We've talked about taking care of the body we've been given. But there's another part of the stewardship that we don't always think about: how we speak to ourselves.
I hear a lot of negative self-talk. Sometimes it's about appearance. Sometimes it's frustration over getting older, not moving as well as we once did, or not being where we think we should be.
"I hate my stomach."
"I'm so out of shape."
"I'm getting old."
"My body just doesn't work like it used to."
Most of us would never talk to another person we care about that way. Or even someone we didn't much care for. Yet we can be remarkably harsh with ourselves.
And it isn't just a matter of hurt feelings. There is a physiological response to the way we experience stress. When we're under stress, our sympathetic nervous system can become activated, increasing heart rate, muscle tension, and the release of stress hormones such as cortisol. When that response is repeated or prolonged it can affect sleep, recovery, mood, energy, and physical performance.
In other words, the way we talk to ourselves can become part of the environment our bodies have to operate in.
That doesn't mean we should ignore things we want to improve. I'm certainly not suggesting that. We can recognize a goal, acknowledge a weakness, or decide that something needs to change without tearing ourselves down in the process.
There's a big difference between saying, "I want to get stronger," and saying, "I'm so weak."
"I'd like to lose some weight" is different from "I hate my body."
"I need to work on my balance" is very different from "I'm getting old and falling apart."
One statement identifies something we can work on. The other attacks the person.
I think it's interesting that science is giving us more insight into something Scripture has talked about for a very long time. Proverbs speaks more than once about the power of our words, including the connection between our words and our hearts. What we say matters, and perhaps that applies not only to the people around us, but to the conversations we have with ourselves.
So maybe "I have to exercise" can become "I get to move".
"I have to eat better" can become "I get to nourish my body."
"I have to slow down today" can become "I get to give my body what it needs."
Those aren't just more positive phrases. They're reminders that caring for ourselves is something we can be grateful for rather than something we have to punish ourselves into doing.
Your body doesn't need another critic.
It needs a good steward.
That doesn't mean ignoring areas that need attention. It means approaching them with enough kindness and perspective to actually do something about them.
This week, pay attention to the words you use when you talk about yourself, especially when you're tired, stressed, or frustrated. Would you say those same things to someone you love?
If not, maybe it's time to change the conversation.
You have been given one body. Let's take care of it, challenge it, nourish it, and speak to it with the same grace we would offer someone else.