Lifestyle Factors and Your Health
By some estimates, approximately 40% of all deaths in the United States are premature (at least 900,000 deaths annually) and are due to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, misuse of alcohol and drugs, and accidents. Other contributors to early death include genetic predisposition (30%), social circumstances (15%), poor access to quality health care (10 percent), and environmental exposures (5%). (David Anderson, Ph.D., StayWell Health Management)
So more than any other factor, it’s our lifestyle that causes us to be unhealthy. Changing old unhealthy habits is not easy but it’s essential if we want to become healthier and live a better quality of life.
God’s Power is Available to You
“God’s way is … an empowered life.” 1 Corinthians 4:20 – The Message
God wants to assist us in living a healthy life and He has given those who believe in Jesus a helper – the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-17) Just one of many blessings we receive as followers of Christ is that we have God’s power in us to live the kind of life that He wants us to live and this includes the ability to make desired lifestyle changes.
The Bible tells us that the same mighty power that raised Christ from his grave is available to us who believe in Jesus. (Romans 8:11 and Ephesians 1:19-20)
One key to being empowered by God’s Spirit is to recognize that in our own strength we can not do what we can in God’s strength and power. We must recognize this and depend on the supernatural power of God to work in us. We must submit and surrender to God and embrace the spiritual truth that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Your Body is God’s Temple
Because God’s Holy Spirit lives in those of us who have accepted Jesus into our hearts, our bodies are His temple ( 1 Corinthians 3:16) Therefore, we have a responsibility to care for His temple. It’s an awesome thing that God’s Spirit in us empowers us to live in such a way that we can care for His temple as a matter of love and worship to God. One beneficial by-product is that by appropriating God’s power, we can live a lifestyle conducive to good health.
My Prayer for You
Like the Apostle Paul, I pray that the “eyes of your heart” might be open and that you are able to understand and appropriate the power that is available to you to make any lifestyle changes you might want to make….. all for the glory of God! ( Ephesians 1:18 and Ephesians 3:14-21)
Questions to Reflect On
Are you trying to make lifestyle changes in your own strength?
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, do you believe God’s Holy Spirit lives in you?
Do you embrace the truth that the same power that raised Jesus from his grave is available to help you in making changes in your life?
Resources Related to God’s Power & Healthy Lifestyles
Article – Surrender – A Spiritual Exercise For a Healthier Life
Website – Spiritual Help: Steps to Peace with God
To assist in making lifestyle changes – Wellness Coaching
Beth Lamon says
July 17, 2015 at 11:54 PMHello,
I am a Christian and want to learn God’s truth in how to live a healthier lifestyle.
Dale Fletcher says
July 20, 2015 at 4:22 PMI read your comment that you made under the blog post. My workshop – Understanding and Applying the Faith and Health Link – is what I suggest that you start with. It will give you an appreciation of how principles of the Christian faith can motivate you and equip you to make healthy choices.
It’s now available in a recorded option so you could listen to it at anytime. Take a look at the workshop… and if you have any questions, please let me know.
Linda Mosley says
August 3, 2017 at 9:59 AMWhat God has to say about our health in scripture is now being discovered by secular scientists and researchers. It is amazing
Shanny says
November 4, 2018 at 12:15 PMI would love to praise God