Most who struggle with body image and eating issues struggle with fear at some level. We may not call it that. We may call it "diligence" or "perfectionism" or "anxiety" or "body worry," but under it all is fear. We’re afraid of the opinions of others, we’re afraid of being unaccepted or misunderstood, and we’re afraid that if we don’t try our hardest to do everything just right then things will go wrong and it will be all our fault. We are overly responsible for ourselves and perhaps for others around us too. And, this feeds our fear. We maintain this posture of hyper vigilance, hoping that being super aware and super responsible will somehow keep us safe. But,  as we know from scripture – worry doesn’t keep us safe.

Jesus asks in Matthew -who of us can gain a single hour of our life by worrying about it. Worrying about our bodies, our size, every morsel of food that goes into our mouths doesn’t make us any safer. In fact, studies show that the more we worry – the harder it is on our bodies. Stress is a bigger contributor to all diseases than sugar.

Today, we pray for protection from that fear. We do our best and then we trust God with the rest. But our best in the area of food and body–stewarding our bodies well–does not mean we have to follow the advice of every latest influencer. We’ll drive ourselves bonkers trying to incorporate every guru's tips to a healthier life. Instead, to become good stewards, I think we need to become better students –not taking care of our bodies the way that everyone else says we should--but listening to and paying attention to what makes our bodies feel good and what helps us feel fit to serve Jesus without fear of the number on the scale or fear that we aren’t doing it right.

Verse of the Day: 1 John 4:18 says,"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

Action: Write down 5 things you are afraid of. Ask God to help you with thos fears today and begin to pray specifically that God would help you to not be afraid of those things every day this week.

Want more of Heather’s story? Read Heather’s book, Compared to Who? Start reading the first two chapters free here: Compared to Who Book for Christian Women on Body Image or https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Ready to start reading the Bible more? Try Heather’s 10-Day Bible Reading plan on You Version here: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/29320-compared-to-who-a-10-day-plan-to-improvebody-image

Grab an individual, one-on-one coaching appointment or preview appointment here: Christian Body Image Coaching or https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/