I was reading what Paul had to say about husbands loving their wives in Ephesians chapter five and was struck by a comparison he makes between loving our wives and loving our own bodies.  Here it is in context:   “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.”  Ephesians 5:28-30.

Reading these words I could only feel saddened that today one probably wouldn’t make such a comparison - that ‘no-one ever hated his own body.’ It just isn’t true anymore, certainly not in our western culture. Research has shown that 90% of women feel dissatisfied with their body shape and that they think about it every day.  (Aug 2001 Top Santé/Telegraph survey) Men are apparently less concerned about body image but, according to one piece of research, less than 25% are comfortable to strip off in front of their partner! (Survey by Tanita (UK scales manufacturer) 2007 among 3,000 UK males)

Oh, we do feed our bodies – most of us too well, and we spend an awful lot of money on them, but sadly this isn’t usually to do with loving our bodies.  Rather it is more to do with having a negative body image. Past experiences, hurtful remarks and false impressions of what constitutes an ‘acceptable’ body by the media – all these things combine to convey to us the message that we are somehow inherently defective and therefore have little or no worth.

“What is the point”, we reason, “taking care of our bodies on the inside, when all the time the outside is so sub-standard?” And I’m not just talking about weight. By all accounts most of us are dissatisfied with our looks and wish we had different textures of hair, longer legs, bigger (or smaller) boobs, smaller noses, and so on, and that’s not taking into account the effects of ageing.  Did you know that it is estimated that Britons will spend 660 million on cosmetic surgery this year? That’s more than we spend on tea! Even when people have surgery to try and change who they are on the outside, they are seldom satisfied and are driven to go on and on making further adjustments. Michael Jackson was a classic example of this.

A low self-image leads to low self-worth and low-esteem. Feelings of worthlessness have driven many to take solace in food but this only exacerbates the problem as subsequent weight gain makes us feel even less acceptable.

A proper love for ourselves does not mean being arrogant, conceited or thinking that we are better than anyone else. It means having a healthy regard for ourselves knowing that we are worthy human beings.  This true sense of our self-worth does not come from how others view us or how, looking in a mirror, we might view ourselves.  No, it comes from God.  He made us and let me tell you loud and clear that GOD DOESN’T MAKE JUNK!! You have been made in God’s image and when he made you he lovingly looked down on you and said, “It’s very good!”

Of course that doesn’t mean that we are perfect. Far from it! We all have strengths and weaknesses, which is why we need each other. But you are unique and God wants to help you discover the gifts and talents he has put within you.  To do this you will need to become confident in yourself as a person and this comes by affirming the positives of who you are in Christ.

When you love yourself you automatically take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. You take care to look and feel your best by nurturing your body, mind and spirit. You don’t do this in order to try and increase your worth but because you have worth.  You no longer act out of fear of rejection and self-loathing but out of dignity and self-respect.

You owe it to both yourself and God to look after this amazing body he has given you. Why? Because you’re worth it!