My book, Image Restored, was released in March and we are in a Restored Series here on the podcast. While this series can address body image struggles, I am teaching how you can apply it to ANY area of your life. We have covered a lot of topics in this series, so if you missed any, now is a great time to go listen to any you missed. This week our theme comes from chapter 13.

This chapter is actually about expectations, but I wanted to sit and have some real talk with you about why it’s important to be real with ourselves, God, and others about our expectations, fears, thoughts, emotions, or anything else that is weighing us down.

Two key quotes from this chapter:

"Stop comparing yourself to your younger self; she’s another woman."

"My future grandchildren will not remember Grandma by my wrinkles or gray hair; instead, they will remember a woman who feared and praised the Lord."

Therapist Thoughts:

The brain is far more sophisticated than we realize. No one has to say that we are more valuable, special, or worthy when we are skinny or have a certain body type. Our brains automatically fill in the gaps when we see that those who get the most attention in the media are thin, youthful, attractive people. This leaves the brain constantly evaluating questions about our identity and worth through the lens of, How attractive, thin, or acceptable am I? This is incredibly stressful, as something as important as our worth as human beings is constantly being evaluated based solely on our outward appearance. On a sticky note, write words of affirmation to retrain your brain to focus on the truth from God’s Word. (Adapted from Dr. Shannon Crawford)

Process:

Expectations line: What expectations have you set that you are exhausted from trying to live up to?

Pray:

Psalm 26:2, "Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind."

Resource:

The resource I recommend for all of these episodes is my book, Image Restored. (If you’ve already purchased the book, join the private community on the book page. We will email you free resources and printables you can use right away.)

What's Your Body Trying to Tell You Quiz