Christian Health: Spirit, Heart, Mind & Body
During a season of healing God spoke to me about resting in Him. I was experiencing anxiety, the out of nowhere type that makes your back hurt. Every now and then my mind races and I feel overwhelmed, it’s mostly brought on by feelings of fear and doubt or forgetting who I am in Christ. Sometimes anxiety just randomly appears even in moments of peace. I know it’s so strange, right? but the more I researched about my symptoms, the more I began to realize that throughout my life I had gone through a lot of traumatic events, and even though I had forgiven, been forgiven, and let go of bitterness, that somehow the trauma I had experienced was trapped in my body and it needed to be treated, so I began to research the nervous system and found ways to manage and treat the symptoms of stress what I learned was that I was in survival mode, and by God’s grace I was coming out of it, however my body needed to catch up and rest, rest in Him like never before.
So many of us Christian’s are walking around with anxiety, and perhaps we are too afraid to talk about it because in our minds God’s word should be enough to calm us down and bring us peace, and that is true, but what I noticed is that God works inwardly spirit, heart, mind, and body. God cares so much about every aspect of our wellbeing.
God promises us that he brings us peace through his word which is Himself (John 1:1), His word points us to His finished work on the cross; Christ died for us to free us from sin, and so when we truly believe that and put our trust in him alone even when our health is failing us, we grow closer to him and our faith grows. Trusting God and having a personal relationship is the most special thing because he speaks to us individually addressing the issues we are most concerned about like our health, whatever we are going through God wants to help us.
In my experience God led me to practical ways to help feel at peace in your body. Your path to healing will be different from mine but when we trust God’s process, healing really does happen. I know that God could heal us just like that and he does in a lot of cases, but often he will ask us to take action just like the man at the healing pool.
“The Healing at the Pool: Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. ”
Notice the action that Jesus asks him to do. What are some acts of faith God is calling you to? Think about this and spend time with God asking this questions, then pause to listen.
Practical Acts of Faith that
Foster Balance & Abundance
For me, cultivating a relationship with Jesus was crucial, the catalyst for a balanced and abundant life. Through intense hardships, I clung to Him, seeking His comfort and wisdom. As I navigated my struggles, I fell deeper in love with Jesus because he never left my side and brought me so much peace. He led me to repentace, fasting, confession (James 5:16), he taught me how to uproot bitterness, led me to seek medical advice for my body and counselling for my mental health— These were all difficult tasks for me, and it won’t be easy or fun for you either but here is what I want you to know is that God is full of grace, He loves you deeply and wants to nurture your spirit, heart, mind, and body. Because you are truly valued and you see when we neglect one of these areas it can negatively impact the others. In (John 10:10), Jesus promises an abundant life. Caring for all these areas enables us to serve God and others more effectively. My hope is to encourage you to seek God diligently, for better health but more importantly to hear His voice more clearly so that you can enjoy more of His presence in your life, because that is the most beautiful thing and the nucleus to the ever elusive abundant life. I am not perfect nor do I feel fully healed but I have seen Him work in my life like nothing else. Below I believe are some great practices we can act on that will help us along.
More than Walking
Walking has so many benefits it connects us to God and His creation, it lifts our mood, tones our body, supports our joints, strengthens our immune system, increases creativity, and enhances cognitive function. It’s also a wonderful way to enjoy a break from daily distractions. Try walking around your neighborhood or workplace. It’s also the way Jesus got around ;) so lace up those shoes and go!
Hydration for Function
Drinking water keeps you hydrated, your body will function better with improved sleep, cognition, better mood, glowy skin and even more energy. To start try drinking 3-5 cups per day once that feels right add to it, your goal should be 8-10 cups per day. These cute glasses shown above hold 2 cups of water so you would only need to fill and drink 4-5 times per day.
Weight Lifting for Protection
Muscles protect our bones and joints, as we age, we lose muscle mass. Lifting weights for even 20 minutes a day benefits both physical and mental health by promoting oxygen flow to the brain, tones your muscles giving us a more youthful appearance. Here is an amazing workout community Leo Sculpt that has really blessed me with easy to follow workout videos. Here is also a great resource to learn more about the science behind it if you are a nerd like me, Forever Strong by Gabrielle Lyon.
Eating for Fuel
Choose organic whole foods rich in nutrients like; grass fed meats, wild caught fish, free run eggs, fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, legumes, rice, grass-fed butter and cheese to fuel your body well, eating clean may sound boring but you can gather so much inspiration just by browsing whole food recipes on Pinterest. Bread is even fine just stick to sourdough, whole grain, rye breads, flat breads like pita are all good choices, for tacos and wraps I love blue corn tortillas. When it comes to cooking oils be careful and stick to olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil. Overly processed foods cause inflammation and can negatively affect the gut microbiome. Trying cooking at home more, this way you can control what goes in your belly. I have learned so much from the Biblical Nutritionist check her out!
Stress Management
If stress feels like physical tension, you're not alone. Here are a few practical things that have helped me: Listening to worship or classical music, deep breathing, walking, exercising, stretching, dancing, journaling, singing, eating well, and getting enough sleep are effective ways to reduce anxiety and stress. These little habits have made a huge difference for me. Other activities like creating beautiful spaces, painting, drawing, playing a musical instrument also reduce stress and bring joy. When was the last time you sang a song out loud, or danced around your living room?
Community, Serving & Giving
Connect with fellow Christians through church groups. Serve together, share your faith with others, and experience the power of communal prayer. Imagine your collective prayers filling a bowl, overflowing with God's blessings onto earth. Giving, whether financially or with your time, done with a cheerful heart, strengthens our purpose and well-being. Connect, serve, and give!
Self-Care Routine
Lastly create an early morning routine that includes reading your Bible, journaling, showering, lightly styling your hair, applying makeup, and wearing comfortable yet presentable clothing. Showing up for yourself, whether you work from home, are a full-time parent, or work in an office etc, prepares you for the day and makes you feel amazing! Remember, scripture tells us that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), and He calls you His own, meaning you are royalty! (1 Peter 2:9) So walk in your authority sister, and put on your lipstick too or lip balm whatever your preference may be. The idea is to treat yourself to a little self-care. I often think of Queen Esther and how she prepared for one whole year with special oils, and beauty treatments. As daughters of the most high we cannot neglect this area, we represent a King.
Beauty Tips
Invest in clean makeup free from toxins, essentials like these beautiful products from Merit they are stunning to look at and won’t harm you. I especially love the blushes, foundation and application brush.
Set up a beautiful space where you can sit and reach for your favourite products, declutter the space so you only display the items you actually use. I’m pretty basic I have my few jewellery pieces that I have on rotation, my favourite perfume and body lotion. Then for all the extra products that maybe take up too much space or don’t look so pretty like serums, toner, lotions, hair brushes and cotton pads I organize and tuck those in a drawer nearby for easy access, doing this will make it easier for your daily routine and it will bring you so much joy as you get ready for the day, then rejoice for God is Good.
A Tip for Long lashes
Before bed, after washing your face, mix equal drops of Organic Cold Pressed Castor Oil and Vitamin E on the top of your hand mix and apply gently to a clean lash line, a little goes a long way, expect to see results in one week!
Final Thoughts
Your body is a vessel for the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) how amazing is that! What an honour it is that Jesus left us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us!
Our health and our whole being is in God’s hands, and we are all a work in progress on a beautiful journey full of struggles and broken pieces that undoubtedly lead us to cling to him. He is our refuge, our healer, our EVERYTHING.
A Prayer of Gratitude
Father I praise your Holy name, whether I get my healing or not, I will still praise you because you alone are worthy of my praise. Thank you for creating me, for loving me, always providing for me and never ever leaving me.
If you are facing medical concerns be sure to seek the advice of medical professionals, during your journey, often God works through them. - For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers. (Proverbs 11:14)
Encouraging Bible Verses
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ”
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Additional resources: The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Philips, God Loves Me and I Love Myself by Mark DeJesus, and The Heart Healing Journey also by Mark Dejesus.
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