When Shame Speaks First

This week in Breaking Free from Body Shame, Jess leads us deeper into a conversation many of us have never had out loud: What has shame been saying about your body?

If you’re like me, shame didn’t always scream—it whispered. It crept in through comparisons, passing comments, and unspoken expectations. My earliest memory of body shame didn’t come from weight or size—it came from my skin.

I have three girl cousins, and I vividly remember summers spent with them. They would tan into these beautiful bronze shades while I, despite my best efforts, would burn bright red and then return to my pale, almost translucent self. No matter how long I stayed in the sun or how hard I tried to hide it, my fair skin felt like a spotlight saying, “You’re different. You’re not enough.”

It’s such a small thing, but shame often starts in the small things. It roots itself in what makes us feel “other.” And before we know it, we’re carrying stories we never meant to write—stories that tell us our bodies are wrong, or at the very least, not as good as someone else’s.

Jess reminds us this week that body shame is not from God. He doesn’t use shame to shape us—He uses love. He doesn’t compare or criticize. He created. And when He did, He said it was very good.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1

This week is about recognizing shame for what it is and refusing to agree with it anymore. You don’t have to hate your body to need healing. Sometimes, freedom starts with simply admitting that shame has been speaking for far too long.

So let’s replace those lies with gospel truth:

• Your skin, your shape, your story—they are not mistakes.

• You were formed on purpose by a God who does not make accidents.

• You don’t have to change to be cherished.

Reflect:

• What memory comes to mind when you think of when body shame first showed up?

• What silent agreements have you made with shame that God is inviting you to break?

• What truth does your body need to hear this week?

You were made for more than comparison and critique.
You were made to reflect the glory of a good and intentional Creator.
You were made to live free—in the skin He gave you.

Your Body Is Not the Problem

If starting this book feels a little uncomfortable, you’re not alone. Many of us have spent years—decades even—believing quiet lies about our bodies. Lies that told us we were too much, not enough, or simply not good. And most of us haven’t really questioned those lies… until now.

Jess Connolly opens Breaking Free from Body Shame by offering us a different lens—a gospel lens. She reminds us that our bodies aren’t a problem to fix or an obstacle to overcome. They are good. They are made by God. They are the vessel that carries the very treasure of His Spirit.

That truth has taken me a long time to receive.

I’m 45 years old, and I can honestly say it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve had any positive thoughts about my body. I can’t say I hated my body—but I also never saw it as a gift. I didn’t know what it meant to honor the vessel God gave me, much less love it.

I’ve spent most of my life disconnected from the reality that my body is not separate from my calling—it’s part of it. And like so many women, I just didn’t have the language or the education to understand how my faith and my physical body were deeply connected.

But I believe God cares about this. Deeply.
I believe that women—young and old—are carrying shame they were never meant to hold. And I believe the enemy uses body shame to distract, diminish, and discourage women who are made in the image of God.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” – Psalm 139:14

This first week is about noticing where shame has snuck in and starting to rewrite the story. Jess says it plainly: Your body is not the problem. But the world—and sometimes even the Church—has taught us otherwise. We’ve picked up shame like it belonged to us, and we’ve worn it for too long.

But this summer? We’re laying it down.

Reflect:

• What thoughts or feelings come up when you think about your body?

• When did you start believing it was something to manage instead of something to honor?

• What would it look like to speak truth over your body this week?

You don’t have to fix your body to honor it.
You don’t have to love every inch of it to live free.
You just have to begin believing what God already says is true.

You were made for more than shame.
You were made to live free—in the very body He gave you.

Breaking Free from Body Shame Week 1 (June 1–7)

Coming soon!