Over the years, I’ve heard many Christians translate the concept of “taking care of God’s temple” into an excuse for spending all their spare time at the gym or the beauty salon, obsessing over their physical appearance and devoting their best time and energy to improving their “look.”  But the message of the Gospel is clear—we are not to stroke and coddle self, but die to self.  We are not to be consumed with self or our outward appearance; we are to be consumed with Jesus Christ alone. It’s simply not possible to be a reflection of the glory of Christ when we are more devoted to worshiping our own bodies than to adoring our King.

We as American young women are especially vulnerable to getting caught up in the body image rat race. Magazine covers scream at us from checkout counters, urging us to wear the latest clothes and try the latest fad diets. Billboards beckon our attention, hounding us with their impossible standards for feminine allure. Our peers spend their time obsessively dieting and exercising, giving sway to compulsive shopping habits, and preening for hours in front of the mirror. We face daily pressure to worship our bodies and focus our energy on improving them.

Christ said,  “Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” (Luke 12:23)  Do we live as if His words are true?  It is all too easy for us to become consumed with the food we eat (or don’t eat) and the clothes we wear (or want to wear.)  (This is true for women who are caught up in cultural pressures as well as for women who have made it their life’s focus to shun society’s expectations. I’ve seen plenty of girls who take great pride in purposely dressing like slobs, never wearing make-up, keeping their hair grungy, and carrying themselves like guys—and I can’t help noticing that they are just as enslaved to their “image” as the girls who spend all their time snatching up the latest trends and looking as sexy as possible.)

When it comes to taking care of our bodies, we should have only one goal—to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. We will not bring glory to His name by exuding the empty charm and sensuality of this world, but neither will we honor him by treating our body carelessly and sloppily. As set-apart young women, I believe we should treat our bodies with respect, but not worship or obsession.  Here are some ways in which I personally seek to apply this principle in my own life:

I try to make exercise and eating right a priority in my life, whenever possible. It’s not something I stress over, just a discipline I add into my life when I can. I am aware that sometimes God calls us into situations when it is literally impossible to eat well or maintain an exercise schedule of any kind—such as going to a primitive area on the mission field where you are forced to eat exactly as the locals do and where it is dangerous to go out jogging on your own. Being obedient to God is far more important than following a specific formula for health. But whenever I do have a choice about eating and exercise, I make it my goal to honor God by disciplining my flesh in these areas.

I’m not talking about following diet and workout programs promoted by the world for the purpose of achieving the right look or ideal weight. Rather, I’m talking about “buffeting my body and making it my servant” as Paul did (1 Cr 9:27), so that I am not a slave to the cravings and whims of my flesh. The less we give our flesh a voice in our life, the more we are able to hear and obey the voice of God’s Spirit. If we listen to the cravings of our flesh when it comes to food—especially in a country like America where we can get virtually any kind of food we want, whenever we want it—we can quickly become the selfish gluttons that the Bible warns against, whose “god is their stomach.” (Phil 3:19)

Instead of just eating whatever I am craving, I try to eat healthy foods that will build my body up instead of tear it down; foods that will give me strength for the work God has called me to instead of weakening me.  (Again, this is not something I stress about, just something I do when it’s possible.) I also try to monitor how much I’m eating—again, not as an obsession over my weight, but simply as a discipline to my flesh. In America, it’s all too easy to overeat until we are so full we can’t take another bite. But this habit is not healthy for our bodies or our spiritual lives. We are not to be servants to our stomachs—but to the Spirit of God. And if He asks us to give up our food for a season so that we can give ourselves to focused prayer, or share our food with someone in need, we need to have enough discipline in this area so that it doesn’t seem like an impossible request! 

For me, exercising is a great opportunity to conquer laziness. My flesh sometimes balks at the idea of going out for a jog or bike ride, but I’ve found that when I simply do it anyway, I feel refreshed and invigorated, not to mention stronger for having not listened to the temptation toward lethargy. Often I listen to Scripture or worship music on my IPOD as I exercise, which even invigorates me more.

“Buffeting my flesh” even in small areas like these goes a long way in developing my spiritual stamina, and it also affects the way I feel on a daily basis. Just as dressing like a slob often causes me to feel lethargic toward my tasks and sloppy in my femininity, letting my exercise routine slip and my eating habits become sloppy can have the same effect.

The same is true with clothing, make-up and other aspects of my physical presentation. If I spend too much time on my personal appearance, it draws attention to myself and not to Christ. But on the flipside, if I spend too little time on my appearance, I can become a distraction from His glory as well.  I believe that our goal should be to let our outward appearance showcase the inner joy, peace and love Christ is cultivating within our soul. *