Persevering in Your Health Journey Through Faith

madisonperron
Mar 12
5 min read

Close-up of dried flowers over an open Bible creating an airy and serene mood. Soft focus on flowers, text blurred in background.

A Biblical Foundation for Persevering in Your Health Through Faith

Perseverance is a challenge, trust me, I know. Some days it can feel like we’re in a constant battle and it seems like it would just feel better to give up. Health is one of the main areas I see this in. We have this motivation to start healthy habits, but then it starts to drift off. Or maybe, your health continues to decline and your hope fades with it.

As you read this, take some time to unwind, reflect, and put away other distractions. Let your focus be on what you learn for persevering in your health through faith from reading this.

The verse we will focus on is this -

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Reflection Questions:

What is something that is hindering you from getting closer to Jesus?
What is something that is hindering you from carrying out healthy habits?

Now compare the two of those reflections. What is a similar pattern between the two of those answers? What is different?

A wooden table with a fruit bowl of bananas, strawberries, kiwi, and blackberries. Surrounding are avocado, bread, orange juice, and grapes. There are healthy foods in this picture.

Faith in Action: Perseverance Through Trust In God

When we look at faith in action, a few people and situations stand out to me:

Abraham

He obeyed and went to where God called him to go, even though he did not know where he was going. This is where he later received his inheritance.

“Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one.” Hebrews 11:16

We have to shift our mindset to a kingdom of heaven mindset while living in a mindset of this world. For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. When our focus is on heavenly things, our habits begin to change.

Reflection: Think of one habit or goal you have in mind. Identity if this is currently viewed with a lens of heaven, or of this world. Then practice shifting it.

Here’s an example:

Mindset of this world: I want to lose weight so I can look better.

Kingdom of heaven mindset: I want to explore new ways to fuel my body and exercise more so I am faithful with what God has given me and have more energy to take action with what He has called me to do.

Notice how much more transformation and meaning you experience from a kingdom of Heaven mindset.

Moses

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded this as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking up to heaven for his reward.

He persevered because he saw Him who is invisible (God). Hebrews 11: 27

The pleasures of sin lead to destruction. The devil can make the roads that lead to sin look appealing, because he only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. This is his way of deceiving.

Let’s take that same example of “I want to lose weight so I can look better.” The way we view ourselves can often come from our perception of how others view us. We fall into this trap of wanting to receive approval from others.

What we must do instead is have an audience of 1: Jesus. Seeking the approval of others may feel good in the moment, but that can lead to caring about what others think over the opinion of God. The enemy wants you to find approval from others, because that pulls you away from God.

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the Prophets

“Whose weakness was turned to strength.” Hebrews 11:34

Ask God to reveal your weaknesses. Once it is brought to light, you can take action and ask God for His strength.

Throwing Off What Hinders Our Health Journey

Let's return to our focus verse: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

We are to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles so we can run with perseverance and not be weighed down. Think about runners. In the cold weather, they often start out wearing heavier clothes, but soon after beginning the race they begin to notice that their clothes are preventing them from running with perseverance. They take off those clothes so they can maintain their heart rate, pace, and distance as they strive for the finish line. If they were to keep the clothes on for the entire race, they could experience an increased heart rate, slowed pace, and excessive sweating, which can lead to dehydration. In cold conditions, they may not even realize they are dehydrated - which can be very dangerous - and they might not make it to the finish line.

Some of us may not realize we are spiritually dehydrated. We must take a moment to recognize what is slowing us down and preventing us from running the race with our eyes fixed on Jesus. If you don’t know what is slowing you down yet, take some time throughout this week to pray that God would reveal this to you.

Now, when it comes to perseverance, it’s often a challenge to keep the motivation and consistency. Jesus modeled perseverance perfectly for us. Because of the joy He had ahead of being with His Father in heaven, he endured the cross. To endure is to suffer through hardship. We are to remember what Jesus did, especially when facing opposition, so that we will not grow weary or lose heart.

Person running with perseverance on a deserted road towards snow-capped mountains under a clear blue sky, creating a sense of freedom and adventure.

Living Out Perseverance in Our Wellness Journey

When it comes to your health and strengthening healthy habits, remember that we must have a kingdom of heaven mindset in order to persevere. Jesus experienced the greatest pain of all, but because of the joy of heaven he knew was to come, he was able to persevere through it as He committed His spirit to the Father. Learning from Jesus’s perseverance, this is how you will adopt true perseverance no matter how hard your situation feels or the health you are experiencing.

If you want to learn true perseverance and how to put this into practice with a holistic, faith-centered approach, you can learn more about my approach here or schedule a free virtual call here.

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