What does God say about you?

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I struggle with self-image. Self-image is so much more than weight problem and many things can contribute to it. I used to think that taking off a few pounds would change everything and make me feel better about myself and my situation. And for a time, it would. As long as things were going well and within myself I was able to maintain my "will-power", I would 'feel' better......but it would be temporary. Something would happen. I'd have a bad day or a stressful week at work or get an unexpected bill in the mail or.....or.....or. You get the picture. I'm sure you can relate. It didn't even have to be something 'bad', it could simply be a change in the daily routine like having to work late or the stress of the holidays. The point is, my willpower would fly out the window and I'd tell myself that I'd do better tomorrow, it's just this one meal or I'll just skip this one trip to the gym. One day would turn into a week, a week would turn into a month and before you know it.....the weight is back on and my self-image is lower than it had been when I started because now, not only was I back at my starting point (or worse) but now I'm a failure. It's a viscous unhealthy cycle and it's exhausting. I'm sure you'd agree.

What if our self-image came from someone other than within ourselves? Measured by a different set of standards than the number on the scale or the size of your waistband?

Genesis 1:27 says:

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (NIV)

Wow! Just think about for a moment. God created mankind in His image. God had already made all the living creatures and none of them were made in His image until He made man. What does that say about Gods feelings for us? He didn't make us in the image of a horse or a dog or a monkey. He created us in HIS image. And if that wasn't enough, he gave us all that he had created on earth.

Genesis 1:28-30

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Not only were we made in His image but He made us, all of mankind. Our bodies have been designed the way they are on purpose. Not only have our bodies been made to require food for nourishment but they have also been made to enjoy that food.

Psalm 139:13-16 in the Message Bible says:

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

If we could just see ourselves through His eyes and not the number on the scale, the latest picture taken of us or the reflection in the mirror, what would our self-image be then? When that stressful situation comes knocking on the door (and it will) or when we've had that argument with our spouse; rather than seeking temporary satisfaction in a sleeve of Oreo cookies or box of cereal, lets take a moment to remember what God thinks of us and that our self-image was created in Him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I pray that each person reading this today can see themselves as you see them. Help us to realize that we have been perfectly made in Your image. We take satisfaction in knowing You and being your children. Thank you for the life you've given us and the bodies we've been given to live it.

In Your Holy Name, Amen.