The Nourished CEO Podcast Honoring God With Our Health
Honoring God with our health can feel confusing at times. The Bible tells us that our bodies are temples. Society tells us our bodies should be worshipped. It's easy to see why some women become obsessed with their health and consider it to be honoring to God. The truth is, a "temple" is a place of worship and exultation where we give glory to God. By viewing our body a temple and using that as an excuse to obsess over our health, we’re saying that our health is on an equal level with our devotion to God. It shouldn’t be.
We should treat our bodies as a home. Our real home should be a place where we feel most comfortable, where we enjoy sharing community with family and friends, and where we honor and worship God with our daily lives. Our bodies and health should be a reflection of the first and greatest commandment: honoring nothing above God, but treating it with love and respect so we may serve out our God-given purpose.
Many women put their health goals above everything else in their lives. Preferring to grind out their hours at the gym, restricting their diets, and therefore the fulfillment in their lives, at the expense of their relationship with God. If we’re not taking time in our day to sit in the worship of God, whether through services, small groups, reading the Bible, or quiet contemplation, we’re not actually living our true Christ-following life.
In this episode, I talk about what healthy habits we can establish that will honor God better than restricting our health. It’s important to worship the Lord in the best ways we can while also ensuring that the habits we develop are good for our health. Because there are habits that we think are good (restricting food when we don’t medically have to, forgoing community in favor of exercise, etc) that are actually quite bad for us.
We also need to see health as a means to an end, not an end in itself. When we’re in good health, we’re living as close to how God intended us to be. Health and healing is a Kingdom principle. But we also need to recognize that there are other people who aren’t able to be in good health all the time. Those who do have good health have a responsibility to care for them, whether through nursing and medical care, charity, or otherwise. Our health can and should be used to serve and care for others, especially those who are in need and have not been blessed with good health.
How do you honor God in your everyday life? Do you spend your time in the gym instead of in worship? What habits have you developed that might actually be detrimental to both your health and your relationship with God? Let me know in the comments on the episode page!
Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!
In This Episode:
- Why you should treat your body like a home, not a temple
- How our health is a reflection of the first and greatest commandment
- Why we need to use our health to help others who can’t care for themselves
- How your health goals can take you away from your relationship with God
- What healthy habits are honoring to God
- How your "healthy" habits can be good or bad for your health
Quotes:
“Your body is your home. It deserves appropriate maintenance so it can thrive. But it’s not meant to be worshipped and obsessed over. It’s not meant to give you fear and anxiety if it’s not in the perfect condition. And it’s also not meant to be neglected. To honor God with your body means to respect and care for your body in a way that allows you to pursue your Kingdom purpose that God created you for.” (7:35)
“While there’s nothing wrong with eating and exercising in a way that helps you look your best, be careful that your own personal vanity goals aren’t clouding your ability to be obedient to God’s guidance in your life.” (11:49)
“If we’re worried about our physical health all the time, we’re going to be making decisions based out of fear, based out of anxiety, and a lot of the time, those are not decisions that are beneficial to our health.” (22:52)
Links:
Get Your Free eBook: Honoring God With Your Health
Join the Challenge: Faith Over Fear 5-Day Body Confidence Challenge
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