Our attitude is so important. Making changes that will honor God begin with our attitude. Every change we want to see on the outside must start on the inside. Jesus talked about this in Mark 7:20-22.
“From the inside of a person’s heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envies, slander, pride and foolishness.”
Negative issues start on the inside. In having the correct attitude we have to face some unhealthy attitudes about our body. Here are three unhealthy attitudes.
1. I reject my body. A lot of us do this. The reason we struggle so much in this area is because our culture paints this picture of a body that none of us will ever live up to.
We see the images on magazine covers and think, “I don’t have a body like they do so why try? And for you ladies it is a whole lot harder for you. There is the pressure to look certain way. As a kid, I played with GI Joe. He had a Kung-Foo grip and six pack abs. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t look like G I Joe but Mr. Potato head! If you think you can look like Barbie, it’s not going to happen! So what do we do? We reject our bodies.
Can I tell you something? First of all, like Barbie the images on the magazines are fake! Here’s one site that shows you celebrities before and after, http://likes.com/celebs/celebrities-beforeafter-photoshop . Artists take and add inches, cover wrinkles in order make something that is not real. Secondly, you are beautiful! You are handsome. We need to see ourselves as God does. Do you understand how much time and thought God put into you?
Psalm 139 reminds us, “You, God, made all the delicate and inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex.” Do you understand that we are all created different? None of us look the same, nor should we try.
The second unhealthy attitude,
2. I perfect my body. This is the prevailing view in our society. We live in a culture where we worship perfect bodies. So many people make that their aim, perfection. Often these types run in crowds, they are always at the gym, at competitions and they are food Nazis.
I have leaned in this direction before. I have found that if my goal is all about perfecting my body, first of all I can’t achieve it, and secondly all other priorities go out the window. Another problem of living this way is that perfection involves a lot comparison. We unfairly compare our weaknesses to someone else’s strength! The bible says it’s not wise,
“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with others… (it) is not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12-13
I’ve discovered I can’t be perfect, who can? The third unhealthy attitude is
3. I neglect my body. This is easy to do. My excuses go like this, “I’m busy, I have kids, I don’t have time.” I have been here the past two years and this attitude has NOT served me very well. Neglect rears its ugly head in following ways: my clothes don’t fit; I despise the scale, the mirror or being out of breath going up the stairs.
I have had the all the above the attitudes but now, I want to embrace this fourth but healthy attitude.
4. I maximize my body. Instead of neglecting or rejecting my body, comparing my body to anyone else or obsessing about it, I want to see my body as a gift from God. I want treat my body the best that I can. I want make the best of my body with God’s help for God’s purposes.
How about you?
Darrell
Source:
Steve Reyolds, Bod 4 God
For more about Bod 4 God, go to www.Bod4God.org
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