We are the ninety-nine percent. Though it may feel like you’re the only one struggling with the concept of wearing shorts or swimsuits, you need to know you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the majority.
I’m right there with you. Beach vacations, outdoor cookouts, pool parties... on the surface they sound fun. But, when I start to think about what I’ll wear to these events, my anxiety rises. I forget who I am in Christ and fret buckets over who I am in a tankini.
Maybe you grew up in the church like me, believing all the big things—God made the universe, sent His Son, conquered sin and death, and oh yes, loves us eternally. We have big faith for these big concepts. We have big faith for what comes after this life.
But what about my beach vacation? How does my big faith help me feel comfortable in shorts?
You see, underneath my big faith lurks a tiny, nagging, pest called insecurity. For me, it’s connected to my body and appearance, which means summer weather becomes fear’s incubator.
I believe God is enough for me in big ways, but why do I still feel so unsure about my worth?
Why do the mirror and the scale still hold so much power over me?
Why do I fall in the comparison trap every time I scroll Instagram or walk into a room with women whom I deem more beautiful?
Maybe you’ve faced the same dilemma. You’ve tried to look at yourself “through God’s eyes,” but nothing seems to change internally. Your big faith doesn’t seem to speak to your day-to-day struggles. You stand in church celebrating the risen Savior and worshiping the Almighty God, but get to the parking lot and start worrying about the details of life (or swimsuit season) again.
Perhaps what we all need isn’t more faith. Although, that certainly couldn’t hurt. But, instead of just having more big faith, maybe we need to find ways to apply our big faith to our little challenges. We need a type of little faith that isn’t just about where we’ll spend eternity, but about the ten thousand little moments we live through every day.
Before we go any further, let’s talk about fear for a second. Most of us wouldn’t say we’re “afraid” when we criticize ourselves in the mirror or obsess over what we ate for lunch. But what is insecurity, really, if not fear by another name? I call these “microfears”—the doubts that whisper, “You’re not good enough,” “You won’t be accepted,” “Someone will notice your flaws and reject you.” They’re subtle, but incredibly powerful.
As people of faith, we know all the right things to say.
Have faith over fear.
Fear not—it’s in the Bible like 365 times! (They love to use that statistic in women’s Bible study!)
But I’ve never applied “faith over fear” to my body image issues.
Have you?
You see, my body image issues started young. I was in the third grade when I first heard the whisper that legs were too big. Four decades later, it’s still a struggle not to see myself as just a body. Now, I work with women every week who have wrestled the same lies. They’ve spent decades trying every eating plan, every exercise program, buying supplements and magic “skinny” potions to change their bodies hoping the body image issues would go away. But nothing seems to work permanently.
Why? Because body image issues aren’t about our bodies, they’re about these microfears. These fears signal to our bodies that we aren’t safe. It’s not that we’re in actual physical danger. It’s not my life that’s at stake, rather my livelihood. I’m not afraid that your negative opinion of me will physically harm me. In our culture, where life is relatively safe, it can feel worse than a gunshot wound to not be accepted.
That’s when those little fears overwhelm. They trigger fight, flight, or freeze. It’s death by a thousand paper cuts.
If you’re like me, perhaps you believe the Bible. You know the big truths. Jesus is Lord. He died for my sins. He was raised from the dead. And, he is coming back again… but then I look at myself in the Target dressing room and all that “big faith” doesn’t seem to matter.
I wonder if what we all need is little faith—not small in the sense of “weak” but little as in, “applied to the tiny, daily things.”
I need faith that can grab hold of God’s Word when my pants don’t button or when I’m convinced that everyone is looking at my flabby arms, not my heart, at church on Sunday.
What does “little faith” look like? It looks like acknowledging that the God of the universe is big enough and personal enough to see and know every one of my struggles.
And, it’s understanding that even though I will feel afraid sometimes, I can trust him.
I can trust him with how I eat.
I can trust him with how to exercise.
I can trust him when I interact with my friends even if I feel awkward, frumpy, or out of place?
Little faith is saying, “God, I believe. Help my unbelief.”
There’s a story in Scripture that’s been an encouragement to me—Mark 9, when a desperate dad brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus. The boy can’t speak, he convulses, and the disciples can’t seem to help. The dad pleads with Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity and help us.” And Jesus, basically says, “If you can? Of course I can!” But then He reminds us, “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
And the dad’s response? He replies, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
That’s the prayer that gets me through body image struggles. That’s the prayer that we can use when we face daily doubts, microfears, and insecurities. That’s the prayer we can use when we’re getting ready for those family photos on the beach, but we’d rather hide our bodies behind a giant beach towel.
“Jesus, I do believe… but right here, standing in front of this mirror, help my unbelief.”
We believe that Jesus is our savior forever. But we need to believe that his grace applies to us right now. He is not just our security for eternity, he’s our security for any uncomfortable situation we face. When we know that we are his, and nothing can ever change that, we can know that no fear, no rejection, or no shame can separate us from his love.
Let’s get practical: The next time you find your heart racing with anxiety in a fitting room, or you feel shame about eating something that doesn’t fit your “plan,” or you scroll past a “perfect” mom on Instagram who seems to have it all together, just whisper to Him: “I do believe, Lord—help my unbelief, right here, right now. Lord, remind me that my security is in you alone.”
You Were Made on Purpose, For His Purpose
Finding identity in Christ is a popular thing to talk about in Christian circles. But, candidly friend, we’ve got to stop separating who we are from our physical bodies. Who I am on this earth cannot exist without this physical being. I didn’t accidentally end up in this body, God chose it for me. We have to have a right theology of the body in order to apply our big faith to our little issues.
What’s true, according to God’s Word? Friend, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) Before you did a single squat or put on your first swipe of mascara, you were already loved and chosen. God knit you together in your mother’s womb with intention—not as an afterthought, not as an oops, not with a checklist for you to pursue so you can earn “acceptable beauty” by cultural standards.
And yet, somehow, if you’re anything like me, you slip into believing culture’s “gospel of appearance.” The world says, “Your value is in how you look. Fix that first, then go do what you’re called to do.” I can’t tell you how many gifted women I’ve known (myself included) who silently make a pact: I’ll finally serve/make friends/speak out/go for the job—once I fix this body stuff.
But that’s not the path God calls us to. Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus say, “When you lose the weight, then come follow Me.” Or, “Once you have your body looking good, then I’ll use you.” Never. He invites us, scars and all, right now, to step into the purposes for which He made us.
When I quit waiting for my body to be “fixed” and started asking God for a little faith for my daily struggles, something shifted. The food obsession lost its hold, because I had something better to chase: God’s purpose for me.
The voices of comparison fell quieter, because I was busy living out my gifts and loving people and showing up—even when I felt unsure or less-than.
I’ll be honest, that’s not always a smooth road. Some days, the old microfears come back. Some days, I still catch myself thinking: “Heather, you just don’t measure up.” But in those moments, I remember this truth: my life isn’t about proving myself. It’s about serving, loving, and trusting the One who knows my heart better than I do.
My big faith tells me Jesus conquered the grave, so why do I doubt He can conquer my comparison or my insecurity? Friend, your faith is big enough. Let it get small and specific. Let it show up for you in your “little” struggles with food, fitness, friendship, and family. Let this little faith show up for you this summer on your vacation, at the lake with friends, at the pool with your kids.
You can have confidence to live out the real-life God has for you—today, not twenty, thirty pounds from now, not when you find the perfect tummy-control swimsuit or the right diet plan, but now.
So, let’s walk it out together. Let’s have the kind of “little” faith that overcomes microfears, not just for eternity, but for everyday freedom. Because the good news is this: You are loved, you are chosen, and you are called to live on purpose—right now.
Does the scale determine whether or not you have a good day or a bad day? Does the scale's readout have a weird, mysterious power over you? On this episode of Compared to Who?, Christian body image coach and author, Heather Creekmore talks about why the scale holds such power over us, what that number means to us, and gives four strategies for doing the work required to break up with the emotional roller coaster that the scale puts us on. If you're tired of letting the number readout spoil your day, then these strategies will help you get on a path to body image freedom and help de-mystify why you just can't stop going to the scale, even though you know the readout may upset you. If this episode helps you navigate your body image questions, be sure to subscribe to Compared to Who? at Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode!
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