Dealing With Insecurity About Physical Height
The biblical text occasionally touches on human stature, though not directly on insecurity about it. For instance, Job 9:35, in the Young's Literal Translation, expresses a sentiment of not being "right with myself" [1], which can be broadly understood as a feeling of unease or inadequacy. However, this passage does not specifically address physical height.
The New Testament, particularly in Matthew 6:27, presents a relevant teaching from Jesus: "Which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his stature?" [7]. This verse is often interpreted as a rhetorical question emphasizing the futility of anxiety over things beyond one's control. John Gill, in his commentary on Matthew, notes that "stature" here could refer to one's age or the length of life, as a cubit is a measure of length, and a "hand's breadth" is used for days in Psalm 39:5 [7]. This interpretation suggests that worrying cannot extend one's life or alter one's physical dimensions. The core message is that anxiety is unproductive for altering one's physical attributes or lifespan.
Patristic writers like Augustine also considered the concept of stature, particularly in discussions about the resurrection. In City of God, Augustine addresses questions about the resurrected body, including whether all bodies will have equal stature or if there will be differences in size [6]. He also considers whether infants will rise in their diminutive bodies or receive the stature they would have attained had they grown up, concluding that God's "marvellous and rapid operation" would grant them the appropriate body [3]. Augustine's discussions here are theological reflections on the nature of the resurrected body rather than advice on dealing with personal insecurity about height in this life. He also warns against seeking "things that are too high for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength," referring to intellectual or spiritual heights beyond human comprehension rather than physical height [4].
The broader theological perspective encourages individuals to focus on spiritual well-being and reliance on God rather than physical attributes. Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, discusses the maintenance of health not as an end in itself, but as a means to "reach an awareness of God" [2]. This perspective suggests that physical concerns, including those about height, should be subordinated to spiritual goals.
Reformed theology, as articulated by John Calvin, emphasizes humility and reliance on God's grace. Calvin argues that humans are "prone to ascribe all perfection to our flesh" and indulge in "stupid and empty confidence in the flesh" [8]. one tradition contends that God demonstrates human weakness to prevent pride and to show that human faculties are insufficient without divine grace [8]. This theological framework would encourage individuals to find their security and worth in God rather than in physical appearance or stature. Calvin also notes that in "mysteries of faith," one should not consult "common apprehension" but rather receive truth with "placid docility and spirit of meekness" [5]. This principle can be extended to accepting one's physical self as part of God's creation, rather than allowing common societal apprehensions about physical traits to cause distress.
Sources
- Job “Job 9:35 (YLT) — I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Human Dispositions 3:3: A person who accustoms himself to live by [the rules of] medicine does not follow a proper path if his sole intention is that his entire body and limbs be healthy 1 The Rambam puts the maintenance of health mentioned in the previous halachah into proper perspective. It is not to be pursued as a goal in its own right. Rather, it should be appreciated as merely a means to enable one to reach an awareness of God. The Rambam develops this idea at length in Shemoneh Perakim Chapter 5. There, he states: A person should have the int”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 14.--WHETHER INFANTS SHALL RISE IN THAT BODY WHICH THEY WOULD HAVE HAD HAD THEY GROWN UP.: What, then, are we to say of infants, if not that they will not rise in that diminutive body in which they died, but shall receive by the marvellous and rapid operation of God that body which time by a slower process would have given them? For in the Lord's words, where He says, "Not a hair of your head 495 shall perish,"(1) it is asserted that nothing which was possessed shall be wanting; but it is not said that nothing which was not posse”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 8.--WE HAVE NO MEMORY OF OUR: CREATION. And whosoever shall have attempted to fathom such knowledge may not improperly have addressed to him the words we have before quoted, "Seek not out the things that are too high for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength." Now it is not a question of mere altitude, such as is beyond our stature, but it is an elevation which our intelligence cannot reach, and a strength which our mental power cannot cope with. And yet it is neither the heaven of heavens, nor the measure of the stars, nor t”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 99: to Scripture. That we detract, in any respect, from the power of God, is so far from being true, that our doctrine is the loudest in extolling it. But as they continue to charge us with robbing God of his honour, in rejecting what, according to common apprehension, it is difficult to believe, though it had been promised by the mouth of Christ; I answer, as I lately did, that in the mysteries of faith we do not consult common apprehension, but, with the placid docility and spirit of meekness which James recommends ( James 1:21 ), re”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 12.--AGAINST THE CALUMNIES WITH WHICH UNBELIEVERS THROW RIDICULE UPON THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH. (part 1): But their way is to feign a scrupulous anxiety in investigating this question, and to cast ridicule on our faith in the resurrection of the body, by asking, Whether abortions shall rise? And as the Lord says, "Verily I say unto you, not a hair of your head shall perish,"(1) shall all bodies have an equal stature and strength, or shall there be differences in size? For if there is to be equality, wh”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 6:26: Which of you by taking thought,.... As Christ argued before, from the unnecessariness of anxious thoughts and cares, about the provisions of life; so here, from the unprofitableness of them; it being impossible for a man, with all his care and thought, to add one cubit unto his stature, or "to his age"; so the word is rendered, Joh 9:21 to the days of his life, he is so solicitous about; for a cubit may as well be applied to a man's age, as an "hand's breadth" is to his days, Psa 39:5. Nor is it so reasonable to think, that Christ should be speaking of making such ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 63: and prone to ascribe all perfection to our flesh, unless we receive as it were ocular demonstration of our weakness, we readily estimate our virtue above its proper worth, and doubt not that, whatever happens, it will stand unimpaired and invincible against all difficulties. Hence we indulge a stupid and empty confidence in the flesh, and then trusting to it wax proud against the Lord himself; as if our own faculties were sufficient without his grace. This arrogance cannot be better repressed than when He proves to us by experience”