We need to talk to our children about their body image. This starts with us, as parents. We need to understand our part in this problem. Parents, especially mothers, do not understand how detrimental it is to our children to put our bodies down in front of them.
Psalm 139:14 tells us about someone who has the right image of themselves. David is praising God because he understands that he was wonderfully and fearfully made. When I was young I had a poster in my room, it was the picture of a small child and at the top it said, “God doesn’t make junk”. That says it all.
Many people today, especially women, get hung up on what they weigh and what size they fit into. God created us, we need to appreciate His creation. This is what we need to impress upon our kids. God created us in His image.
This concept however is not a free pass to not take care of your body. We need to model for our children what they need to do to care for their bodies. We must model healthy eating and the importance of exercise in our lives. 1 Corinthians 6:19 gives us a reason why we need to take care of our bodies, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we truly understand that concept we will see the importance of teaching this to our children.
We must teach our children that they are not the sum of their parts. 1 Corinthians go on to say in 6:20, “we were bought at a price”, we are to honor God with our bodies. Our model is the best way to show our children how to live this out in their lives.
Thanks for the topic and verse. I’m going to use this with my daughters!