You Are the Temple: Healing Body Dysmorphia & Honouring Your Body With Truth

By [Marilette Brown| Fitness

, Wellness & Wholeness Coach

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.”— 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NIV)

We live in a world that constantly tells us our bodies are never enough:

“Be smaller.”

“Be leaner.”

“Fix this.”

“Change that.”

We're flooded with diets, detoxes, and 30-day challenges that promise fulfilment if we can just reach some ideal version of our body.

But what if we’ve had it backwards all along?

What if the goal isn’t perfection—but honour?

Not shrinking—but stewardship?

Not obsession—but reverence?

According to the Word of God, our bodies are not public projects or private punishments.

They are temples. And they are already worthy of care, love, and respect.

🧱 What Does It Mean to Be a Temple?

When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he wasn’t focused on image or aesthetics. He was speaking about value—a holy calling to see the body through God’s eyes.

In the Old Testament, the temple was the most sacred place. It was where God’s presence dwelled—carefully built, intentionally maintained, and deeply honoured.

Now, that temple is you.

Your body, your mind, your heart—all a sacred home for the Spirit of God.

You are no longer just flesh and bone. You are a vessel of glory.

🧠 Understanding Body Dysmorphia: A Modern Struggle

In a culture of constant comparison, body dysmorphia has become heartbreakingly common.

It’s a mental and emotional struggle that causes people to obsess over perceived flaws in their appearance—even when those “flaws” are invisible to others.

It often leads to:

• Excessive mirror-checking

• Disordered eating or overtraining

• Chronic dissatisfaction

• Low self-worth and anxiety

  
  

And here’s the truth:

It doesn’t discriminate. Even the seemingly “fittest” bodies can be trapped in this mindset. AND sadly we all have a bit of that. When last did you look at a photo of yourself or at yourself in the mirror and not criticize?

I’ve seen it first hand.

💔 A Moment That Broke My Heart

In the gym one day, I saw a young woman lifting with strength and control—everything, from a coaching perspective, was right.

But her focus wasn’t on the movement. It was on the mirror.

She pinched her waist.

Adjusted her top.

Checked herself from every angle.

Not with pride—but with pain.

She was shrinking herself under invisible pressure, comparing instead of celebrating.

And it reminded me:

Even in places where we build strength, our hearts can still feel broken.

💡 What It Looks Like to Treat Your Body as a Temple

Honouring your body isn’t about idolizing it.

It’s about stewarding it—caring for it as something sacred and entrusted by God.

Here’s how we can live that truth, practically and spiritually:

1. 🥗 Nourish It With Love, Not Shame

Temples need nourishment—not restriction. Food should never be about guilt or fear, but about love and life.

• Choose vibrant, life-giving foods

• Eat to support energy, hormones, and healing

• Honor hunger and fullness cues

• Let food be care, not control

✨ Eating well is not punishment—it’s praise.

2. 💪 Move With Gratitude, Not Guilt

Movement is worship. It's a celebration of what your body can do—not punishment for what you ate.

• Train to strengthen, not shrink

• Stretch to release, not punish

• Rest because your body is not a machine—it’s a masterpiece

✨ Move in joy. Rest in faith. Steward your strength with grace.

3. 💬 Speak With Honour, Not Criticism

Your words have power. The way you talk to your body matters.

Would you criticize a holy place the way you criticize yourself?

Will you be friends with yourself with the way you speak to yourself?

It’s time to speak with reverence.

Replace:

• “I hate my body” → “This body has carried me far.”

• “I’m disgusting” → “I am learning to love what God already sees as good.”

• “I’ll never be enough” → “I am already enough in Christ.”

✨ Speak life. Speak truth. Speak as though you’re sacred—because you are.

4. 🙏 Invite God Into Your Health Journey

You’re not meant to do this alone.

• Pray over your body image battles

• Journal your thoughts

• Ask the Holy Spirit to lead your discipline—not culture

• Surrender control for the sake of freedom

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”— Romans 12:2

✨ God doesn’t want perfection. He wants partnership.

✨ A Better Way Forward

Respecting your body doesn’t mean obsessing over every detail. It means shifting your perspective from criticism to care, from shame to stewardship.

You don’t have to hate your body into change. You can honour it into healing.

When you begin treating your body like the temple it is:

• You stop hustling for worth

• You eat with peace

• You move with joy

• You rest without guilt

  
  

Because your body is not just “good enough”—it is God’s.

🙌 A Prayer for the Temple

Lord, thank You for the body You gave me. Forgive me for the ways I’ve disrespected, ignored, or punished it. Teach me to nourish it with love, move it with joy, and speak to it with grace. May I treat this body like the sacred temple it is—not for the praise of others, but for the glory of You. Amen.

🛐 Finally...

Friend—You are not broken. You are becoming.

You are not behind. You are becoming whole.

Every act of kindness, movement, nourishment, and prayer is a step in the right direction.

So…

💚 Eat well

💪 Move joyfully

🛌 Rest deeply

🗣️ Speak kindly

🙏 Pray often

And remember: Your body is a temple. Treat it like holy ground.

You are worthy. You are strong. You are sacred. And this journey — just as it is — is holy.