By Sammie Gallo, Creator of Abundant Life: You Were Made for More
The Root of Body Image Issues
I’ve listened to beautiful, godly women compare their diets and discuss the things they don’t like about their bodies more times than I can count. Even as believers who’ve placed our eternal hope in Jesus, we’re not immune to body image struggles – and neither are our kids. They’re part of our broken world—a world that is hyper-focused on physical bodies. We are bombarded on a daily basis with images and headlines that tell us what to look like, what to eat, and what to prioritize.
Regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status, women around the world and throughout time have faced (and still do) incessant attacks on their souls through lies propagated by Satan, the media, and our culture about beauty and value. For so many women, the desire and pursuit of being or becoming “beautiful” can in many ways, quite literally destroy them.
I say this first hand – I struggled for years with disordered eating. I’ve experienced firsthand the deep pain and destruction of poor body image and a longing for control—and the immense healing a relationship with Christ brings. I’ve gone through counseling, discipleship, and accountability. Through it all, the Word of God has brought me the most comfort and encouragement. I’ve learned my identity is rooted in Him. When we accept Christ, that changes everything—including body image.
As a 19-year-old-college-sophomore, who loved Jesus, I knew and understood that this struggle was not unique to me. And, though I speak specifically to women and young girls now primarily out of experience, the struggle of seeking lesser things is a human struggle. It can happen quickly, or slowly over time, when our hearts believe the lie that there is something more beautiful and more valuable than Jesus Christ.
*Important Note: For people who develop eating disorders, these thoughts and patterns of behavior surpass lifestyle choice and develop into an illness requiring medical attention. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Researchers are finding that eating disorders are caused by a complex interaction of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors.” Even people who love Christ deeply can develop this illness. If you are one of the many people impacted by an eating disorder, I encourage you (with love in Christ and without any condemnation) to seek professional treatment. No matter your story, God loves you exactly as you are and doesn’t want you to live trapped in anxiety, shame, and comparison. You can visit the National Alliance for Eating Disorders to talk to someone today.
Redefining Beauty
The omniscient God of the universe chose to give His people definitions of beauty and value through His Word. God is beautiful (Psalm 27:4). God promises that His people “shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord” (Isaiah 62:3a). Through Paul’s letter to Timothy, we know that “while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
The older I get, the more I firmly believe that you have two options: either listen to the lies of Satan woven through our culture or listen to the truth found in the Scriptures. In order to help you embrace a more healthy perspective on your body, here are a few more thoughts to cling to when you find yourself struggling:
1. We are to honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
2. We are to give thanks to God for everything—including our bodies (Ephesians 5:20).
3. To the best of our ability, we are to use our bodies to make known our Maker (Isaiah 52:7).
4. We are to remember that we are part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).
God has intentionally created us with beautiful minds, bodies, and spirits – what a gift! We can (and should!) steward them well, treating our bodies with respect and wisely making good choices.
Jesus said,
“I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
I love this picture Jesus paints for us. Life is more than food and the body more than clothing. God provides what we need. Indeed, He is the bread of life (John 6:35). God sees us as precious and beautiful, knit together perfectly. It’s time we see ourselves – and make it a priority to ensure our children see themselves that way, too.
Sammie graduated from Robert Morris University in 2017 with a background in biology and psychology and started working with Anglicans for Life (AFL) in 2017. In addition to her work with AFL, she spent 3 years going into public schools with the Women’s Choice Network, speaking to high schoolers about healthy relationships and sex education. She has a passion for making sure every teenager, parent, and youth leader is equipped, engaged, and encouraged to have Gospel-centered conversations regarding relationships, sexuality, and life issues.
Sammie married her best friend, Juan Gallo, in May 2019. During her free time, she and her husband invest in teenagers and young adults in their community, and disciple their kids – Ofelia, Leo, and Catalina. Sammie is also a Registered Nurse (RN) and works in Emergency Medicine.