Heal Your Body Image and Find Security in Christ so You Can Embody What It Means to Be a Temple of the Holy Spirit
Shame and body objectification were some of the first fruits of sin after the Fall. From DAY ONE the enemy has been after your perception of your body in order to get to your soul.
When we look at Mary, we see that God equipped women to play a special role in His plan for creation and salvation—and the devil hates it. After all, it was through a woman that our Savior was born! The enemy targets women in a particular way to keep them stuck in cycles of shame. In doing so, he prevents them from bringing their feminine gifts to the world (what Saint John Paul II calls the feminine genius).
Thus, when women not only recognize the supernatural gift of their bodies but also come into full agreement with their God-given dignity, they become free to fully embrace their vocation rooted in love.
Body shame is spiritual warfare!
Who is this for?
The woman who has tried every diet, wellness trend, and health fad in the book to feel confident in her body, yet nothing has worked. She hates taking photos, often compares her body to other women, and can't walk by a mirror without body-checking.
She thinks, “If I could JUST lose a few pounds, THEN I would feel confident.” Yet she can’t even remember the last time she felt a deep, Holy-Spirit-filled confidence in her body.
The woman who logically knows that God loves her regardless of her appearance, yet can’t help but feel unlovable, ugly, and ashamed. She knows that her body is a gift, but struggles to fully embody this truth and treat her body as a gift. In fact, she often treats her body as a burden that she must constantly whip into shape.
She recognizes that a healthy relationship with her body will improve her health, yet she doesn't know where to begin.
The woman who is tired of thinking about her appearance all the time. She wants more mental space for God and for those she loves. She wants to be free from the bondage of constant comparison. She’s tired of feeling afraid of judgment.
She wants to embrace the body God gave her so she can steward it according to His will rather than the world’s demanding rules, yet she’s afraid of what people will think if she actually surrendered her body image to the Lord.
The woman who is a burned-out perfectionist, who has been struggling with body image for years, and she feels like she should be over it already.
Maybe she feels frustrated with God or with herself. She recognizes that her body shame is affecting her relationships, but she doesn’t know how to feel comfortable in her own skin. She deeply desires a healthy relationship with her body but feels stuck in her efforts to get there.
Imagine if you could...
Look in the mirror without feeling dread or shame.
Learn to see your body as God sees it.
Stop dreading photos.
Stop stressing about body image before vacations or events.
Feel a deeper sense of beauty and worth.
Stop thinking about and obsessing over your body all the time.
Finally feel comfortable in your own skin.
Enjoy the present moment no matter how your body looks.
Stop comparing your body to other women.
Stop chasing worldly beauty standards.
Overcome the SPIRITUAL WARFARE around body shame!
Testimonials
"I completed the "Finding My Worth in Christ" video! I'm taking things slowly but this has truly blessed me. I'm realizing how much perfection has taken root in my life. Very thankful for this!
Ashley F.
"I've realized how much my past has shaped my view of my body. There have always been high body standards in my family. I've also spent years in the fitness industry. So much of my life has revolved around my appearance and my body. But now I can feel the chains breaking. I'm learning to connect to my body, while knowing that God loves me no matter what. My thoughts revolve less around shame and comparison, and more around stewardship of the gift of my body!
Mary F.
This is the first vacation in probably over fifteen years that I didn’t try and get “beach ready” by diets or extreme exercise. I didn’t obsess over how I looked in pictures or try to pose to look skinny. I asked my husband to just please take pictures and don’t tell me. I just wanted natural pictures of us for the kids' memories. I’m truly amazed at how much the Lord has healed me through this journey. I used to be a miserable person to take a trip with and this one I was so relaxed and played more with my kids than I ever have before. It was the best family trip and I wanted to share that with you!
Laura T.
"Why Imago Dei?"
Rooted in Biblical truth!
Before I made my practice faith-based, I worked with both secular and Christian women. Something incredibly worrisome stood out to me during this time: there was not one difference in how my Christian clients saw their bodies compared to my secular clients. Both hated their bodies in all their flaws. Both objectified their bodies in the mirror. Both sought the world to “fix” their bodies and find wholeness. I realized that if I were going to help women heal their body image, I needed to start with God’s Word. After all, it was God who healed my body image… and it is God who will heal yours!
Prayer ministry!
During a time of prayer ministry, we will call upon the Holy Spirit to break through the enemy’s strongholds and heal the root cause of your lifelong battle with body shame. The devil will try everything in his arsenal to keep you stuck in body shame. My goal is for you to feel PEACE in your body. Yet peace isn’t something we can earn on our own. It is a natural byproduct of coming into agreement with Christ’s victory through faith. Prayer ministry exercises this faith through the power of the Holy Spirit!
Your family will thank you
The number one predictor of a child’s body image is their mother. Body shame is generational. It doesn’t just influence you; it impacts every person you are in relationship with—especially your own family. Is God calling you to break the chain of shame? This isn’t just for teens. Shame can masquerade as a wall of false humility, which we hide behind to avoid God’s love. Yet it is only by receiving God’s love that we can fully give love. Avoiding the inner work prevents you from fully embracing the woman He created you to be! What greater gift can you give those you love than becoming exactly who God is calling you to be?
You Will Learn
How old wounds and trauma create identity lies about your beauty and worth
How to rewire old thought patterns around body image
Why you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, yet don't feel it
Why your worth feels tied to your weight
What it means to truly treat your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit
How to break generational lies around body image
How to see your body as a gift so you can finally nourish it
How to fully embody the woman God is calling you to be
How to shed identity lies and body shame from the enemy, and how to embrace the truth of Christ's love instead
This isn't a surface-level fix. You are here because you know the truth, you just don't feel it. You want to see your body as a gift, yet your actions don't align with your desires. We need to dig deep and find the root cause of your body shame. You don't just need more information, you need heart change. This is where freedom lies!
Let's Break Down the Four Pillars
Finding Worth in Christ -
We spend much of our lives attempting to earn that which God has already given us—worth, beauty, and love! Attempting to earn your worth is like drawing water from a polluted well with a tiny spoon. It quenches your thirst just enough to keep you striving for more, yet it never actually feels like enough. Meanwhile, Christ is waiting to give you His living water that will permanently quench your thirst! The woman at the well knew all too well what happens when you attempt to earn worth. She attempted to earn it through men. Yet when she discovered her worth as God’s daughter, everything changed! You may logically know you have worth, yet you behave as if your worth must be earned. This session is aimed at turning your head knowledge into heart knowledge!
Our Holy Temples -
The story of your body shame can be traced all the way back to the Fall! This session unpacks Genesis like you’ve never seen before. As soon as we dive in, you will begin to understand the Biblical truth about your body and why the enemy wants you to hate your body as much as he does. Learn to see your body as God sees it as you discover the true meaning of your body as a TEMPLE!
Laying it Down -
Body shame is spiritual warfare. Surrender is your weapon. However, the enemy convinces you that you can’t trust God to heal you… you need to take matters into your own hands. So you white-knuckle your way through your shame, believing that once you achieve your ideal body, you will no longer feel shame. But the more you try to control the storm, the further your eyes turn from Jesus. You burn out by attempting to lean on your own understanding. Then, you numb. Next, you feel ashamed for numbing. You respond by attempting to beat yourself into submission, encouraging the cycle of control, numb, shame, repeat. Not only does this session address the spiritual warfare of shame, but we also work on nervous system regulation to break the cycle.
Healing from Diet Culture -
We live in a culture that idolizes the body. Many Christian women falsely believe they have two options when struggling with body image: seek secular body-positivity culture (which sexualizes bodies and idolizes self) or seek worldly diet culture (which objectifies bodies and idolizes fitness). Many Christians have spent a large portion of their lives pursuing the latter, only to feel hopeless in their efforts. But what if there is a third option? God created your body intelligently, but the world has told you that your body is bad, and that you can't trust it. You've become an expert at ignoring your body's signals. But God is calling you to rediscover the GIFT of your wondrously made body! This session sets the foundation for REAL stewardship.
Just Imagine...
Imagine if you woke up tomorrow without the constant tug of body shame holding you back. Your body, which was once a battleground of self-criticism, is now a peaceful gift you desire to steward.
You walk by the mirror without feeling compelled to perform a body check in order to evaluate every flaw your see, then create a master plan to control every inch of your body to perfection. In fact, your reflection no longer holds any power over you. Even if you do notice something you don't particularly like, you can move on with your day, embracing an attitude of acceptance rather than rumination.
You see a photo of yourself on Facebook, and the constant comparison has been quieted by the deep assurance of your identity in Christ. Instead of focusing on your arms or legs, you see a secure woman who has learned to be gentle with herself and fully enjoy the joy God offers in the present moment.
You move through your day without a string of self-abusive thoughts. In fact, you no longer feel the weight of perfectionism attempting to mask your insecurities. You feel free! You're able to fully embody the truth about your body...that it is a good gift from God that doesn't have to be manipulated to fit cultural standards of beauty. Instead, it is something to be honored and cared for!
How I Overcame Emotional Eating and Body Shame
Click Here to listen to my story on Spotify!
Click Here to listen to my story on Apple!
Reach out to Kirsten about bringing this workshop to your church or group!
Kirsten is also a full-time mom! She typically responds to emails every Tuesday and Thursday. Thank you for your patience.
If I Were the Devil
By Kirsten Schmidt
If I were the devil, I’d go after the new mother, whose daughter was just born.
I’d whisper “look at your body, so ugly and worn.”
You see if I were the devil, I wouldn’t tell her to sin.
No, I would be much more subtle,
And make her ashamed of her own skin.
I’d fill her head with thoughts of comparison.
You don’t look like her, or like her,
You are not worthy, unless you are thin.
So every time you walk by a mirror,
You critique and judge, filled of shame and fear.
You stop eating sugar, bread, and even fruit,
Because remember, it has carbs too.
Workout in the gym every day and don’t go soft,Remember: no days off.
Your love for baking becomes hate,
Because the delicious food is practically bait.
You used to love that donut shop by your home,
but now it’s too tempting, especially when you’re alone.
You used to listen to your friends talk,
But now you can’t hear them over your intrusive cravings and thoughts.
You calculate calories like you think you should.
Your husband wants a pizza date night,
but you say no, I’m trying to be "good."
You can’t stop thinking about the bread at dinner,You think, “maybe I can eat bread again, once I’m thinner.”
But the cravings consume you and you say “okay one piece.”
I’ll workout tomorrow, hopefully my cravings will cease.
But once you start, you feel consumed.
You might as well keep going, your diet is ruined.
And so your diet becomes an idol, the scale your god,
Waiting for your body to become something you can applaud.
Yes, as the devil I would smile,
As you become anxious, distracted, fearful and lost,
As you try to grasp for worth at all cost.
You see when the devil makes a mother forget her own worth,
He knows he has a shot, at the one who was just birthed,
Because the daughter will learn where her value lies,
From the mother who forgot, she is also a daughter of Christ.
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