An unhealthy body hinders your service for God. It’s hard to be spiritual when you feel lousy. It’s difficult to change the world when your body aches. What if you could make small changes with a tremendous impact on your health? Ponder these life- changing tips for physical health.
God created man as a triune being. We have a body, soul, and spirit. While Christianity focuses on the soul and spirit, we must not be negligent of the body God gave us.
Our body is the tabernacle of the soul.
2 Corinthians 5:1–4
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”
In Heaven, we will receive a spiritual body that will never get sick or grow old. Until then, we only have one body in this life.
Bodily exercise is profitable.
1 Timothy 4:8
“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
Physical health benefits pale in comparison to the necessity of the spirit and soul, but it is important. It may profit little compared to spiritual
things, but that doesn’t make it meaningless. Without a healthy body, you cannot serve God to your full potential.
Body, soul, and spirit are connected. Mental, emotional, and spiritual states affect the body. For example, there is a difference in the chemical composition of happy tears and sad tears. Anger, depression, etc. have visible effects on the body.
On the other hand, it is hard to feel spiritual when your body hurts, or you feel sick. Eternal works of God such, as soul winning, are hindered by a sick body. A sick preacher can’t preach as well. An unwell teacher struggles to teach. Church attendance and Christian service suffer when believers are unhealthy.
God created our world according to physical laws. They are consistent with believers and unbelievers alike. If a Christian jumps off a cliff, gravity will do its work. He will “go splat” like a lost person.
God can overrule these natural laws at His pleasure.
We call these divine actions miracles. However, Scripture and experience teach us that we must live in harmony with God’s laws or face the consequences.
Why is it that most Christians pay so little attention to their physical health? Many people pay more attention to the kind of gas they put in their cars or the food they feed their pets than they do what they put in their bodies. We know that most things that don’t get used stop working. The worst thing for a vehicle is to sit still. It will rust out. Yet, so few get healthy exercise.
I’m not advocating for you to become a model or so focused on your outward appearance that your spiritual life suffers.
The other side of the health coin is that most Christians spend more time doing their hair than praying to Almighty God.
For many years, I have fought against the worldly ideas of beauty that enslave people in thoughts of unattainable looks. Most of the people in Hollywood and on magazine covers spend hundreds of dollars and several hours with professional hair and makeup artists to achieve the looks for which they are known. After all that, the pictures are photoshopped! If you want a laugh that will make you feel better about yourself, look up some photos of celebrities without makeup. Shocking!
Furthermore, those who spend enough time on themselves to get washboard abs and 8% body fat are often selfish. They have to be demanding and hard-to-live-with in order to achieve those feats. Yet, in the process, they lose humility, empathy, and focus on God. Vanity health is not worth the cost.
What are we to do? We must find a balance between physical and spiritual health. A “healthy trinity” is the goal. It is possible to achieve physical, emotional, and spiritual health at the same time with God’s help!
Health is more than a concept to my family and me.
We have struggled with health problems for many years.
I have fought health problems my whole life. I was a very sick baby. It took my mom and the doctors months to figure out the I was allergic to milk. I’m not just lactose intolerant, but I am allergic to the proteins found in milk, whey, and casein. When I was young, if I had a cracker or cookie with any milk products, I would get sick. The allergy was so severe that it would pull my entire immune system down, making me feel terrible and opening the door for other illnesses. Though not as severe, I still have to be careful today.
My wife, Sarah, has wrestled with illness most of her life as well. When she was in grade school, she had a unique condition that crippled her feet. She could not walk for two years.
More recently, she has battled severe and debilitating autoimmune diseases for over a decade. She almost died 13 years ago because her body was shutting down. For the last 8 years, she has been bed- bound 95% of the time in constant excruciating pain. She has been out of our house once in the past year. Most of her days are spent lying in bed in horrifying pain.
We have spent tens of thousands of dollars and searched the country for help.
In our search to save Sarah’s life, keep her alive, and heal her body, we have consulted with renowned medical doctors and natural health practitioners. From the world-famous Mayo Clinic to a country chiropractor office in a small town where over 50,000 people have traveled to receive unique help, we have done it all. We have eaten food and completed health protocols that would make you cringe. We have taken countless supplements. We have spent all. Wouldn’t you do anything you could to save a loved one?
We have anointed, fasted, and prayed more than we can count. Through all of this, our gracious God has decided to leave Sarah in the furnace of affliction. We don’t doubt His love or question His wisdom. Every day is difficult. Some days are unbearable. We simply beg for mercy, grace, strength, wisdom, and power to overcome the trial. We have much for which to be grateful.
In my attempt to take care of my wife, our children, and our dear church family, I get sick more often than most. I run myself ragged, going until my body can’t go anymore.
I don’t tell you this for sympathy or pity. We have a blessed life that I wouldn’t trade with anyone.
I share this with you to convey the importance of a healthy body. I’ve learned (the hard way) that I must take care of myself in order to take care of others and fulfill God’s will.
Allow me to share ten principles of physical health that we have learned over the years. They will improve your life, allow you to accomplish more for God, and feel better doing it.
1. Healthy Diet
Food is the building blocks of health. Would you rather live in a home built with the best materials or scraps from the dump? All of us would prefer a mansion on Ocean Drive over a hut of block and tin in a third world shanty village.
If your food is dead, it can’t give you life. Through God’s creative power, your body can use almost anything for energy. But empty calories of sugars and simple carbs don’t have the nutrients necessary for health. Choose nutrient dense vegetables and fruits as the bulk of your diet. Raw food is living food. Pay more attention to micronutrients like vitamins and minerals than macronutrients like carbs, fats, and protein. Some fat is good, and some is bad. Learn the difference. Seeds, nuts, and microgreens are underutilized. Cruciferous vegetables are powerful. Meat is good when eaten in proper context of your overall diet. Stay away from preservatives and processed food.
Stop the simple sugar binge. White sugar has been proven to be more addictive than cocaine. The more you eat, the more you want. Break the cycle.
Avoid allergens. Many people are allergic to some foods without knowing it. The most common food allergies are cow’s milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, and fish. Pay attention to how you feel after eating. A food journal that records what you eat and how you feel is revealing.
Eat only when you are in a good mood with a grateful heart. This practice ensures that you monitor your relationship with food. Also, negative attitudes affect your body chemistry and digestion.
Choose wisely who you will listen to for advice about your diet. It’s easy to lose weight by starving your body. Choose health over fads.
2. Proper Exercise
Exercise is essential for physical health. At the Mayo Clinic we were shown a chart for bed-bound patients that showed how the body breaks down over time without proper movement. It was astounding. The breakdown begins in hours. Exercise is vital.
Your needs for planned exercise vary based on age, health, and career.
You don’t need an hour of cardio unless you are an athlete. None of God’s creatures run like that. Most animals sprint and rest. No wonder High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) done right is so effective.
Strength training is more valuable than cardio alone. You don’t need a gym. Bodyweight exercises are sufficient for most people. If you can’t move your bodyweight easily, you are not strong enough.
A mini-trampoline is a simple tool that encourages lymphatic circulation and protects your joints. It is a low- impact way to get the blood flowing and change your physical and emotional state.
3. Bioavailable Supplements
An apple today has fewer nutrients than an apple 100 years ago. Due to mass farming practices and the devolution of our sin-cursed world, food is not as nutritious as it once was.
Supplements are a great way to build physical health.
WARNING: Not all supplements are equal.
I have been appalled that some of the best medical doctors have so little training in nutrition. With only a semester of basic nutrition required for most doctors, their entire education is based on (and often underwritten by) pharmaceuticals.
After one of Sarah’s blood tests revealed a vitamin deficiency, we asked a a renowned doctor what brand he recommended. He told us to “go to Wal-mart and buy the cheapest we could find.” Wow! Thankfully, we had already learned enough about nutrition to disregard that advice. Quality matters in supplements.
Two important concepts are formula and bioavailability.
Most vitamins have multiple formulations. Vitamin companies can market the version that is cheaper to produce but not as effective. Bio-availability is the measure of how easily your body can absorb a substance and use it efficiently. Some vitamin pills don’t even dissolve in your body. Undissolved pills can be seen in pics of solid waste plants. Some of the most famous brands that market a lot are the least effective.
I recommend powdered multi-vitamins that are nutrient- dense over pill forms.
In a flooded market, it’s hard to know what supplements to use. We have spent crazy amounts of money on doctor consultations and supplements to find what works. You can find a list of my recommendations at paulechapman.com/recommend under the health section.
4. Biblical Fasting
Fasting is a powerful tool for physical and spiritual health. The first 2-3 days of fasting make you feel sick because your body begins the detoxification process as soon as you stop digesting food.
You can read my articles about fasting at paulechapman.com or listen to sermons about fasting at curtiscornerbaptist.com.
One of our natural health doctors recommends fasting one day a week, three days a month, and one week a year. Fasting at a change of seasons helps your body adapt to environmental allergens and the change in weather.
5. Restful Sleep
God made our bodies to sleep. Healing accelerates, and our batteries recharge while sleeping. Use blackout shades and/or curtains. Darkness stimulates the pineal gland to encourage sleep.
Stop using handheld electronics an hour before bedtime. The blue light stimulates wakefulness comparable to a sunrise. That’s why most devices have a nighttime setting nowadays. It’s best to turn off all electronics and read before bed.
Don’t eat three hours before bedtime. You may go to sleep, but your body will be busy. Your body can’t rest and digest food at the same time.
Go to bed by 10:00 pm, if possible. This gives the pineal gland time to produce melatonin that restores youthfulness and fights disease. Some doctors estimate that the hours you sleep before midnight are worth 2 hours compared to each hour you sleep after midnight.
6. Fresh Air
Your body needs enough oxygen to function optimally. Do not smoke. Use an air filter. Change your furnace filter on schedule. Eliminate damp or moldy areas in your home. Flush your home with fresh outside air regularly. Practice deep breathing from your abdomen several times a day.
7. Pure Water
Water is a solvent. It dissolves and holds elements of what it comes in contact with. Remember when they took BPE out of plastic water bottles?
Drink clean water. Check the water in your home. Install a reverse osmosis filter if necessary. Most people are chronically dehydrated. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water every day.
Add minerals that promote health to your water. Eliminate soft drinks. Limit coffee to two cups per day.
8. Balanced Posture
Find a good chiropractor that employs upper cervical adjustments rather than a “bone-cracker.” Your spine doesn’t need to be in pain to benefit from an adjustment.
Develop your upper back muscles with a good exercise program. This will pull your shoulder back into proper posture.
Pay attention to how you stand and sit. Position your neck above your shoulders rather than hanging it out over your chest.
Stretch daily to stay limber, reducing pain and soreness.
9. Healthy Sunlight
Sunlight is good for your mental and physical health. Try to get 15 minutes of sun a day when weather permits. Don’t get sunburned. The chemicals in sunscreen can be harmful. Choose wisely.
Sunlight promotes the production of essential vitamin D and positive mental health.
10. Positive Attitude
Emotions directly affect your physical health. Read and practice the Bible. Pray and meditate daily. Forgive those who wrong you.
Focus on solutions, not problems. Problems are simply opportunities to learn and grow. Love and help others rather than focus on self and difficulties.
Smile and laugh often. Fear, anger, sadness, worry, grief, and sorrow are the underlying emotions that will destroy your health.
This is a list of things we have learned over the years. I’m sure some will disagree with portions depending on where they got their information. One thing we can all agree on is that we need a healthy body to serve God to our fullest.
It’s obvious when you meet me that I’m not the picture of health. I still don’t have all this down in practice. The great challenge of life is to do what we know to do consistently. It’s easy to fall into unhealthy habits when life gets busy. I present this
information, not as a model of health, but as a concerned friend. I pray it helps someone.
Choose a healthy practice that you will start today. May God give us wisdom to live healthily and power to overcome bad habits!