In Matthew 11:28 Jesus promises us rest. But, how many of the ways that we seek rest are tied to striving, religious rituals, or promises made to us by marketers selling us something that promises to change our bodies. Heather hopes this episode will help you internalize the truth of the Gospel and how this can give you rest that far surpasses reaching a goal weight or having an ideal body. Heather digs into all the reasons why we have a hard time finding rest in these issues or in our recovery journey and how we can preach the Gospel to ourselves to find the rest the Bible promises.

There are three things we need to "get" before we can find the rest the Bible promises:

1) We need to get grace. Most of us don't understand how grace touches us every single day and is so much more than just our assurance of salvation for eternity. But, grace can help us defeat comparison, envy, and find rest in our body image and food issues.

2) We need to get to know God. There are two big components to getting to know God: worshipping him and understanding our identity is completely formed by knowing our relationship with Him and who he is.

3) We need to get a long view. We're reminded to think about our future--take care of your body so that you will be able to care for your grandchildren or be mobile in your senior years. There's nothing wrong with this advice, but what we really need to do is think in light of eternity. If we're only making decisions in light of what we'll be like when we're 80 or 100, we've missed out on the purpose of our lives and what God created us to do that will last for eternity.

Heather uses the illustration of life as a sort of maze where there are lots of corners and path options that look like they'll lead to rest, but really they are dead ends. We see light coming from their corridors and think "Yay, that's my way to freedom." But, instead we just find ourselves trapped. Instead of making Jesus our co-pilot on our journey through life, we need to actually follow and trust him through the maze. This is our only way to true rest.

Today Heather explores each of these concepts and how they can encourage and inform you as you deal with body image or eating disorder recovery and issues. Heather uses scriptures from Matthew and the parable of the talents to help you better understand God's desire to grant you rest.

Learn more about Compared to Who? and Heather's Christian books on body image and comparison, Christian body image coaching, other recommended podcast episodes, and more, go to: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Are you connected with us by email yet? Be a part of Heather's email list and you'll get messages weekly that encourage you and recommend top podcast episodes so you can stay encouraged while this show is on a two month hiatus. Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Have you read the 40-Day Body Image Workbook? A new session of the 40 Day workbook journey will begin in August. Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today Heather talks with author Stacy Reaoch about body image, aging, and what the Bible really says about these topics. They talk about aging and how scripture gives us an "upside down" perspective on aging. Heather and Stacy also talk about how priorities and the realities of life change as we age. They confess the concern they've both felt over changing bodies and wondering how to navigate the challenges of aging.

How do we rest in the pursuit of inner beauty instead of being obsessed with pursuing outer beauty? They discuss how our ultimate mission is so much more than changing how we look but in cultivating the fruits of the spirit and trying to look more like Jesus. Are we working to look good in your coffin? Or are we investing in the attributes that last?

Learn more about Stacy's book, "Beautiful Freedom: How the Bible Shapes Your View of Appearance, Food, and Fitness." (Amazon affiliate link)

Learn more about Heather's books, coaching, and resources here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Check out Heather's 40-Day Body Image Workbook -- Read it like a regular book on body image issues or work through it and process your issues in a whole new way: https://amzn.to/4bEOq6b

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today Heather talks to her friend, neuropsychologist and author, Dr. Michelle Bengtson about how we can move forward after we feel like we've done things (or had things done to us) that have caused hurt or damage to our bodies. With grace and compassion, Heather and Michelle talk about how God wants to use our scars for our good and His glory. Dr. Michelle offers tangible and practical ways to move forward in grace and healing, including the recommendation that you find someone to walk with you who has had a similar journey and can understand both your wounds and scars. They talk about the realities that some things we have done to our bodies -- via eating disorders or an unhealthy relationship with food -- may have left a visible mark, but God is not upset by or afraid to use that.

Heather and Michelle explore how to get past the shame, how to get past the condemnation, and how to let God turn those scars into something beautiful.

Learn more about Dr. Michelle Bengtson's brand new book, Sacred Scars: Resting in God's Promise That Your Past is Not Wasted. (Amazon affiliate link)

Learn more about Heather's book, the 40-Day Body Image Workbook.

Learn more about Dr. Michelle Bengtson and all of her books here: https://www.drmichelleb.com

Heather's other episodes featuring Dr. Michelle Bengtson include:

Finding Hope in Pain and Suffering: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/finding-hope-in-suffering-pain-featuring-dr-michel

Identity, Depression, and Anxiety: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/identity-depression-anxiety-how-to-find-freedom-wi

OCD, Narcissism, Eating Disorders, and Body Image: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/ocd-narcissism-eating-disorders-body-image

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.