1 of 2
Dear Dr. Langberg,
I'd like your opinion on breast augmentation for a Christian. My husband doesn't agree with it, but will go along with it because he knows how this issue affects my self-esteem and confidence. I've been praying about it for years, but haven't been able to find total peace.
I'm saddened to hear your sense of self-worth is so tied to the size of your breasts—two pieces of fatty tissue that someday will turn to dust. But I'm glad to hear you made this decision a matter of prayer and set aside your desire when you didn't feel God had given you the go-ahead.
What does God think about your body? David says in Psalm 139: "For you [God] created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb … your eyes saw my unformed body" (13, 16). Scripture tells us God carefully put together all the various parts of who you are—your breasts included. He is a God of purpose. He chose to form you in a particular way.
The apostle Paul writes: "Who are you … to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " (Rom. 9:20). If God purposefully knit you together before you were born, do you think he made a mistake? Did he create an inferior woman because your breasts are smaller than you would like? I think the God who lovingly chose you before the foundation of the world knew exactly what he was doing.
That's the way you should think about yourself—including your body. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit … ? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Whether you're tall or short, small-breasted or large, you're a place where God dwells. You're a woman created by God, chosen by God, purchased by God. And what's the purpose for God creating and purchasing you? So you might worship him and serve him and his people. Paul tells us that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10). It's my heart-felt prayer that you become so caught up in seeking God and knowing his desires for you that your struggles with body image recede into the land of things forgotten. Then, no matter what state your body is in—even as is sickens, ages, and dies—it will be a house that's full of the glory of the Lord!
My friend's having difficulty in her marriage. She has two children and a husband who finds a computer and his friends more interesting than his family. She refuses to get counseling because she's done it before—with no results. Since she considers me her only friend, what can I do to help her?
When a close friend is suffering, it's easy to get so caught up in the swirl of her problems that you end up being consumed by them. Think carefully about how much time and energy you can give so you don't damage your own life with your family.
 E-mail this page   Print this article  Post a comment |
