Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

We can’t escape our thoughts. 

I don’t know about yours, but this mind of mine can be an unwelcome place. Thoughts and ideas tend to pop in unannounced and then stay there. Other times, I can get focused on a negative event or negative words and not let go. Destructive thoughts can take over quickly.  

During those times, I know that’s not the mind of Christ. But how can I have the mind of Christ? 

If you’ve found yourself with the same battle in your mind, know that you are not alone. There is hope. There is a way to “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” It starts by filling your mind with His Word. Daily Bible reading, scripture memorization, and prayer are all actions that will make your mind a more welcoming place to be. The Bible is filled with His thoughts on you as well as on how to live your life.  

It’s easy to get distracted by setting our minds on the here and now. Our thoughts focus on that which is right in front of us or has us troubled. Those things gain our full attention. Doing so only keeps us in a cycle of defeat and constant battle in our minds.  

A war is waging in your mind, but Christ in you can win that war. 

Does your mind focus on negative thoughts and feelings towards your body?  

Do you worry about weight and plan everything around how to lose that weight? 

If you’re struggling to implement healthy habits that you can stick to, head to God’s Word. He has so much to say about you. Until you start looking at yourself through the lens of His Word, you won’t stick to a plan that is sustainable.  

Anything you want to change in your life on the outside will only change when you start by addressing what’s going on inside in your mind.  

Action Step

Take note of the thoughts roaming in your mind. Declare, “This mind of mine is yours, Lord.” Then, use His Word to chase away any unhelpful thoughts. Find a scripture to memorize this week. 

The post This Mind of Mine appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

See if you agree with what you read:  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Now answer this question: what is the biggest threat that faces not only Christian youth but also the church?  Sex, drugs and rock and roll? Post-modernity?  Our government?

Yes, these are all problems, but I think the biggest threat that we face as a church and believers is something far more pervasive, yet a threat that very few see coming. It’s the threat of accepting the safe life. It’s the life the elder brother chose in the story Jesus told about the prodigal son. It’s a life defined by what you are not.

And yet we are God’s handiwork, created to do good works.

Called for more

Are you like most Christians who are satisfied by ‘not being bad?’ The issue is as long as you are content with who you are not, you’re not embracing the person who God created you to be.

The gospel calls you to do more, so much more. If you read our passage from earlier again, you find that God considers each of His children a masterpiece, created as His finest work, to display His glory.  The gospel calls you to your original purpose, designed before the world began.  You were born for something. Hint: it’s not to sit around and live safe, measured, easy lives. You were born to live out a radical, difference-making life, to transform the world around you with the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So what does that look like?  It could be in full-time ministry. God called me out a successful (and enjoyable) career in the investment industry.  Or it may be as a difference-maker in the field of art, athletics, law, service or medicine.  The sky is literally the limit.

Don’t settle

Be careful!  The enemy wants us to be content with just being the good little Christian who doesn’t do anything wrong but doesn’t really do anything transforming either.  But the gospel calls you to something more.   Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28 to go INTO the world and makes disciples of all nations. That means we need to be in the mix, get our hands dirty, roll up our sleeves and be engaged.

I hope by now you are asking as I did earlier: what does that look like for me?  I wish I could tell you God’s plan for you, but I can’t. I do know that when you find it, it won’t be safe, in fact you’ll be dangerous. Dangerous to apathy, dangerous to status quo, dangerous to safe. Yes, it does have a cost and it is hard at times (trust me, I KNOW this!) but you have a God who put this plan together before the beginning of time and He’s with you every step of the way. You are his HANDIWORK, his creation, and he has PLANS for you. How cool is that?

There is risk, it can (and will) be scary. I remember when I left my job in the investment business for ministry, taking a big pay cut and terrified I wouldn’t make it. And here I am and oh, the stories I can tell of God’s provision.   If you’d like to hear it, please ask.  The thing to remember is it’s never too late to dive deeper into God’s plans for you and become dangerous! 

Swim buddies

Last thing: If you’re going to jump out of the boat and start to swim in the dangerous seas of life you need someone to journey with you.  Part of the success for the US Navy SEALS is they never do anything alone. At the most basic level each SEAL has a Swim Buddy, someone they go through all form of challenges with. If you’re going to swim with the sharks, you can’t do it alone. Find someone to swim with.  Then, jump out of the boat, start swimming, be dangerous, and experience the power of God’s purpose and plan for you.

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God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

This verse is written about beautifully in a devotional I’ve been reading this year. Part of it said this:

We are unique reflections of God’s nature. With that in mind, we should celebrate the way we see the world. No one else has our DNA. How boring it would be if we were all the same, and yet so many of us try to shape-shift to blend in. We were born to be ourselves. We come fully alive in the love of Christ, and we don’t have to look the same as others to do this.

God is Love: 365 Devotions from the Gospel of John, by Brian Simmons

You are free to be you because you were made in Christ. When we truly embrace how we were fearfully and wonderfully made, how could we ever want to be anyone else? He delights in you and in the way He made you. He had a plan and a purpose for you when He created you. 

Everything about you – God created it. All you have and all you are is a blessing from God. It’s all by His design. And because of that, you are free to be you, the wonderfully, uniquely created you! 

Are you living your purpose? Are you passionate about the life God has entrusted to you? Are you embracing your age and stage of life? Now is the time to step into your one life. 

Action Step

Whose life are you living? God created you in a special way for a special purpose. You are free to be you. Go do it!

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Good questions

Have you ever asked any of these questions:

“How could a good God allow this to happen?”

“Where was God in all this?”

And the simpler but more direct: “why God?”

Those are all excellent and fair questions in times like this and similar to ones I ask myself. First off, I’d say we shouldn’t try to look for simple or pat answers in times like this. God is mysterious at times and his ways our not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). We need to rest in his sovereignty and perfect plan. We live in a fallen world and so disaster and tragedy should be expected. Still, God doesn’t leave us hanging in times like this.

Jesus said this in John 16 as a reminder when we ask ‘why God?’: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The God we serve

We serve a God who knows what it’s like to suffer as well. Jesus was betrayed and abandoned by his friends, he was tortured, mocked and ridiculed by those he came to love and save and ultimately faced capital punishment for a crime he didn’t commit suffering the agony of the cross and the weight of the sin of the world. As Paul reminds us in his letter to the church of Rome: “While we were stills sinners, Jesus died for the ungodly.” (Rom.5:8)

So, God knows and more importantly, he acts to bring comfort and meaning to senseless tragedies like this.  So how could God allow this to happen? He gives us free will and we have choices such as the choice to accept or reject him.  Where was God? In the same place he’s always been. God is still on the throne; he’s not surprised by what’s going on and he’s already working. This is what I shared with this athlete and would like to with you.  

So, ‘why God?’  We ultimately don’t know but we know we follow a God who’s been there, who loved us enough to send his son to die for us and is working even now to bring comfort and meaning to this tragedy.

A powerful response to a terrible tragedy

Several years ago, there was a tragic bus accident when a truck hit a bus full of hockey players on the way to a game. Most of the of the players were either killed or severely injured.  I read the transcript and watched the message the town’s pastor and team chaplain Sean Brandow gave at the memorial service for the victims that was held afterwards. It was a powerful, spirit-led moment and explained this far better than I could.  So, I close with it:

What will you do with one breath? Each breath that you have left, what are you going to do with it? Will you seek the God who has walked and who has died to show his love and his concern and his care for you? Or will you get bitter and angry and frustrated? Come to the God of comfort.

I want to read one verse. This is from Paul, the book of Romans, chapter 15, verse 13: ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit.’ I told my church this this morning, I’ve never felt so empty in my life. I needed to be reminded of Jesus, I needed to hear from God in this darkness. I didn’t have anything to give because I wasn’t full of hope myself. As the verse ends, you know, may God fill you with that. God can fill you up so that you can be a blessing to somebody else, but if you don’t have hope, you can’t be a blessing to anyone else.

I want you to be full of hope, through the person of Jesus Christ. We receive him by faith, knowing full well what he has done and what he has accomplished.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that.

Hope

Isn’t that amazing? Pastor Sean’s words were so powerful.  The truth is I don’t have all the answers either to why we suffer but I know who does. I know who to look towards and that gives me a living hope and answers my ‘why?’ questions.

The post Why God? appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

For in him we live and move and have our being.

Recently, I listened to a ​business podcast​ titled, “Do not pander.” The message of the podcast was not to cater to the whims of other businesses and to the algorithm. Those of us in the online space have to deal with changing algorithms and then try to figure out what kind of posts, etc. that Facebook and Instagram are “rewarding” and looking for. By doing this, you can easily get caught up in chasing success and people-pleasing only to lose yourself in the process. All this leads to burnout. But what the podcaster said next had me not only thinking about business but also about our approach to healthy living:

Burnout is not doing enough of what you love.

Oftentimes, we think of burnout as doing too much, being too busy. In fact, dictionary.com says it’s fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity. Instead of staying tired and frustrated, how about we ask ourselves what we love to do and if we’re doing enough of that.

Why is it that people can start a diet or extreme exercise program at the beginning of the year only to fizzle out by February or March? They’re tired and frustrated. They’re either not getting results, or they’re over what it is they must do to get the results. They didn’t take into consideration what they liked to do. They didn’t ask themselves how they like to move or what food they like to eat. Instead, they signed up for a random plan, no questions asked. Now they’re realizing they don’t really like eating according to a clock, two-a-day workouts are exhausting, or drinking a gallon of water a day just makes them feel water-logged.

When you start honoring your body the way God uniquely created you, you can sustain the way you choose to care for it. Yes, it’s important to move regularly. Yes, you’ll function better when you’re filling your body with nourishing foods. Yes, drinking plenty of water is essential for your body to function and feel well. But only you know you. And you were created with unique tastes and preferences. Start there.

• How do you like to move?
• What foods leave you feeling satisfied and energized?
• How much water does your body operate best on?
• Do you like the way you eat and move and spend your days? What are your favorite things to do?

This scripture in Acts reminds us that all we do is in Him. It’s by His power that we move and that we even exist. He uniquely created each of us, and we must honor that. This chapter in Acts reminds us that we are God’s children, created in His image. He knows all the details about you, and He created you the way you are for a reason. Don’t try to be someone or do something that doesn’t align with the Lord and the way He made you. He loves you, and He wants you to love and embrace the life He has planned for you. 

If your current healthy living approach is leaving you tired and frustrated, ask yourself the questions above. When you start doing more of what you love in regards to how you care for your body, you’ll start feeling better. You’ll want to do those things. It’ll be easier to continue that approach for a long time to come.

Do something you love today!

Action Step

Ask yourself the questions above. Are you honoring the unique body God entrusted to you? Choose to honor God by making healthy decisions that honor your unique body.

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Remembering, though an act of respect, has a hidden opportunity to it-the chance to learn from the example of those we are remembering.  When we think of our veterans we think of courage and sacrifice. We see honor but much of that comes out of a character trait: discipline.  When you think of a soldier you think of discipline, at least I do.  Here is how this ties in to faith and fitness. It takes discipline to do more than ‘work out’ but rather to train towards an objective. It is no surprise that so many in the military and first responders are fitness enthusiasts.  Their discipline breeds this kind of mindset and being fit is part of it.

What about our faith though?  Do you think that about being a Christian?

The reality of our faith experience

Sadly, that is not likely the first thing that often comes to mind when we consider our faith experience. Yet Jesus calls us to have discipline when he calls us to be disciples, or followers, of Him. The word is rooted in that. 

In a recent survey of Canadians 77% considered themselves Christians.  Really??

If 77% of Canadians were true followers of Jesus, living as we’ve been taught in the Bible this country would be a very different place. I suspect the same thing is the case in the United States since I have seen similar statistics.  We find instead this is a cultural connection rather than a spiritual transformation.  Jesus hit the nail on the head when He said in Luke 9:23-24 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”  Denial…lose…the character traits of discipline.  Hard, but necessary.

The path of discipline

Discipline is defined as an orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior. We see this epitomized in our veterans and those who continue to put themselves in harm’s way to help those who cannot help themselves. We who are followers of Jesus are to be the same way and live by the same code in the spiritual sense.

So, to be more than a mere Christian, to become a disciple and therefore experience true Christianity means it’s more than a cultural experience.  Instead, it is an all-out commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. That takes discipline. God makes stringent demands on his disciples in terms of attitude and lifestyle, action and heart.

How do we recognize it? How do we know if we have it in our lives?  Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging.  I really like that about Him.  He explained it to them in the verses Luke recorded above and Matthew wrote as well: “he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). We see from this it is a life that shows:

A denial of self …it’s looking to something higher and greater then self

A deliberate choosing of the cross….a willingness to sacrifice or to give up for the cause of Christ

A life spent following Christ…this is a supreme love for Jesus as He explained in Luke 14:26-33 of loyalty, counting the cost and willingly doing it

Now go do it!

Martin Luther once said “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”  God, through His gracious power allows us to experience something so much more than mere religion. He fills us with His Holy Spirit, empowers US to be his agents and vessels of grace, his hands and feet.  That is tough, it can only be done through Him.  That takes discipline and it does cost something.

Are you settling for being merely a Christian when the great adventure of being a disciple is available? Are you disciplined in the gym but flabby in church?  Choose spiritual fitness.  Just like our veterans did, you need to sign up and then serve as our commander chooses.  It’s never too late!  Lest we forget.  Thank you to our veterans, military community and first responders for all you do may we honor what you do by how we live.

The post Are you a Christian or a disciple? appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.

My weight loss struggles began at a very early age as a result of a mother who had her own weight and body image issues, and therefore projected those onto me. In her heart of hearts, she felt as if she was helping me not to experience the struggles that she did, but she only made that area of life harder for me.

But this isn’t going to be me wallowing in that or bashing my mom. {Before I go on, my mom and I are good. In fact, we’re great. I love her dearly. I shared some things I learned from her in a post a few years back. You can read it here.}

This message is about making a choice. No matter what happens in life, we get to decide how we respond and what we do with the experiences. Will you be the heroine or the victim?

Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim. ~ Nora Ephron

For a long time, I did allow myself to be the victim. I shied away from life and gave into worry and anxiety about my body. I didn’t think I’d ever earn the love of another man. I easily fell into the comparison trap and constantly judged myself. I was able to put on a front and go through life as if I was doing okay, but on the inside I was in a constant battle with my body and my thoughts.

All the while, I did have a relationship with the Lord. I read my Bible and prayed. I wanted to be free of this struggle. I didn’t want to be chained to these worries and to focus only on my body. Eventually, I allowed Jesus to set me free. I finally allowed Him to have access to every part of my life including my weight and body image. As a result, I gained confidence in who I was and Whose I was. I stopped being the victim of my early years and took control of this area of my life by surrendering it to Jesus.

I’ve worked with women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, even 70s who were still struggling with negative influences from their early years like I was. Whether it was unkind words or early examples of women constantly pursuing weight loss, they were still victims of feeling not enough. Feeling like they must pursue a certain body type to find acceptance. Like me, these women knew they were too old to still be struggling.

I was 40 before I stopped being the victim and stepped into the heroine role of my life. There’s still time for you to change your perspective and embrace this age and stage of life. You can live with confidence in who you are and Whose you are. Because I allowed the Lord to break those chains in my life, I was free to pursue my passion and my purpose in life. I soon realized that my passion was to help women find the freedom I found so that they too are free to pursue their passion and purpose. I can help you be the heroine of your life no matter your age. I can help you start living fit and free!

If you’re ready to make the change, some places to start:

• The Bible. Read God’s Word and know what He says about you. I wrote some devotionals to help you with that.
• Join my free Facebook Group where I share faith-focused fitness inspiration and motivation.
• My Faith and Fitness Support and Accountability Community will help you stop circling that mountain of diet, gimmicks, and quick fixes and truly start living fit and free.

God wants to break the chains in your life. He doesn’t want you to be in bondage to negative self-talk or an unhealthy relationship with food and your body. He loves you. He created you. He wants you to celebrate who you are in Him.

Action Step

Give your worries to the Lord. Let go of what’s holding you back and gain the confidence to embrace this age and stage of life. Reach out to Him, and He’ll be there to lead you out of the darkness and to break the chains that have you bound up. It’s time to start living fit and free so you can embrace your passion and your purpose. 

The post Break the Chains appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

How do we manage this?

Early in my ministry as a pastor, and my coaching career, I learned how to navigate this with a framework that helped me say ‘no’ when the workload became too much and allowed me to find balance between service and self-care.  In the past year, I have regularly had people want to join my training group. While I love their desire to grow as athletes, my group is full.  The temptation is there to expand, to ‘help out’, but I have had to learn to say no.  But it is still hard.

A grid for making choices

Here is a grid you can use to assess your commitments and opportunities. Think about it like evaluating the performance of an athlete or team, its crucial to evaluate the things you do to optimize your success at serving and maintain personal health.

An Absolute Yes

These are critical, game-changing commitments that align perfectly with your ministry, coaching or service philosophy and objectives

A Conditional Yes

These ones you are open to saying ‘yes’ but with certain conditions in place.  For example, you may accept more responsibilities if they are moving your vision or mission forward.

A Definite No

Think of these as an unworkable tactic; these requests don’t align with your mission, vision or objectives. Politely declining these commitments, say no. This will free up time and energy for the work that truly matters.

“May your yes mean yes”

The bible has much to say on this subject.  Jesus said “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”  He reminds us to be definitive in what we say and then stick to it.  Further, Paul reminds us “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him”. This is a great reminder when we feel overwhelmed.  Look to God’s promises and then make your decision.

You can do it!

What do you think? Is this doable? Can you say no?  If you find yourself struggling with number 2 or 3, my own experience has taught me that if you find it hard to say ‘go’ maybe you need to say it more often because if you never say ‘no’ then your ‘yes’ lacks meaning.  Its important to understand that saying ‘no’ isn’t about missed opportunities. Rather, its about ensuring that every ‘yes’ contributes to your journey and also your longevity in whatever you are doing. We all have our limits; this helps us not blow through them.  We who are also lifting others up need to remember our own well being.  If you’ve ever flown you’ll remember the safety briefing: in case emergency, also put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others. This is not selfishness or unspiritual, it reminds us to prioritize our self-care and well-being which allows us then to become more effective at helping others.  Finish well!

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Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

It’s a hot, summer day. You just got in from a hard workout. What are you thirsty for? A big glass of ice water? Lemonade? Soda? A milkshake? After an especially long, hot workout, the only thing that will quench my thirst is a carbonated beverage. In fact, I recently stocked up on my favorite sparkling water. We have an abundance of options to quench our thirst. But no matter what beverage you choose, you’ll eventually get thirsty again.

What are you thirsty for? Have you been on a long journey? Are you feeling parched?

My pursuit for weight loss had me searching and seeking, gazing into various wells hoping that I’d find that one that would provide the drink I needed to finally break free from the worries and insecurities related to my body. I was thirsty for freedom. After drinking from a number of different wells, I realized only Jesus could quench that thirst. 

The world is full of influencers trying to get you to drink their special water from their special wells. Those “special drinks” are things like their plans to fast-track success, weight loss, or financial freedom. The “special wells” are their secrets to lasting relationships, raising good kids, and building a multi-million dollar business. They know we thirst. Just like the variety of beverages we thirst for, people thirst for everything from meaning and purpose to love and wealth and thinner bodies. But, achieving those things will never quench our thirst. Eventually, we’ll be thirsty again. 

Are you thirsty? Have you found yourself at the well? Do you keep going back to the same one hoping that it will finally provide what you need? Have you been visiting various water sources trying to find the one that will finally quench your thirst? If you are thirsty, thirsty for something that a glass of water will not quench, you’re going to have to go to Jesus. He is the only One who will truly satisfy your thirsty soul. 

Action Step

Go to the well that is Jesus. Only He will truly satisfy. Drinking from His well will result in satisfaction with who you are and will sustain you on your journey.

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Arnold speaks wisdom

With is in mind, here is what Arnold said: “these days, in the gym, the most common thing I’m telling people is to stop doing half-reps, quarter-reps, or three-quarter reps.
There is an epidemic of people not doing a full movement, and it worries me.
If you’ve ever been near me in the gym, you’ve probably heard me tell somebody to stop doing half-reps.
Here’s why it worries me.
We go to the gym for all the benefits of being fit and strong. But if you only do half of the movement, you’re only getting half of the benefits.
I worry that the people who do half-reps in the gym are there just to check a box. They aren’t concerned about whether they’re making the most of their half-hour or hour of training.
I completely understand that there are bad days where we all have to force ourselves to the gym just to go through the motions. But if that’s what you’re doing, then go through the motions.
We know that resistance training with a full range of motion is just as powerful as stretching for increasing flexibility and mobility. We know training with a full range of motion is the most efficient way to gain strength and muscle mass.
But still, people go to the gym and do half-reps.
I’m worried because people are missing out on the fantastic benefits of progressive weight resistance training. But I’m even more worried about what it might mean for the rest of their lives.
If you don’t make the most of your time in the gym, I am willing to bet you aren’t making the most of your time, period. If you do half-reps of pull-ups, I’m guessing we can find other parts of your life you’re giving half the attention needed.”

I think Arnold is on to something that relates to our journey of spiritual growth.

Half reps in life?

As a pastor, and a coach, I see this happen far too often. People are cutting corners in order to ‘accomplish more’ and in the end they are finding less. This is not just the case in the physical realm, but I see this in the spiritual realm also. People are fooling themselves cutting corners in their spiritual development and learning to ‘fake it to make it’. God sees this and is not impressed.

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say on this issue. One particular statement from this book of wisdom states: The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Prov.13:4)

We are reminded that whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord (Col.3:23)
A well know verse is Philippians 4:13- I can do all things through him who strengthens me. This verse is often misused. What Paul is telling us here is God gives the ability to overcome anything we face. This includes spiritual sloth and struggles with motivation.

Give God your best

What all these verses tell us is that we are to give God our best and give it our all. That means not just Sunday morning, in your small group, or doing a bible study. It also means when you’re sitting down to dinner with your family, sending an email for work or doing full reps in the gym. Are you giving these things your all? Is this an act of worship?

So, the gym is representative of your life. There are good day and bad days of training. So too with our spiritual life. Success in spiritual growth demands struggle. Full effort beats half effort every time. Progress requires learning to love the process, the joy is in the doing. Now get to the gym and do full reps and then do the same in your ‘workout’ for God.

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