“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19
At 56, my body felt like it was betraying me. But as I opened to this familiar verse about our bodies being temples, something clicked in a way it never had before.
This wasn’t just theology. This was a personal invitation.
Let me tell you about how hip pain and desperation led me to discover that God’s Word contains the most profound wellness wisdom I’d ever encountered—and how these ancient truths became the foundation for transforming not just my physical health, but my entire approach to caring for the body He entrusted to me.
The Morning Everything Changed
I never thought I’d find my fitness plan in Scripture, but there I was, hobbling around my house after months of pushing through pain, finally ready to admit that my “no pain, no gain” mentality had failed me spectacularly. That’s when 1 Corinthians 6:19 stopped being just a verse I’d memorized years ago and became a mirror reflecting back my poor stewardship.
Your body is a temple.
Not was. Not could be. Is.
Right now. This aging, aching, imperfect body that I’d been fighting against—this was holy ground. How had I missed that? Working at our Christian high school, I’d taught this verse to students countless times, but I’d been treating my own temple like a renovation project that was never quite good enough.
That morning became my burning bush moment. God wasn’t calling me to perfection—He was calling me to reverence.
When Scripture Became My Personal Trainer
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” – Proverbs 31:25
This verse used to intimidate me. Strength and dignity? Laughing at the future? Some days I could barely laugh at the present. But as I began approaching wellness through a biblical lens, I realized this wasn’t about having it all together—it was about being clothed by God Himself.
The PowerPlate became my place of putting on that strength. Not the kind that comes from gritting teeth and pushing harder, but the gentle, sustainable strength that honors limitations while still building capacity. Each vibration session became a reminder: I am clothed with His strength, not my own desperate efforts.
Dignity meant something different now too. It meant moving with purpose rather than punishment. It meant choosing exercises that served my body’s needs rather than my ego’s demands. When I switched from heavy weights to resistance bands, I wasn’t giving up—I was growing up.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
Oh, how I needed to hear this! For years, I’d approached fitness like a burden I had to bear alone. Every workout was a battle I fought with gritted teeth and stubborn will. But Jesus was offering something revolutionary: rest as part of the plan.
This verse transformed my entire morning routine. Instead of rushing into high-intensity workouts that left me depleted before my day at school even began, I started with stillness. Five minutes of breathing. A short walk with worship music. Movement that restored rather than exhausted.
Rest became active, not passive. Gentle stretching while praying. Walking meditation through our neighborhood. Dancing in my living room to praise songs when my hip allowed it. These weren’t cop-outs—they were invitations to experience God’s presence through movement.
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
This became my anthem during those first difficult months of changing everything about how I approached wellness. Some days, soaring felt impossible. Running was out of the question with my hip issues. But walking? Walking I could do.
And you know what I discovered? Walking with hope feels different than walking with resignation. When I laced up my shoes and stepped outside with worship music in my ears, I wasn’t just exercising—I was literally putting one foot in front of the other in faith.
The renewal this verse promises isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s as quiet as waking up with less pain. Sometimes it’s the energy to chase my grandson around the yard. Sometimes it’s simply the grace to try again after a week of missed workouts and poor choices.
Three Biblical Principles That Changed Everything
Stewardship Over Performance
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” – Luke 12:48
This verse reframed everything for me. My body wasn’t given to me to punish or perfect—it was entrusted to me to steward well. Big difference.
Stewardship means working with what you have, not fighting against what you’ve lost. At 59, my body can’t do what it did at 30, and that’s not failure—that’s life. My job isn’t to turn back time; it’s to honor this season with wisdom and care.
The PowerPlate fits perfectly into this stewardship mindset. Low-impact but effective. Gentle but challenging. It works with my aging joints instead of against them. Same with resistance bands—portable, adaptable, forgiving of bad days while still building strength on good ones.
Grace Over Guilt
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1
If God doesn’t condemn me for my imperfections, why was I condemning myself for missing workouts or eating imperfectly? This verse became my reset button for all the wellness guilt I’d been carrying.
Bad day at the gym? No condemnation. Ate too much at my grandson’s birthday party? No condemnation. Went a week without exercising because work was overwhelming? No condemnation.
This doesn’t mean lowering standards—it means raising grace. Starting fresh each morning instead of carrying yesterday’s failures. Choosing progress over perfection. Extending to myself the same patience I’d show a dear friend struggling with consistency.
Community Over Competition
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17
My older sisters became living examples of this verse. Instead of comparing myself to younger versions of myself or fitness influencers online, I started looking to them for inspiration. At 65, 67, and 68, they’re happy, active, purposeful. They’re not trying to be 30 again—they’re being magnificently themselves at every age.
This shifted my entire perspective on aging and wellness. We’re not in competition with our younger selves or with other women. We’re in community, each of us sharpening the others through our unique journeys and stages of life.
The Verses That Carry Me Through Hard Days
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
This one hits differently when you’re dealing with physical limitations. My hip pain, my aging joints, my decreased energy—these aren’t obstacles to God’s power. They’re opportunities for it to be displayed.
Some of my most meaningful worship happens during gentle movement now. PowerPlate sessions become prayer time. Walking becomes meditation. Stretching becomes an act of gratitude for what my body can still do.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14
This verse had to become more than words on a page—it had to become truth I chose to believe about my body. Wrinkles, softer middle, creaky joints and all.
Becoming a grandmother helped this sink in deeper. When I hold my precious grandson, I’m not thinking about my imperfections—I’m marveling at the miracle of life continuing through generations. This body that I sometimes criticize has been part of creating and nurturing life. That’s pretty wonderful.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Even hip pain? Even the frustration of physical limitations? Even the struggle with consistency and self-judgment? Yes, even these things can work together for good when we love God and trust His purposes.
My pain led me to gentler movement. My limitations led me to creativity in exercise. My struggles led me to deeper dependence on grace. None of it was wasted.
Practical Ways I Live These Verses Daily
Morning Declaration: I start most days (when I remember!) by looking in the mirror and declaring, “This body is God’s temple.” Not always easy, but always true.
Movement as Worship: Whether it’s 20 minutes on the PowerPlate or a 10-minute walk with praise music, I try to approach exercise as an offering rather than an obligation.
Grace-Based Goals: Instead of rigid fitness rules, I set gentle intentions. Three PowerPlate sessions this week. Two neighborhood walks. Daily gratitude for what my body can do.
Scripture During Exercise: I’ve memorized several verses that I recite during workouts. Isaiah 40:31 during walks. Philippians 4:13 during strength training. 1 Corinthians 6:19 as a daily reminder.
Rest as Worship: Taking recovery days without guilt, knowing that rest is biblical and necessary for stewardship.
The Struggles Are Still Real
Let me be honest—knowing these verses doesn’t make the journey easy. I still have mornings when I look in the mirror and struggle with acceptance. I still catch myself rushing through days when I meant to savor them. I still battle consistency in both my devotional time and my movement routine.
But here’s what’s different now: I have an anchor. When self-judgment starts spiraling, I return to Psalm 139:14. When I’m frustrated with limitations, I remember 2 Corinthians 12:9. When I’m tempted to give up after a series of missed workouts, Romans 8:1 reminds me there’s no condemnation.
Scripture doesn’t eliminate the struggles—it reframes them. Every challenge becomes an opportunity to choose faith over fear, grace over guilt, stewardship over performance.
What These Verses Taught Me About Wellness
Health is holistic. Body, mind, and spirit are interconnected. You can’t separate physical wellness from spiritual wellness—they’re part of the same temple.
Consistency matters more than intensity. Better to move gently every day than to burn out with unsustainable intensity. “She is clothed with strength” doesn’t mean she’s always at maximum effort.
Rest is sacred, not lazy. Jesus regularly withdrew to pray and rest. If the Son of God needed rest, how much more do we?
Community beats competition. We’re called to encourage one another, not compare ourselves to death.
Grace enables growth. When we stop beating ourselves up for imperfection, we create space for actual improvement.
Our bodies tell God’s story. Every wrinkle, every scar, every limitation can display His glory if we let them.
A Heart-to-Heart Moment
Can I share something vulnerable with you? I still don’t love being on camera. I still struggle with accepting my aging body some days. I still have weeks where everything falls apart and I feel like a wellness failure.
But these verses have taught me that God doesn’t need me to be perfect to use me. He doesn’t need me to look like a fitness model to share wisdom about health. He just needs me to be faithful with what I’ve been given and honest about the journey.
Do you find yourself fighting against your body instead of working with it? I see you. Do you carry guilt about missed workouts or imperfect eating? I understand. Are you tired of wellness advice that doesn’t acknowledge real life, real limitations, real struggles? Me too.
That’s why I keep coming back to Scripture. Not because it makes everything easy, but because it makes everything meaningful. Every struggle becomes part of a bigger story. Every limitation becomes an opportunity for grace.
Living Out the Truth
Working at a Christian school, being a new grandmother, dealing with hip issues and the realities of aging—I’m learning that biblical wellness isn’t about perfection. It’s about perseverance. It’s about showing up again and again, trusting that God can use our imperfect efforts for His perfect purposes.
When I do my PowerPlate sessions, I’m living out 1 Corinthians 6:19. When I choose rest over pushing through pain, I’m practicing Matthew 11:28. When I walk with worship music and let gratitude fill my heart, I’m experiencing Isaiah 40:31.
These aren’t just verses to memorize—they’re truths to embody. They’re wisdom to walk out step by step, day by day, season by season.
An Invitation to Begin
Maybe you picked up this post because you’re struggling with your own health journey. Maybe you’re tired of wellness advice that ignores the spiritual dimension of caring for our bodies. Maybe you’re looking for an approach that honors both your faith and your physical limitations.
Here’s what I want you to know: you don’t have to choose between honoring God and caring for your body. They’re the same thing. Your wellness journey can be an act of worship. Your limitations can display His strength. Your consistency (or lack thereof) can demonstrate His grace.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. And let Scripture be your guide.
Tomorrow morning, before you think about exercise or diet or any wellness strategy, look in the mirror and remember: “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” This body you inhabit is God’s temple, worthy of reverent care.
Then take one small step. A five-minute walk. A moment of stretching. A prayer of gratitude for breath in your lungs. Whatever feels like honoring the temple you’ve been given.
Because wellness rooted in Scripture isn’t about achieving perfection—it’s about experiencing God’s presence through the beautiful, broken, aging, amazing body He’s entrusted to your care.
“May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:23
That’s my prayer for you, dear sister. Not perfection, but sanctification. Not flawless performance, but faithful stewardship. Not a body that never ages or struggles, but a heart that finds God’s grace sufficient for every season.
Start today. Start small. Start with Scripture.
Your temple awaits your tender care.
