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.
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…
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.
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
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)
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
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
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,
Built from a foundation of faith and perseverance, Mitch Muller is the owner and founder of Mindset Fitness, with a dream of helping others pursue excellence in both the gym and in life. Read more about his journey here.
The Mindset Fitness Philosophy and Mission Statement: To provide Biblically-based health and fitness lifestyle education, empowerment and motivation, which gives HOPE to everyone, from the physically fit to the physically distressed.
It is our vision to positively impact the health and fitness lifestyle of one million people through motivation by the year 2025.