october: Image of God
Somewhere along the line, most of us struggle with body image. But God made these bodies of ours, and God declared them good! Not only that, but every human is made in the image of God - which is mind-blowing, when we think about the vast diversity of humanity. We can learn to love, care for, and respect our bodies (and the bodies of others) from a very young age. The knowledge that, “God made you, and you are good!” is an incredible gift we can give our children.
Read It Genesis 1:26-31
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness . . . . . . .
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness . . . . . . .
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Pray It
God, you made us in your image. Help us love our bodies the way you love them.
Teach us to care for these good bodies you have created.
God, you made us in your image. Help us love our bodies the way you love them.
Teach us to care for these good bodies you have created.
Do It
- The spiritual practice of body care: We care for our children’s bodies. We wash them, feed them, clothe them, help them strengthen. Make this a spiritual practice. As you care for your child’s physical needs, you are recognizing that this child is created in the image of God. Marvel at that. You are participating in God’s call to care for bodies. See what happens within you, and see how it changes the way you do this care when you become aware of the spirituality of caring for your child’s body.
- “God made me!” From early infancy, we play body part naming games. “What’s this? Your nose!” Put a simple theological spin on it. As you name the parts, add a few sentences here and there. “What’s this? Your nose! What a beautiful nose God created.” “What’s this? Your belly button! This is how God fed you before you were even born!” Or you can keep it super simple, naming the parts and adding at the end, “And God made it all!” It may feel a little silly at first, but you’ll get used to it. And the reward comes when your child begins to speak and repeat it back. A friend of mine who did this with her toddler tells about how one day as they played this game, the toddler burst into giggles of joy, proclaiming, “God made meeeee!!!”
- Start with yourself. Work on your own words and actions. What you say about your body will directly affect how your child feels about their body. Finding a way to love your body, with all its quirks, is spiritually healing for you, while setting your child up for a healthier relationship with their own body.
- Mantra: Tell your child (and maybe tell yourself in the mirror…), “You are made in the image of God. You are good.” Say this frequently.
- A challenge comes when things on our bodies don’t work as they should. If God created our bodies good, why do we sometimes need surgeries and treatments? There’s no easy answer here. But we do know that God loves our bodies and desires for them to be healthy. When health professionals help us heal, they are joining God’s work in our bodies.
Explore it: A Note from Tami
Many of us fight the tendency to be critical of our own bodies. But, what harmful messages are we sending to both ourselves and others when we do so? The beginning point in helping young children develop healthy appreciation and self-respect is to believe it and express it about ourselves. And, yes, I have found this to be challenging and have often failed to do so. Our bodies are so complex! And masterpieces! Let’s give God the thanks and praise for these gifts!
Enjoy this uplifting article by Brittany Salmon Teaching Kids About Their Beautiful Bodies
Sometimes ads for various things show up on links. We are not promoting these items. However, we’ve chosen to include these websites and blogs simply because finding sites without any links is difficult and the sites we select do have valuable content. Feel free to ignore the ads!
Many of us fight the tendency to be critical of our own bodies. But, what harmful messages are we sending to both ourselves and others when we do so? The beginning point in helping young children develop healthy appreciation and self-respect is to believe it and express it about ourselves. And, yes, I have found this to be challenging and have often failed to do so. Our bodies are so complex! And masterpieces! Let’s give God the thanks and praise for these gifts!
Enjoy this uplifting article by Brittany Salmon Teaching Kids About Their Beautiful Bodies
Sometimes ads for various things show up on links. We are not promoting these items. However, we’ve chosen to include these websites and blogs simply because finding sites without any links is difficult and the sites we select do have valuable content. Feel free to ignore the ads!
