Inviting Christ into Your Health and Healing Journey

For many Christian women, there's a disconnect between our faith and our physical health. We pray about our relationships, our finances, our kids—but when it comes to our bodies, we often try to handle it on our own or feel guilty for focusing on ourselves.

But what if your health journey could be a spiritual practice? What if inviting Christ into your healing could transform not just your body, but your relationship with God?

Why We Separate Faith and Health

Many of us have been taught (explicitly or implicitly) that:

• Focusing on our bodies is vain or selfish
• Health is about willpower, not faith
• God cares about spiritual things, not physical things
• We should be able to "just trust God" without addressing physical health

But Scripture tells a different story.

What Scripture Says About Our Bodies

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Our bodies matter to God. They're temples of the Holy Spirit, and we're called to steward them well.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10

We're God's handiwork—including our bodies. Taking care of them isn't vanity; it's stewardship.

What It Means to Invite Christ In

Inviting Christ into your health journey means:

1. Recognizing That Your Body Matters to God

Your physical health isn't separate from your spiritual health. When you take care of your body, you're honoring God. When you ignore your body, you're missing an opportunity to steward what God has given you.

2. Asking God for Wisdom

Just like you'd pray for wisdom in other areas, pray for wisdom about your health:

• "God, show me what my body needs."
• "Help me make choices that honor you."
• "Give me wisdom about what's best for me."

3. Seeing Health as Stewardship

Taking care of your body isn't selfish—it's stewardship. When you have energy, stable moods, and physical wellness, you can better serve your family, your community, and fulfill your calling.

4. Practicing Grace, Not Perfectionism

Inviting Christ in means extending yourself the same grace God extends to you. You don't have to be perfect. You can make mistakes, have hard days, and still be on the right path.

5. Trusting God's Process

Healing takes time. Transformation is a process. Inviting Christ in means trusting His timing and process, even when it's slower than you'd like.

Practical Ways to Invite Christ In

Here's how to make your health journey a spiritual practice:

Start with Prayer

Before meals, before workouts, before making health decisions—pray. Ask God to guide you, to give you wisdom, to help you honor Him with your choices.

Practice Gratitude

Thank God for your body, even the parts you struggle with. Gratitude shifts your perspective from criticism to appreciation.

See Food as Provision

When you eat, remember that food is God's provision for your body. Eat with gratitude, not guilt. Make choices that honor your body as God's temple.

Move with Worship

When you move your body, do it as an act of worship. Thank God for the ability to move, for strength, for health. Let exercise be a form of gratitude.

Rest as Sabbath

Rest isn't laziness—it's Sabbath. God created rest, and your body needs it. Honor rest as a spiritual practice, not just a physical necessity.

Seek Wisdom in Community

Just like you'd seek spiritual wisdom from others, seek health wisdom from trusted sources. God often speaks through community and through the wisdom of others.

Addressing Common Concerns

"Isn't focusing on my body vain?"

Stewardship isn't vanity. Taking care of what God has given you honors Him. Vanity is when appearance becomes your identity. Stewardship is when health becomes an act of worship.

"Shouldn't I just trust God to heal me?"

God often works through practical means. He gave us doctors, nutrition, movement, and community for a reason. Trusting God doesn't mean ignoring the tools He's provided.

"I feel guilty focusing on myself."

Taking care of yourself isn't selfish—it's necessary. You can't pour from an empty cup. When you're healthy, you can better serve others.

The Transformative Power

When you invite Christ into your health journey, something shifts:

• Health becomes worship, not performance
• Choices become about stewardship, not restriction
• Your body becomes a gift to steward, not a problem to fix
• Grace replaces perfectionism
• Process replaces pressure

A Note on Balance

Inviting Christ in doesn't mean making health an idol. It means finding balance—caring for your body without making it your identity, pursuing health without obsessing over it, stewarding well without perfectionism.

Start Today

You don't have to wait until you "have it together" to invite Christ into your health journey. Start today:

• Pray about your health
• Ask God for wisdom
• Practice gratitude for your body
• Make choices that honor God
• Extend yourself grace

You're Not Alone

If you're struggling to connect your faith and your health, you're not alone. Many Christian women feel this tension. But you don't have to navigate it alone.

Consider:

• Working with a coach who understands both faith and health
• Finding a community of women on similar journeys
• Reading books that integrate faith and wellness
• Attending seminars or workshops

The Invitation

Christ wants to be part of every area of your life—including your health. He's not waiting for you to figure it out on your own. He's inviting you to bring Him into this journey, to seek His wisdom, to steward what He's given you, and to experience healing as a spiritual practice.

Will you invite Him in?

Want to explore how to integrate faith and health in your journey? Let's talk about how coaching can support you in making your health a spiritual practice.