So I actually got to interview one of my favorite authors ever. Her name is Erin Davis. She is the author of Graffiti, and head of the Lies Young Women Believe blog. I emailed her some questions that I believe she would be able to answer pretty well, based on her book. Here's how the email-interview went:
Me: "Why do you think girls usually have more trouble with body image than guys?"
Erin: "I think that Satan really targets women with this lie. He has been telling the lie "you are not enough" since the Garden of Eden and it's working for him, so he keeps telling it. Also, I think God gave women a unique kind of beauty and Satan loves to twist what God intended for good and make it evil. Women also tend to really value the opinions of others more than men. In many ways that's a good thing. It makes us empathetic toward others and helps us tune in to other people well, but it can also make us crave affirmation too much. When we get addicted to the affirmation of others we tend to become hyper-critical of ourselves."
Me: "How did you get out of your self image problems?"
Erin: "The Word! I actually was researching the topic for a girls Bible study I was teaching. I just got really serious about digging into the Word for answers about who God says we are and how He defines our value. Hebrews 11 tells us that the Word of God is living and active and that's what I experienced in this area of my life. His Word just came alive for me and exposed a lot of the lies I was believing about myself. I really believe that God's Word is the only way we can build a healthy foundation for how we see ourselves and others."
Me: "Why is it important that we have a positive view of ourselves?"
Erin: "When we don't believe what God says about us, we tend to self-destruct. Some girls cut, some date bad boys, some choose toxic friendships...these are simply outward manifestations of believing lies about who you are and why you matter. It's not just about beauty. If you don't know why you matter, it's a really big deal."
Me: "Why is it important tht we have a good relationship with God before we can have a positive view of ourselves?"
Erin: "God is the life-giver. I'm not interested in giving a positive self-esteem message. This isn't about feeling good about yourself because you are good. It is about finding peace in who you are because the God of the universe created you intentionally and loves you more than you could ever fathom. Apart from knowing Him and His Word, no message about yourself will be complete."
Me: "So say there is this girl who just can't get through her negative view of herself and can't get out of eating disorders. She doesn't know who she is or what to do. What would you tell her?"
Erin: "Get help! This isn't the kind of thing that most girls can manage on their own. You need a mentor. You need accountability partners. You need to be in the Word. You need to fight to claim God's Truth in your life. Satan tells us bold, terrible lies about who we are. We can't just tell ourselves "Jesus loves me the way that I am" and undo all that damage. It isn't that simple. Get into the Word. Get others to help you and get serious about fighting for your own heart."
So that was my interview.... :)She put some good stuff in there! If you liked this, get the book Graffiti! 
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