Last month, God gave me the opportunity to teach a small group of women. Two class sessions. About three hours total. Nothing formal.

For the first session, I shared my testimony and general thoughts on what I’ve learned over the years.

Session two, I taught on physical appearance and food.

As I prepared to teach on these topics, I didn’t plan to share it on my blog—only with those women. However, I believe more women (and men!) can benefit from what I shared. So, this post is a summary of my notes, with a few additional thoughts thrown in.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional in the fields of psychology or nutrition or anything health related. My teaching comes purely from personal experience, and my only hope is to help others who feel alone or need encouragement. If that is you, I’m glad you’re here!

Real quick, did you know I also host a podcast on this topic?

Now, below is a paraphrase of one of my small group teaching sessions…

No Other Gods Before Me

So, let’s talk about idolatry. That’s probably not the direction you expected this to go, but it is important that we first establish a foundation of Godly truth before we dive into the subjects of physical appearance, body image, and food.

The first of God’s Ten Commandments in the Bible is: “You must not have any other gods but me” (Exodus 20:3, NLT). You may be more familiar with other versions like, “You shall have no other gods before me” (NIV). Either way, the command is pretty clear.

If you’re familiar with the Bible, you might be thinking about golden calves right now. Or the pagan god, Baal. Both are literal examples of “other gods.” Yet, “other gods” is not just an Old Testament idea or a nod to mythology. No.

A god, or idol, can be anything (or anyone) you put ahead of God. Capital G.

That includes your significant other, family, friends, job, your phone, TV, your possessions, money. I could go on. And I will, because it also includes your physical appearance and food choices.

When I wrote my eating disorder (ED) recovery devotional—now available on Amazon—I titled Day 5, “No Other Gods” because an eating disorder is a form of idolatry and needs to be addressed. But, even if you don’t have a full-blown eating disorder, food, body image, and how you look in general can all too easily move into idol territory.

How Obsession with Physical Appearance Can Become Idolatry

If you struggle with your outward appearance and body image, ask yourself these questions:

Who am I trying to impress with a perfect body? And why? The “why” is just as important as the “who.”

These are questions I faced in my eating disorder recovery years ago. And even after recovery, these questions still surface from time to time. The devil, our enemy, loves to throw those random darts of doubt. You know?

Of course, only you can answer these questions for yourself; but, I would not be surprised if you admitted you struggle with comparison or people pleasing. Or both. Not only do I know from experience, I know that worrying about what other people think started long before social media, or Hollywood, or anything in our modern times.

In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Galatians, telling them this: “Obviously, I am not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” (Galatians 1:10, NTL)

Paul understood that God’s opinion is the only one that matters. That he could not please both God and other people at the same time—so he chose to be “Christ’s servant.”

Though Paul didn’t mention it in his letter, here’s the dirty truth about comparison: It is a game that you will never win. If you base your happiness and self-worth on what other people think of you, the goalpost for success will keep moving just out of reach.

Those who spend their entire lives chasing that goalpost will find out, too late, that comparison is the thief of life—not just joy, as the popular saying goes.

To give you an example, throughout history, the ideal weight and body type for women has changed drastically, and will continue to change. Today’s standard for beauty is only temporary, till a new trend surfaces.

Or, if your goal is to fit into a specific clothing size, that is also a losing battle because sizing is NOT consistent. I own multiple pairs of jeans and pants in multiple different sizes, and they all fit me.

Consistency doesn’t exist. Change is inevitable. Yet, society continues to pressure us to reach these elusive standards for what to eat, what to wear, how to look. It’s exhausting, right?!

We need a standard that never moves. Never changes. Never becomes an idol in our lives.

Enter Jesus.

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT) tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Let’s go back to Paul. He made it clear that he would not serve people’s opinions. He would only serve Jesus. So, I challenge you with this thought:

The only comparison I want to do is to compare my life to Jesus. Am I living like him? Am I living for him? Am I pointing other people to him by how I live?

Because if anyone looks at me and wants to be like me, I want it to be because I have Jesus.

It pains me to think that, at my skinniest weight and deepest struggle with bulimia, other women or girls might have looked at me and thought I was goals. I was NOT goals. I was a mess. You never know what someone else is going through.

So, make your standard Jesus and point others to him, too.

How Preoccupation with Food Can Become Idolatry

Here is another question to ponder: What is the motivation behind your food choices?

For me, when I was desperate to be as skinny as possible, my food choices centered on what I thought would keep me from gaining weight. At the core, my motivation was to draw attention to how I looked and hope to feel more confident. I thought it would make me a happier, better version of myself so people would notice me. And, I thought that would fix my insecurities. It didn’t.

What was really at the core? Pride.

It was all about me. How I looked. Doing it my way. Not actually caring for the body God gave me or seeking confidence in who He made me to be.

Let’s look at a few more verses from Paul, that speak to how we should treat our bodies.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT

“I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let your bodies be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing, and perfect.”

Romans 12:1-2, NLT

Both verses describe how we can use our bodies to honor and worship God. And, that can tie into the food we eat and our health. But here is what honoring, pleasing, or worshipping God with our bodies is NOT:

• It is NOT striving to appear perfect.
• It is NOT maintaining an ideal weight.
• It is NOT being “good” and avoiding certain food.

Instead, it is living so you are physically, mentally, and spiritually ready to carry out God’s purpose for your life!

How Food Affects Us Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually

Physically, food is fuel.

Questions: Do you feel energized? Is your health enabling you to go where God calls you to go—or is it hindering you?

For me, when I was deep in my ED, I often felt so weak that even standing and walking took all of my physical energy. That’s because I didn’t allow myself to digest enough food to sustain my body’s basic functions. Then, every binge incapacitated me in the opposite way. I felt physically sick and could hardly move until I threw up.

What little energy I did have, I certainly wasn’t using to live out my God-given purpose.

The Mental Battle

How do you feel about food mentally? Are you avoiding situations with food involved? Are you afraid someone might pay too much attention to your food choices, or you might have an uncomfortable conversation?

When I struggled with bulimia, I was terrified of every meal with friends or family, every event with food, every random snack offered to me. It kept me isolated from so many people to avoid food. To hide what I was really eating—or not eating. To prevent anyone from finding out the truth.

But, God designed us to be relational. He designed us for a unique purpose that INVOLVES PEOPLE. And, connecting with others often involves sharing a meal together.

What Does God Say About Food?

Let’s take a look at the spiritual side of food. Not “Jesus is the bread of life” or “spiritual milk.” No, I mean real, human food.

Guess what? God wants us to enjoy food. Yes, it’s true.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 (NLT) is quite clear. “So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!”

This verse tells us there is nothing wrong with finding enjoyment in eating—or even drinking—as long as it does not become an idol. Yup. Back to idolatry. Anything you enjoy more than God… anything that consumes your thoughts or actions more than God… is an idol.

So, I challenge you to ask yourself:

• Does food consume my thoughts?
• Do I ever feel guilty for what I eat?

Notice, there is no eating plan in the Bible. Yes, God told certain people to abstain from certain foods, but it was more about setting them apart from other nations than it was about diet. And, it wasn’t meant for everyone. God’s Word gives us a LOT of instructions, but it doesn’t include a one-size-fits-all plan on how to eat.

How to Eat to Please God

You may be wondering how you’re supposed to enjoy food in a way that glorifies God if God doesn’t tell you how to do it.

Trust me. I wondered the same thing. And, here are thoughts on what I’ve learned:

What Should I Eat to Take Care of My Body?

• Going back to energy levels, our bodies need a combination of protein, carbs, and fats to sustain us and give us energy. Fiber and other vitamins and nutrients also allow our bodies to work optimally. I am not a health professional or nutritionist, so that is all I will say on this specific topic. Instead, I encourage you to seek out professional advice or find reputable sources to learn what foods will make your body feel its best. Or, simply ask yourself how you feel after eating certain things.
• Some foods are meant to give you nutrients and energy. Some foods are meant to be fun and enjoyed. And some foods are both! All have a place in your life with NO guilt. NO “I’m being good today.” NO cheat days. NO “I need to make up for yesterday” days. I challenge you to stop using this language around food. To stop thinking of foods as “good” or bad.” This was a game-changer for me.

What If I’m Afraid to Eat Certain Foods?

• If this is you, ask yourself: Why? What am I afraid of?
  • Get real with yourself.
  • Challenge the thoughts in your head and weed out the lies.
• Ask yourself: What’s the worst that could happen if I eat ____ right now?
  • If you’re afraid of gaining weight, know this. Any weight you *think* you gained in one day is likely either water retention or bloat, not increased body fat.
  • If the worst is that you’ll feel guilty… don’t give food that power over you. It’s okay to eat something and move on with your day. Enjoy it and keep on living.
  • If you’re scared you won’t be able to stop eating that bag of chips or candy, or pan of brownies. Whatever that food is for you, it’s all about baby steps. Something that helped me was giving myself freedom to have more of that food tomorrow, instead of thinking I had to restrict the next day. And—as silly as this might sound—I had to learn to sit with my cravings. Not the initial craving, but the one that lingered after I started eating. The one that made me want to eat all of everything in sight. That intense craving would not kill me if I stopped after eating a few of whatever I was desperate to inhale.

How Can I Stop Eating Too Much?

• If your struggle is more with how much you eat instead of what you eat, I have some tips for you, too.
  • As you eat, check in with yourself.
  • Ask questions like: “Am I still hungry for more?” or “How will eating more make my body feel?“
• After recovery, it took me a while to get my hunger and fullness cues back, so it’s also important to give yourself grace and use trial and error. It’s not an exact science, and our bodies might feel more or less hungry on any given day.

What Do I Do If I Ate Too Much?

• First, do not get mad at yourself. That does NOTHING but fuel disordered eating patterns.
• Instead, ask yourself why. Why did I eat past the point of fullness?
  • Maybe you ate too fast. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the message that you’re full.
  • Maybe you ate while distracted. (Hellooo, mindless eating in front of a screen.)
  • Maybe you restricted too much before you ate, causing your body to go into survival mode and trigger a binge.
  • Maybe you avoided eating what you really wanted and wound up eating more of what you didn’t want to compensate.
  • Maybe you did eat what you wanted, but it didn’t have enough protein or carbs or fat to keep you satisfied, so you kept eating more.
  • Maybe you were trying to comfort yourself with food.
• Whatever your reason, it’s important to get real with yourself. Go deep. Be introspective. And, be HONEST with yourself.

I know that was a LOT of information, so let me highlight the main takeaways:

• Do not let food or body image become an idol above your relationship with God.
• Do not aim for perfection with your eating or your body. Perfection does not exist!
• Comparison will ruin your life.
• Avoid all-or-nothing thinking when it comes to what you eat.
• Please, please, please, stop labeling food—or how you eat—as “good” or “bad.”
• Learn to listen to your hunger and fullness cues.
• Pay attention to what makes your body feel its best physically.
• Allow yourself to eat foods you enjoy—even if they have no real nutritional value. God wants us to enjoy food, too!
• Stay curious and keep digging into the why behind your feelings and choices.

I would love to know what resonated with your the most. Or, feel free to share any tips that have helped you in your journey with food and body image.