People come to me wondering why they aren’t seeing results, why the fat isn’t melting, and why the muscle isn’t building. They are doing everything their diet says to do. The truth is: worldly fitness doesn’t work or last forever. We need something more than worldly fitness to get us on a path of lasting health. Today, I want to show you that Jesus cares about every detail of our lives—yes, even our fitness struggles. We’ll also learn that He gave us a helper, the Holy Spirit, why His plans for us are our greatest motivation, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that the answers to our fitness issues are only found in Him.
The first step in this is to put God first. We don't often put God first in our fitness. In fact, fitness can easily become an idol. Here's how to take steps toward fitness that put God first.
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Have you ever wondered…
- If God cares about your struggles with food and fitness?
- How to get your eating under control?
- Why it’s so hard to stay motivated?
- How to have a healthy body image?
- Why worldly fitness answers don’t work?
I can promise you right now that God cares about you and every struggle or thought you have ever had.
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God must be first in everything, our fitness included.
The word worldly means: without God. As Christians, our goal is to put God first in everything. We don’t often put God first in our fitness. In fact, fitness can easily become an idol, replacing Jesus in our lives. Worldly fitness is perfection-based and performance-driven and it can create an unhealthy relationship with food and body image.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Apart from God, we can do nothing! This includes our fitness.
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Alarming FItness Stats
Here are some shocking numbers related to worldly fitness:
- $72 Billion Spent Yearly on Diet Aids
- 74% of Adults are Obese or Overweight
- 84-91% Of Women Unhappy With Appearance
- 95% of Diets Fail
Sad right? This is what fitness is without Jesus. So how can we fix this? How can we have a relationship with God during our fitness journey?
A Jesus-First Approach to Fitness
Make Fitness a Spirit-Led endeavor instead of a frustrating flesh project!
“Be the fruit the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;” Galatians 5:22-23
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26
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The First Step to Spirit-Led Fitness - The 3 C’s
Just like a fitness instructor wouldn't just jump into your first workout without some diagnostic questions, these three C's of Spirit-Led Fitness allow us to access where our heart and soul are in this process. I recommend examining what comes to mind when you think of your own fitness and apply these three principles to those thoughts:
Captive - Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
Cast - Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
Choose - Choose not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
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20 Verses to Remind You Who You Are In Jesus
- You are justified-completely forgiven and made righteous (Romans 5:1).
- You are God’s Masterpiece created in Christ Jesus to do the things He planned for you long ago (Ephesians 2:10).
- You are a new creation, the old you is gone. (2 Corinthians 5:17).
- You are loved (1 John 3:3).
- You don’t have the spirit of fear. You have the spirit of love, power, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
- You can be confident that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).
- You can always know the presence of God because He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
- You are accepted (Ephesians 1:6).
- You are chosen and set apart for such a time as this (John 15:16, Esther 4:4).
- You have direct access to God (Ephesians 2:18).
- You are a temple of God because His spirit is alive in you (1 Corinthians 6:19).
- You are a child of God (John 1:12).
- You have the power of God working in you to accomplish the things He wants you to do. (Philippians 2:13)
- You have access to the wisdom of God when you don’t know what to do (James 1:5).
- You are forever free from condemnation (Romans 8:1).
- You have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in a time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
- You are firmly rooted in Christ and being built in Him (Colossians 2:7).
- You have been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13).
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Activate Your Faith Success Equation with the 3 S’s
Seek God 1st - “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Surrender it Daily to God - “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
Show Up in the Power of the Holy Spirit - “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” Zechariah 4:6
Jesus’ Blueprint for Health:
- He rose early.
- He spent time with His Father.
- He prayed about everything.
- He wasn’t lazy.
- He enjoyed food.
- He ate to live; He didn’t live to eat.
- He walked everywhere.
- He loved people.
- He came to serve.
- He wasn’t concerned with what others thought about Him.
- He lived for God and to fulfill the plan for His life.
- He finished His race with endurance!
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Start Here: Fitness Isn’t a Look, It’s a Lifestyle of Stewardship
What areas in your life might you want to reflect Jesus more?
11 Ways for Those Who Want to Reflect Jesus in Everything They Do:
- We follow Jesus’ example and rely on the Holy Spirit.
- We seek Him first.
- We spend time with Him and in His Word.
- We pray about everything.
- We choose not to be lazy or gluttonous.
- We eat the foods He made for us.
- We move our bodies.
- We serve people through our gifts.
- We don’t concern ourselves with what others think of us.
- We live to fulfill His plan for us.
- We run our race with endurance.
No diet can give you the spirit of self-control, only God can do that!
Image Credit: Kim Dolan Leto
How to Workout God’s Way
- Pray before you workout
- Dedicate: Make workouts a time of worship
- Listen to Christian music
- Motivate yourself with your why
- Meditate on Scripture
- Focus on the internal changes
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
Friend, you are a child of God. He cares about every aspect of your life. He knows the number of hairs on your head, why would He not show up for your fitness?
Start slow, you don’t have to dive into everything and try to make a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Pray that God shows you where and how to start, and He will guide you!
Remember, you are Strong. Confident. His.
Editor's Note: This article was reprinted from Kim Dolan Leto's blog and used with permission. Kim goes into more detail on this topic on her latest episode of The Strong Confident His Podcast- to hear the episode, just click the play button below!
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Kim Dolan Leto is The World’s Leading Bible-based fitness expert, bestselling author, podcaster, and the founder and brand developer of Faith Inspired Transformation (F.I.T.). Kim is the author of Fit God’s Way, 10 Steps to Your Faith Inspired Transformation, F.I.T., and The Strong. Confident. His Faith and Fitness Devotional. She graduated with a B.S.B.A. Kim is a professionally trained speaker, certified fitness instructor, and nutrition specialist, a winner of the ESPN Fitness America competition, a top-five finisher in the Ms. Fitness World competition, and a twenty-five-time magazine cover model.
In addition to having her work published in Jesus Calling, The Christian Post, Relevant, Oxygen, Muscle & Fitness, Hers, Fitness, Success, Faith and Fitness Magazine, Train, and other fitness publications, she has been featured on The 700 Club, Life Today, Hope Today, Prayerlink, TBN, CBN, Fox, ESPN, ABC, and she was the Faith and Fitness Expert on HIS Radio. Her F.I.T. Workout Series currently streams on Pure Flix and she hosts her weekly podcast, Strong. Confident. His. Kim and her husband live in Scottsdale, Arizona with their three children.
Listen to Kim's Fitness Podcast for FREE - Strong. Confident. His!
Originally published Wednesday, 11 October 2023.
