Be Good to Your Bodyનમૂનો

IS MY BODY BROKEN?

Good food. Rhythms of rest. Intentional living. These are all key elements to being good to our bodies. But do you ever feel that no matter what you do, your body is failing you? I know that when I struggled with cystic acne and infertility, I began to believe my body was failing me. And I unintentionally began to look at it like it was a science project to figure out more than as a blessing.

And the truth is, it’s hard to give your body good things when you do not believe it is a good thing. When you are frustrated with your body, pursuing health can feel like a punishment rather than a privilege. And that’s a slippery slope into obsession and idolatry, which can actually lead us to be even more unhealthy (in spite of our best efforts!) both physically and spiritually.

In order to be good stewards of the bodies we’ve been given, we have to address the beliefs we have about them and filter those beliefs through the lens of what the Bible says.

Paul says in Romans that all creation groans “as in the pains of childbirth” (Romans 8:22). He goes on to say, “We ourselves…grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23 ESV).

While we long for the wholeness of heaven, we recognize that right now our bodies exist outside the garden. They aren’t failing us; they are fighting for us in a fallen world that fails us. Every day, they’re up against obstacles that inhibit their ability to thrive—from environmental toxins to highly stressful situations and everything in-between.

Whether or not you have a specific diagnosis, and whether it’s pain, infertility, acne, or another symptom that’s making you feel as though your body is failing, I want to encourage you to ask yourself: What if my body isn’t failing me but instead is fighting for me in a fallen world?

Your body is not your enemy. While it might bear the weight of a fallen world, it also carries the image of its Creator—and one day, it will be fully restored in Him. Until then, let’s live in that tension with tenderness, trusting that even now, God is at work in and through the bodies He has given us.

Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve resented and criticized my body. Help me to treat it well, to nourish it with care, and to look with hope toward the day when all of creation will be fully restored. Amen.