Over the past 9 years of helping people see transformation in their health, we have seen many trends that cause people to see great results, and other trends that keep them from ever maintaining any progress. Let’s talk about one MAJOR factor we see in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
One of the biggest factors in maintaining health is being in UNITY with your spouse. I know it isn’t shiny, fancy, or the newest cutting-edge technique; but it’s a must for anyone who desires to live a healthy lifestyle to serve God and others over the long run.
Many couples find themselves at odds when it comes to health. Usually what happens is one person cares about health and wants to try and see progress in that area whether it be weight loss, a better movement routine, or getting off of meds. The other person usually doesn’t care much and does whatever they want unintentionally sabotaging the other.
Usually, the person sabotaging is the man, which is sad because as men we are called to lead and have a clear vision of what God is calling us to as a family, including how we steward our bodies. But that’s a whole other topic in and of itself.
Most couples seek to be in unity about finances, what church they go to, and how they parent but it is very rare for health to be a topic of focus and clarity. They don’t do this on purpose, but no one in the health industry teaches about this. They talk about diets, pills, supplements, and gym memberships because it’s something they can sell you as a “quick fix”. But thank God there is one resource we can go to to see what principles we can apply to any area of life to see great fruit. God’s word!
God’s word is where this principle of being in unity with your spouse comes from. If followed it can lead to a sense of peace and clarity in what living a healthy lifestyle should look like for you and your family. Our health can serve us instead of us being a slave to it, obsessing over every calorie and carb we eat.
So what does this practically look like? Does it mean that you and your spouse have to do the EXACT same things? Definitely not. You are different people with different goals and body types. But what this does mean is that you both have to be in unity about the vision and purpose of why you need to be healthy and what that looks like in each season.
Here are a few action steps for you and your spouse.
- Take some time individually to pray into the vision God has for your life and for this season specifically.
- Sit down with your spouse and share with each other what those things are. Get clear on what your health must look like to achieve those things.
- Get in unity on your vision and have a plan of action of how you will gain ground/maintain that ground in your health in each season. Ex: getting help from a coach, asking for advice from a friend, or getting back to the level of discipline and self-control you once had.
Whatever that looks like for you take the simple steps today that you will thank yourself for tomorrow. God has great things for you. Partner with the way He has made your body and fully walk in the calling he has for you.
Ashton Tate is the founder of Glory to Glory Fitness in Nashville TN, and the creator of The F.O.R.M. Curriculum, a turn-key and biblically based health curriculum for schools and homeschool families.
