Guest Post: 9 Ways Your Faith Can Motivate Your Health Goals

Today I get to feature some sweet truths from my dear friend Diana Kerr. She is a life coach and a fellow Paleo style foodie like I am (and many of you too). She comes today to talk about how God cares about our health. I’m excited for you to read it!

As a life coach, I’ve seen lots of clients set all types of health goals. Their motivation usually stems from personal desires such as wanting to feel more confident, have more energy for their families, fit back into their favorite clothes, complete a 5K, etc.

These are all great “whys” to propel them forward, but here’s an additional thought:

Have you ever thought about how your faith could motivate healthy living?

My goal today is to help you see how much God cares about your health and to find faith-based motivation to back up your health goals.

Why? As Christians, we’re each equipped with a mission from God, and good health can help us carry out that mission.  

Now, no one wants to be told it’s a sin to eat a donut—I’m not about to do that! And as much as we all admire Dr. Meghan for her healthy choices, she’s definitely not in the business of guilting people either.

See, there’s freedom when it comes to food and our bodies. We aren’t subject to God’s strict laws he created for Old Testament believers (and thank goodness, because my sanity has a weakness for dark chocolate). Still, I want to use my freedom wisely, not because I have to, but because I get to, out of response to what Jesus has done for me.

So with that freedom in mind, let’s talk about why your health is so precious to God, and how your faith can motivate you in healthy living!

1. God lives in your body. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) This passage comes from a section on sexual immorality, but the message’s application is broad: treat your body as if Christ lives in it, because he does. Fill yourself with good things.
2. Your body belongs to God. That same verse goes on to say, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Psalm 24:1 is another good example. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
3. God formed you in his image, calls you his child, and loves you like crazy. He put a lot of care into creating humans. There’s no doubt he loves you and is concerned about your well-being. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1)!
4. God created your body to need food for fuel, and he cared enough about food to dictate countless times in the Bible what kind of food was permissible for his people in those times. It began in the Garden of Eden. “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food’” (Genesis 1:29).
5. The Bible lifts up wisdom and good decision-making as one of the most valuable qualities God’s people can possess. Why wouldn’t wisdom apply to choices related to our health? “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15).
6. Everything you do in life has to do with God and points back to God. This is hard to swallow because I fail to remember this so often, but God covers us with grace and gives us his strength. ^“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
7. The sacrifices you make for God and the gifts you surrender to him include your body and your health. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
8. God grants us only a limited amount of time on earth. Why not make the best of them, for yourself and for him? “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures” (Psalm 90:10).
9. God has plans for you right up until the end of your life. Look at Moses and many of the other Bible greats who led God’s people even in their very old age. “Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone” (Deuteronomy 34:7). I’m not saying you can’t serve God without being in great health (I have rheumatoid arthritis and have seen God work through my illness), but it helps. Good health choices help maximize your potential service for God.

Remember, friend, this post is not to inflict guilt, but to encourage you! You have the freedom to choose what you will eat or drink, how often you exercise, how much you sleep, etc.

In that spirit of freedom, 1 Corinthians 10:23 is a good verse to close with: ‘“I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive.” This passage will mean different things to each of us! For me personally, someone who has to carefully manage my diet in order to live well with rheumatoid arthritis, that means I’ll indulge in a piece of dark chocolate without guilt, but a pint of ice cream or some sugary cookies ain’t gonna happen.

What does healthy living for God’s glory look like in your life? Choose a passage from above and put it somewhere to motivate you!

For more mindset-shifting truths that will lift a big weight off your shoulders, click here to download my free workbook: 3 Lies about Time Christian Women Tell Themselves & 3 Truths That Will Set You Free. You’ll also get to join thousands of other Jesus-loving women in my email family and receive juicy, practical tips on intentional living each week.

 

Diana Kerr is a Certified Professional Life Coach whose mission is to help go-getter Christian chicks break free from overwhelm and design their time + life for what matters most. Diana lives in Milwaukee, WI, with her husband, Kyle, and their son, Harrington. Follow Diana on Facebook or Instagram or visit her website to learn more about life coaching with Diana and explore her free tips and resources.