the same kind of love and attention. Don’t beat yourself down with words. Treasure small pleasures. Take time to shop, nap, or Bible journal. Enjoy what refreshes your spirit.
Take these steps to improve your body image in a Biblical way.
Read Compared to Who?
My friend, Heather Creekmore, has written a book called Compared to Who? that provides hope (plus a good dose of humor) for those of us who struggle with body image.
Heather writes:
I’ve read lots of books on body image, insecurity, self-esteem–with lovely Christian authors who attack these issues and encourage women who desperately crave healing in this area.
Most of them helped me a little. Some, helped a lot. Others, didn’t help at all. But, generally, I never found answers satisfying enough to actually change my thinking. I still longed for more beauty and didn’t know how to stop that longing.
That’s why I wrote Compared to Who?
I believe God showed me some different–dare I say, meatier–answers than those I read other places. Here’s what you’ll find in Compared to Who?
1. Compared to Who Will Shock You With Its (Humorous) Honesty.
How many times have you read an author confess that she struggles not to walk into a room and assess who’s thinner than she is? Yep. I’m not proud of it, but I share it! Oh, there are some embarrassing stories in there too. Like the time I got a seaweed wrap and really thought it had made my thighs two inches thinner in 55 minutes. That one may make you laugh. (Maybe you’ve tried something similar?)
Or, maybe you can relate to the fact that I have about four hundred bottles of inferior, clearance-rack hair products, but refuse to spend the $17 on the one bottle that would probably control my frizz appropriately. {Sigh.}
If you are looking for a book by an author who doesn’t claim to have it all together or have a perfect history of always remembering her value is in Christ, the blunt honesty of this book (as well as the humor) may interest you.
2. Compared to Who Won’t Teach You To Love Yourself More.
There are lots of books out there that will teach you to love yourself. This isn’t one of them. Why? Two reasons. First, I don’t believe anyone who struggles with body image issues can just flip an internal switch and suddenly go from shame and self-despairing to body love. It just doesn’t happen like that for most. Second, I don’t believe body love is the way out. I explain more on that here. But, I promise you, this book will not tell you, “Just love your body. Love your cellulite. Appreciate what you’ve got.” That’s not the premise of this book.
3. Compared to Who Won’t Leave you With the Responsibility to Change Yourself!
One of the biggest challenges I find after reading a “self-help” type book is feeling overwhelmed with trying to change myself. I can’t do it. If I could do it, I would have already done it. You can give me steps, plans, programs, and diets and I can stick with them for a few days – maybe two weeks even. But, I have no power to change myself. I always fall back to my old habits. Compared to Who? doesn’t ask you to change yourself. Rather, it assumes the opposite, that we are powerless to change without the power of the Holy Spirit–It’s Christ who has to do the work in us if we ever want to see our issues differently. The book doesn’t leave you hanging, but it certainly won’t overwhelm you with all you “have to do” to get better.
4. Compared to Who Offers No Diet or Exercise Tips.
Speaking of diet and exercise tips, you won’t find any in Compared to Who? Why? Because there are lots of other books out there if that’s what you are looking for. Instead, Compared to Who? aims to help you get off the “more beauty needed” treadmill. Though there’s nothing wrong with healthy habits, Compared to Who? isn’t going to give you tips to eat cleaner and strategies for sneaking in exercise. Instead, it’s going to look at your heart and help you analyze the root of your struggle with comparison and/or body image issues.
5. Compared to Who Will Give you Practical Advice and Even Questions for Group or Individual Study.
Don’t you hate it when you read a good book that’s all theory and no practical application? Just like a good Sunday morning sermon, we all need to hear truth and then see how it could directly apply to our lives. Compared to Who? gives you some truth bombs, but then takes the next step and shows you how you can start applying them to your life in the pursuit of freedom in and through Jesus Christ.
Check out Heather’s book today and get in-depth, practical advice you can use starting now.
Which Bible verses about your body resonate with you the most? What will you do today to improve your body image as a loved daughter of God? Share in the comments below.
More Posts about Christian Body Image That You Will Love
How to Banish Bad Body Thoughts – Let’s use our imaginations for a moment. Let’s imagine by some strange explosion, a toxic chemical is released into the world and because of it, no person will lose or gain one more ounce of weight for the rest of his or her life. Each of us will weigh exactly the same amount we do now – forever. Food we eat will not affect our weight or the way our bodies look, and exercise will not change our bodies either.**
Why You Can’t Guilt Yourself Thin – Do you feel guilty when you overeat? Should you feel guilty for being overweight? How about for eating junk food, like chips and chocolate, that you know aren’t good for you? I’m not sure a day has gone by that I haven’t had some sort of guilt in the realm of food or health. My first 30 years were so thick with it, I remember those years as if there is a dark blanket of guilt wrapped around the memories.
7 Christian Healthy Eating Affirmations – Do you want to eat a more healthy diet but you struggle at times with making more positive food choices? During my process of losing 100 pounds, these 7 Christian healthy eating affirmations changed my thinking about food and my diet, and I believe they will be incredibly helpful for you as well.
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