By Rebecca A. Schriner | Echo
I am not a small girl. My bone structure is from my father, once a lineman for his college football team. I didn't have much of a chance to be petite. But God made me this way, and I have been told that I should be proud of my body. . . . But I'm not.
It's not because society has influenced me. It's not because I can't wear tight clothes. It's not even about the numbers I see when I step on a scale or about my doctor telling me that I should drop X number of pounds to be "normal" or "average."
It is because when I look in the mirror, I see that my shape does not fit the build God made for me.
"God made me this way" is an excuse that Christians use too often to defer comments about their bodies, and it's not okay. It tries to quell fears about weight gain and health issues, but it is a lie.
God did make you. He created an earthly body for you to care for, cherish and love. He designed you with the proper bone structure and muscle density, but he did not give you those extra pounds or force you not to exercise.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul points out that these bodies are not our own-we have been given them as a gift that costs more than we could ever afford. Though this section of the Bible focuses on sexual immorality, it still points out that God is active and alive in our bodies. We should honor God with these beautiful gifts he has given us, not fill them with trash and make them sluggish.
According to a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than two out of three US adults are considered overweight, with 74 percent of those being male. Additionally, one in three adults is considered obese.
If we embrace a worldly view that laziness is appropriate, then we wad up God's gift and throw it back in his face.
Plus-sized women support group Abundia is calling this embrace what it really is: fat acceptance. This group was founded to give overweight and obese women support in their current sizes. They are not striving to change what they have done to themselves or encourage each other to be healthier. Essentially, they have given up and said, "Yes, I am fat, but I am not the only one."
Is this an appropriate mindset to have? If your body type or health conditions don't allow weight loss or muscle tone, despite exercise and proper diet, that's one thing. But giving up entirely on the lifestyle we were meant to live because it could be difficult is harming us.
Of course we need to be satisfied with our bodies, but we also can't deny that many people wish they could trim a couple sizes off their thighs, butt or gut. I believe God can do all things, but I don't think he would use his power to get rid of our pounds for us. We need to work toward our goals to keep our bodies healthy.
Our body builds are our frameworks. God is the construction worker, but you are the designer. Will you continue to add junk into the frame until it collapses, or is it time to clean it up? Will you shape your gift for God's glory or let it be destroyed? Will you be proud of how you filled your frame, or will you be unsatisfied?
