Taking care of your temple as a woman of God is an act of wise stewardship that should be a top priority. I’m sad to say that I didn’t take this as seriously as I should have when I was younger and am only now making it a priority in my life.
Today, I want to share some basic principles that every woman should implement in order to wisely care for her body to ensure that she stays healthy and strong and ready to serve in whatever capacity the Lord has called her to.
Your Temple Needs The Word
The first thing that promotes a healthy body is the Word of God.
Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”
While this may seem odd to some, regularly being in God’s Word and believing it and acting upon it promotes life and health, even in our physical bodies. Through God’s Word, we align our thinking and actions and He blesses us with good health. So make His Word a priority in your life!
Your Temple Needs His Presence
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
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“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Spending time in the Lord’s Presence, whether through prayer or worship, fills us with joy and strengthens our being. You don’t have to wait until a church service or gathering to experience His Presence, He is available at all times to His Children!
Make room in your day to spend some time with Him. You won’t regret it!
Stress Management Benefits Your Temple
Learning to manage stress in a biblical way is so important for the child of God. The Lord doesn’t want you filled with anxiety, He knows that it is bad for your mindset, your faith and ultimately your body.
As I am sure you know, continual stress wreaks havoc on our bodies by messing with our hormones, impacting our immune systems in an unhealthy way and promoting sickness and disease.
The bible says in Philippians 4: 6-8 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
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“…casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5
If we want to promote health in our bodies, we must take hold of our thought life and not allow stress and anxiety to rule our minds.
One way to process our emotions and stress levels in to journal. People who regularly journal to process their stresses report improvement almost immediately. Prayer also helps us to process our thoughts and emotions in a safe space under the compassion of the Lord. Ask God to show your the best way to deal with your anxieties.
Healthy Boundaries Guard Your Temple
Knowing how to set healthy boundaries in your life is important for your health. Whether that means instituting routines and schedules that allow for proper times of work, rest and self care, or setting relationship boundaries to guard against toxic and unhealthy behaviors of both parties, boundaries are your friend here.
This was one of the hardest things for me to learn as a woman of God because I didn’t want to be seen as unloving or accused of being un-Christ-like. But the truth is, even Jesus had boundaries. He lived to please only His Father in heaven.
If you are worried and struggle with people pleasing or fear of man, I encourage you to reread the gospels about the life of Jesus. He is proof that we can love people well and successfully have healthy boundaries that preserve our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health in the process. If you still need more help, this book has helped countless people learn how to set healthy boundaries in their lives.
Rest Restores Your Temple
Research shows that the average adult needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep, and that women might need just a smidge more. (and all the moms rolled their eyes collectively, lol)
But it’s true! Making sure you get enough good sleep will do wonders for your health. Research has shown that people who get enough sleep:
- Get sick less often– God designed your body to go into repair and replenish mode when you go to sleep. Your immune function also gets strengthened when you get enough rest, but lowers when you do not.
- Stay at a healthy weight – Poor sleep is associated with increased oxidative stress, blood sugar intolerance, and insulin resistance. A well rested woman also has more energy to expend throughout her days!
- Lower their risk for health problems, like diabetes, autoimmune disorders and heart disease – chronic stress and lack of rest lead to the breakdown of the body’s systems and lowers its defenses against disease.
- Reduce stress and improve their overall mental and emotional health – it’s been said that moms aren’t angry, they are just exhausted! If you find your mental and emotional fortitude waning, check in with yourself ask whether or not your need more sleep, nutrition or hydration. Often, these “mini-breakdowns” have clear root causes that can be resolved with simple self care.
- Think more clearly at work – lack of sleep directly impacts the quality and effectiveness of the work you do.
- Get along better with people – When we are well-rested, we can love our people well. When we are tired and stressed, we become irritable and susceptible to a host of other negative emotions that can harm our relationships.
- Make good decisions – Again, backed by science here, when a person is well-rested, they are less likely to make unwise decisions or emotionally charged, hasty decisions.
Water
We all know we should hydrate more, but the end of the day comes and we realize we haven’t drank nearly as much as we should have. The signs of not hydrating enough are not just unpleasant, but they effect your quality of life, if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, drink up!
- Dark urine
- Not sweating enough
- Severe Headaches
- Muscle Cramps & Joint Pain
- Weight Gain
- Lack of Energy
- A Little Disoriented
- Dry Eyes, Mouth and Skin
- Indulging in Salty Foods
- Stomach Pain
For an easy way to set hydration goals, use this handy hydration calculator to find out how much water you should consume on a daily basis.
Nutrition to nourish your temple
The best way to care for our bodies is to nourish them with the right foods. Eating a clean, nutrient-dense diet is one of the most effective ways to keep our bodies free from sickness and disease, boost our energy levels and maintain overall health.
But let’s be honest, it’s not always easy as a mom to slow down and eat the way we know we should. Eating can also be an addiction for those who struggle with emotional or hormonal-driven habits.
Take some time to pray and ask the Lord to show you the best way to eat for your health. If you already know what you should be eating, make a plan that you can stick to.
Some helpful tips to successfully stick to a new way of eating could be:
- Plan your menus and shopping lists in advance so that you are only buying the food you intend to eat. (See my green smoothie recipe for a quick way to get your nutrients in that’s perfect for breakfast!)
- Institute a meal prep day where you prepare the bulk of your meals for each week so that eating right becomes quick and convenient.
- Find an accountability partner who will help you stay on track and have a weekly check in to update your progress.
- Find healthier alternatives for your favorite indulgences.
Exercise Regularly to strengthen your temple
Moving our bodies regularly is important for overall health. Only you can determine what types of exercise you enjoy best, but the science is clear that there are multiple benefits to it.
Exercise:
- Improves memory and brain function (this applies to all age groups).
- Protects against chronic diseases by regularly flushing out toxins, strengthening your body down to the cellular level and improving antibody and white blood cell response.
- Aids in weight loss and weight management.
- Lowers blood pressure and improves heart health.
- Improves your quality of sleep.
- Reduce feelings of anxiety and depression by boosting endorphins.
- Combats fatigue.
- Improves joint pain and stiffness.
- Maintains muscle strength and balance.
- Increases life span.
Find an exercise routine that you love doing. Some people like going for walks, weight lifting, bike riding, or Pilates. Experts tend to agree that using a variety of types of exercise works well for those who tend to get bored.
If you struggle finding the time to exercise, ask the Lord to show you how you can make this a priority and where you can schedule it into your day. (It’s recommended to engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.)
Finding your support system will improve you temple
We were made for relationships. Having regular relationships with God, family and others is an important part of taking care of our health. Having friends and other social connections are good for you and your overall well being.
Research shows that people who have strong relationships have better mental health, higher self esteem, lower anxiety rates and increased immune system strength. They also have less trust issues and greater overall empathy levels.
Finding people who understand your lifestyle and support you throughout life is a blessing and God wants you to prosper in fruitful relationships. One of my favorite scriptures is:
“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing;” Psalm 68:6
Loneliness is like a prison and not God’s portion for for His Children. He desires for you to have a rich and rewarding relationship with Him and with others. Pray that He will help you make the connections that you need and that you will be a good friend to those He brings into your life.
Giving and receiving Forgiveness Freely to remove hindrances to your temple
Did you know that giving and receiving forgiveness has been directly tied to physical health? When you regularly forgive offenses and receive forgiveness, your physical body responds.
People who regularly forgive experience:
- lowered the risk of heart attack
- improving cholesterol levels and sleep
- reduced pain
- lowered blood pressure
- reduced levels of anxiety, depression and stress.
But more importantly than all of that, God’s Word exhorts us to forgive freely because we have been forgiven.
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13
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“So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” Luke 17: 3-4
If you’ve ever had to receive forgiveness for something you’ve done wrong, you know what a wonderful gift it is to have that sin washed away by love. Giving forgiveness, however, is not always easy. Only God knows how hard it is for you to forgive the offense against you and He is not short on compassion.
Ask Him to help you release the offense and forgive so that you can be free from all bitterness. It may seem impossible, but with God all things are possible. He will be faithful to help you and guide you into a life free of hindrance.
Your temple is precious to God
We only have one body and while it is incredible, God expects us to take good care of it. With healthy strong bodies, we can continue to serve Him and do His will well. The best way to accomplish this is to build good habits and today, I’ve got a free printable to help you do that!
The top few spaces include some of the suggestions mentioned here for you to track your progress and help keep you motivated. The remaining spaces are for you to choose specific habits you would like to implement on your health journey. Get it instantly below!
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