Take a guess… what’s the #1 mistake Christians make with their fitness?

“Too many carbs?”

Nope.

“Not enough cardio?”

Wrong.

“Snacking? Sleeping instead of working out? Not eating enough protein?”

Uh… no, no, and no.

For Christians, the number one mistake we make is confusing our goals and our results. They should not be synonymous.

Losing weight, getting stronger, having more energy, having more confidence, these kind of “results” are wonderful. When they happen, we can praise God for Him enabling us and we can enjoy the blessing of the benefit. However, we shouldn’t work on our fitness because of the benefit; we should work on it because of the benefactor . . . our Heavenly Father.

However, we shouldn’t work on our fitness because of the benefit; we should work on it because of the benefactor . . . our Heavenly Father.

When our primary motivation shifts from “wanting to honor God” to “looking good in a bathing suit,” or “improving our blood pressure,” things change. We’ve tainted our motives.

You see, it’s just like Satan to distract us by getting our fitness focused on the wrong things, such as results. This strategy is so crafty because when we don’t get the results we are seeking, we are demotivated. Ever had a second or third piece of cake because the weight wasn’t coming off anyway? Or what happens when the blood work doesn’t improve? Not as likely to keep working out are we?

The good news is, while God has established a very high benchmark for living, He also supplied the power to live it out. We have to be vigilant about protecting our focus.

If we don’t remain honest and upright, we can’t honor God in our hearts. If we don’t honor God in our hearts, we can’t honor God with our bodies.

When we do remain upright, however, it’s then up to the Lord’s capable hands to see us through to completion. We can present it all back to the Lord and trust in Him to protect us. We can fully expect and rely on the promise found in Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

So protect your focus by protecting your mind. And that starts by focusing on God and following His word.