A “Change your Health… Change your Life” Message

Taming the Tongue toward Physical Fitness

VERSE REFERENCE:  James 3:3-8 NLT (emphasis added)

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.

The tongue is a powerful weapon. In James, he goes as far as to compare the tongue is a flame of fire. He also says that no one can tame the tongue – it is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.   I don’t know about you – but I’ve tried to tame my own tongue. I’ve focused so much on what I’m saying or not saying, trying my hardest to not say the wrong thing. And that’s the problem – the ability to control my tongue depends completely on me and my efforts. James said it himself – “no one can tame the tongue.”

There is still hope to control the tongue. We have access to that rudder that controls a huge ship in the direction it will turn. That rudder is the Holy Spirit. When we abide (remain in relationship) with the Holy Spirit, he does the work for us. He changes our hearts so we no longer have to try and “control” what comes out of our mouths. He doesn’t want us to become masters at managing sin. He wants us to allow Him to become master of us so he can do the heart changes to bring fourth good fruit in what comes out of your mouth, which leads to blessings.

The Holy Spirit can “tame your tongue” as it relates to what you eat. Instead of making the focus on trying really hard not to eat those foods you know aren’t so good for you, why not ask Holy Spirit to change your heart and empower you to control your tongue? When you allow the Holy Spirit to get involved, HE will make the changes in your heart, which is often where the underlying problem is. When we harbor sin in our hearts, it comes out in many different ways – even in the foods we crave. When He starts to make those changes in your heart, you’ll start having victories in what you eat and crave.

1.) Every day when you wake up, ask the Holy Spirit to tame your tongue.

2.) Find a verse in the bible that will help you when you need the power to control your tongue

Lord, thank you that your grace and mercy is new every single day. Thank you that my performance is not dependent upon me but dependent upon what you did on the cross. Give me the power and strength today to tame my tongue towards people and what I eat. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

By: Daniel Stein, NFPT-CPT

“Change your Health… Change your Life”

Originally Posted on Rhema Counseling Associates

by Physical Fitness Coach, Daniel Stein

TOPIC for Physical Fitness

The Heart’s Appearance vs Outward Appearance

VERSE REFERENCE for Physical Fitness

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

SPIRITUAL MESSAGE for Physical Fitness

I’ve been excited about writing a blog on this particular topic for quite some time now, particularly because I have seen the impact it has had on my own life and I know the power it can have to those who truly grasp this. I’ll begin by sharing a very brief synopsis of my testimony.

In high school, I was the shortest kid in my class. My nickname was “littleboystein” and I quickly allowed that to become part of my identity – to the point where I used it on social media and my own email address. I was ridiculed on a daily basis for many things, including my physical appearance. As a result, I didn’t have many friends and didn’t even go to my own high school graduation out of shame. When I finished high school, I felt suicidal, depressed and rejected. I wanted to be accepted like all the other popular kids were, so I started working out and taking over the counter supplements to speed up my results. I quickly gained quite a bit of muscle and strength and was starting to see the attention and acceptance that I wanted so badly. From the outside, I looked very healthy and had a lot of self-confidence. People would regularly comment on how much I had changed since high school and how proud of me they were. I started to become pretty proud of myself too – I did this all by myself. There was just one problem … it wasn’t enough.

When my muscles grew, they didn’t grow big enough. When my strength went up, it wasn’t enough to keep me satisfied.

After living in this cycle for years and experimenting with many different supplements, I quickly spiraled into a deep depression and cried out to God, with whom I had no relationship. He answered me in the form of sending someone to encounter me in the gym who invited me to church, where I gave my life over to Christ and started learning about my Father. I learned that He was after my heart, not my outward appearance. Over time, this caused a change in my heart from making fitness all about me (my appearance and needing approval) to making it all about Him.

PHYSICAL MESSAGE for Physical Fitness

Most of us make a decision to get healthy and stay fit for one main reason: to change our appearance. Instead of focusing so much on the physical appearance (self-centered), we can make fitness more about the heart of God which is love (God-centered). Like money, appearance has no eternal value whatsoever.

Let’s ask God to change our focus from the temporary things on this earth to things that matter to Him!

APPLICATION for Physical Fitness

1.) Examine your heart and ask the Holy Spirit why He has prompted you to work out and get healthy. Have you been doing it for Him or for yourself?

2.) Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can love Him and have a deeper relationship with Him through your health and fitness efforts.

PRAYER for Physical Fitness

Lord, thank You that You are constantly changing me and making me more like You every single day. Sometimes the pull of this world makes it difficult to stay focused on the most important thing – my relationship with You. Lord, help me to stay focused on YOU and what matters most to You which is loving God and loving others to the fullest capacity. Let that be my motive for everything that I do, even when I eat or how I work out. In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

By: Daniel Stein, NFPT-CPT

“Change your Health… Change your Life”

Find out more about this author here  https://www.specialstrong.com/

Originally Posted on Rhema Counseling Associates

by Physical Fitness Coach, Daniel Stein

Are you patient and kind when it comes to personal fitness?

VERSE REFERENCE for Physical Fitness

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

SPIRITUAL MESSAGE for Physical Fitness

We have all heard or read this verse many times in church and in the bible. Sometimes, we hear something so often that it just becomes “repetitive” and it loses a lot of its meaning and value. As Christians, we forget that this verse is arguably one of the most important verses in the Bible – God did say the greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.

I often read this verse and think to myself … “I’m not patient” or “I’m always selfish and rude.” I’ve even said these things out loud, making these statements a part of my belief system. The more that I tell myself “I’m so impatient” or “I’m so selfish” the more I start to believe and act out in a way that shows I’m a selfish or impatient person. When the speed limit is 60 and the person in front of me is going 45, I get very impatient with the person going slow to the point that I’ll even cut them off! Why? I believe I’m an impatient and selfish person, therefore I act in that manner. “I’m just an impatient person – I can’t help it.”

Recently, a friend challenged me to examine the words I was speaking over myself and compare them with what scripture says. I found that many of the things I was saying about myself did not line up with scripture. Then, I spoke this over myself.

DANIEL is patient and kind. DANIEL is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. DANIEL does not demand its own way. DANIEL is not irritable, and he keeps no record of being wronged. DANIEL does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. DANIEL never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Which takes more faith – believing my default nature (impatient and selfish) or believing my new nature in Christ that says I am patient and kind?

PHYSICAL MESSAGE for Physical Fitness

When it comes to health and fitness, we can be so hard on ourselves. One piece of cake (or maybe two!) and we’ve blown it and are now walking in guilt and regret. We start to beat ourselves up for “messing up” and ruining any progress that we may have made during the previous days or weeks. When you do that, are you being patient and kind with yourself? Are you demanding perfection from yourself? Do you keep a record of all those bad calories you’ve just consumed? Do you lose hope that you’ll just never be able to eat the “right way?”

Health and fitness both require patience and kindness! You didn’t get to where you are today overnight, so don’t expect yourself to make changes overnight. It takes TIME to see the changes you want and it starts with being patient and kind with yourself. Like I always tell my clients … “Baby steps … one step at a time! It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.”

APPLICATION for Physical Fitness

1.) Speak out loud 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 substituting your name in the verses. Consider printing it and putting it on your mirror.

2.) For one full day, examine your thoughts and words. Do they line up with what God says about you?

PRAYER for Physical Fitness

Lord, thank you that I am a new creation in Christ and I no longer have to surrender to my old selfish nature. Thank you that your mercies are new every single day and I don’t have to be perfect because you already accomplished perfection on the cross. Father, I repent of being so hard and impatient with myself and ask you to help me to be kind and patient just like you always are to me as the perfect father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

By: Daniel Stein, NFPT-CPT

“Change your Health… Change your Life”

Find out more about this author here  https://www.specialstrong.com/

Originally Posted on Rhema Counseling Associates