Encouragement for Today - August 18, 2025
Your Body Deserves More
LISA WHITTLE
Lee en español
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)
I’ve yet to meet a woman who doesn’t have a complicated relationship with her body. Past traumas, complex health journeys, ongoing struggles, and fluctuating biochemistry all contribute to our feelings of frustration and comparison.
And in the midst of it are millions of us who just want body freedom. Love and acceptance of who God made us to be, no matter what.
All my life, I’ve observed the culture that has largely helped shape us. And I’m here to finally push back. While I don’t believe children of God are called to live with a victim mentality, I do believe we are to see, acknowledge, and combat the ways we have been influenced by the lies of the world. To start, here are three truths for today:
- Your body deserves more than hype. Many of us have experienced deep wounds, unspoken hurts, and ongoing pain that make the hype of body-positivity culture ring hollow. To find true body freedom and lasting peace, we need a deeper, whole-body theology. This changes our entire mindset and sets us free once and for all.
- Your body deserves more than constant self-improvement. Daily, we are bombarded with information about weight loss, skin care, supplements, and more. This fix-yourself culture is exhausting. Instead, God desires for us to thrive in abundance, living well in the bodies He created (Genesis 1:27).
- Your body deserves more than shame. Our desire for body change is often due to something far deeper than low self-esteem: shame. Our pasts can cause us to develop deep shame, which God wants to free us from so we can truly live as whole people. Understanding our function, design, and purpose as beings created in His image (imago dei) breaks us free from our shame and helps us to make better body decisions.
Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 remind us of the pathway to the body peace we seek. It’s a freedom in and through Christ, not by outward measures: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.” This freedom is found in understanding our whole selves: “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Though we may not realize it, insecurities, poor teaching, and early traumas can leave us parsing our body into parts, which makes us see and treat ourselves like objects, performers, and projects.
But our complicated relationships of the past do not have to define how we live moving forward. Our bodies were created by a loving God who is calling us to true body freedom.
Are you ready to learn what you’ve never known to live freer than you’ve ever lived?
Dear Lord, thank You for showing us how to live differently in our bodies. Thank You for Your tenderness toward us in our body struggles. May we learn from Your Word a new and better way to truly gain body freedom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
To learn about whole-body theology — including how to stop working so hard on your body and instead live well in it — grab a copy of Lisa Whittle’s Bible study Body and Soul: A Biblical Look at the Whole Person God Created You to Be.
ENGAGE
Join Lisa on her website for free resources and speaking inquiries! Or engage with her on Instagram, and be a part of her writing communities at Substack and Called Creatives.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Body and Soul by Lisa Whittle. To celebrate this Bible study, Lisa’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, August 25, 2025.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Galatians 5:1a, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (NIV).
Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (NLT).
How has secular culture shaped the way you view your body? Moving forward, in what way(s) would you love to experience body freedom like you have never experienced it before? (Be specific!) Share with us in the comments!
© 2025 by Lisa Whittle. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
