My Body Is A Temple of the Holy Spirit
Recent blog posts from Sterling Plastic Surgery out of Bedford, NH mention the increase in teens and young adults going under the knife and how social media sharing could be influencing women to consider plastic surgery. As a mother, I’ve seen the power of social media and the entertainment industry on my own children and their friends. My jaw dropped when my nine-year-old daughter who weighs all of 56 pounds dripping wet told me she was “fat” because her legs jiggle when she runs. The eleven-year-old asked me to purchase an eyelash curler and makeup for her birthday because one of her best friends uses them. And while I applaud my children for wanting to stay healthy and look nice, my fear is that unrealistic ideas about body weight and focusing on appearance too much will ultimately be detrimental.
This week in Sunday school, I began a series on the Truth found in the Bible. The final portion of this series deals with “The Truth About Me.” One of the goals is to “reconstruct the idea of self-esteem.” Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6: 19 -20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (NKJV) In addition to the idea of our bodies being like a sacred temple, young people need to know their value to God. We are so special, God bought us at a price–His Son, Jesus Christ. And our bodies aren’t our own. They are God’s creation. Our bodies belong to Him.
In Psalm 139, David says he praises God for he has been, “fearfully and wonderfully made.” What different image does that create for our children–and us–from what we see splashed across magazine covers and on our television and movie screens? We need to help our children strive to be the unique people God created them to be, not who the world tells them they should be.
Cheryl, I couldn’t agree more. Girls and boys alike need to hear the message that they are beautiful or handsome just as God created them. They don’t need anything to make them that way because it’s how they were created. They need to be told this from the time they’re born so they grow up with that message deeply rooted in their being. Thanks for the thoughtful post.
Thanks for the comment, Linda. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. This topic is so much on my mind lately. Some blog posts talk about how teens see plastic surgery as the answer to bullying. It’s frightening to think young people are willing to go to such drastic lengths to be accepted by their peers.
This is so true. When a young girl grows up feeling inferior for whatever reason, she is more likely to give into peer pressure and end up in bad relationships. This is something I learned the hard way.