The following post was written by a friend of mine, Danielle Burlison. What she writes of and ‘confesses’ resonated with me as I also have discovered there is more to life than fitting into a pair of skinny jeans.
Working in a gym at fifteen years old has its pros and cons. It's a critical age when you are just starting to really identify yourself, your flaws, and BOYS; all of which tend to shape your idea of who you are. I was exposed to many different things in those years: extreme diets, extreme workouts, magic "pills" to make you lose weight, energy drinks, etc. I think the biggest impression left on me was this: "You must be a skinny, toned size 4 to be pretty, accepted, important and loved." That one false belief began to shape my life, and as of last night, I realized, STILL shapes my life. It's bondage for me. You see, I've finally realized (I can hear some friends saying, "FINALLY" as they read this) that I cannot be FREE as a size 4! My body is not naturally built that way. Sure, I can take some pills for four months. I can monitor every calorie, carb, and fat gram that goes into my body (which I actually have done every year for about six months since I was 16). I can bring my own plate of food to every "get-together" I go to, for fear of eating an extra gram of fat. I can control every bite that goes into my mouth. I can work out twice a day, six days a week, forsaking my times with God and my family. The result to all of that would be an awesome and toned size 2 to 4 body. But at what cost?! I would then be in bondage to my own body. I have essentially made my body my god. I have bowed down and worshipped it. You can call it nutrition but it's really an obsession. Now don't get me wrong, eating healthy, drinking water, and remaining conscious about what foods you are eating IS practicing good nutrition and is very respectable. But I'm talking about being in bondage to it. There's a difference and you know if you are crossing or have crossed that line. It's time we stop labeling our addictions and bondages and just call them what they are! God compares our body to a temple. He tells us that our bodies are the temple for His holy spirit. So, of course, he wants that body to be healthy. However, going back to the Old Testament, people in those days were always getting into trouble with two specific things they did in the temple: neglect and obsession. Isn't it interesting how we tend to do the same two extremes with our bodies (temples)? So what's the balance? RESPECT. In the same way I don't have freedom at a size four, I also don't have freedom (this is strictly for ME, everyone's comfort zone is different) at a size 10. My body makeup has me at a natural size 6/8. Neglecting your body, eating foods you know are unhealthy all day, never working out; these things are just as bad as going overboard and monitoring every bite, calorie, etc. Deeply absorbing a biblical perspective of our physical bodies would free us from the horrific stress our culture has placed on us. Biblically speaking, physical fitness is probably more about freedom than size. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1. God ultimately wants FREEDOM from obsession for us! This goal can be reached through moderation and learning to do what we need to do, and GET ON WITH LIVING! Yes, exercise is GOOD and healthy, and God wants that for our bodies. What he doesn't want is the BONDAGE that can easily go into it. Does it seem impossible to be free from this? In our culture of perfect, model-like bodies, is there any way to break out of this pattern? Radical restoration comes, but only after radical repentance, not play-like kind. It's for FREEDOM Christ set us free. If this is you, let GO of this bondage. Be free to be healthy, exercise regularly, and monitor the "bad for you" food. But don't make your body your God. Do what you need to do to be healthy, and then get on with living! :)
