“If Jesus came in a body, how does that change how we see bodies?” asked Licensed Professional Counselor Mary Kathryn Evans before a group of nearly 100 high school girls. The students participated in the weekly Refresh Bible Study for JA Upper School girls, held each week at lunch in the PAC Gallery.
This question comes from Evans’ favorite verse, John 1:14, which reads, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son.”
Evans provided the teenagers with essential facts and common concerns that she sees in her practice as a counselor. She related those to Scriptural truths and gave students ways to think about their bodies consistent with God’s view of his creation.
Some of the facts and Scriptural references included these ideas:
- God made bodies before sin entered the world. (Gen 2)
- He declared his creation of people “very good.” (Gen 1)
- Jesus came to earth in a body. (John 1)
- If God chose to send Jesus to earth in bodily form, we can be confident our bodies have significance as well.
“The beauty about bodies and God’s creativity is that bodies are all made differently,” Evans said. “God’s creativity comes out in how they are made and function.”
Evans told girls that if they struggle with thoughts about their bodies, they can take inventory of where those thoughts come from. “Is that source more important than scripture?” she asked.
Evans also told the girls that negative self-talk is common regardless of age. “It’s easier to be critical than complimentary,” she said. “The first step is to recognize the thought is there. Ask if you would say that to a friend. Can I be a good friend to myself?”
Evans noted that even adult women struggle with negative self-talk as they realize that they have an ever-changing body. She shared that she has dealt with that change as a new mother. To address that, she has asked: How can I shift that thinking from what was to what is? Also, focusing on what her body is helping her do as a new mother is a productive way to appreciate the miraculous way God has created the body to provide for the person throughout their lives. For instance, a new mother’s body helps a woman take care of children.
“If you set your focus on what is not, you are always going to be unhappy. The idea is to appreciate your body for what it does,” Evans said. “The way I feel about my body does not have to change even if the way my body looks does. That is a gift.”
Evans admitted that it takes practice to change negative self-talk patterns, but it is possible to change them. After spring break, Evans will present a talk on eating disorders at Refresh Bible Study. She specializes in treating women and teens with Eating Disorders and body image issues with co-occuring issues of anxiety and depression. She and her husband, Hunter Evans ‘08, are the parents of two daughters.
To learn more about Mary Kathryn Evans, visit her website at marykathrynevans.com.
