Finding Freedom From the Scale
So my "frenemy" is gone. That's right - my scale. I haven't had a scale for about 2 1/2 weeks now as it's on a slow boat to Doha. It's very unnerving for me. I bet it would be for a lot of women. Typically, I weigh every morning and sometimes more than once a day. I've heard that's a common habit for overweight people and that people who are "normal" (both in weight and in their mindset) don't focus so much on the scale.
But our worth (and our moods) are very often tied up in what those numbers on the scale say.
Down a pound or two? You feel on top of the world - attractive, successful, happy.
Up a pound or two? Condemnation sits on your shoulders, making you feel like a failure, unattractive and ugly.
It's so unhealthy and ridiculous, isn't it? And yet millions of us put our self-confidence in the scale. But what does God say about our worth?
He says that you are so valuable He sent His own son to die for you. He says that before you were born, He knew the days of your life and knit you together in your mother's womb. He says you are carried close to His heart as He tends to you like a lamb. He says that He loves you even when you don't love Him (not to mention yourself!).
In this culture it's very hard not to be thin and beautiful. It can make you feel so badly about yourself. But we, as Christians, need to rise above the culture of our day and live in God's culture. We need to remember that He loves us for who we truly are - His children.
All this is not to say that we shouldn't be healthy and take care of ourselves. This is something that I have struggled with and continue to. And, yes, I'll be curious to see where my weight stands when I and my belongings all meet up. I need to lose a good bit of weight myself so that I can be healthier and stronger.
But what I don't need is to have condemnation poured upon me from a scale. And neither do you, my dear friend.
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5 comments:
Amen to that, Lori. I recently bought batteries for my scale after not having any for over six months or longer. I found that to be an extremely healthy time for me, emotionally. I gained I think two pounds and frankly, I didn't even care. Now that we have a working scale again, I am almost bummed out about it!
Leeann
And of course we all know how accurate our scales are, right? The doctor's scale always weighs in at five pounds heavier than mine does. (And we're not even going to talk about digital scales that show ounces too!) My daughter bought a new scale a year or so ago and it weighs in A LOT more than my twenty year old one. Needless to say, that one doesn't get used much. I hate when I allow my weight to control my attitude. (says she that just ate two peanut butter chocolate donuts.) Elizabeth George says that she weighs each morning so she can adjust her eating patterns for that day. I tried that but more often than not, I ended up overeating and depressed anyway. Why is it so hard to accept ourselves the way we are? Do you really know any size zeroes? (My SIL is that size but she's not happy either. And she spends her time harassing her daughter...who is a size 4/6...about her weight. I think I'll take being "fluffy")
God won't let me have a scale....really. Every time I buy one, within a week, it stops working...even manual ones. It's weird. But, I think it's the Lord's way of saving me from myself. I haven't had a scale in 20 years....except a week here and a week there. I just weigh myself sometimes at the grocery store or the gym (about twice a month). It's wonderful! :-)
Thank you for this post, it really hit home for me.
I stumbled across your blog and find it very refreshing. Thank you!
How about just getting rid of it altogether? If you really want to know how much you weigh, you'll be able to find one SOMEWHERE, but that daily roller coaster isn't a healthy one. I don't even own one. And, I love not having extra stuff around.