The Curse Of The Skinny Jeans

Once I reached my goal weight, I thought I’d never have a bad day again. I mean really, what could possibly trouble me if I could fit into my skinny jeans? Boy, was I wrong.

A hurtful email … a disrespectful attitude from one of my kids … a missed appointment … a messy house … a stressful situation at work … an unexpected bill. Here I was just hours after feeling thrilled at finally being able to wear my skinny jeans, falling prey to the same topsy-turvy stuff I used to think wouldn’t bother me if only I were smaller.

This is the curse of the skinny jeans.

The painful truth I’ve had to accept is that my body size is not tied to my happy. If I was unhappy when I was larger, I’ll still be unhappy when I get smaller.

For years, I tied happiness to my circumstances and my hopes for the future. I thought, “I’ll be happy when my father comes back, when I get married, when I have kids, when the economy improves, when I lose those extra pounds.” But even when some of those things came true, I was still dissatisfied. Surely, there was more to me than my circumstances.

One day, I read a list of Bible verses that describe who God says I am, no matter the circumstances in my life, good or bad. I took that list of Scriptures and started to redefine my identity. It was a stark contrast to the way I’d been defining myself. I finally realized that things like my circumstances or what other people think don’t define me. Instead, I could tie my happiness to the reality of who my heavenly Father says I am:

Lysa, the forgiven child of God (Romans 3:24)

Lysa, the set-free child of God (Romans 8:1 – 2)

Lysa, the accepted child of God (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Lysa, the holy child of God (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Lysa, the made-new child of God (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Lysa, the loved child of God (Ephesians 1:4)

Lysa, the confident child of God (Ephesians 3:12)

Lysa, the victorious child of God (Romans 8:37)

We were made to be free, holy, new, loved, and confident in who God made us to be. Because of this truth, we can’t allow our minds to partake in anything that negates our real identity. Tying our happiness to food, skinny jeans, relationships, or anything else will only set us up for failure. But tying our security, joy, and identity to God’s love is an anchor we can cling to no matter what our circumstances may be.