This summer I am leading a group of women at my church through a wellness transformation program. The program leads you to know and love God, get whole, and get healthy so that we are more able and available to love others.
It is a program I have gone through before. I have my answers to the weekly questions written in a journal. As I was preparing to start the group up this week, I grabbed the journal prepared to share some of my previous experience with the group. I was ready to sit back as they work through the program, encourage them, facilitate discussion, etc.
Until I had this feeling, this knowing, in my soul….“that won’t do Char-Lee Haze.”
Now, I know this knowing was from the Lord because only my very close family calls me Char-Lee Haze. It is a name reserved for those who have loved me deeply and unconditionally since I was a child. In the most loving way possible, God reached out to convict. There is a new work He wants to do in me through this program.
Biblical Wellness is Working Through Things with the Lord
I have truly worked through my struggles with idolizing my health, food, and exercise. I am free from the bondage of food worry, paying for calories with workouts, and trying to earn love through fitness habits. However, as Joyce Meyer says “new level, new devil.”
Now that I am in a leadership role, walking alongside others in their journey towards that same freedom, I’m tempted to idolize that role. I find myself acting as if I can earn God’s love and favor through working for Him. I find myself trying SO hard. Trying to grow myself. Trying to make my business and my ministry successful in my own strength, in my own timing, and sometimes for my own purposes.
I find myself questioning God as I come up against resistance. In moments of hurt and weakness, I want to shrink back and not take the steps I know God is asking me to take. I entertain fear of how taking those steps might affect my home life, relationships, schedules, and so much more. But, I know that His work is worth pushing past that fear. Keep reading to find out why.
Biblical Wellness is Beautiful Hard Work
I’ve worked through this program before and came out of it free and full of hope. God transformed my relationship with health and wellness. He grew my character; producing the fruits of the Spirit in my life. The experience was beautiful and life changing. Truly transformational.
But you know what else it was? Girl, it was scary, and it was hard work. I remember the freedom of fully surrendering to Him. AND, I remember what it took for me to let go of myself.
Dying to self takes commitment to dig in and do the tough emotional work with the Holy Spirit. It requires that we bring our whole selves to God, laying it all out in front of Him. It means that we ask the hard questions, we sit in uncomfortable feelings, we say “yes” to God even when our family doesn’t get it. We share our hopes and dreams with Him, and then we ask for His will and trust that following Him is what’s best for our lives.
Biblical Wellness Includes Every Part of Ourselves
This knowing is such a strong reminder that wellness transformation is not just about your physical body. It is holistic. Wholeness, or Biblical health and wellness, includes our spirit, mind and body (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). When I work with clients we dig deep with the Holy Spirit into their hearts and into the word of God to work through the heart struggles that keep them trying the next fad diet, pushing their body into the ground at the gym, or eating to the point of feeling sick.
I encourage them to move their bodies in a way they enjoy with Christ. To be working this stuff out spiritually, mentally and physically at the same time. It’s incredible how God shows up and uses that time to renew and transform. I encourage them to invite God to the table to eat with them. To invite God into every single part of their lives.
You may struggle with body dissatisfaction, food and exercise obsession, or you may be dealing with a different manifestation of idolatry, pride, or self-focus in your life. No matter what the enemy is tempting you with, what lies from Satan you’re believing, or what sin you have in your life, God will use a Biblically sound wellness program to work it out.
Biblical Wellness Transformation in 6 Steps
Step 1: Nurture your personal relationship with God
- Study God’s Word
- Pray
- Worship
Transformation happens as a result of knowing the truth and embodying it in our lives. As Christians, we should be becoming more like Christ every day. Every aspect of health stems off of this. We must know Him.
Step 2: Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a tool we can use to show up and say “yes” to the Holy Spirit. Through mindfulness we are able to unveil our true thoughts and emotions, listen to God’s voice, keep the truths of scripture in our minds, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us–one victory at a time.
Grab my free Christian Mindfulness video
Step 3: Eat in a way that honors God
Intuitive Eating is a dynamic integration of mind, body, and spirit. It is the way God designed us to eat and live. We gain attunement with our bodies and the Holy Spirit and we make lifestyle choices based on the signals we receive.
Sounds pretty simple right? That is because eating really should be simple! God didn’t intend for eating to be as confusing as our culture has made it. Intuitive Eating helped me let go of diet culture and trust my innate ability to eat and move in a way that works best for me. This has made me able and available to focus on my true purpose: loving God and Loving people.
Check out the 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating Here and get started today
Step 4: Move your body in joy
Joyful body movement is moving our bodies doing something we enjoy with a heart of worship. Moving our body is not something we have to do but rather something we get to do. It is an expression of thankfulness towards the Father. It’s a tool we use to grow closer to Him, to grow in Him, and to allow Him to fill us up so we are able and available to love on others.
Check out my guide to Intuitive Exercise here
Step 5: Love others
The whole point of being well is so you can live out God’s purpose for your life. Loving Him and Loving others. We do this by using our gifts. What has God gifted you with? Sit down in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your gifts, talents, and abilities to you. Ask Him how He wants to use you to love others and spread the Gospel. Transformation fills our cup so that we may pour from it for others.
Step 6: Repeat
Your cup always needs to be refilled. You never get to a place where you have arrived and you have no more room to grow. We continue to walk with the Lord, to practice mindfulness with God, to eat with God, to move with God, to love others with God. We go about our day to day lives in close fellowship with the Lord because through all of that we are growing to be more like Christ. We’re allowing Him to fill us with His love and grace.
Biblical Wellness is a Result of Becoming More Like Jesus
God gave us the gift of a Savior so that we may be in close fellowship with Him and have the Holy Spirit within us. He gave us the gifts of our minds, the gift of fellowship, the gifts of food and body movement. He gave us each unique gifts, talents, and abilities. All with the purpose of glorifying Him through loving Him and loving others. God uses all these things to grow us–to make us the best versions of ourselves in Him if we will let Him.
It is through walking with the Lord through all this that we experience the abundant life Jesus came to give us. This is wholeness; Biblical health and Wellness.
“…I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 AMP
Biblical Wellness is a Journey Not a Destination
So I’m going to journey with the Lord fully knowing that there will be hard things. In some instances It will require letting go of my people pleasing personality. Following God might put some strain on my relationships. It might take me out of my comfort zone.
I will meet with Him, eat and drink with Him, move my body with Him, serve Him, answer the questions He poses and ask Him the questions in the program. I fully trust that He will renew me.
I’m surrendering to God, asking for transformation again because, like all of us here on earth, I have not yet arrived. None of us are called to simply live a life that’s comfortable to us. I’m pushing past my fear and my comfort zone to meet you where you’re at in your Intuitive Eating Journey.
Have you ever felt led to push past your fear and step out of your comfort zone to honor God’s will in your life? How did it go? Let me know in the comments, or find me on Facebook or Instagram to dive deeper!
