By Tanya Jolliffe
I have always been self-conscious about the size of my feet. Maybe being teased and called “big foot” made me overly aware of their size or the realization that the size of your feet is not something you can do anything about short of something drastic. In junior high, I wore a size 11 shoe which was uncommon back in the late 1970s. I can still remember how difficult it was to find a dress shoe in that size in my small town. We made the trip to the bigger nearby city, where that size 11 dress shoe cost a small fortune and at least double what a dress shoe for one of my brothers would cost. Those are numbers that made an impact.
The same is true for many women when it comes to dress or clothing sizes. A lower digit is somehow seen as “better” or “healthier” in today’s diet culture society. We can even read the scripture about faith as small as a mustard seed and find ourselves focused on size once again. He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20 NIV).
We were each uniquely made and fashioned for a purpose. Because of the vastness of our purposes, we are created in all shapes and sizes for success. A successful gymnast more than likely would not be successful as a basketball player and vice versa. Seeing their differences and how their size and shape are perfect for their purpose seems logical in this example. Somehow in the day-to-day, we lose sight of this principle when the differences aren’t so dramatic. Creating comparisons between people with different body types, sizes, and features goes a long way when trying to sell a product or service but falls short in helping people with body acceptance and the lifestyle choices necessary to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit.
Comparison gets us in a lot of trouble because it causes us to not only lose sight of what is, it also causes us to believe lies from the enemy about what should be. Comparison is a tactic we readily allow him to use not only related to our size and shape but also about our parenting ability, work performance, and a host of other things. Comparison causes us to minimize our gifts and assets by taking our eyes off of our identities in favor of someone else’s. It also opens the door for the enemy to stir up enmity between his lies and God’s truth. “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not” (1 Corinthians 4:7 NIV)?
Comparison seems so harmless, like simply taking note of a similarity or likeness. But it is not a small thing, and God knew that. He knew it would be hard for people to simply take notice without human emotions and feelings taking over through coveting or having a powerful desire or longing for something of another which opens the door for the enemy. That is why he made it clear what the rules were about coveting from the very beginning. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17 NIV).
We are not supposed to be comparing ourselves, our things, our abilities, or our bodies with those of anyone else lest we covet what they have. Instead, we should only examine how we are living compared to God’s standards. Are we behaving in ways that honor our bodies, showing love and respect for the things he has entrusted to us, and training up our children or grandchildren in the way they should go so they will not leave from it when they are older?
The number is up on comparing our size, shape, parenting, or anything else. Don’t give the enemy a foothold so coveting shoe size or house size can’t occur. Keep your focus on the plans and purpose for which you were created and your eyes on the creator, and he will help you take the steps necessary to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. If you want to learn more about body size and shape, click HERE to get a free e-book.
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To learn more about Tanya Jolliffe, visit LitWellnesssolutions.com.
