Learning to Love “What”?

Now, I don’t know about you but when I read the chapter title this week from Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great Feel Great, I choked on it.

Learning to Love Your Body ~ say what? Well, we’ve already explored how important we are to God. He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to rescue us. I think for the most part we get it! But this learning to love your body stuff… well what’s so great to love about it in the shape its in right now?

That’s just it! The message is that we need to love the body we have because it’s the one we’ve got! Our body is not the enemy! If we are Christians, our body is the one that the Holy Spirit chooses to live in. It’s the one that God chooses to use for His glory. Ah… that’s easy to think and say but how do we do it?


Joyce hit the nail on the head when she said that most people don’t like themselves. Maybe we suffer from some of the self-rejection torments that she mentioned. I think most of us have at least one if not more of these mental distractions of self-hate. I’ve listed a few things to think about that were triggered from her book.


Do we live in a constant state of self-rejection and because of this hate our selves (including our bodies) instead of loving our selves? Are we broken from sickness or age? Have we tried beauty products and weight loss “miracles” only to realize that we were ripped off and no miracle happened? Do we look at catalogs and magazines longingly wishing we were different? Did we read scripture and believe that our flesh (body) is despicable and that to live a righteous life we must “punish” it and beat ourselves up for not being “perfect” in the Lord? Are we living with childhood nightmares that just won’t leave us alone that make us feel inferior and useless? What are our reasons for hating our selves so much?



I’m going to be real here. Sometimes just “knowing” that God loves us isn’t enough for us because we don’t feel anything but empty. We feel alone. We feel like we are the only ones in the universe that have experienced our pain and no one knows… no one knows…. but someone else has FELT the same way.



Hear the words of an old hymn, Does Jesus Care? (If you Google it, you’ll even be able to hear it if you like ~ Oh, the wonder of technology!)

The verses:

· Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth or song,

As the burdens press, and the cares distress, and the way grows weary and long?

· Does Jesus care when my way is dark with a nameless dread and fear?

As the daylight fades into deep nightshades, does He care enough to be near?

· Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed to resist some temptation strong;

When for my deep grief there is no relief, though my tears flow all the nightlong?

· Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye” to the dearest on earth to me,

And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—is it aught to Him? Does He see?

The wonderful chorus:

· Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.



There have been those who have gone on before you that felt just like you. There are those living today who are feeling just like you. Yet, the most impressive thing is that Jesus experienced it all!  When He died on that cross, He felt it all at once! Can we ever imagine that kind of pain? It wasn’t a single person’s pain but the pain of the entire world through the ages that He endured. Oh, how He loves us!


WE MUST STOP! THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO SLIDE OVER BUT TO THINK ABOUT. Take some time and examine what is wrong. Maybe your problem is not about health and weight loss, but whatever it is, ask the Lord to help you sort out your life. Ask Him to help you put everything into perspective. Ask Him to give you guidance for making positive changes and then put into practice what He directs to be changed.  Let’s do it to bring Him glory! Isn’t that what we’re here for?



As always, Joyce has some very practical ways to “nurture self-love.” The book is great and I’m sure you’ll read it in a hurry. This time around on my plan of improvement, I’m taking everything a little bit slower. My desire is to make changes that will have a greater chance of lasting out the rest of my life. I’ve learned I can’t do it all at once. God is training me as I go. Sometimes I’m a good student and sometimes a poor one, but I keep coming to class and trying yet again. He never gives up on me and I can always find acceptance in Him. There are times He pushes me. There are times He pulls me. There are times He just walks beside me. The point is… He is always with me! What an amazing thought!


This devotional was inspired by Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great Feel Great.