In a fallen world, our physical bodies often feel like they define us—how we look, how we’re perceived, and how well we care for ourselves. Body image is a complex topic and one that must be explored from a biblical perspective.
Scripture reshapes our understanding of body image and shame.
For much of my life, the way I viewed my body was shaped by the world’s standards. Recently, after seeking godly counsel, I’ve become more aware of how I think about my body in light of God’s word. That awareness has been both revealing and convicting. I have been rereading What God Has to Say About Our Bodies, by Sam Allberry. His book is an incredibly helpful resource for thinking through this issue, regardless of where you stand concerning the author. While others have reviewed the book’s arguments, my aim here is to reflect on how scripture reshapes our understanding of body image and shame.
Freedom From the World’s Lies
Shame around body image is something many people grapple with. Many of us have been conditioned to believe that our identity and value are tied to the shape of our bodies. If we exercise regularly and control our eating habits, we’ll be more acceptable and noticed, even admired. So we imagine those things will resolve our wrestling with shame. That is, we think that conforming to the world’s standards around body image, we’ll finally overcome this hurdle. But as a believer, is this healthy?
We were created by God. For God. Our physical bodies are therefore precious.
As Sam Allberry insists in his book, our bodies were made for a purpose. “If our body is not accidental,” he writes, “it must also therefore not be incidental. If it were merely the product of accidental processes, we could justifiably write it off as having no theological significance. Our body would tell us nothing substantial about who we are. Our sense of self would be found entirely elsewhere, with no reference to our body. But if we have been created, then our body is not some arbitrary lump of matter. It means something. It is not peripheral to our understanding of who we are. For all the difficulties you may have with it, it is the body God wanted you to have. It is a gift” (p27).
Our body’s distinct purpose cannot be defined as a meaningless existence. We were created by God. For God. Our physical bodies are therefore precious to him; and our physical existence should be evident of that.
God’s Word on Body Image
The above perspective changes everything. If our bodies are gifts from God we need to look to God’s word. The Bible reminds us that our bodies were created good (Genesis 1:27); they belong to the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19-20); and outward appearance is never the measure of personal worth (1 Peter 3:3-4).
If everything we do is to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), our physical bodies are included. What we think about them and how we care for them should honour God. Yet we live in a world that constantly promotes the idea that physical health and fitness are defining markers of identity, turning them into what secures our sense of self. We think, ‘If I look good and feel good, then I will finally be happy.’ But this is a lie. A powerfully influential one.
Outward appearance is never the measure of personal worth.
When we turn to scripture and examine the matter of body image we discover something very different. I myself often return to Romans 12:2. And by God’s grace, that verse speaks into every area of my life. It teaches us not conform to this world, but rather to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That renewal must extend to how we think about our physical selves and shame around body image. It must be applied to how we see and treat our bodies, so that instead of focusing on self-approval and achieving worldly standards I might utilise the body God has given me in his service.
Both the gospel and Genesis mean we can bring our shame, anxiety, and desire for control before God. In fact, even as our physical bodies waste away we can be renewed and reassured of becoming whole again (2 Corinthians 4:16). As we intentionally renew our minds, we learn to live for God with hearts and bodies oriented toward his glory.
Comfort for the Wounded
At the same time, we need to acknowledge the criticism, abuse, neglect, or mockery that many have experienced—experiences that would have deeply shaped how many of us view our bodies. Sam Allberry acknowledges how shame can take root in those who’ve been criticised or belittled. That shame often leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms, whether through obsessive control, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, comparison, or even indifference toward our bodies. Alberry shares about a Christian friend who had endured deep hurt and was learning to see himself as Christ sees him: redeemed and loved. Without being completely healed, that friend continues to make slow progress. As should we.
Shame often leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Transformation is real. It’s possible. For God is powerful. But transformation is often gradual. We can belong to Christ. We can understand and rejoice in our redemption. Yet at the same time we can still feel the lingering effects of shame. The way the world has caused us to think about our bodies need not have ultimate authority. God speaks a firmer truth. For those in Christ can know that we aren’t defined by criticisms we’ve endured or the harm done to us. While the gospel doesn’t dismiss those wounds, it powerfully reframes them within the larger story of redemption.
Broken, Redeemed, Restored
Sam Allberry also reminds us that our bodies are broken by sin, both by our own sin and sins committed against us. Yet, “In Christ, our bodies are no longer identified by what we do with them, or by what others have done to them, but by what Jesus has done for them. And so we await ‘the redemption of our bodies’ (Romans 8:23) with patience. And in the meantime, we learn what it means to use our bodies for our new Master and Saviour” (p134). This is the anchor for our hope. Our bodies may bear scars from this fallen world. But Christ’s body was broken for us. Because of him, our identity is no longer rooted in shame, appearance, performance, or past harm. It is rooted in redemption.
Christ’s body was broken for us. Because of him our identity is rooted in redemption.
God is able to bring healing in this life. As we apply his word, we’re gradually transformed. Yet we also live in hopeful anticipation. Perfect healing will only come when we are fully redeemed and our bodies are finally restored. Until then, we learn—imperfectly, but faithfully—to honour him with the very bodies he’s given, trusting that they are gifts even now.
DON’T HAVE PAYPAL TO SET UP A MONTHLY DONATION? If you would like to donate via Payfast – a secure payment gateway available to donors both inside and outside of Africa – please click here.
