By David Feddes


Flourishing in wisdom

Length of days and years of life and peace… favor and good success… healing… refreshment… filled with plenty… blessed… long life… riches and honor... pleasantness… tree of life… life for your soul… adornment… secure… not afraid… sweet sleep… no fear… the Lord will be your confidence. (Proverbs 3)


Overcoming

  • Pornography
  • Child abuse
  • Partner abuse
  • Addiction


Total Fitness

  • Spiritual
  • Physical
  • Financial
  • Intellectual
  • Emotional
  • Relational
  • Vocational


Spiritual fitness
Close to God, resistant to evil

  • Bible: read, memorize, meditate, listen, apply, write
  • Prayer: Lord’s Prayer, ACTS, pray the Bible
  • Break: rest, solitude, silence, fasting, submission, sacrifice


Physical fitness

  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Rest
  • Caution
  • Checkups
  • Total Fitness


Financial fitness

  • Honor God with money
  • Making good money
  • Money and marriage
  • Dealing with debt
  • Financial planning
  • Rich and poor


Intellectual fitness
We have the mind of Christ. 

  • Intellect: thoughts, knowledge, wisdom
  • Identity: position, stance, convictions
  • Worldview: mindset, viewpoint, focus
  • Attitude: outlook, feelings, interests
  • Awareness: sense, insight, recognition
  • Evaluation: discernment, test, sifting


Emotional fitness

  • In tune with reality, others, and God.
  • Displayed appropriately.
  • Sense true and deep realities.
  • Hints of your heart and of God’s heart.
  • Limited pain, unlimited pleasure.


Relational fitness

  • Real: honest, sincere, communicative
  • Caring: love, empathy, interest
  • Stable: steady, faithful, reliable
  • Respectful: honor and serve others
  • Spiritual: sharing inner Christ-life
  • Helpful: connect, affirm, expose
  • Militant: battling evil together
  • Gracious: apologize, forgive, restore


Vocational fitness

  • Embrace work as glorious
  • Deal with sin’s impact on work
  • Work for Jesus and bless others
  • Apply talents to God-given domain
  • Traits: punctual, presentable, diligent, reliable, skilled, proactive, positive, cooperative, teachable, healthy


Total Fitness

  • Spiritual
  • Physical
  • Financial
  • Intellectual
  • Emotional
  • Relational
  • Vocational


Fitness facts

  • Total fitness involves the total person. Each area of life affects other areas.
  • Total fitness is not something you can just name and claim. Each area of fitness grows through wisdom and discipline.
  • Much remains beyond our control. But wisdom shows the best available path.


Pursuing total fitness

  • What’s your pattern?
  • What’s your priority?
  • What’s your plan?
  • What’s your progress?


What’s your pattern?

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. (4:26)

All a man’s ways seem right to him, 
but the LORD weighs the heart. (21:2)

Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. (26:11)

  • What are your healthy habits?
  • What are your unhealthy habits?
  • How do you recognize your habits?
  • How do you know if a habit is healthy or unhealthy?


What’s your priority?

  • What area of fitness is most urgent for you to change?
  • What will be most disastrous if it doesn’t change?
  • What will have the most positive impact if it does change?


What’s your plan?

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (15:22)

Make plans by seeking advice. (20:18)

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. (21:5)

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (16:3)

  • Is your plan written so you have a guide and a measuring stick?
  • What steps are you taking to reach the priorities you’ve chosen?
  • Who advises you, encourages you, and holds you accountable?
  • Do you ask God to guide your plans and help you accomplish them?


What’s your progress?

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)

We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (Eph 4:15)

Grow up in your salvation. (1 Peter 2:2)

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:1)

  • Have you changed in any way in learning about Total Fitness?
  • Do you want future changes?
  • How will you track future advances or setbacks?
  • How teachable are you?


Pursuing total fitness

  • What’s your pattern?
  • What’s your priority?
  • What’s your plan?
  • What’s your progress?

 

Last modified: Thursday, April 25, 2024, 11:36 AM