I Don’t Like My Body - Can How I Think About God Change How I See Myself? - Lisa Whittle

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Don’t Like My Body - Can How I Think About God Change How I See Myself? - Lisa Whittle"

Hosted by: Candace Cameron Bure
Guest: Lisa Whittle
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Theme: Exploring body image through faith, family, and purposeful living.

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1. Introduction and Personal Connections (02:31 - 04:25)

Candace Cameron Bure opens the episode by welcoming her guest, Lisa Whittle, expressing excitement about their shared experiences as parents of Generation Z children. They discuss the dynamics of parenting adult children, particularly in the context of dating and social media. Both hosts reveal their children's ages and marital statuses, highlighting the challenges and humorous moments of attempting to engage in matchmaking with their grown-up kids.

Notable Quote:

• Candace [03:07]: "I'm so glad to be back. I'm glad to be here all season. This is amazing."

2. Navigating Social Media and Parental Involvement (04:25 - 07:35)

Candace and Lisa delve into the complexities of managing their presence on social media concerning their children's lives. They share personal anecdotes about feeling the urge to "stalk" their children's online activities while respecting their boundaries. The conversation underscores the balance between staying involved and allowing adult children the autonomy they seek.

Notable Quote:

• Candace [05:35]: "I do a lot of stalking... but I would ask my kids, is this okay with you?"

3. Transition to Main Topic: Body Image and Faith (07:35 - 15:08)

The discussion shifts to the episode's central theme: body image and its interplay with faith. Candace introduces the concept of Whole Body Theology, emphasizing that understanding one's body as a temple created in God's image can transform self-perception. She shares her personal struggles with body image, specifically her dissatisfaction with her hands, and how a profound moment of spiritual revelation helped her reframe her view.

Notable Quote:

• Candace [11:14]: "These fingers are good because they've been used for the glory of God."

4. Understanding Whole Body Theology (15:08 - 23:30)

Candace elaborates on Whole Body Theology, drawing from Genesis 1:27 to highlight that every person is made in the image of God. She distinguishes between being made in God's image and imaging Christ, explaining that while the former grants inherent dignity to all humans, the latter pertains to believers embodying Christ-like attributes. The conversation touches on the theological foundation that shapes how one views and treats their body.

Notable Quotes:

• Candace [15:08]: "When we have a glory mindset, we see things differently."
• Candace [18:04]: "Genesis 1:27 means that all life is valued equally in God's eyes."

5. The Impact of Body Privilege (23:30 - 47:55)

Lisa introduces the concept of "body privilege," acknowledging that being able to critique one's body presupposes having a functional body. She shares poignant stories of friends who have lost body parts due to illness, highlighting the unearned advantage of being able-bodied. Candace echoes this sentiment, referencing Joni Eareckson Tada as an inspiration for embracing one's body despite physical limitations.

Notable Quotes:

• Lisa [43:52]: "When you can nitpick your body, that means you have a part that works."
• Candace [47:55]: "It's about what God does with your life, regardless of your body's condition."

6. Personal Testimonies and Spiritual Revelations (09:05 - 37:53)

Candace recounts a transformative dream inspired by the biblical story of Balaam and his donkey from Numbers 22. In this dream, God illustrates how she mistreats her body despite its constant service and love. Realizing that her body is a "holy temple" meant for service to God leads to a profound surrender and a shift in how she perceives her physical self.

Notable Quotes:

• Candace [30:41]: "God just said, like, enough with the beating up of your body. Enough."
• Candace [37:21]: "The incarnation of Christ is the greatest compliment to a human body."

7. Listener Engagement: Addressing Eating Disorders (47:55 - 53:17)

The episode addresses a listener question from Megan, who struggles with an eating disorder and seeks advice on guiding her teenage daughter through similar challenges. Candace and Lisa empathize, offering insights based on their own experiences and emphasizing the importance of modeling healthy behaviors, maintaining open dialogue, and centering faith in the healing process.

Notable Advice:

• Candace [51:37]: "Modeling from this point forward, the very best you can... grounded in scripture."
• Lisa [51:55]: "Open dialogue is always so important with her kids."

Listener Question:

• Megan: "I struggle with an eating disorder... teaching my teenage daughter to do the same has been hard. I'd love to hear how you've navigated this."

8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts (53:17)

Candace and Lisa wrap up the episode by reinforcing the episode's core message: viewing one's body through the lens of faith can fundamentally alter self-perception and foster a healthier relationship with oneself. They encourage listeners to download the Whole Body Guide for further engagement and support.

Notable Quote:

• Lisa [53:03]: "If you want to go deeper with today's conversation, download the Whole Body Guide."

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Key Takeaways

• Whole Body Theology: Embracing the belief that our bodies are temples made in God's image can transform how we perceive and treat ourselves.

• Body Privilege: Recognizing that being able to critique one's body is a privilege not afforded to everyone; fostering empathy towards those with physical limitations.

• Faith and Healing: Integrating faith into struggles with body image and eating disorders can provide a supportive framework for healing and self-acceptance.

• Modeling Healthy Behaviors: Parents play a crucial role in shaping their children's relationship with their bodies by modeling positive behaviors and maintaining open communication.

Recommended Resources

• Whole Body Guide: Available for download at candice.com for additional support and practical encouragement.

• Past Episodes:

  • "Body Image Episode" featuring Ali Schnacki and Natasha for mother-daughter perspectives on body image.

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By intertwining personal experiences with theological insights, Candace Cameron Bure and Lisa Whittle offer a compassionate and faith-centered approach to understanding and improving body image. This episode serves as a thoughtful resource for listeners navigating similar struggles, emphasizing the transformative power of viewing one's body as a sacred gift from God.

Transcript

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And every time we whip our body so terribly we are forgetting that he bore those stripes already. The incarnation of Christ is the greatest compliment to a human body. So it's not just about loving my body because my body has carried me. It is about the connection to the Creator.

[Lisa Whittle]

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[Candace Cameron Bure]

What?

[Lisa Whittle]

Welcome to the Candace Cameron Bure Podcast. We share honest conversations about life's challenges, celebrations and everything in between. With Lisa Whittle joining me this season, we are diving into the hard questions like what do we do if we don't like the way God made our body? If you're joining on YouTube, click to subscribe and make sure you click the bell icon so you won't miss an episode. Come join us. Hi Lisa.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Hi.

[Lisa Whittle]

How's everything?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Well, how's life today yeah. How's life today? It's great. I'm so glad to be back. I'm glad to be here all season. This is amazing.

[Lisa Whittle]

Oh, I'm so glad that you're here. I, I was thinking about the fact that we have kids almost exactly the same ages.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yes, we do. Gen zers.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yes.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Mine are 27, 24, and 22. What about you?

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah. So, well, I guess. No, Natasha's still 26. She'll be 27 this year. 26, 25, and 23.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

So literally right there.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah, right there. Are any of yours married?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yes, oldest is married, so I have two boys and a girl. So oldest. Oldest son is married. And yeah, the other two are single, so maybe we can do some matchmaking somewhere. They love it when I try to matchmake them. I'm. I don't know if your kids have been like that too.

[Lisa Whittle]

And they're like, mom, that's why that's so cringe.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

It's cringe. Yes, totally. Oh, yes. We've been through the whole thing. Yeah, my kids don't, they don't want me involved.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, me either. Well, my kids, they ask for our advice. Like, mine and Bell's like, they love that, but they don't want me involved.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

In, in the dating.

[Lisa Whittle]

In the dating, which I total understand.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I do, too. I do too. I, I, I wish that they would want me involved, but then at the same time, that would be weird if they did want me involved. But, yes, my family's very close. We are a tight group. But that, that is one area that especially my son, he's like, mom, no, this is, this is not your area. This is not your territory. I've got this.

[Lisa Whittle]

Like, have you? Because I just, My, my youngest son has a girlfriend. And so I asked once they officially, you know, were like, we're exclusively dating. I'm like, do I, Am I allowed to follow her on social media? Like, can I? Or, like, is that cringe? And he was like, no, you could follow her. I'm like, will she think it's creepy, though? Because I'm like, I'm not trying to creep on our page, but Instagram lets you know more about someone, Right? So what do you do?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Well, there's a whole set of rules that I don't understand that I know that I violate. And so I am very, I try to be very careful about it, but I, I, I want to know. I, I mean, they're gonna date my children.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yes.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

This is very, very important to me. So I do a lot of stalking.

[Lisa Whittle]

You do?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah. Yes. Oh, yes, I do stalking. They. And especially my son, he knows that I do stalking.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

But I would be very cool about it in the sense of I would not follow anyone. They were dating before they followed me. So that would not. I would not do that.

[Lisa Whittle]

Okay.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

No. But if they followed me, I feel it's fair game. But I would always.

[Lisa Whittle]

If they follow me, yes.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

100. Your. Your people already follow you, but I don't think so. Well, I would ask. I definitely would ask my kids, like, is this okay with you?

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah, me too.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

That's why I asked myself.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah, of course. It is about respect when they get that age. A lot of people that have, you know, been following me for a long time, maybe, you know, read early books of mine. They've been in the journey. And so I had my kids on social media more when they were younger. They're like, we miss your family. I miss you putting them on there. I'm like, listen, my kids are. They are grown people.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah, exactly.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And they have the veto power and they don't want to be on there. And my kids really aren't on social media much, so I don't tag them. They really kind of just. They haven't said like, mom, we don't want to be involved, but I just know, right? Yeah, totally.

[Lisa Whittle]

That's kind of same with us. Lev hasn't been on social media in, like, five years. He's not on at all. Max's. Natasha is. But it's the same. I mean, people say that all the time. They're like, you don't put your kids on there. And I'm like, they don't even live at home anymore, like all of them. And. But I'm. We're kind of. I've kind of hit this spot, which I love and appreciate with Natasha, that I feel like it came back around in that. And we've always been really close, and she's been pretty cool about social media, but I feel like there was a time in the last couple years where it was like, I don't want to post as much with you or whatever. And now we're kind of like, hey, Natasha, do you want to collab on something? And she's like, yeah, sure. And then if we're home, I mean, we've. We've always had a fun social media relationship in that way, but it's, like, gotten back to a little bit more recently, which I love.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And so you have. You had the girl first. So it's girl, two boys.

[Lisa Whittle]

Exactly.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Okay, so I'm opposite. So it's boys, too. Yeah, two boys. Girl. Yeah, it's. I am very close with Shay as well. She's my daughter. And I was telling you before that she's been at school for four years. She's been in college, and I did not know if I would make it four years. That sounds so silly. But, yeah, because we've always been very close. So now that she's about to graduate, I'm like, thank you, Jesus. I made it four years without my not. She did it.

[Lisa Whittle]

She graduated. You made it through your daughter being gone for four years.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yes, exactly. Exactly. It was.

[Lisa Whittle]

It was fun because Natasha, along with Ali Schnacki, was on for an entire season. And we talked about so much stuff that just opened up the door for those kind of conversations. But one of them was that we were talking about leaving the nest and how you feel. Those relationships with mom and dad and Natasha and I were both like, oh, Natasha needed to go. Like, she needed to go. She needed it on our end. She needed it for herself. Like, she knew it. So it's always kind of funny.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah. That first year when Shay went, I remember, I. I struggled. And I would always look at her location, and it was. I mean, it was becoming bad. And she finally was like, mom, we. We. We. We need to talk about this. And really, the Lord was like, you've got to. You've got to chill. Yeah, it was too much. It was too much.

[Lisa Whittle]

We share a location, Natasha and I do, and I think Max does. But, like, I don't ever think about it. I don't ever look at it.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I didn't either until she left. And then I was like, what is she on Third street for? But how do I know what's on Third street in Waco? You know, I didn't. That was the point. It was like. Then my imagination would go wild. Like, 3rd street is probably not good. It was a whole thing. So I was like, I've gotta just relax on the looking where she is locations tell me nothing. So I've gotta trust the Lord.

[Lisa Whittle]

The joys of raising kids. And I love the season of having adult children. It's amazing. It really is.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

It is. It is amazing. I love it.

[Lisa Whittle]

Well, today we are talking about God. What if I don't like my body? Why'd you make it this way? Yeah, like, all of those kinds of feelings.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

You said that with a lot of angst in your spirit.

[Lisa Whittle]

I know, because I'm thinking. I. I hope that people are going. Are. Are thinking God, thank you so much for this body. I love this body. I mean, I wish we all had that attitude towards it, but I think I. I think there are people that have that, but I think there's a lot of people and I would, I would like to say the majority of people that probably think like, oh, God, I wish this was different. I wish you didn't make me this way or. And that kind of ranges from just feelings that we have to actual disabilities we may have, you know, things that were just genetically passed given, you know, all kinds of things. So.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

So I think there's a lot of shame around this for us because we don't want to acknowledge this, but we need to not only acknowledge it, but get to the root of it. And that's what I think we want to do today. And I think there's a lot of grace here. I think it's also really important to go first in this conversation. So let me do that.

[Lisa Whittle]

Okay.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Because God really showed me something in this that I think is the more important point here. My whole life there's been a few things that I haven't liked about my body. One of them was my hands. My hands are small, very small. They're also stubby. And I even have a friend who, he teases me and calls me that. He says my hands look like baby carrots now. You won't be able to unsee it.

[Lisa Whittle]

No, because I literally feel the same thing about my hands. Really, the exact same thing.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I've never heard anybody say that.

[Lisa Whittle]

So, yeah, I have. And I. And I'm so appreciative of my hands. I have to. And I. And I have to say that because I don't like speaking ill of my body anymore and what God gave me. So I'm so appreciative of these. But I too have never liked my hands that much. And I am very self conscious on camera with them. And when we are filming movies and we have insert shots and we have to do close ups, I'm always like, can we just get a hand model? Does someone have prettier hands than me? Because I just feel like I have like old witch hands. Like they're very wrinkly and little and more stubby and anyway, but yet I can look. I have very crooked pinkies. So both of my pinkies are they, you know, you can see that they're crooked. But my grandmother had the same pinkies and my mom has that. My mom doesn't have them quite as bad, but my grandma's were just like mine. So I can actually have the sweetest picture. Before she passed away, she lived TILL she was 98, like a month away from her 99th birthday. And I have a picture of the two of us holding hands, like, in her bed. And we have the same pinkies. And that just felt like a gift to just to have that moment and know something that I've disliked for so long is, like, so beautiful that even it was passed genetically. And it's a sweet memory. That's something I got from my grandmother, and so I can see that in a different way.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That is so sweet. I. I honestly have never heard anybody else say that. So I appreciate.

[Lisa Whittle]

We're just. We're literally, week by week, even closer.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

We're bonding over so many things. I. Yeah, I've just never liked it. And, you know, I. I'm an author, so I sign books. And so, you know, I. When I sign books, I'm always thinking about my signings because that's something that I do with my hands. And, you know, I'll. Sometimes we'll. I'll be filming a Bible study, and we'll have a lot of B roll, and they'll always want to do shots with me holding my Bible. And I'm thinking, here I go again. Here are my baby carrots in those, you know, photos and all these things. And I've kind of just pushed through it and all those things. But God knows us so well, and he knows those deep feelings of our heart. And so I remember one day that I was just feeling the things and, you know, going through whatever I was going through that day. And the Lord just really spoke to my heart and said, you know, Lisa, those fingers have typed so many words that I've used for the kingdom of God that have touched and reached thousands of hearts. Those fingers have been used for my glory. And I looked down at my hands and I started to cry. And I thought, these fingers are good. They're good because they've been used for the glory of God.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I still don't love the way they look, but I love that they're used for the glory of God. Yeah, they do good work. They do really good work. And really, when we have a glory mindset, we see things differently. And when we say that we don't like things about our body, we are, in essence saying, this is not good. God.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Now there are things in our life that don't feel good. This is why I have a problem with a lot of body positivity movement, because I disagree with a lot of that we'll talk about that a little bit later in the season. But it can't be about how we feel because sometimes we won't feel good in our bodies. There are difficult things that we go through. There are things in our bodies that we wouldn't have asked for. But when we, when we see things with this theological underpinning, this whole body theology, the glory mindset, then we understand that when God said in Genesis 1:31, when he looked at wall he had made and said this is good, that he did not make a mistake, that he didn't misspeak, that it is good, that we are good, that our bodies are good, that they are made for good, that we are good. And so it's really important that we understand that, that we know that we're good, our bodies are good, and that we're made in the image of God. And that is a core principle in whole body theology. We have to start there, Candace. We have to know that Genesis 1:27 is true, that all of mankind was made in the image of God. Imago dei, the Latin image of God is translated from the Latin. Imago dei, were made in the image of God. That means all of creation, all of mankind. That doesn't. That's not reserved for just people that choose to follow Jesus. It means every created person. And what does that matter? Well, it matters greatly for many reasons, for several reasons. But a predominant reason is because it gives dignity to all humanity. It is a great equalizer in that it is for all of us a human dignity issue that God has ascribed to every single person. And, and there's no hierarchy in humans in the eyes of God. So we cannot look at another human being and not attach value to their life.

[Lisa Whittle]

Right.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

If you understand and believe in whole body theology, Genesis 1:27, you cannot miss this. That means also your life. That means your life has that intrinsic value. So everything flows from that place. Now, this is different from being able to image Christ.

[Lisa Whittle]

So, so wait, we're made in the image of God?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's right.

[Lisa Whittle]

But then there's imaging Christ. Okay, I don't know what that is.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah, okay.

[Lisa Whittle]

Okay.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

So made in the image of God and being able to image God are two different things. I don't want you to get the Christ and God, those, those terms mixed up. I'm there. I'm talking about the same person, right?

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Okay. So made in the image of God and being able to image God are two different things. Being able to image God is a bit of a different things. I'm talking about fruit there. Right. You know, fruit of the spirit in the Bible. Right. Being able to take on his attributes. Not the attributes that only belong to God in his sovereignty, in his. Those. Those attributes like omniscient or all present. Those things you and I can't. We can't do. Those are only Gods.

[Lisa Whittle]

Right. Okay.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

But we can have the fruit of the spirit. Joy, peace.

[Lisa Whittle]

Peace.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

All of those things. Those. Those people who are believers in Jesus Christ. Okay. So human dignity belongs to people. All people.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

All people's life matter.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yep.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's a human dignity issue. Being able to image Christ is for people who choose to follow Jesus. Now, you've probably. I don't. You may have heard of, like, the glove illustration. This is a good way to illustrate it. So a glove is made in the form of a hand. Okay. Right. But until a hand goes in it, its greatest function doesn't really work. Right. It's just a glove. It looks like a hand. It's made in the hand, Right? Yep. So that. That illustration is not mine. But you. Yes. It's a great one, though, to talk about the difference between made in the image and imaging. Where your hand goes in and then it has its real. It's the greatest function. So it's really important that we understand that, because all life is so important when we know that we are created in the image of God, every single one of us so deeply valued. And so the way that we treat our body, the way that we look at our body, the way that we conduct ourselves in our body is. Is an image of our creator God, and it matters so much. And then if we become a believer in Jesus, the way that we image him is even that greater step further. And so it's just so important.

[Lisa Whittle]

And. Okay, I'm just still understanding because maybe I don't under. I understand what you're saying in that.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yes.

[Lisa Whittle]

Everything you've explained, but I just want to make a mental jump because I don't know that I've heard that term imaging God or just the definition of imaging. And that might sound really stupid on.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

My part, but a technicality.

[Lisa Whittle]

I just haven't heard that phrase of imaging something or someone. So it's to image them. It's to. I mean, is that like becoming like them?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yes. Yes. I would say like the sanctification process.

[Lisa Whittle]

Which would be the sanctification.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Right.

[Lisa Whittle]

Okay.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Be holy as I am. Holy is a verse in scripture, Right? Yes. And also, just know I'm getting into a little bit of theologically nerdy stuff here. And which I love. Theologians even sort of disagree on some of the nuances of imaging Christ and to image and all of those, you know, imaging.

[Lisa Whittle]

I'm just not as familiar with that term.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And I'm not, I don't, I'm not going into it too much. I do go into it more into the, in the Bible study, where you can read a little bit more of like, some of these nuances. I am not great as much of a scholar in this area, but I do reference a lot of scholars in that because I did copious research for the Bible study, so I could really look into what this means.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

But I think that even we can understand sort of that small distinction there between. And the glove illustration helps with a lot with that. Knowing that the great equalizer is everyone's made in the image of God. So we understand that scripture in Genesis 1:27 is for every created person. So that gives us no excuse in the way we treat other people.

[Lisa Whittle]

Right.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Hugely important, because even as we talked about in the last show about how we sometimes have these assumptions about other people in their bodies, and I think it, it shows in the way that we are, the way we treat other people and the prejudices that we have towards others in their body, the way they look or in the way they operate or whatever. This is not biblical and it cannot be tolerated if we have a whole body theology. And so that's really important because a lot of us, I think, have even skipped that. Or we might even talk about everybody's made in the image of God. Or we even say imago day. But we have to really understand what that means and the importance of that for our own bodies, because your body also is made in the image of God. So that means the way you treat your. Yourself, you can't just talk about, well, I'm going to treat my. My neighbor with respect. You must treat your own body with the same respect you would treat someone else. So this is hugely important.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

So one of the things that really captivated me, Candace, was in a couple of seasons past seasons, you. Couple seasons ago, you told this compelling story that was based on a dream that you had.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

About sort of the way that you had treated your body. I. I know you told it before, but I would love for you to tell it again.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah. It really, it really changed everything. And God doesn't give me dreams. Well, I can't say that now, but that's not a way in which I've ever heard him speak before. And it was so clear when I woke Up. It was so vivid and I knew it was from God and. But it was so bizarre to me at the time that he used this story. And so it's in numbers 22, and I just like to read it. I didn't read it last time, so I thought I'd just share with you from Scripture. It says, Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moabite officials. But God got very angry that he went and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Now I'm just going to stop and you can tell me theology wise, because I had Terrily Copeland. I love the point that she makes that this is not an angel of the Lord. This is the angel of the Lord, which would be described as Christ.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

So I'll continue. God was very angry when he went and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, the walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat his donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn either to the left or to the right. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it laid down under Balaam and Balaam was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and it said to Balaam, what have I done to you to make you beat me these three times? Balaam answered the donkey, well, you've made a fool of me. If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now. And the donkey said to Balaam, am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you? No, Balaam said. And then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed and fell face down. And the angel of the Lord asked him, why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I came here to oppose you because of your path. It was a reckless one. But the donkey saw me and turned away from me three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it. So, okay, I like, step away from that story. But what happened here is that the Lord appeared and gave the donkey vision. Like the donkey could see the Lord and he was protecting. The donkey, was protecting Balaam, his master. And so he was turning off to the side of the road. He was going somewhere else. He knelt down, but Balaam couldn't see what was happening, so he just kept beating his donkey. And when the donkey said to him, like, have I not been your donkey your whole life? I've carried you to and from, I've taken you wherever you want me to go. Is this normal behavior for me to veer off to the left or to the right? I saw that for the first time. My God said to me, this is how you treat your body. You have been, Balaam, in that your body has carried you every day of your life. You. I have two legs that work. You have two arms that work. You've carried three babies in your womb. You have done all of these things. You have. You have played, you've run, you've swam, you've gotten yourself up to work. You've like it, does all of the things you ask it to, and yet you treat it so meanly. You're so harsh to it. And really, you beat it up all the time. You beat it up in the way you talk to it. You tell it how ugly it is, how, how, how much you hate it, how much you wish it were different. You treat it badly by the foods you put in it. I mean, all the years of binging and purging, it was like stuffing garbage into my body, throwing it up. And yet my body's like. But I'm still going to do what you ask me. I'm doing whatever you ask me. And even when you treat me badly, but then you wake up and you go to the gym in the morning. I'm trying my hardest. Even though you treated me last night, I try my hardest to get up and do what you're asking me and go work out or go for that walk or, you know, or you just, you put me through all of this stuff, and yet I serve you. Every day, Every day of your life, I serve you. And it was like my body's Like God opened my eyes to where I was. Like, I just, it was just a revelation for me. I'm like, oh, I. The words your body is a holy temple just suddenly became different. I saw my body as a body of service. A willingness to do all the things. I saw it as being able to do all of the things that it does. And I also saw it as protection. Like, God stood in front of Balaam because he didn't want him to go down that path. Like, he stood in the way because he said, you've been reckless with your decision. So I'm standing here to protect you from going down the wrong path. And so God just said, like, Candace, I'm protecting you. Like, enough with the beating up of your body. Enough. You. You can't do this anymore.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And.

[Lisa Whittle]

It was like this wonderful revelation and a wonderful surrender. You get the tissues. A wonder, wonderful surrender to like God. I. I haven't. I never thought about it that way. And you're right. I mean, Lisa, the things that you talked about, like, you can be in seminary learning the Bible, but then eating your Skittles and Diet Coke and treating your body like a garbage can, but not even put the two together. And that was me my whole life. And when I saw my body now when I. It really is like the veil. I always describe my testimonies like the veil coming off because that's described in scripture. It's like my eyes were opened and it affected my heart. Now in a way to say, God, you did make me, and I'm created in your image. And if I'm talking to my body and saying, you're disgusting, I hate you. I hate the way you look. I'm telling God, your creation sucks. It's disgusting. You made it wrong and you're a terrible God. And I don't feel that way about God. I don't know about you, but I love to colorfully mark up my Bible. And Mr. Pen is the company dedicated to creating pens and highlighters specifically to be used in your Bible. How cute is this? The ink doesn't bleed through the page and there are so many color palettes to choose from. Paired with their other products like transparent sticky tape, sticky notes and tabs, and Washi tape, and you can create the perfect combinations to make studying scripture an even more meaningful experience. With over 1 million 5 star reviews on Amazon, they are the most popular Bible highlighters and pens on the market. That's why I use them. Whether you're looking to deepen your faith through study and reflection, or. Or simply need a reliable pen for taking notes During a sermon, Mr. Pen has you covered. To get 10% off your first Mr. Penn order, go to candicepens.com Join me in diving into the Word in 2025. Go to candicepens.com to get 10% off your Mr. Penn order. Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes that we're endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. GCU equips you to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and create a ripple effect of transformation for generations to come. Matthew 5:16 says, in the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. By honoring your career calling, you impact your family, your friends and your community. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree, GCU's online, on campus and hybrid learning environments are designed to help you achieve your unique academic, personal and professional goals. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University Private Christian affordable visit [e-mail] it's not.

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[Candace Cameron Bure]

And the even deeper level of this is that not only is it about this body has carried us, but Christ came. He came. So it's even deeper. It's even deeper. It's that this burden that we carry around this body struggle. He came not just for, I mean yes, for the redemption of our life so that we could go to heaven, but also that this body struggle could be redeemed here on earth too. It's not just the finished work for the glory of heaven, it's the finished work he did on the cross so that we don't have to live with this terrible yoke that so many of us are living with. He came for that. And every time we whip our body so terribly, we are forgetting that he bore those stripes already. Yeah, he bore those stripes. Sorry, we don't even make the connect. We say, that was. That was Christ's crucifixion. What do you think he did that for? So that we wouldn't live in abundance. That's not scriptural. John 10:10 says, I came that you might have life and you might have it more abundantly when we are sticking our finger down our throat, that's not abundant life. That's not abundant life. When we are. When we are giving into an addiction to porn, that is not abundant life, Candace. When we are overworking our bodies, that is not abundant life. He did not come so that we would not. So that we would, like, just have to struggle in our bodies. That is missing the whole point of the embodied Christ. He could have stayed in heaven. He did not have to come to earth and embody a human body.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Sam Albery, the author Samba Alberry said something. I might butcher the exact quote, but it was that the incarnation of Christ is the greatest complement to a human body that Jesus could have ever done. I mean, it is the ultimate and in. In beauty to our body. So it's not just about, you know, loving my body because my body has carried me. It is about the connection to the Creator.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yes. I. So I had a friend that I talked to that also had an eating disorder, and she's a Christian. And we had talked about it, and she had told me as encouragement that she's like, you know, I. I surrendered. I really surrendered it to God and, you know, take this away from me. Take this away from me and all that kind of stuff. And she's like, and one day he did. Like, he did. And she's like, I don't even think about food anymore. Like, I. I eat to live. And I. But I don't obsess over. It's just like, not a thing. He literally took it away from me. And I was like, I'm so happy for you. Good for you. I mean, and I genuinely was happy for her, but I'm like, do you know how many times I' praying that? I mean, do you know how many times I've prayed that God has not taken that away from me? Is this the thorn in my side? I mean, that's what I've resigned to. That's the thorn in my side. I'm going to think about this for all the days of my life. All the days of my life. And. And sometimes that hurts because I'm like, God, how come she got it? How come you took it away from her, but you're not taking it away from me?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

And having that dream, looking at it through Christ's body and the sacrifice that he made for me and my body is what has made the difference. So. And, and this is what you're talking about, but you can. You can probably say it better, is that I still think those things. God has not taken the Obsession of food away from me. But like, I. I was craving sugar the other day because I was. Enjoyed my. My weekend. I was with Val. We, like, we enjoy life. People think like, oh, you don't eat or you don't. Oh, yes, I do. Yes, I do. And I love it and I enjoy it, but, you know, then I go back to my normal eating program and. But the sugar cravings are really hard. So once it enter. Enters my system, I know I need three days to, like, I get it out that I'm not gonna think about it every day. And I started. I started not just praying about it, but thinking about it in a covenant with God. And if I'm making a covenant with God, like, I. It just changes everything for me.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yes.

[Lisa Whittle]

Because I would never purposely dishonor God to his face. It's not just about like, oh, I promise I'm going to. It's like, no, like, you've made a covenant with me and I'm making this with you. And I. It might. I don't know if that sounds dramatic or whatever, but I just, I have to walk through this. And I think this is what whole body theology is. Is that, like, it's not about my body. This is about my relationship with God. But if I need help and it's a. It's about my physical body or my physical thoughts and all of that. Like, I'm talking to him in a way that feels very different but also very confident. And that like, God, I'm struggling with this and I need, I need this. Like, I'm walking hand in hand with you over this, and I need you with me every second of every day. And I want to honor you in all of my actions. And it's been amazing at that. You know, the chocolate comes by or even that glass of wine comes by, and it's just like, no, I made a covenant with God. I don't even feel like I'm restricting myself or whatever. I'm like, yeah, no, I'm not going to have. I'm not having sugar this week. I need to let this go out just to get that out so I can feel normal. But the desire there gets taken away from me when I talk. Talk to God, but I make a covenant with God.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's really good. What you're talking about is something I talk about in the study, which is centering God in the, in the, in your body struggles, which I would dare say if a lot of us that have had body struggles have never centered God in it. And it's, it's really, if you think about scripture, it's about Emmanuel, God with. In the study, I make this, this whole withness timeline because really this is what your body as a temple is all about, which we'll talk about in another episode. But the withness of God is something not to be ignored because God with you in this struggle is so profound and him being indwelling. Your temple is a partnership. It is exactly what you're talking about. And so the way that you operate in your body cannot be the same. It's just. It simply is not the same. When you live with this glory mindset of whole body theology and you understand your body being a temple, which is something that most of us have never understood fully.

[Lisa Whittle]

Not at all.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

No. And it just, it takes you out of body topics, which we often want to center on the body topics. This is not about body topics. It's not about over spiritualizing. It is fully understanding what God being with you means and the withness of God and going through that whole process that is so powerful for you that it really will make you look at things differently. I want to say this one thing that I think is really important, not to make a pivot, but I don't want us to miss this.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

One of the reasons why, I think, Candace, that we are quick to center on things that we don't like about ourselves. And by the way, God is so gracious to us. There is grace here where when we say, God, I don't like this about my body, he accepts those kinds of complaints, if you will, all of those things. But there is this very real aspect of body privilege in this. And I think this is something that a lot of us have never thought about. But when I am able to say, I don't like my hands, there's body privilege in that because I have hands. You know, my. My friend Jen died at 40 years old. I did her eulogy. I watched her four days before she took her last breath. And she was. I want to preserve the dignity of her life. But to say that she was almost beyond recognition is. Is an understatement. Cancer had taken so much of every aspect of her body. Jen would love to have my hands because it would mean that she was alive. And I want us to understand that there is a real body privilege when you are able to nitpick to death parts of your body that you don't like. Yeah, you're able bodied if you're able to say, oh, I don't really, I don't really like the way that, you know, my legs look, then you have legs, Right. If you're able to say, well, you know, I don't like this part of my face. Well, you have that body part. And I'm not trying to be dramatic here, but, you know, I've watched people that have lost parts of their face to cancer or, you know, whatever surgery they had to have because something was no longer there anymore. So I think that's very important for us to understand that body privilege is a very real thing.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And not everybody has those privileges.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And so I think when we nitpick our body to death, that is a real thing. You know, my life hero is Joni Eareckson. Tada. I read her autobiography when I was a young woman. And what's interesting about that is I connected with her. I went to read her story because I thought, well, this is an amazing story. Right. She was the one who started out drawing with her teeth because she was a quadriplegic from a diving accident. So I read her story because of that. But what I resonated with her about was her willingness to talk very candidly about being a stubborn woman. And as a young woman, I didn't have a lot of role models who were a lot like me. They were always seemed to be much softer around the edges or, you know, because I grew up in the church and all of the examples that I knew were very similar to my mother's temperament, who is wonderful but very unlike me. And I was just a more feisty work in progress. I was, you know, that more of a spitfire. And Johnny described herself much like me. And I thought, gosh, if God can use Johnny, maybe he can use me. And it inspired me. And it wasn't had nothing to do with her story. She was disabled. But to me, it was because of who she was. Her life brought glory to God. And so I just really want us to know that it is about what God does with your life. Regardless of whether your body is able, regardless of whether you have a chronic illness, regardless of whether your legs work or look the way you want them to look. If you're able to nitpick your body, that means you have a body part that works to pick, nitpick. So I think it's important.

[Lisa Whittle]

It's a great. It's a great reminder and reality check too. It's funny, I have a handful of friends, and I'm not exaggerating, a handful of friends that are missing limbs. And I would say they're some of the most joyful people in My life and that share with others. And God has just used them in incredible ways and sharing their testimony and, and asking them. I, I. Most of them would say, like, I wouldn't. I wouldn't go back and have it the other way because God's given me a voice to speak to, maybe people I never would have had the ability to. Or he's given me something where it looks like I'm lacking, but I'm actually. It's been a gift in my life because God uses it as a testimony.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's powerful. Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

I'm starting to get a headache because I'm like, I'm. I'm just fighting tears, and it's emotional.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And it is that.

[Lisa Whittle]

And then, like, the headache starts to come.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

It's tender, but it's really important, so.

[Lisa Whittle]

Good.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

Okay. We will get to a listener question. This is from Megan, who asks. I struggle with an eating disorder. Oh. As a teenager, hospitalized three times now, I treat food and movement as medicine. But teaching my teenage daughter to do the same has been hard. I'd love to hear how you've navigated this.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's a biggie.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah. There. I. I would encourage you, Megan, to go back and listen to the episode with Ali Schnacki and Natasha, my daughter. That is the body image episode, because we did talk about that from a mother daughter perspective.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Really good. Was really. Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

Thank you. Do you have any thoughts on this? I mean, listen, I feel like I did a lot of things wrong, and I feel like we got some things right.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

When it comes to that, it's. I mean, I hear you especially. I mean, Megan's had. Had an eating disorder as a teenager, so she knows, you know, all the triggers and the things that can be harmful. And yet there's also important things just to teach in general that then it's like, where am I crossing the line? And that's where I'm like, I don't know. We do our best as parents.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's so true. I think just in general, in parenting, we're. We're always like, lord, just help me. You know, I don't. I think I would say I don't want you to. Megan. Right, Megan. Megan. I don't want you to assume doom. You know, I think so many times we assume the worst. And I think when we fear. I feared even having a daughter because I thought, what neuroses will I bring on this poor young woman? God just is so gracious to fill in the gaps. And I mean, in a practical, Practical sense, obviously, we have to invest and, and teach and all of those things. But there, there is not going to be perfection in the way we do any par. That. One thing I know for sure. I think it is important to, to model because modeling is the thing that they pick up on the most. Modeling from this point forward, the best, the very best you can. And I mean, I'm just going to say it loud and proud that, that it is having that, that, that base in scripture that is the most important thing. And speaking of your body, your own body, her body, in terms of what scripture says about it, that is going to be the most important.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And really watching your own relationship with food and, and movement and, you know, doing it from a place of, of being as healthy as you can be.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And. And really that, that, that's where it starts, you know.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah. So it's great advice and I agree with all of that. So just. Yeah, Megan, we're, We understand.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

We do.

[Lisa Whittle]

I mean, it's really hard and there's just. No, there's not a pat answer. No, there's not just life.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And I think, I think if you see, you know, anything in her, don't panic. First of all, don't panic. But if you see some things, open dialogue is always so important with her kids. If you see anything, then I, you know, be free to ask her if she wants to talk to somebody about it, you know, at some point. But don't assume she's going to go down the same road you did. I think that's really important.

[Lisa Whittle]

I, I think that's. That is very, very. Assume the worst.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Right.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

A lot of girls this age, too, I'll say, in some ways have better relationships with our body than we did.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yes.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

You know, we were at the height of.

[Lisa Whittle]

Yeah, it was 80s and 90s.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah. Yes.

[Lisa Whittle]

But yeah, just, I mean, diet culture was.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And yeah, we're going to talk all the things. All the things.

[Lisa Whittle]

Oh, my goodness.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Much more on that to come. Yeah.

[Lisa Whittle]

If you want to go deeper with today's conversation, download the Whole Body Guide. It's free and full of practical encouragement. You can find [e-mail] where you can also ask your questions. We'll see you next time.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Time.

[Lisa Whittle]

And remember to be grateful all day, every day. Candy Rock Entertainment. All rights reserved.