I’ve got big girl pants. I admit it. They smugly wait for me in the corner of my closet for the days that hiding out in sweats is not an option, and my skinny jeans seem anything but. As a woman in my mid-twenties, I’ve experienced my fair share of body image issues. As a preteen, I tried on my mom’s makeup, plopping down to watch Saved by the Bell reruns and stealing glances at myself in the mirror to admire my grown-up face. 

When I actually started growing up, my body image lost its admiration and was defined by comparisons to other women, unrealistic expectations and an undiscovered truth about who God says I am. If you’ve ever trapped yourself in a world of counting calories, early morning runs and despising the mirror’s reflection, you know that it’s a life of bondage. Too often, Christians propose a solution to bodily obsession with rules and guidelines. Or we decide our struggle proves our faith is lacking, and we let shame keep us from running to God. All the while, God’s truth waits to be discovered.

The sixth chapter of first Corinthians tells us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The very spirit of God pumps through our bodies, designing each unique fingerprint and coloring our skin just so!  Our temples are even marked with freckles and birth marks that claim us as His one and only us. Instead of avoiding carbs and dieting, we can delight in the richest of fare (Isaiah 55:2):  God’s word. Loading up on the bread of life will sustain us, and change the way we see ourselves.  

When we admire a lily in a field, we can know that God created us even more beautifully and in his very image (Genesis 1:27). How glorifying to God if we can lovingly trace the wrinkles on our face because they’re proof of years of laughter, embrace our womanly hips because they help us give birth, or celebrate our big girl pants because in them we stroll next door to share life with a neighbor? If only we could see ourselves like God sees us, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12), we would forget about our jeans size and rejoice in every inch of the temple he occupies.

Submitted by Kirsten Lamb