Your Health Is More Than Your Body
Today, I want to delve into a topic that is close to my heart – the interconnectedness of physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual well-being. It’s something that I’ve been passionate about for years, and I believe it’s crucial for all of us to understand the impact that our physical health has on our total wellness.
When we think about health, it’s easy to focus solely on our physical bodies. We often try to change our weight, diet, and exercise programs because of how we look. Some people naturally look how they want to, some have given up, and some of us just don’t care about what we look like; but, if we stop with looks as our motivation, we are falling short.
The Health Of Your Body Affects Every Other Part Of You
Many people fail to realize that our physical health has a profound impact on our mental & emotional health and also our spiritual wellness. When we neglect our bodies our mental & emotional health suffers as well. (Have you ever had poor sleep and then felt grumpy the next day?) Although it may seem strange that the health of our bodies can affect the health of our spiritual lives, it really is true. Let me give you an example:
If you feel weak, tired, and fuzzy headed, how likely are you to pick up your Bible and read? If you do read it, will understand what it was saying? Have you ever tried to pray in such a condition? It’s hard to pray when you can’t think straight or are falling asleep! Through physical inability, we can actually get to the point where we are unable to properly care for our spiritual life. Of course, that starts a vicious cycle…
Let’s Reframe How We Look At Caring For Our Bodies
The truth is, when we take care of our bodies, we are also taking care of our minds and spirits. Physical activity releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. Eating a balanced diet not only nourishes our bodies but also supports our mental clarity. Getting enough sleep allows our minds to rest and recharge. All of these factors contribute to our overall well-being and allow us to recharge our spiritual life.
So, even if your body was never that import to you, from now on please consider the impact of your choices on your mind and spirit. God wants all of you well!1
How do We Honor God With Our Bodies?
There are two very basic ways that we can honor God with our bodies: we can use them to do things that please Him2 and we can care for them as if they are His temple (because they are).3
Things That Please God
The things that please God are sometimes very specific and personal4 as when He puts it into your heart to pray for someone in particular. Oftentimes, they are very general, like treating others with respect.5 If you spend time reading the Bible regularly, you will know what pleases Him.6 And the Holy Spirit will also speak to you through your conscience,7 if not directly to your mind.8 If you want to follow God, He will enable you.9
Now that we know how simple it is to please God with our bodies, let’s move on to the focus of this post: how to correctly treat our bodies.
Our Bodies Are His Temple
It’s kind of funny to imagine that armpits and smelly feet are parts of a temple, but they are! The Bible refers to people as the children of God.10 and just like your parents’ DNA became a part of who you are (and is always inside of you), God breathed His Spirit into you to bring you life and is always inside of you too.11
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16, NLT
Temple Care
So how do we care for HIs temple? Just regular maintenance! You don’t need fancy hair or jewelry,12 just a little (un)common sense: we need to go back to the basics. What was life like when God created humans in the first place?
1.) Their days and nights were ruled by nature.
When the sun was up, they were, and when it wasn’t, they weren’t.
2.) They had full-spectrum daylight in their skin.
Did you know that there are different spectrums of light at different times of day? They are all healthy for us (in certain amounts) and are important to the signaling, repair, and regular functioning of our body.
3.) They did not live insulated from the weather.
I am not suggesting that we live in uninsulated homes, but ice bathing and saunas are therapeutic for a reason. We are meant to be safely exposed to weather extremes from time to time. It is good for us.
4.) They did not have cars, electric blenders, gasoline powered weed cutters, etc.
In the beginning, mankind was active and did their work with their own energy.
5.) Processed food did not exist.
Not too long ago in the past, you could not buy a bottle of vegetable oil or a bag of refined sugar. For most of our history, food was seasonal, fresh, and unaltered. The food was usually more nutrient dense as well. (Farmed food often has lower nutrient density than wild because of soil depletion.) The animals used as food were also usually healthier (because they ate their natural diets).
6.) Man-made chemicals did not exist.
First off: not all chemicals are bad and not all man-made chemicals are bad. The point I am making here is that at the beginning of human history it was impossible to buy and apply a cosmetic product with untested and/or mutagenic chemicals. (Not that there aren’t toxic/poisonous botanicals – there are. And, yes, the ancients did eventually use heavy metal in their cosmetics…) The general rule that I am pointing out here is that if it safe to eat it, it is safe to apply it to your skin. It doesn’t work exactly the same way the other way around (you probably wouldn’t try eating your cosmetics). We would be a lot healthier, however, if we acted as if our skin does absorb everything we put onto it (because it actually does – that is why we put medications into patches.)
7.) Man-made scents did not exist.
Yes, Adam and Eve could combine flowers or burn wood/tobacco leaves, etc. and so “create” a scent, but they weren’t isolateing and synthesizing chemical compounds. Many of the fragrances in personal care products, home care products, etc. are proven toxicants.
8.) Synthetic fibers did not exist.
There are certainly weather appropriate synthetic fabrics but, in general, it is healthier to wear cleanly produced and processed natural fibers.
Action Steps
I could go into more differences between the world now and as it used to be, but you get the picture. It isn’t that everything modern or man-made is bad (it isn’t!), our bodies just function better and stay healthier when we live according to the ancient blueprint.
Can you take a step or two in that direction today? Pick something off of the list and make a conscious effort to get more back to basics in that area.
For example, the next time you buy underwear, buy Pact’s organic cotton. Or, the next time you are at the grocery store, skip the dryer sheets and buy some wool dryer balls instead. You don’t have to change everything overnight!
Remember Why
Let’s bring this full circle now. Although many of us would be happy to have a “just” a healthier body, when we improve our physical health we are also improving our mental & emotional health and giving ourselves the ability to improve our spiritual health. It’s a win-win-win!
I know that lifestyle changes can be challenging, and that deciding what needs to be done can be overwhelming. Please don’t ever allow yourself to feel judged or criticized for where you arena your health journey. When we know better, we do better. It is never too late to reap the benefit of making healthy changes!
You Don’t Have To Do It All Alone
Sometimes it is easier to do something with a friend. Consider calling some of your family or friends as you learn new things and asking them if they are willing to take steps with you. You might be surprised by how interested they are!
If, however, you are not quite ready for leading others and would like a little help getting started yourself, our coaching programs will be of interest to you. We provide a friendly, supportive environment in which you can explore how you personally can improve your physical (and therefore mental, emotional, and spiritual) health.
We are here for you!
Be well,
Your Friends at Purely Jubilant
Would you like to Learn More?
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Resources for this post:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ↩︎
- Ephesians 2:10 ↩︎
- 1 Corinthians 6:19 ↩︎
- Ephesians 4:11 ↩︎
- Matthew 7:12 ↩︎
- Psalm 119:11 ↩︎
- Romans 9:1 ↩︎
- Hebrews 3:7 ↩︎
- 2 Corinthians 1:12 ↩︎
- 1 John 3:1 ↩︎
- Job 33:4 ↩︎
- 1 Peter 3:3-4 ↩︎
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