Abercrombie & Fitch vs. The Truth

I've gone from anger to sadness to despair, and I think I'm getting around to resolve. It's not going to go away. This problem in the world is just escalating, and we have to keep our heads and do what we can to shout the TRUTH more loudly. We can't stop those who are countering the message of Christ, but we can share His Word and pray that it falls on fertile soil.

There's an article circulating about Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and why he says his stores don't offer XL and XXL sizes for women. They only want attractive, popular people wearing their clothes, and overweight kids aren't part of that crowd. The only reason they offer those sizes in men's lines is because they want athletes to wear them.

When I read this, my heart literally started racing. I wanted to punch a hole in something and just cry. Does he know how many eating disorders he just helped start? Does he know that he's doing that to young women and men every day? Every time a girl who wears a size 12 walks past that store, she'll get a little, "You're not good enough" message and believe lies about her physical appearance. She may start to starve herself to fit the maximum size 10 they offer. She may start to eat excessively out of despair. Worse, she may believe the lies they are communicating that her worth and value come from her body size and jeans. She'll battle this for years, and it will eat away at her joy, peace, life and health.

In the past few hours, I've come to grips with something. This isn't going away. There's nothing we can do to muzzle Mike Jeffries or those like him. They're part of the world we live in, and we shouldn't be surprised by these kinds of things. Of course this is going to happen. The enemy of our lives wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), and this is part of his plan. It's a good one, too. But it's nothing that our message -- the message of Christ -- can't drown out.

Here's our opportunity. When things like this come up, we have the most wonderful chance to tell young men and women that it's not true. That there's a soul inside of them that brings out true beauty. That there's a God who loves them and created them perfectly. That there's a world full of lies that they don't have to believe. That they are precious in the sight of God regardless of whether they wear a size 2 or a size 14.

I'm taking a minute this morning to do some Truth-telling. Men and women -- especially you women out there who are fighting the battle of beauty -- God doesn't stop loving you if you weigh more than the BMI chart says you should. God's love is perfect, unlike any human love, and He won't love you more or less based on the scale. In fact, He won't love you more or less ever. At all. He loves you always. He loves you period. He loves your body, your mind, your heart, your smile. He loves your hair, your skin, your legs, your hands. He loves you because you are His child. He loves you as a perfect Father. Your appearance can not and will not change that.

It's a hard thing to accept that your identity can be based in being a child of God when the world tells you that your identity is what you look like and what you do. But how freeing to know and believe the truth as God Almighty laid it out. You're of infinite worth just because you are His creation.

Girls, if you can't wear Abercrombie & Fitch, it doesn't truly matter. American Eagle makes better jeans anyway. Just know that your soul is what makes you beautiful. Your joy, peace and freedom in Christ will make you shine brighter than any jean label. Seriously.

I love you all and am praying that His Truth resonates in your hearts today.

- Jill