Now, About the Bod...

So I know that I have been tirelessly talking about body image and blah blah blah, but it seems that each time I go somewhere or do something, there's another advertisement or another post about people and their bodies and bodies and BODIES and SO MANY BODIES. I've already explain how tired I am. So very tired.
But when I'm on Pinterest and a pin comes up about some Victoria Secret model at a luncheon for some swanky fashion designer, all I can think is... Who. Flippin. Cares?! Is she curing cancer while she eats her dressing-less salad? I mean, I'm sure the woman is great. Or maybe she's not. That's not my point. My point is that, even though she's aesthetically pleasing, why OH WHY would I want to pin her? Because she's beautiful? It's just a body. And when this world looks at that particular body made in a particular way, the world just so happens to say, "That there. That's really pleasing to mine eyes."
Bones, muscle, blood, skin and a lot of other kooky things mixed in. Yes, we are magnificent creatures, fearfully and wonderfully made by an even more magnificent God. But, are we NOT missing the point here? Our bodies will shrivel up and turn to dust. Our souls last for eternity.
I scroll down more. At least two pins come up telling me different steps to a certain workout, and what so happens to be the backdrop? Some perfectly tan stomach with gracefully chiseled abs.
My grandparents are now 90 years + and I don't think either of them have had perfectly chiseled abs ever in their life. Maybe my grandpa, but that man went through three wars, so it wouldn't surprise me if he did. This is no tangent I've gone on, this is me saying that you can be incredibly healthy and live to 100 and not have perfectly chiseled abs and a sun kissed, bronze glaze. As I mentioned before, yes I am trying to become more healthy and yes I am trying to work out at least once a day and get my heart rate up, but my health is not dependent on how toned I become. No, I'm not throwing everything out the window, and maybe I'll develop some ab definition after working out and losing weight, but it would be in pursuit of physical health solely, not the abdominals that make the fellas holla.
Now I'm not going to say that my heart doesn't flutter a little when I see a picture of Henry Cavill rocking his Superman suit, because, hey, it does. And, yes, sometimes the physical beauty of a person can be seen as a form of art. But, it's dangerous territory to admire beauty as it is. Guess who just so happened to be really, really, really good looking and incredibly talented? No, not Derek Zoolander. Yes. That's right. It's Satan. So let's not get too carried away with our appreciation of the Lord's handiwork, hmm? It distracts from the actual creator when we focus far too much on the creation. I appreciate talent, and yes modeling can be hard work, but when society is so wrapped up in this body image debacle, we should be more careful with who we're admiring and why. Remembering the one who pours out such blessings as talent and beauty is where we remain safe from the lies that we can so easily be deceived by. It is even more wonderful and respectable when those blessings are used as tools to build towards God's Kingdom.

My main point? External beauty is irrelevant to our eternity in joy and to the work we are doing while we wait for our Savior to return. So get your nose out of the magazines and fix your eyes on Jesus.

"Beauty -- be not caused -- It Is --"

by Emily Dickinson

 

Beauty -- be not caused -- It Is --
Chase it, and it ceases --
Chase it not, and it abides --

Overtake the Creases

In the Meadow -- when the Wind
Runs his fingers thro' it --
Deity will see to it
That You never do it --