| You are worthy, our Lord and God; to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. — Revelation 4:11  Your Body Is Not a Trophy by Jess Connolly, from Breaking Free from Body Shame 
 Trophies are funny things. We're supposed to feel a personal sense of achievement because of some fake gold plastic thingamajig purchased from an online catalog? Note that my distinct lack of trophies has probably given me this perspective.
So if you've got a million trophies, and you see this differently, grace and peace to you.
I was around nine years old when I joined the Capital Textiles T-ball team. I remember the first practice and parents' meeting. I remember the way the coach looked exactly like a Little League coach you'd see on TV. I remember being the only girl, and I remember not necessarily loving the idea of playing T-ball. I can't remember if I explicitly complained about having to go or just sucked it up, but I know my mom was just trying to love me well by enrolling me to play, so I think I probably surmised that and just went with the flow.
I was really, really bad at T-ball. And the boys on my team actually seemed to care about winning, which I couldn't quite grasp, so I was pretty obnoxious to them. But there was a bright side. By about halfway through the season, they had a nickname for me, and I loved it: Lightning. Because I was so fast, of course. I tried to live into that nickname — I promise you, there were times when I must have been a blur running around those bases because I was going so fast. I even asked my teammates, "Could you guys even see me? I was going so fast!"
They put the name "Lightning" on my trophy, and I admit I took it a little too far. I got lightning bolt stickers for my notebook at school, got lightning bolt dangly earrings to wear, and I even entertained getting a little lightning bolt shaved into my early-90s undercut boy haircut, but somebody smart stopped me.
At some point, I was informed that they had nicknamed me Lightning because I was so slow.
I threw the trophy away.
I'm bitter about trophies, OK? They're not my favorite thing.
Trophies aren't necessarily the best thing for those of us who are Kingdom-minded and living with an eternal focus. It seems like trophies keep us believing that the best thing we can do is rack up approval on earth, even though it's the approval of our Father that means the most.
It seems as though trophies are images that give us glory, rather than putting it where it belongs — at the feet of Jesus.
I'm not saying we should burn all our trophies, but maybe it's worthwhile to consider why we seek them, why we keep them, and maybe even ask ourselves, Are we holding these symbols in too much esteem? Are we putting too much stock in them?
First, let's not believe for even a second that our obsession with awards and accolades ended after Little League. We all long to receive our own version of recognition. Here are a few desires for recognition that seem to prevail among those of us who have passed elementary school:
We want to get on the dean's list.
And we treat our bodies like the ultimate trophy.
Telling a friend she's lost weight has somehow become the ultimate compliment. When we grow past the cultural absurdity of commenting on people's literal weight, we find other ways to notice and notarize one another for how we look. This practice isn't found only outside of Christian culture; instead, this is just one measurement of the world we've completely co-opted.
We've even added spiritual weight to support it, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
We celebrate when a friend "bounces back" quickly after a baby, we glorify the "glow up" (a season when a tween or teen goes from looking awkward to awesome by the world's standards), we praise one another when we eat less and call it "self control." In short, we tend to turn something God never ordained into something spiritual.
We treat our bodies like trophies, statues representing what we idolize: the approval and attention of others. This is problematic first and foremost because that glory belongs to God.
What if the final straw, the thing that will tip the scales toward revival, is the counter-cultural decision that any distinction or honor we're given gets laid at the feet of Jesus? What if we decide that any trophy or award we receive will be relinquished so we become less concerned with how many accolades we can garner, and instead, use our energy to worship Jesus? What if revival comes in our communities because we break the matrix and scream at the enemy, "Making our bodies better was never necessary! They were made good!"
What if revival comes because we decide our bodies are not trophies to begin with?
Why the Trophies Have to Burn
The women in my family, gals of the New South that we are, have a few phrases that are so Southern and saccharine they'll make your teeth hurt. But they're hard to quit.
"More jewels in your crown!" we shout when we see each other doing something holy, something virtuous, something often unseen. When you're kind to the fussy lady at church who always tries to be secretly spiteful to you, it's "More jewels in your crown!" When you watch your sister's kids even though you're having a really full and hard work week, it's "More jewels in your crown!" When you're caught cleaning up the mess someone else made, it's "More jewels in your crown!"
I say it to my sisters because I know they get the gospel, the truth that Jesus is enough when they aren't. I say it to them because I know they don't believe they can earn their way into Heaven, and because the idea of a heavenly crown is rooted in Scripture.
James 1 and Revelation 2 speak to the "crown of life" that will be given to those who suffer and persevere under trials. The "incorruptible crown" is also referenced in 1 Corinthians 9 and will be bestowed on those who demonstrate self-denial and perseverance. 2 Timothy 4 speaks of a "crown of righteousness" for those who anticipate the second coming of Jesus, and there's a "crown of glory" for those who minister and preach the gospel in 1 Peter 5. My favorite, the "crown of rejoicing," shows up in 1 Thessalonians 2, for those who engage in evangelism outside the Christian church. If you've ever known an evangelist, someone who is passionate about seeing other people walk with Jesus, I bet you can picture them rejoicing a ton in heaven.
Then, there's the passage in Revelation that describes what will happen as the elders lay their crowns at the feet of Jesus:
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
"You are worthy, our Lord and God;
Scripture speaks of a heavenly reward for eternal work, but even then, it makes it clear that we'll be compelled to send these trophies and rewards right back to the throne. Whatever jewels are in your crown, I know you'll count them as nothing when you encounter the grace and glory of God.
Whatever trophies come our way, we'll gladly reroute them to Him, because He deserves them.
But make no mistake! These trophies, these crowns, these jewels, these gifts of glittering glory are about eternal work and are of eternal worth. They are not our bodies. Our bodies are not trophies. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, the home of our heaven-bound souls. It is a trick, a tool, a tactic of the enemy of our souls to make us believe that our bodies' worth is in any way determined by human opinion or perception.
Your body is not the crown you're going to lay at the feet of Jesus.
Your beauty is not the jewel you're going to give back to Him.
Your body is good because He made it, but it's not the most important thing about you. Your body can't be the best thing about you, namely because you are so much more than your body. And we will all see healing, restoration, and revival when we decide to stop agreeing with any idea that promotes such thinking. Excerpted with permission from Breaking Free from Body Shame by Jess Connolly, copyright Jessica Ashleigh Connolly.
Your Turn
Your body is a good thing. It's not a trophy, it's a tool, something we utilize here on this earth, something filled with the glorious Holy Spirit, something good. Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you about thinking rightly about our bodies! ~ Devotionals Daily Share this devotion with someone who needs it today. You Are Already Accepted by God
Save 40% off
You were made for more than a love/hate relationship with your body.  Paperback, Regular: $18.99 eBook price: $9.99 + free U.S. shipping* on orders $35 or more It's one thing to know in your head that you were created in the image of God. Yet it's quite another to experience this belief in your body, against the cultural ideals of a woman's worth. And between the two lies a world of frustration, disappointment, and the shame of somehow feeling both too much and never enough in your body.
Jess Connolly is a bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and trusted Bible teacher who knows this inner conflict all too well, and this book details her journey--and yours--of setting out to discover how to break free from the broken beliefs we all hold about our bodies that hold us back from our fullest life.
The truest thing about you is that you are made and loved by God. And the truest thing about Him is that He cannot make bad things. This book will help you believe it with your whole self, as Jess guides you through an eye-opening, empowering process of:
Far from a superficial issue, self-image is a spiritual issue, because God has named your body good from the beginning. Whether your struggle is with eating and exercise habits, stress or trauma, infertility or injury, this book makes space for you to experience God meeting you in this tender place, and ring His freedom bell over your body in a whole new way. 
 A note from Jess...  "I believe your body has been provoked enough already. I know that you and I, just by being women who live in this fallen world, have had our bodies named, judged, harmed, and harassed by the enemy of our souls and by people. I believe that healing is found in Jesus Christ, but I do not believe the healing that is ours to access negates the pain any of us have lived through. Because I believe your body has already been through enough pain, my hope and prayer is that this book will not inflict any more potential harm to you. I believe we can stand on that truth because God said it." Praise for Breaking Free from Body Shame  "If you've ever hated the mirror, felt uncomfortable in your own skin, or complained about the body God's given you, this is for you. Freedom and a biblical perspective is ours and Jess leads there courageously and vulnerably through this book." — Ruth Chou Simons, Best-selling author of Beholding and Becoming and GraceLaced; artist and founder of Grace Laced  "We need this conversation to happen. Our bodies are gifts from God, not something to starve, critique, or feel shame over. Jess has catalyzed this needed conversation so beautifully and candidly in Breaking Free from Body Shame. Read this book!" — Jennie Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head and founder and visionary of IF:Gathering  "This book is a generational anthem for women proclaiming all of God's creations are unique, beautiful, and good. It's a heartfelt reminder that our worthiness isn't dependent on a number on the scale. Jess speaks truth and light over the lies and shame we believe about what is accepted as a beautiful body." — Rebekah Lyons, bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal and You Are Free  "What an inspired message for women in this generation! Breaking Free from Body Shame is a bold war cry against the lies of the enemy that causes women to hide behind our bodies, rather than rejoice in our uniqueness. Through her grace-based approach, Jess flips the script on what it means for our bodies to be good and invites us to name and reclaim who we were made to be." — Alli Worthington, Author of Standing Strong  With the Holy Spirit's guidance and Jess's freeing charge, you will be inspired to bring your full self, gifts, and voice to your work, family, and relationships. The possibilities are endless when you tell God you're ready to Take It Too Far.
Hardcover, Regular: $16.99 eBook price: $8.99
*Sale prices valid through 01/31/2022, ending at 11:59pm EST, excluding eBooks and audiobooks. eBooks and audiobook purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose. Free U.S. shipping on orders over $35, excluding Alaska and Hawaii Devotionals Daily ~ our mission is to help you grow and share your faith.
Copyright © 2022 HarperCollins Christian Publishing, All Rights Reserved. |
- let's leave the trophies behind...
- Posted by On
Under:
Related Posts:
-
Popular Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment