By Kelsey Klepper
I’ve been reminded a lot lately that we live in a fallen world, one where God never intended for it to be the way it is. When I think about this in the context of my body though, it’s the same thing. God never intended for me to feel shame around my body. Yet, here I am battling it every day. Although I’ve come a long way on my body image journey, there isn’t a day that I don’t speak negatively to myself about my appearance. It may be a quick fleeting thought or maybe something that pops up time and time again as I pass by a mirror. Are you battling body shame? It was never meant to be this way.
In the very beginning, there was no sin and definitely no body shame. Eve didn’t look at her body and wish it were something different. It was perfect and good because God created it and that’s what she knew to be the truth. It wasn’t until the fall and sin entered the world that body shame also entered the world.
“Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25).
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” (Genesis 3:7-10).
Because we live in a fallen world, we live with sin. We live with the enemy trying to steal us away from Jesus, but we can fight back with God’s truth. We don’t have to live in constant shame around our bodies. I think a great first step for me was realizing “God never intended it to be this way.” I was never meant to spend so much time thinking about my body let alone so much time talking negatively about it. My body was made perfectly; it was never intended for me to think otherwise.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:14).
