Jesus, Family, Church, Friends, Fitness

Jesus is placed first in my life, because he simply helps me put all the other people/activities in their rightful places. He’s the only individual that can help me release my stress that comes from everyday life. Every person needs someone they can go to for advice, support, and guidance when life hits us the hardest. If I need perfect guidance, complete peace when I feel I have no direction in life, Jesus is the only person that I’ve received help from 100% of the time. My church, family, and friends, unfortunately can help when they have time, or feel that they have something helpful to say. I can honestly say that a human’s advice is always clouded by their personal experience, or what they’ve been told by someone else. If I don’t have answers for my clients, I always have Jesus to help me find exactly what my client needs are. I’m constantly in prayer so that I can provide the correct words and advice that my clients are seeking. About 80% of the time, it’s always a non-fitness related incident that will hurt my clients success with their fitness goals. For example, I’m always hearing about divorces, financial problems, deaths in their families, and of course there are always relationship problems. If we can’t take care of our daily lives, I promise we won’t be able to find time to accomplish our fitness goals! Jesus is the only personal trainer that I need in my life. Since I’m only human, God knows that I strive to be important, and feel important to other human beings in my life.

My immediate family comes next in the pecking order of who needs to be important in my life. My wife and children need my attention, because it’s my job to raise them in a godly manner according to what I believe God’s word directs me to. My daughters need me to help them become Godly wives one day, and my wife needs me to be the Godly husband that loves her like Christ loves the Church. Without my family, I definitely would not have the life I do now. My life is so much better when my family and I are walking closely with Jesus daily. My family does interfere with my personal fitness goals, and clients fitness goals, because my children and wife do deserve personal time from me because of how much I love them. I still consider family more important than fitness accomplishments, because when it’s my time to leave this world, the only thing you can take with you is people! Six pack abs, and huge biceps, will only burn to dust like the rest of the world one day.

My church family comes next in my life. My church family’s role is to help me stay consistent with the direction that I feel God has for my life. As a christian, if you hold yourself accountable to others, you’ll see a lot more spiritual growth with Jesus than if you keep everything bundled up inside you. God created humans to build relationships, and be in communication with other people that will help us in our pursuit of building a closer daily relationship with Jesus. If fitness goals are important to you, you’ll find yourself in relationships with people that share the same fitness mindset. It’s important that people build personal relationships that will aid them in pursuing what they feel is most important in life.

Next in line are my personal friends, the people that I choose to share important aspects of my life with. My personal friends are the people that God usually will use to help guide me in my life. Just like the individuals in my church family, my close personal friends help confirm what my priorities in life should be. For example, I personally choose friends that have similar relationships with Jesus, hobbies, perspectives, etc… I also go to personal friends when maybe I’m not focusing on Jesus as much as I need to daily. With the right friends in life, a person can share fitness goals, personal struggles, and also accomplishments in many areas of life. A correct goal or priority will confirm itself when you can verify it through Jesus and your personal friends.

Last but not least would be my fitness priorities in life. If I achieve a desired level of personal fitness, it can change my self-esteem, personal confidence, and spiritual growth. If I’m not confident in my body’s performance, it can hinder my personal relationships with friends, and family. For example, since I’m a personal trainer, I know that people need me to be a “walking billboard” exemplifying what fitness health should mean to a person. I need to eat, sleep, and live the part so that I can be utilized fully by God. The only things in life that I believe that are more important than personal fitness, are people. Again, when it’s my time to leave this world, God will not care a single ounce about what I achieved regarding my fitness, but what lives he used me to change eternally!

In conclusion, I believe that God wants me and all humans to put several types of people before our personal fitness goals. I’ve mentioned some important attributes that fitness goals can bring, but personal lives should be harnessed and cradled much closer than your personal fitness goals. When life comes to a close on this Earth for you and me, nobody will be talking about our abs, or bench press maximum, they’ll be talking about what kind of person you were and what kind of example you were for your kids and spouse.