Do you always like the way you look? It’s easy to have a critical view of our own body and see only flaws in the mirror. Many kids also struggle with having a positive body image. As they grow and their bodies change, they can become uncomfortable with themselves. Add that to the views of the media and their peers, and once happy, carefree kids may become self-conscious or insecure. Like most things, words can have a huge impact on how kids view themselves — either feeding into those insecurities or encouraging a positive body image for them. As Body Positivity Month was recently celebrated, it is imperative now more than ever that children come to understand that they were created by God, for God, and through his loving design for them.
Here are three godly truths you can teach children to help instill a positive body image.
1. Teach kids they’re created in God’s image
The first thing all children should take to heart for a positive body image is that God lovingly created them in His image. Each person was tenderly made by God to be special and unique in their own way. No one was meant to look or act exactly alike — having differences is good! If all of creation was the same, what a boring world we’d live in.
Do the kids in your life see themselves as unique, special and worthy of celebrating their differences? Or do they struggle with having a positive body image because they would rather look the same as others? Genesis 1:27 says “God created man and woman in His image.” While this doesn’t necessarily mean that God looks exactly like all of us (as the Bible tells us that God is also spirit), we are created with elements of God in our design and makeup, and that is a beautiful thing. Talk with kids about what it means to be made in God’s image and ask them to list the ways in which people are different from the rest of creation. Building a positive body image for kids means reminding them that it’s also His image they see in the mirror.
As you begin to cultivate a positive body image for kids, keep in mind that there may be other issues going on that are causing their insecurity or discomfort. Sometimes kids react to problems at home or at school by punishing themselves, and hating their body can also be an unfortunate symptom of trauma for abused children. If a child is showing signs of self-loathing, try to discover what is really going on at the root before you address building a positive body image for them.
God knows and understands any disease or disability, or the hurtful thoughts and feelings kids may have about the way they look. Help kids see that God loves them, no matter how they look or feel. Remember, God takes pleasure in people, His creation, just because we exist, and He made us wonderfully!
2. Focus on inward beauty
The second truth to teach a positive body image for kids is that God looks at the heart most of all. This means God looks at our character, how we treat others and our desire to please Him. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Outward beauty is truly only skin deep and can change over time. Even a beautiful person can appear ugly if their words and actions are mean or self-centered. While taking care of the body God created for you is good, obsession with the physical can distract us from what’s truly important: cultivating good character and a kind heart.
Just as we were made in God’s image, the Bible also says that our bodies are a temple. Exercise, good hygiene and healthy eating habits are important because God gave us a body to house our spirit, so we need to take care of it. But bodies can be scarred from accidents, diseases, disabilities and changes from growing older. Teach kids to look beyond the physical and to care about a person’s character and heart. Remind kids that even healthy habits can become unhealthy when we only do them so others think we look good. A fun activity you can do is put messages on mirrors using a dry-erase marker, writing statements like: “God made you special” or “God looks at the heart.”
3. Understand that worldly beauty changes
Lastly, a positive body image for kids also comes with an understanding that while the standards for worldly beauty might change, God’s standards are forever. Ever heard the phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder?” This phrase reminds us that people have always had different views on beauty — the cultural standards of what’s considered attractive continually change with the times, from clothes and the way people dress, to different body types.
He loves people selflessly and unconditionally, no matter what they look like. To Him, we are all His most beautiful creation. Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
At the core of it, people were made to have a relationship with God. We were made to bring Him glory by enjoying His creation; and growing closer with Him as we participate in glorifying Him. God gave us thoughts, desires, and a will for a reason. He gave us the ability to appreciate beauty, compose music, invent new things, create languages and understand the difference between right and wrong, making decisions based on ethics instead of just what makes our bodies feel good.
The point is, there is so much more to you than your body! No matter what one’s outward appearance may be like, God has a special purpose for each person. The key to a positive body image for kids lies in focusing not on what they look like, but on what they can do with that body to enjoy the life they’ve been given and bring glory to God. Every child has been provided with an exclusive set of gifts and abilities to use for His glory. For a positive body image for kids, help children feel encouraged to explore, create and enjoy the world around them and their own, unique, God-given talents.
Fred Pry is the Vice President of Administration at Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the most impactful child evangelism ministry in the world, reaching over 25 million children with its face-to-face ministry in 2023. Fred joined CEF in 2003 as director of a local chapter in Pennsylvania before being appointed state director of Virginia. Later, he was invited to lead USA Ministries, and since 2024 he has been serving in the role of Vice President of Administration and providing further leadership to the organization as one of CEF’s executive staff.
