RYWN Podcast Episode 3: Four Pillars to Setting the Course for Your Health
Podcast Episode 3: Four Pillars to Setting the Course for Your Health
”He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and
he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God,
and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem,
which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”
In the previous podcast, I talked about Setting Your Course for 2019 and beyond. I shared that years ago, I personally, let go of making resolutions and instead, I discovered that I achieve greater results by focusing more on setting my course according to God’s blueprint for my whole life which includes my body, soul and spirt. Setting your course is a holistic approach to living life optimally. It involves your steadfast intention to wholeheartedly embrace God’s plan for your health. You must be intentional about consistently living by God’s standard for health so that you can perform at the highest level in every area of your life. To help you on your journey, I want to equip you with Four Pillars to Set the Course for Your Health.
When I hear the word pillar I think about the purpose that a pillar has. A pillar is usually a tall vertical structure of stone, wood, or metal, used as a support for a building. Some of the most beautiful architectural structures in the world are held up by massive pillars, without which would not be able to stand.
Solomon’s Temple is recorded as one of Ancient history’s most elaborate architectural structures, crafted with beautiful hanging gardens and pillars made of bronze. What would happen if you suddenly removed a pillar out of its place? The results would be a disaster. The temple would collapse and a heap of rubble would remain. One pillar is essential to holding up the entire building!
The bible references pillars over 29 times throughout the Old and New Testaments. Pillars not only supported structures, but also represented memorials, victory and God’s Divine Presence. Jacob set up a pillar as a memorial and place of worship:
So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and
set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying,
“If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night
did not depart from before the people.
From these examples, we see the significance of and various forms of pillars physically and spiritually. As believers, we are the temples of God and as temples there are certain pillars that hold us up even regarding our health. These four pillars can be summed up with a simple acronym P.R.A.Y.
P - signifies taking a Prayerful approach to eating.
R - represents your Relationship with food.
A - Being Aggressive in your pursuit to achieve better health.
Y - What is your why? Why you must prioritize your health.
The First Pillar – Taking A Prayerful Approach to Eating
Have you ever taken a prayerful approach when it comes to eating? I’m not referring to saying a blessing over your food, but a prayerful approach. Did you know that eating is a spiritual practice? In my book, Rock Your World Naturally: 7 Divine Keys to Unlock Extraordinary Health, I write:
“Christians have [totally] disconnected the way that we eat from our spirituality, when in fact God ordained eating as a spiritual practice. When God originally prescribed laws to the children of Israel in the book of Leviticus concerning eating, He made it known that there is a distinction concerning what food He wanted us to eat; organic whole foods and clean meats. In addition to what we are to eat, God also shared that we are not to overindulge in gluttonous eating habits.”
“…and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.”
In the book of Daniel, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah are prime examples of making decisions based upon biblical principles concerning our eating. Their approach to eating was a prayerful one. Because their choices stemmed from their obedience and love for God, they experienced amazing health and were found to be unparalleled in wisdom, spiritual agility, interpretation of dreams, leadership ability and were also gifted in mathematics and the sciences. Proof that having a prayerful approach to eating biblically has everything to do with how we function mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water, Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see. The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
What is a prayerful approach to eating? It’s asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in your eating. Much like Daniel and his brothers, they were prayerful. Saying a prayer is taking a prayerful approach:
Father help me to eat foods that are beneficial to my overall well-being. I ask for the strength to make wise choices with my eating by choosing nourishing, whole, clean food. Lord help me to eat life giving food that will fuel my body with energy, vitality and health rather than oppress it with sickness, disease and pain. Father my desire is to eat food that will ultimately glorify Your name. Amen.
God’s plan for food has never changed. His plan has always been simplistic in nature, yet it is deeply embedded with spiritual principles. When followed, God’s way leads to living a healthy life overflowing with vitality and strength.
The Second Pillar – Reestablish Your Relationship with Food
What is your relationship with food? Meaning what is your connection to food? Do you see food as a blessing, a gift from God that is meant to be enjoyed to provide health and healing to your body? Are you eating emotionally to suppress issues that you have never dealt with as a means of comfort?
To understand your relationship with food, you must understand what food is? God’s definition for food has never changed and is found in Genesis 9:3:
Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for you; even as the green
herb have I given you all things.
God’s definition for food is very straightforward, simple and not at all complicated: animals and plant life for food. In the beginning, we were given the responsibility of working in harmony with the earth to cultivate the land to produce crops and raise cattle for food. If you take a quick inventory of what we are eating today, food has taken on many different variations outside of this original definition. Much of what individuals are eating today is not food at all, but a food product.
Food products are highly processed and consist of particles derived from whole foods. Examples of food products are boxed cereal, soda, instant mashed potatoes, donuts, fast food, frozen dinner entrées, jelly, bagels, canned goods, bottled juice, pasta, bread, pastries, ice cream, and potato chips. Basically, any edible item that is not in its original or whole form. This is where the term whole food comes from. Whole food is food that has not been processed, or is minimally processed, and is still in its original whole state. This includes all vegetables, fruits, ancient grains, legumes and nuts.
Because we have adopted an unhealthy relationship with food, not by God’s design, we have become a nation obsessed with overindulging in unhealthy, oversized fast food meal portions that have contributed to America’s 52% obesity rate. The fat, sugar, and chemical content in these food products inflict damage to our blood cells, creating a chain reaction, plaguing the body with diseases such as high blood pressure, inflammation, stroke, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.
“In 1970, Americans spent about $6 billion on fast food; in 2000, they
spent more than $110 billion. Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars.
They spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music combined.”
Fast Food Nation, The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser
As we look around our world today, there is no doubt that we are living in the Last Days. God needs His people well spiritually and physically for the days that lie ahead. We must be fit to fight the good fight of faith. We have come to a point in time where we must lay down our own wisdom and reconnect our spirituality back to God’s way of eating.
The Third Pillar – Aggressively Pursue Your Divine Health
Are you familiar with the story of David and Goliath? In I Samuel 17, Goliath is described as a 9-foot tall Philistine giant that tormented David’s country day and night. He was known as a battle-hardened soldier that vanquished anyone who dared to cross his path. Goliath was quite intimidating, giving David’s country no rest as he spewed out negative words and harsh threats about enslaving their nation. Goliath challenged someone to fight him, and whichever side won, their country would become enslaved to the other. No one was brave enough to accept his challenge or stand up to the giant, not the king or any of the other valiant warriors. The bible says the men of Israel actually became afraid and ran off. David was sent on an errand by his father to carry lunch to his brothers who were on the battlefield.
As David came upon the encampment, he couldn’t avoid overhearing the loud threats that were being made by the sinister giant. What David saw and heard filled his heart with deep concern. As he talked with some of the men, he discovered that king Saul had placed an offer on the table: the man who slays the giant will be given great riches, the king’s daughter to marry, and his father’s house would be free from paying taxes. What a reward! After hearing this, David asks the men, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David’s oldest brother overheard him and became angry with him for inquiring about the giant and told him to go back into the fields to tend his sheep in the wilderness. In return, David replied, “Is there not a cause?”
David was a young shepherd boy whose only battle experience had taken place while tending sheep on two separate occasions. When his precious sheep were threatened with attacks from a lion and a bear, David single-handedly killed both of them. Surely, if he had killed a lion and a bear, he could conquer Goliath. With great faith, David accepted his challenge and withstood Goliath with no fancy armor or weaponry. He was confident in the God who had been with him in the past and believed that He would not fail him now. David’s weapons were five smooth stones, plain, and simple, yet with only one stone, David killed Goliath, bringing freedom and justice to the land.
David was aggressive in slaying the giant. He was not passive in his position. He confronted the lies he was hearing with truth. You can no longer remain passive in your comfortable position regarding your health. There is too much at stake, the fulfillment of your God given destiny on earth, your quality of life, your family and the generations that will follow you. You must be truthful about your health.
In the book, The God Sized Brain: How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life, Dr. Timothy R. Jennings writes:
“Sadly, far too many people fail to realize that the ultimate reason for pursuing truth is: healing. Instead, throngs of people fear the truth. They fear that knowing the truth will cause pain, embarrassment or loss – of position, job respect, health, relationship or reputation. So they run from it. But we must learn to be truthful in all things, in all circumstances, in all relationships, for truth destroys lies and opens the life for healing.”
The purpose of this podcast is to share God’s truth about health so that you can be set free in your body, soul and spirit.
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
Let your healing begin by facing the truth about your health. Let it start today. Start removing unhealthy food in your home that is not beneficial to you, but is only hurting you. Cookies, cakes, donuts…sugar addiction is just as strong as an addiction to cocaine. Start with exercise. Getting up to move your body. Even if you need to start out walking for five minutes 3 days a week, it’s a start until you can become stronger. If you have not had the opportunity to watch the documentary FED UP you can view the trailer on my web site or view the full FED UP movie. This movie will challenge you to aggressively pursue a healthy lifestyle.
The journey to greater health begins with one step.
The Fourth Pillar – What is Your Why?
Analogous to the story of David and Goliath, the giant systems that are confronting our health are becoming increasingly louder, more boisterous and ever-present, as they vie to keep men, women, and children enslaved in a world of sickness and disease. Giant systems such as the Pharmaceutical Industry, The FDA authorizing the mass production and distribution of unhealthy food products in supermarkets and schools. David presented his brothers and the men of Israel with the question, “is there not a cause?” You too have a cause, a reason to fight for your health. What is your why? God’s will for His church is to live an abundant life that includes being and feeling healthy. As a child of God, you must possess the necessary zeal, energy, drive, and creative ability to fully carry out the tasks and assignments that God has specifically designed for you to complete on earth. This is the reason why you must stand up to slay the giants that are fighting against your health. If we are not feeling well physically, we will not be able to effectively accomplish much of anything. Just as David used something as simple and basic as a smooth stone to slay the giant, the same posture can be applied with the Rock Your World Naturally lifestyle. There is a health revolution sweeping across America. Men, women, and children are no longer putting their faith in faulty systems and ineffective methods, but are seeking alternative answers to live healthier. Who better to obtain those answers from than from the Creator who fashioned us with His own two hands?
It is time to launch a God-inspired revolution in favor of a new system that is not really new, but has always belonged to us, the God-care system.
What this means is that you are choosing to no longer conform to the systems of this world, but wholly living God-centered biblical principles that result in transformation in spirit, soul and body. I invite you to adopt the Four Pillars to set the course for your health. To do so will involve your willingness to let go of the old mindsets and ineffective methods in favor of God’s system to prove what is good, acceptable, and His perfect will towards living a healthy life.
The Four Pillars to Setting the Course for Your Health
P – Approach your health Prayerfully
R – Reestablish your Relationship with food
A – Aggressively pursue your divine health
Y – What is your why?
Prayer for Staying the Course for Your Health
Father, stir in every heart the desire to diligently pursue Your original blue print for health and wellness that You established in the Word of God. There is so much deception that the deceiver has planted, seeds of doubt, confusion and clever lies that are strategically designed to lead your people off our healthy course in body, soul and spirit. As we persevere in learning, reading and applying truths inscribed throughout Your Word about health, we ward off the incessant pleas from Satan to yield to temptation. We desire to live a healthy life not just for a season but all the way to eternity. Thank you for helping Your people to overcome in our body, soul and spirit. For You promised in Revelation 3:12 that the one who overcomes, will be made and established as a pillar in the temple of God, and will remain there forever and You will write Your name upon our lives, and the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven. It is our heart’s desire to be the pillars that you have called us to be, to influence as many as possible to join us in this noble calling of being whole in body, soul and spirit. May You find us faithful so that those who watch our lives daily may also find us faithful! In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this show. Be sure to connect with me on Facebook.com/RockYourWorldNaturally hit the like button or follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com/RockYourWorld28. If you have a question related to physical, spiritual or emotional health, reach out to me via e-mail at RockYourWorldNaturally@gmail.com
Visit my web site at RockYourWorldNaturally.com where you’ll find this podcast along with a copy of the notes. You can also access the link for the documentary FED UP for yourself or to share with a loved one or friend. You’ll also be able to download the Four Pillars of health poster that you can print out, place on your refrigerator, bathroom or bedroom mirror or save it on your digital device as a daily reminder to Set the Course for Your Health.
My prayer for you will always be, 3 John 2, “My Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
Have a blessed and amazing week.
