Compared to Who? a 10-Day Plan to Improve Your Body ImageSample

Most who struggle with body image believe that what we see in the mirror is the problem. Change your appearance. Problem solved. Armed with toning cream, "war paint" (aka makeup), diet books, and workout videos, we head to battle, hoping we'll win the fight.

Yet, this never works permanently because our battle isn't with our bodies. It's inside our hearts. Our real struggle isn't with the scale or the mirror: our enemy is far more sinister than that. Remember, even supermodels struggle.

It's not the beautiful women on our screens or the Photoshop ninjas who alter pictures to make everyone look flawless who cause our body image issues. Even if the government banned airbrushing and forced every screen star to gain thirty pounds, we would still struggle. It's not the standard of beauty that's the problem. It's the way we make beauty (a good thing) and turn it into an idol (a dangerous thing).

God is beautiful. He created beauty. His kind of beauty never lures us into body image issues. But the beauty idol deceives us. It dangles a perfectly packaged prize in front of us and tells us we'll be winners as soon as we shape up.

The beauty idol promises to improve our lives. It tells the mother of two that she would be happier with the abs of a teenager. It tells the ten-year-old she needs thinner legs to be accepted. The beauty idol shouts that our marriage, work, friendships, and life in general, would be easier if we just looked better.

Beauty may tell you that you'd have a husband (or a better one!), an amazing sex life, more friends, or a higher-paying job if you just looked more like a cover model.

But know this. That beauty idol lies.

It points out our destination and then puts us on a treadmill to get there. It's never satisfied. You lose weight, and the idol tells you that now you need implants. You tone up, but the idol tells you you're still ugly until you get your teeth fixed. You can wear the size, clear the skin, perfect the hair, and try to do all the things to appease beauty's demands and still be left feeling like you've missed the mark.

Today we'll begin to look at some verses on idolatry to understand this concept better.