As middle-aged (and beyond) Christian homemakers, we carry heavy loads. Between managing our homes, nurturing our families, and serving in ministry, it is easy to put our own well-being on the back burner. So many of the women I talk to are struggling daily to overcome fatigue, brain fog, chronic pain, and sleeplessness. We pour from empty cups, wondering why our bodies are failing us when our spirits are so willing to serve.
I want to remind you of what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Taking time to care for your body is not selfish; it is an act of biblical health stewardship. If we want to leave a lasting health legacy for our children and have the energy to fulfill God's calling on our lives, we must learn to be a good steward of our bodies. Today, I want to share three books that profoundly shifted my perspective on what biblical health truly looks like and how to practice godly self-care.
The first book I discovered was at a doctor's office in Asheville, North Carolina. He had a beautiful, small library of books for patients to borrow. While I was waiting for my thermography appointment, I began scanning through the titles, and one in particular intrigued me: What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell, M.D. The subtitle promised three principles that will change your diet and improve your health.
I had already started doing word studies on health in the Bible, a practice I highly recommend to everyone. But knowing someone had already done the extensive research made me eager to learn from their findings. Dr. Russell was a board-certified invasive radiologist, a deacon at his church, and a teacher of weekly Bible and health classes.
Like many of us who find ourselves seeking alternative health options, Dr. Russell came to realize the conventional medical system was not helping his diabetes diagnosis. His health was only getting worse, leaving him with fatigue and symptoms he could not shake. In desperation, he turned to God for answers, asking, “If we are so wonderfully made, why am I so sick? God, why didn't you give us a way to be healthy?”
To which the Holy Spirit gently replied, “Have you really read my instruction book?”
With that thought, he began searching the scriptures for God's instructions on self-care and wellness. Part One of his book is essentially a deep Bible study on biblical health. Part Two covers the three principles of health he discovered in his studies, and Part Three dives into the specific foods mentioned in the Bible. His main point is incredibly empowering: many chronic diseases can be avoided simply by following God's divine design for health.
Honestly, I was never interested in the next book, The Daniel Plan, for two reasons. First, I have never been interested in trying trendy diets. Second, and mostly, I knew from the book of Daniel that he ate pulse and drank water. I had absolutely no interest in eating a strict diet like that! LOL
When I saw it on a suggested reading list during my nutrition certification course through the Trinity School of Natural Health, it piqued my curiosity. However, I changed my mind and became very interested in reading the book when I saw that two of the contributing authors were Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Mark Hyman, whom I highly respect.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was about much more than just pulse and water. It is actually a wonderful, comprehensive book on holistic health, covering the mind, body, soul, and spirit. I actually began using it as a personal Bible study.
Lastly, my interest in Steve Willis's book, Winning the Food Fight, was piqued while I was reading The Daniel Plan. The authors told the story of a church in Virginia that switched to healthy snacks in its children's department and began educating children about the difference between real food God created and processed, fake foods. Isn't that a novel idea for our church ministries?
Willis's book tells the inspiring story of one church's remarkable mental, physical, and spiritual turnaround. This shift happened after a faithful church member, who was in the prime of his life, died unexpectedly during heart surgery. His tragic death prompted Pastor Willis to ask some hard questions. What if this dear brother had addressed his weight and high blood pressure before they got out of hand? Would he still be here to care for his family, build his health legacy, and serve in the ministries he loved so dearly?
I found this book to be incredibly thought-provoking. It highlighted a truth I share often: health is more of a mental and spiritual battle than a purely physical one. Satan does not want us to maintain the temple of the Holy Spirit. Poor health, chronic pain, and exhaustion keep us sidelined. They hinder us from serving our Savior with joy and, in the worst cases, can cause premature death.
We must change our minds about how we view the health of our temple. We need to measure the instructions given in scripture versus what man has taught us. These three books have opened my mind to a healthy, biblical perspective of what true wellness looks like. It takes time and intentionality, but you can overcome your struggles with natural methods designed by God.
If you are ready to start building your own health legacy and want a simple path to follow, I would love to help you take that first step. Get my guide, 7 Steps to Renewing Your Health.
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