What do a goldfish, guinea pig, rabbit, chinchilla, ferret, dog, chicken, and cat all have in common? Give up? They are all animals I’ve personally had as pets. This doesn’t include the plethora of animals with whom I shared residence throughout my...
Faith
On This Page
> Result
This is the overview page on faith. But for clarity purposes, we need to establish some terms, how live it out, what it implies for not only our fitness, but our lives as a whole, and more. If we are not careful, our faith can get lost in our fitness journey. So being clear from the start will help set expectations and intentions.
What is Faith?
In it’s most basic form, our Christian faith is trust that the Lord will provide (fill in the blank). So by definition, our faith will not be in ourselves. Remember, it is the Lord working through us to carry out His purposes, including how we steward our bodies. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Of course, we can zoom out and use the word “faith” to refer to our Christian walk… our faith.
With that in mind, this category of articles will be mostly specific in how our faith can propel our fitness. That said, at times they will be more general, examining principles that help form our relationship with God, the foundation of our lives.
Game Plan
The world is filled with endless self-glorification. The fitness industry is no exception. Vanity and intolerance run rampant.
As Christians, we have yet another way to distinguish ourselves from what the world offers. Adopting a mindset that ultimately, it is not about me, is a good starting point. We do not have anything that God did not give us. This is not to suggest that being proud of your progress or accomplishments is a bad thing. It just cannot be the thing. Our identity should be in Christ alone, not the mirror, the scale, your strength, or your speed.
Our faith will be at the core of our fitness lifestyle. After all, God has provided us with everything we need to carry of life pleasing to Him.
Result
As Christ-followers, we have a purpose for our fitness that extends far beyond the results we are trying to achieve. We also have an advantage. We have access to endless wisdom, strength, patience and goodness found in our Heavenly Father. He provides the spiritual resources to sustain the life for which He has called us. Therefore, we will trust that He will provide what we need throughout our lives, fitness included.
Faith-Building Books
- Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
- The Pleasures of God by John Piper
- What’s So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey
- The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer
- Knowing God by J. I. Packer
- The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
Some all-time classics, as well as a few that have meant so much to me personally. This list is constantly growing.
All Faith Articles
Here is a growing list of articles I’ve written on faith. Enjoy!
Is Fear Learned?
I grew up having access to acres and acres of woods. Playing. Exploring. Climbing. Jumping. The woods were a playground for me. While I wasn’t one of those wild kids who were born without the fear gene, I wouldn’t consider myself a particularly fearful child....
The Danger of Grace
I used to work with a woman who seemed to rarely want to learn anything new. It wasn’t because she wasn’t a hard-working employee; in fact, quite the opposite. She had played an important role in helping the boss start the company. She wore multiple hats and kept many...
The Upside of Getting Lost
In college, my roommate and I went to Red River Gorge to do some mountain biking. He was from eastern Kentucky and had spent countless hours playing around in “The Gorge.” I had also been to this amazing natural resource, so we felt more than equipped to handle the...
The Gift of Epilepsy
Probably the best book I’ve read on love and relationships is Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages. This masterpiece sheds so much light on why and how we give and receive love. There’s a reason it’s a perennial best-seller and has a five-star rating with nearly...
What If 2021 Is Even Worse?
2020 was rough. Like, really rough. And not rough in the “Wow, that workout was hard. I’m going to be sore, but I think I’ll do it again in a couple weeks and see how it goes” sort of way. More like, “Uh… what just happened? That was b-r-u-t-a-l. I never...
Do You Have “Rooftop” Friends?
It should be no secret that having accountability can make a huge difference with your health and fitness. In fact, there are studies that prove it: • Healthy partners influence their partner to be healthier. • Those who share progress on social media lose more...
The Most Staggering Verse in the Bible
The Bible is littered with the most extraordinary sentences ever written. Fantastical stories… “Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.” – Jonah 1:17 “Then the Lord gave the...
Don’t Forget Your Face
It’s 2020. We have electric, self-driving cars. On demand access to nearly every TV show, movie, or song ever made. Wind energy created literally out of thin air. The world is changing faster and faster. Yet with all these advances in science and technology, we still...
The #1 Mistake Christians Make With Their Fitness
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...
The Difference Between Tripping and Falling
It seems like yesterday I was teaching our children how to walk. It required a lot of handholding, encouraging, and praising… but I was happy to do it. Inevitably, there were times when they’d be going a little too fast and would trip on something, most commonly their...
Your Kids And Your Fitness
I couldn't believe it. There's no way it could be right. So I double-checked the math. 9 + 2 + 11 + 3 ... plus ... carry the ... divide by 4.2 ... equals... 15. FIFTEEN! I was right the first time... but I wished I wasn't. We had completed a little sugar experiment...
Inviting God In
My youngest son, Silas, is all boy. Wants to wrestle. Wants to play in the dirt. Wants to sword fight with sticks. And wants to play Legos… oh does he love him some Legos. I’m so grateful for those Danish geniuses, even if the razor sharp edges give my feet...
What Spiritual Freedom Means
This excerpt is taken from The Body Tithe Devotional by Matthew Pryor with permission from Sophros, LLC (publisher), 2015. I’m writing this on the Fourth of July, when our great country celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in...
The Facts About Feelings
Let's face it, sometimes things would be much easier if we were all just robots. Moving from one task to another in a cold, systematic fashion, we would be much more efficient and productive gears in the machine of life without all these pesky emotions...
The Most Frequent Command in the Bible
When you think through the "do's and don'ts" of the Bible, I'm guessing one or more of the following come to mind: Do not lie Do not steal Love your enemies Do not murder Do unto others as you'd have them do to you Love your neighbor as yourself All these are...
Watching the Wind
“I’ll start Monday.” “Once work slows down, I’ll have more time.” “Too much going on with the holidays. I’ll start when they’re over and kids are back in school.” Let’s face it, we are busy people. There are always things going on and there are no signs of life...
5 Lessons We Can Learn From Abraham
The dramatic story of God testing Abraham’s faith is ripe with lessons we can apply to our lives. Those lessons, however, are easy to miss because the premise of the story is so compelling. Let’s hit rewind and see what God can teach us. We pick up the story in...
If God says “No,” will you still say “Yes”?
The Lord loves you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You know this full well. He wants the best for you and His plans are better than yours. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to be obedient to His voice. Sometimes though, if we’re really being honest with...
What Silas Can Teach Us About Fitness
The other day I asked Silas, my 4-year-old, to get out of his pjs and put on his clothes for the day. Being the happy, compliant little guy that he is, he hopped right to it. After getting dressed myself, I came back to find him looking like this. Of course, my heart...
The Body Tithe Devotional FAQ
After a lot of hard, hard work, The Body Tithe Devotional became an actual book that actual people could actually buy. It was a super long, and at times, painful journey. However, I’m prayerfully confident that readers will be blessed by the truths found in the book....
Don’t just do something… stand there!
Some years back, I was meeting with my accountability group at Panera, as was the normal Monday morning ritual. While we were talking, we heard a muffled crash followed by a loud "thump!" We looked over and a man who was likely in his mid-60s had tripped and fallen,...
Running the Race: The Purpose
Of the many components to a race, the one that most often goes unexamined: the purpose. Or more specifically, your purpose for participating in it. Maybe it’s because you love group events. Perhaps you’re the competitive type and love a good challenge. If it’s really...
The Centurion
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. – Matthew 8:10 We are amazed by Jesus, but perhaps not amazed often enough. The Gospel of John suggests that...
The Potter
“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” - Isaiah 64:8 The Bible uses several words to describe God as the creative and masterful designer He is. Peter refers to him as “Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). In Job and...
My Fitness Hero
There are so many people to look up to in the world of exercise and nutrition. You have icons such as Jack LaLanne, the godfather of fitness. Or Dr. Kenneth Cooper, credited for inventing aerobics and bringing the importance of cholesterol and antioxidants into...
A long obedience in the same direction
Eugene Peterson's classic A Long Obedience in the Same Direction looks to the Psalms to find "... encouragement for modern pilgrims as we learn to grow in worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community and blessing." Today is Good Friday, and I am...
Another primary motivation for getting fit
A few years back, we needed some bedroom furniture for our oldest son. Being a fan of financial fitness, we decided we'd get the best bang for our buck at IKEA. But the closest one is an hour and a half from us and I didn't want to get there and not be able to fit the...
One of my primary motivations for getting fit
Everyone has their motivations for getting fit. Ranging from looking good and feeling better to recovering from injuries and preventing them, there are no shortage of reasons to get fit. I certainly have my motivations: I want to honor God with my body. I want to be...
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