(1) Wellness Culture: A Biblical View Of Wellness
When I became pregnant for the first time, I felt like a whole new world had opened up to me— health and wellness culture. From granola or “crunchy” social media accounts to thyroid management programs available for purchase, I was exposed to ways of thinking that were totally different than what was mainstream health. Some were good, but many were not. Like any trend, different ways of approaching wellness must be considered with biblical discernment.
What is wellness culture?
For the purpose of this post, I’m defining wellness culture as the trend of pursuing health above all else, sometimes with a distrust of mainstream medical practices.
It has become “cool” to be healthy. Participating in health-focused MLMs or running a social media account selling health-related products is lucrative and profitable. The crunchy world screams distrust to modern medicine, while promoting alternatives which often include a hefty price tag. There’s gym culture where men and women in immodest dress will film themselves at angles to best display their muscular bodies. Physical aesthetics and a pursuit of perfect health are easy idols, even for those who are spiritually mature.
Is it new? Where did it come from?
The trend of wellness culture as I see it has developed in the last fifteen years due to the internet and social media. However, wellness itself is not new! Since God created Adam and Eve, humans have always sought health in a sin-cursed world. Each generation has had its own mistakes and breakthroughs in this area, and the present generation is no different.
Is it bad?
Let me be the first to say that I don’t think all aspects of wellness culture are bad! I myself have benefited from information and resources that I never would have been exposed to had I not found it online. I’m grateful for “crunchy” protocols that I have used for healing specific issues, even as I have used mainstream medicine for others.
I do have several concerns about the culture that surrounds wellness today. Those will be outlined in part two. In part one, I’d like to evaluate wellness from a Biblical perspective. After all, my concern about wellness culture isn’t the pursuing wellness itself; this is a good thing, a Biblical thing, and a necessary thing.
Photo by Derick McKinney on Unsplash
Our Created Bodies
A study of the human body shows the intricate and fascinating ways that God has designed our physical bodies. Humans, made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), are set apart from the rest of of God’s creation. In fact, the very knowledge that our bodies were designed by such a wonderful Designer should inspire us to take care of our bodies and treat them well. Psalm 139 goes more in depth about God’s design for each individual person’s physical body:
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.My frame was not hidden from you; when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.” Psalm 139:13-19
God’s care and special design of each individual should not be overlooked! Our unique physical attributes were designed by God, and His care for us is great and precious. This knowledge should lead to a positive view of our physical bodies and our holistic value, along with a desire to glory God with ourselves.
Spiritual Wellness and Physical Wellness
So, should we all seek to become bodybuilders? Is a The Bible might say less about physical fitness and wellness than you think! Many times when bodies are discussed in the New Testament, it is in the context of sexual sin. For example: our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:18), we are to honor God with our bodies (1 Cor. 6:21), and control our bodies in holiness (1 Thess. 4:4). These passages are not talking about physical exercise or organic eating; sexual sin is discussed in the immediate context. It is clear that we should not be using our bodies to participate in sin.
Romans 12:1 commands believers to use their bodies as a living sacrifice in service to God; this is the giving up of one’s wants and desires to follow and serve God. Our bodies are to be used for a spiritual purpose, not a physical or aesthetic one.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Again, this is not a command to follow a certain diet; the context is idolatry and conscience issues with other Christians. In verse 33, Paul explains that this is not for our own advantage, but for the salvation of others. Thus, our actions, including what we eat and drink, must bring glory to God and contribute to a lifestyle of intentionally sharing the Gospel.
Paul referenced physical fitness in 1 Timothy 4, but still prioritized spirituality. In this book, Paul instructed a young pastor how to teach a congregation about godly living. This is only possible with the Scriptures as foundation; in 1 Tim. 4:1-6, he used the word “nourished” to describe one’s reliance on God’s truth.
Verses 6-10 say, “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”
Here, Paul said two things about physical discipline:
The purpose should be godliness. Discipline is an important characteristic for any Christian, and physical fitness and health are an excellent way to develop discipline. However, the Christian’s purpose should not be a vanity of physical aesthetic or physique, or an idolization of health. It should be developing godly characteristics.
Physical discipline is “only of little profit”. Paul means by this statement that it does have some benefits, but the pursuit of godliness is infinitely more important. Your adherence to a wellness protocol will not have any spiritual benefits in heaven, but serving God and developing Godly character will have many benefits both in this life and the next life. It’s crucial to not get these two priorities mixed up!
There is more we can discuss from the Bible about our physical bodies and health;
Jesus healed people from both physical sickness and health, but most importantly met their spiritual needs.
Mosaic health laws in the Old Testament gave protocols for the Israelites which would have optimized their health and wellness, as well as avoidance of environments with sinful or unhealthy ways of life. God’s protection from disease was a blessing for the Israelite’s obedience.
Gluttony is a sin; it is mentioned several times in Scripture, many times as a symptom of idolatry and pride. (Phil. 3:19, Psalm 78:18)
Many different people in the OT and NT pray for healing or good health.
As much as the Bible does speak to our physical health and the importance of it, you can’t avoid the link between our spiritual selves and our physical selves. It is clear that God is much more concerned about our spiritual state, our abstaining from sin, and serving Him than if we hit our PR at the gym or utilize dozens of essential oils.
In fact, is it possible that you have idolized wellness over spiritual habits? For example, feeding our families nutritious meals is a good thing, but if all our time and efforts are devoted only to physical nutrition, and not to the spiritual instruction and discipleship of our families, we may have our priorities wrong. Similarly, if you spend thousands of dollars on personal trainers, health programs, supplements, or other resources but are not serving God with your time and money, perhaps you should pause and consider if wellness is an idol. Or maybe you place great importance on eating organic foods or on the perfect macros ratio, yet engage in sexual sin. If you are a believer, your focus should be on dealing with your sin and living righteously and purely—after those are made right, we can then worry about the chemicals on your food. And yes, God’s spiritual instructions are that much more important!
In Part 2, I will use this Bible framework to dive into several specific concerns that I have with today’s “wellness culture” and how it might be affecting you.
