This topic has been weighing heavily on my heart for the past few months. It’s different than most of my blog posts, as I won’t be offering up any “tips or suggestions” for you. Instead, I’m offering up a look inside what I’ve personally been struggling with… and that’s to nurture my Christian faith and value system as a wellness influencer in NYC. As much as I love how this industry promotes healthy living, I’m afraid I’ve been toeing the line into things that are against my core beliefs.
Let me preface that if you are a spiritual person, this post is not in any means meant to shame you. I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life or that the things that give you purpose are wrong. What I’m trying to bring to light and come to grips with, is that there are certain spiritual practices that have become so mainstream in this industry. And as a Christian woman, I find myself conflicted to engage in things that the Bible explicitly warns against.
“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” ~ James 1:26
I can’t tell you the number of events I’ve been to where tarot card readings and psychics were present. Or how many times I’ve been asked about my rising sign or if I’ve had my astrology chart read. Many times, I’ve indulged in these conversations. I’ve downloaded apps that tell me the difference between my sun, moon and rising signs. I’ve even let a psychic give me a reading (albeit a 30 second one) in order for me to walk away with a swag bag of branded goodies. I convinced myself that it’s harmless. That I know what my beliefs are grounded in and that it doesn’t mean anything.
But is it really that harmless?
“Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God.” ~ Leviticus 19:31
I’m not actively seeking spiritual guidance from anyone other than Jesus but I wonder how many of you knew this about me? There’s an image that wellness bloggers, especially bloggers who do yoga, have on Instagram and it tends to veer on the more “woo woo” side of things. You may have seen the crystals on my desk (which I personally think are nothing more than pretty rocks) or have read my posts on meditation and thought I was on a journey to find my “higher self.” In reality, that couldn’t be further from who I really am.
I’ll admit, I struggle to bring up my religious background whenever I’m in a setting where people are openly talking about spirituality. I don’t ever want to come across as judgmental or close-minded, but sometimes the deeper I go into the “wellness world” the more I feel like I have to keep my religion to myself. I’ve even caught myself typing out “the Universe” instead of “God” in some of my Instagram posts in fear that the latter wouldn’t be inclusive enough for the 20,000 people who follow me. I’ve always ended up typing out “God” but the fact that I even had a moment of questioning it scares me. Whenever I find a friend who is religious, they almost always preface to me that they “aren’t super religious.” As if being super religious is a bad thing and that I may think they’re a crazy person. Isn’t is sad that religion has fallen so out of favor with our generation that some of us feel the need to hide or belittle the importance it plays in our lives?
Last night, after having a very real conversation with a friend of mine who is Jewish, I finally hit a breaking point. It was the first time in a long time that I really questioned the image I’m portraying to people. I want to live a life that glorifies God openly, not keeps Him within the privacy of my own home. Now, I’m not saying that I have hidden my Christian faith. If you’ve been following me for awhile you probably already know this is my belief system. I’ve posted Bible verses and have talked about the impact God has had on my life, but it’s not at the forefront of what I do. I’m certainly not perfect and this is all something I’m still learning to balance. I want to continue walking in the right path and know that I have even more of a responsibility as an “influencer” to portray the right kind of values that He would want me to.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” ~ Galations 5:22-23
Choosing not to conform is tough. It would probably be easier to engage in many of these trends and share it with you all on Instagram. But I know that as a Christian we’re supposed to live a life heavily influenced by Christ, not by the world. So here I am, trying daily to find the balance between self-love and love for my Savior. As someone who practices yoga and meditation, it means I have to keep my intentions in check. I know God looks at my heart but I also know there’s a responsibility to align my actions with beliefs. There was a brief moment where I thought I would be pursuing meditation teacher training, but after finding out each training was heavily rooted in Buddhism and Hinduism I took a step back. Although that may work for others (and even other Christians!) there was something about it that just didn’t sit right with me. And that’s okay.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ~ Phillipians 4:13
Hi mel!
I really enjoyed reading this post! I am not someone who is very drawn to InfluenceRs like you when i am on social media, but i remember following you in the beginning and seeing how genuine you are in all of your Posts, and i was hooked! I fully believe that It is the Spirit of christ in you! I am also a believer and was very intrigued that you wrote about your own journey as a christian woman in the fitness worLD, thank you for your boldness and obedience to Do so! I love the discernment you Have, and i believe it will continue to take you amazing places in the future! You have also inspired me to be more active, and to choose the things that i enjoy to do to exercise! Thank you again for posting this, it was an encouragement to read!
I loved this post! Ive thought about it so many times as Well as i get deeper into the wellness space as aN influencer/blogger and sometimes question whether im going against christianity. HoWever, i do feel like its a gray area since i believe that the Lord is our creator and he created the universe which I then dont feel bad when i say God or the universe has our back for example. I also do believe in manifestation and astrology (which is also science based) but i never deny that God is the higher being that i believe in. There are some things like psychics, that i tend to stay away from, but crystals and energy work is also something that i take part in or have interest in learning more about. its hard to determine sometimes.
Thank you so much for this post!! IβVe started learning yoga for a Few years and I loved the physical effects it had on my body- weight loss and muscle gain. I Always wanted to get a yoga teaching license but the meditation part has always stopped me- How dId you handle this when you got your license?
On the other hand i think I can understand how you feel about the relationship between Your fAith and your career. I donβt have as many followers as you but i also often hesitate When pOsting christian contents in my feed for the same reasons.
I just want To thank you for being so honest and i want you to know that you are not alone. keep your identity as godβs Child By not Mingling with WorlDly things because we need more Influencers like you in this world.
I Really like your posts by the way π
Keep up the good work! πππ
This is such a sTruggle and I’m so glad you’re brining it up. The thing that keeps popping up for me is: does my intent create reality? If a Satanist attended a Christian Church service, would that service be rendered invalid because the Satanist never intended to worship God? I don’t think so. I find myself steering clear more often and trying to avoid spiritual events that aren’t Christian. Yet I can’t live in a bubble and I know that God cares about healing, health, and well-being. Tough call. But I’m trying to get better at seeing the enemy and recognizing the way he tries to blind us and compromise us.