Catechism: Broken Mirrors预览

Have you ever found yourself scrolling social media and feeling unsettled, like there’s a heaviness or emptiness you can’t quite identify, but that leaves you feeling unhappy and drained? Our thumbs keep scrolling, and that feeling keeps growing. We see people who look perfect, happy, and successful. We compare ourselves to those filtered images, finding we don’t measure up. We start to think, “If only I looked like this or had that, then I would be satisfied.” When we focus on that narrative, it isn’t long until we feel hopeless.

That feeling we get from social media isn’t new; it’s a problem that stretches back to the very beginning. When sin entered the world, so did confusion about ourselves, our identity, and our value in God’s eyes. 

And while that confusion can feel dark and scary, God didn’t leave us to suffer in it. Jesus came and revealed the truth to us: that we are made in God’s image, each with an important purpose. So as we walk with Jesus, we can throw off the lies society tries to force on us. We don’t have to value ourselves based on popular culture’s standards and values. In Jesus, we’re given a new nature -- we are made like God! 

Read Ephesians 4:17-24

1. Ephesians 4 tells us that knowing Christ transforms us. Are there any thoughts or behaviors about body image that you want to surrender to Jesus so He can transform them? How might you do that?
2.  We all struggle to have the right understanding of body image, but our triggers are different. What influences make you feel negative about yourself? What can you do to avoid those things? 
3. What self-critical thoughts are you struggling with about yourself and your body? Recognize those thoughts for what they are: deceptive and not from God. Take time to confess those thoughts to God. Think about the source of those thoughts and make a plan to fill your mind with the truth about who God made you to be!