Category: Faith

Bridging the Faith and Fitness Gap

Bridging the Faith and Fitness Gap

It’s logical to say that in this day and age our society has adopted a “me, me, me” mentality that is virtually accepted everywhere. The fitness industry isn’t about supporting a team or leading an organization in the right direction– it’s about us. It’s about the individual and personal effort to reach towards a goal. In no way is working out a team sport. It’s as simple as you, yourself doing the work. I mean after all no one else will benefit from YOU eating 7 meals per day. No one else will benefit from YOUR consistent training routine or rigorous early-morning cardio sessions. You’re a one man/woman show.

If training and fitness has become an enjoyable priority in your life then most likely you’ve been well aware of this for some time. You have to put in the hard work to get the results.

Today I want to challenge your thinking. I want to challenge your purpose in training. It’s so easy to give into the world’s beliefs that we can have what we want WHEN we want it, but have you ever thought of the bigger picture? Here’s another question:

What is your purpose for training?

Depending on your sport, desired activity or specific goals, these answers can vary. People workout with all sorts of achievements in mind; some don’t even have goals, they just workout and run because society says you have to be physically fit and healthy, so they hope for a positive ending with no clear direction.

With this being said, there is one very unique thing that these goals have in common – They are ALL temporary.

What happens when you reach your goal?

Ok so I can run 10 miles without stopping; I can bench press 315 pounds; I completed my first triathlon, woo!

Now what? Don’t get me wrong here, having personal achievements are extremely important and help tremendously in training mentality and motivation to do great things in life, but is there something that’s more important?

“For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”               – 1 Timothy 4:8

In the fitness industry today, God is absent. He is left at church when we leave Sunday morning’s service and is stuck waiting there for when we come back. We dive headfirst into the busy week with our routines and God is placed in a separate box that is only opened specific times of the day, if at all.

Many Christians will make this mistake because they do not realize the “big picture.” God doesn’t want SOME of our time or even MOST of our time. He wants to be 100% of our lives. This means that God should be woven into your businesses, your priorities, your activities and your lifestyles.

As Christians, what is our purpose on this earth?

The Bible tells us that God is the potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). He forms us into who He calls us to be. Our purpose on this earth is spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him. Everything else is second.

In the fitness industry, the faith and fitness gap has not been bridged… until NOW.

Our lives should be a shining example of God’s love for us and His never-ending grace. We respect Him with our body, mind and soul.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Conclusion

I encourage anyone reading this to make God a part of your fitness lifestyle. Here are a couple ways to get started:

       1.   Pray before and after your workout

Ask God to bless your time and abilities in your training. Whatever goal you’re looking to achieve, make your requests known…

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  – Philippians 4:6

        2.   Worship with your training

One of the best ways to keep God a part of my workouts is to blast praise music! This can be rock, rap or straight up worship music. You’ll notice the positive difference in your training. Over time, this can be amazingly effective in keeping God first place in your life.

It’s time to leave behind the popular selfish outlook that has been accepted in society! God is our loving Father so let’s praise Him in our workouts, our sports, our nutrition, our priorities and our lifestyles!

Your Trainer in Christ,

-Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” –1 Corinthians 10:31

The Principle of First

The Principle Of First

Exodus 20:1-17

I wanted to share with you something that I have learned and personally applied to my life over the last few months, and in all honesty it has me feeling happier and free knowing that God has absolute control over my life in every aspect.

If you want to live a successful life you must remember what God teaches us: Do not worship any other gods but Him and in all things: put Him first. In other words, God isn’t OK with being second or third place in your life. It seems so simple to let God take over when we have troubles, but what about the good times too?

If we aren’t careful, many smaller things can become the product of our worship. And no longer will these “smaller” things be small, but constant concentration on these things before God will result in unsuccessful endeavors.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21

So what treasures or idols do you tend to worship on a daily basis? What do you spend most of your time and money on? What about your children, your spouse or loved ones? All of these things can be viewed and easily put in front of God without a second thought. If we aren’t mindful of this, each day can carry on shamelessly and before you know it, God becomes just a typical weekend routine. Many Christians will give up an hour on Saturday night or Sunday morning to worship and go to church, but what about the rest of the week? Is your mind bent on other things once you get home? For most of us, the answer would be yes.

Being in the fitness industry like I am, my mind is constantly bombarded with external and internal information that keeps my days organized and progressive. I’ve chosen an occupation and a hobby that demands almost all of my time and energy. As most of you know already, maintaining a healthy lifestyle goes way beyond just going to the gym for an hour. If you are truly committed to your fitness goals then the commitment will follow you outside of the gym as well. How much time do you spend planning out meals, or counting calories, or following your diets? These things are not easy to say the least. They DO require a certain level of commitment, but that commitment should NOT come before God.

Look at it this way:

If you love exercising and working out continuously each week, think about what you’re really trying to accomplish here. Are you trying to reach a particular goal? Or in reality, is it just happiness that you’re looking for after all? I believe that all of us step foot into the gym because of some measure of unhappiness or discontentment. If this wasn’t the case, gym’s wouldn’t even exist at all. We all want to better ourselves somehow right?

We go through intense workouts and demanding nutritional programs, and all for what? To look in the mirror and like what we see? Yes this is completely true! But there’s something else that I think we’re missing here…

Whatever your reasons are for staying healthy, it’s time to put things into perspective:

Why are you putting anything else before God in the first place? We spend such a short time here on this earth while we’re alive and truth be told, most of it is spent worrying and trying to become successful in some way or another. I believe that we aren’t intended to live like that. God put us here to worship Him and to tell others about Jesus so that they may be saved. If God is first place in your life, the success will show itself.

“In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” – Proverbs 3:6 (LB)

So what can I do to make sure that God is first place in my life?

It’s simple: You’ll know when you stop WORRYING.

Here is a list of 5 Steps of the Principle of First outlined from Dr. Don Wilson, pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley (Phoenix,AZ):

The Principle of First (F) – Finances

Give Him the first DIME of every dollar.

The Word says that we should tithe to give back to God what is already His in the first place. The word “Tithe” means ten percent. So this 10% of your entire income should be given back to God in FAITH that he will bless the other 90%. He promises this in His Word:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and TEST ME NOW IN THIS, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” – Malachi 3:10

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops, then your barns will be filled to overflowing.” – Proverbs 3:9-10

 

The Principle of First (I) – Interests

Give Him the first priority in every DECISION.

We make decisions every single day. Some may be simple and some can be extremely overwhelming at times. Whatever our particular interests are, God wants to be the center of it. When this happens, the tough decisions will not be as tough anymore because He will lead you in the right direction with faith.

“In Everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” – Proverbs 3:6 (LB)

 

The Principle of First (R) – Relationships

Give Him first PLACE in every relationship.

The people closest to you will determine your level of success. In your fitness life, surround yourself with others who believe the same thing that you do. You can never have too much motivation and encouragement by others.

“What a person is really like is shown by the kinds of friends he chooses.” – Proverbs 27:19 (LB)

 

The Principle of First (S) – Schedule

Give Him the FIRST second of every day.

It’s easy to go about your routine once you wake up in the morning, but are you setting aside time for Him? Spending time in His Word and praying can have a profound impact upon your day. You’ll most likely find that your mind is more aware of the good things, and less aware of the worries and stresses.

“Be careful how you live…making the most of every opportunity.” – Ephesians 5:15-16

 

The Principle of First (T) – Troubles

Give Him the first call when you have a PROBLEM.

Don’t let this life overwhelm you! God is always there to take care of you. Nothing is too big or too complicated for Him to handle. All it takes is persistence and faith.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

CONCLUSION

Your fitness life is just a small example of an area in which God can lead you. As far as training goes, I feel like there are so many people who are lost in which way to go and how to succeed with their fitness goals. Likewise, so many people live day-to-day with unnecessary burdens trying to figure out why things don’t go according to plan. This is the reason Mindset Fitness was created: to help others learn the best ways to achieve anything they want in the gym and to help others learn that God can change their life completely!

God bless,

Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net

The previous article is a summary of “Put God First” by Pastor Don Wilson, Christ’s Church of the Valley, Phoenix Arizona. May 19-20, 2012.

Putting Faith in your Workouts

faithPutting Faith In Your Workouts

For those of you who know me on a personal level, my heart’s main focus isn’t set on the gym life that has surrounded my career, but my life that I have given to God and faith in Him.

Now-a-days every gym I’ve come across you have those big power-lifting gym rats that hang out in the corner by the power rack…Ever seen them? Occasionally one will get up from his seat, wrap his calloused hands around the bar, and deadlift 500 lbs until his face is red and his manly groans can be heard through the loudest music in my headphones. The others stand at his sides and yell and curse till the last rep is complete. These tend to be the leaders of the gym in their own minds, but are they leaders that can be looked up to in a Godly perspective? The young kids look in awe and ask for advice, and the regular lifters keep quiet but still wish they were that big…

In these gyms, it is easy to say that the biggest guys are the ones to look up to. And not all of them would be considered bad role models. However in my mind, what truly makes a man a MAN, is not how much weight he can throw around, or how many young kids ask for the “secrets” to his success, but how he presents himself as a man of God; staying humble in the greatest times of achievement and respect.

Not every person that walks in the gym knows Jesus as their Savior, and I’m not saying these people are bad whatsoever, but as young OR experienced lifters, we should look up to those who help us in a way that in pleasing to Christ: Which is why I’m writing this article about faith in the first place!

When was there a time when you saw someone in the gym, young, old, big or small that was reading their Bible before their workout began?? Needless to say I’ve NEVER seen this happen. Not even once. I even lift at a gym located at a church! Doesn’t God ask us as Believers in Him to be unashamed of His Word and to reach those who don’t know Him? In my opinion, this is the BEST way to not only be a shining example of Jesus in our everyday lives, but to also give ALL the glory to him even in our sessions at the gym. If we aim for Jesus to be first place in our lives, wouldn’t that mean we should also set him first in our workouts? Why not!

When this faith-filled approach popped into my mind it was clear as day.

Some days the gym will be packed out, and others you might be the only one there. And there will be times when an excuse might come into your head to skip reading the Bible today; “Oh I’ll just do it when I get home.” Can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that to myself. Shame on me. I know I’m not perfect, but Lord knows I’m forgiven…

So here’s my challenge for you: Give God the opportunity to be the center of your muscle building experience. Whether you’re in the locker room, sitting on the bench, training at home, or in the corner by the power rack with your lifting buddies, ask God to bless your workout and to be a shining example of God’s love to the rest of this world. He will never let you down and that’s a promise.

The very first time I did this I was nervous to see what it would be like. I walked into the gym with my bag in hand filled with all my nutritional vitamins and supplements; sat down in the corner on some step-up benches, pulled out my Bible and started praying. I asked the Lord to fill me with the strength I needed to progress in my training, to let me be a shining example to those around me, and to open my mind to the verses He wanted me to read that day. I opened up to James which is one of my favorite books of the Bible and it read: “24 You see that a man is justified by works and not faith alone…26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

This gave me the confidence I needed and God showed me that putting him first in every aspect of my life, including my lifting sessions would be rewarding. Having faith that God will strengthen you in your workouts will not be enough, but through Works (Reading your Bible and speaking to others about God), you will be blessed I have no doubt.

I know most of you reading this may not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but if you are interested in hearing more about faith then don’t hesitate to send me and email and I will be glad to help out!

Oh and for those of you who need some pumping-up kind of music, I suggest Lacrae, Thousand Foot Krutch, Manafest, or Pillar. GREAT stuff…

Your Trainer in Christ,

– Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net