Overexposure and Our Sacred Bodies

Lately I feel like so much about people's bodies have been in my face.  Pinterest, Facebook, TV, magazines, books and movies; even my own efforts to lose baby weight have put thoughts of flesh on my mind nearly constantly.  All of this has got me thinking about how, as believers in Christ, our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and what that means for me as a woman in general, and more specifically a wife and mother, and even as a friend. 

Our culture is so focused on the physical and there is truly no place we can turn (short of living a secluded, Amish-type lifestyle) that we won't encounter a wide variety of in-your-face flesh.  I'm not just talking about sex, though as everyone knows and the saying goes, it sells, and all manner of businesses are taking advantage of that these days.  Insurance companies, car dealerships, and so many others are using people's bodies to draw business for themselves.  But it's more than that.  We're posting pictures of ourselves with our "new" bodies, whether it's weight loss or a boob job, a piercing or tattoo, even pregnancy photos...we (and I say "we" because I too am guilty of this) feel the need to share ourselves physically.  With everyone.  I'm not saying posting pictures of ourselves is always a bad thing; I am extremely grateful that despite our military life that takes us away from friends and family, I get to see changes in them as time passes.  I don't miss out on the great new haircuts or the first birthday parties; I can see my friends' bellies grow along with the precious babies in their wombs.  And I can share all these things about my life with them.  But somehow in the midst of all this, are we getting too comfortable with each other?  Are we so overexposed to others' personal affairs, including their flesh, that we are losing a sense of the sacredness of our bodies? 

As a mother of boys, I find it a relief that we don't have many clothing battles to fight.  Other than telling our 6-year-old he can't wear high-water sweatpants in public ("But they're comfortable!"), we usually don't argue over what he wears.  And our 19-month-old fights us only because he's a toddler and that's what his little brain tells him to do, not because he's particularly offended by my shirt choice for him that day.  I'm not exactly fond of the many boys' clothes with skateboards, skulls and crossbones these days (my tastes tend to run more classic/preppy), but I don't find them offensive in a way that makes me think they physically overexpose my kids.  I truly feel for mothers of daughters trying to find appropriate clothing for them to wear, even just for school.  I've heard so many of my friends complain that it's nearly impossible to find age-appropriate clothes for their elementary school-age daughters.  Maybe it's just because kids clothes weren't so closely matched with adult fashion trends when I was growing up, or maybe it's because adult fashion trends were less revealing than they are now, but I don't remember that being a problem when I was little.  The only times I remember it being an issue even a little bit is during swimsuit shopping, when my mom would comment on bikinis designed for little girls.  And I have to say I agree with her.  I beg of you, parents of little girls, don't dress your daughter for the beach or pool in something that looks like it was designed for a Victoria's Secret model.  Let them be little.  There is time enough for them to realize their bodies will be considered by so many a sex object and nothing more.  For now, though, just let them be comfortable running around and building sand castles without worrying about whether their triangle top is in the right place. 

On the flip side of mothering boys, I realize that while they're watching their dad more to figure out what kind of man they want to be as they grow up, they'll be looking to me to figure out what kind of women they want to marry.  Let me tell you- that is some scary stuff.  We most definitely pray for our children's future spouses, but we are modeling for them now what type of marriage relationship they will have later.  Do I want them to think their wives are beautiful?  Absolutely.  Do I want to set an example that she should always be fretting about her weight, hair, clothes, and makeup?  Absolutely not.  I want my sons to know that the quality of her character should far outshine any physical assets she brings to the table, and that's not a lesson I can just pay lip service to.  I'm definitely not there yet, but am constantly striving to keep an open line of communication about who someone is on the inside being more important than what they're like on the outside.  Especially when my son asks me about my counting calories and working out to lose weight. 

I honestly don't know where the line is on some things when it comes to honoring God with our bodies.  I believe a lot of that falls into the area of what is right for some may not be right for others, though some of it is laid out for us in Scripture.  We do need to keep in mind, though, that others are watching us.  Non-believers and believers alike, including our children.  How we treat our bodies will affect how our children treat their bodies as well as the bodies of their future boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses.  It will also affect others in being drawn to or turned away from us as Christians, and can cause those with a less mature faith to either be strengthened or to stumble.  I believe that married women should dress for their husbands.  That means dress in a way that pleases him and yes, makes you more attractive to him; but it should also signal to others that you are in fact a married woman and that your body is your husband's.  Make him proud to have you on his arm.  All women should dress for other married women.  By that I mean keep in mind the fact that many men out there are married, and by showing too much skin, you make other wives insecure and other husbands enticed to look at someone other than their own wives.  Keep in mind single men, too.  They're called to keep their thoughts pure, and need to save their hearts and minds for their future wives.  That's nearly impossible to do in this day and age.  Don't make it any harder on them than it already is.  Dress for young women; let them see that you can be cute without showing everything off.  And don't just value your own body; teach your children to do the same.  It's theirs, set apart for the one true holy God and the spouse He has set aside for them. 

We have such a great responsibility when it comes to the bodies God's given us, and the opportunities to act irresponsibly with them are endless.  Be careful of what you share and who you share it with.  There are things that you can never get back.  What has been seen can't be unseen.  First Corinthians tells us we were bought at a price, which is the blood of Christ.  That's far too costly for us to be so cavalier with sharing what should be kept sacred.