7 Minutes of Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34 and Body Image Fear

Today we look at Matthew 6:25-34 -- a familiar passage in the Bible where Jesus tells us not to worry. But his instruction isn't generic. He tells us not to worry about a few specific things -- he says don't worry about food, drink, and clothing. What? Isn't this what this whole show is about? Body image fear?

Here are a few key points about body image fear and fears around our food as we look at the instruction from this passage:

• We believe fear keeps us safe--safe from health issues or safe from negative opinions of others, but this is just one of fear's lies.
• Fear tells us that we need it to keep us safe, we need to stay "worried" about our bodies so we don't "let ourselves go."
• Fear sometimes looks like control and the fear of man (approval) so fear makes a triple play in the arena of body image and food.
• Dieting, food rules, restriction, control, and body image stress are all a prison where we sit in a cell with the door open. We can have freedom, we simply have to take steps of faith (they can be small) to get out.

If you're ready to stop feeling afraid of all things related to your body image and your food, I hope you'll commit this passage to memory! Body image fear does not have to be your prison.

Here's the text for Matthew 6:25-34 from the ESV (look it up for yourself so you can follow along).

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

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Wrestling fear or body image fear? Listen to this episode from an earlier season on the topic of fear and body image issues.

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