Beginners at the gym don’t expect to see results on day one. We all know that results will come eventually, as long as we keep our eyes on the goal and continue with best practices.

Results don’t come from worthless activity. Just because we’re active doesn’t mean it’s effective. There are tons of various claims out there. However, results come from basic, tried and true fundamentals of exercise and nutrition. If we don’t know the basic fundamentals, we can try them all and be worse off and more discouraged than before we started. 

There are personal trainers who have been educated in these basic fundamentals that, over time, produce results. A good trainer will encourage their client to keep their eye on their goal and be consistent in the plan that is laid out for them.  It’s easy to get discouraged when we focus on where we are NOT when we don’t see results quickly enough. The devil also tries to get us to focus on where we are not. He wants us to focus on our mistakes, shortcomings, and failures, rather than on the victory we already have in Christ. In Philippians 3:13 the Apostle Paul said, “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” If we spend all of our time (looking introspectively) for what is wrong, we will never become who He created us to be. A good trainer will quickly encourage us to stop looking at where we are not and, instead, focus on where we can be, if we don’t give up. Also, we should never compare ourselves with other people. A beginner shouldn’t be discouraged that they don’t immediately look like an Olympic gold medalist. Instead, they should be inspired to look more like them. The same goes for our spiritual walk. The Apostle Paul said to imitate him. He didn’t condemn new converts because they didn’t immediately have active fruits in their lives. When we see fruits in other believers lives that we don’t yet have, we shouldn’t be condemned, but rather challenged by this. The only comparing we should do is with Jesus and the Word. This should be our goal.

Sometimes we are quick to turn to expensive supplements and fad diets, pouring dollars down the drain, instead of sticking with the tried and true basics.  The same is seen with many Christians.  We can be so quick to want to read the latest bestseller, go to a conference, start a course, or join a Bible study.  These things aren’t necessarily bad; but they are meant to supplement, not replace.  There are also people who don’t spend any money on supplements, but get extraordinary results doing the fundamentals. The fundamentals of dieting, like Biblical fundamentals, are what stand the test of time.

If we as Christians have our fundamentals (prayer, Bible reading, fasting, communion, worship, etc.) out of order, we are doomed to become a malnourished Christian.  I think of fasting as the equivalent of dieting in the exercise realm, not because they both deal with food, but because it’s usually the last thing we want to address.  We may go to the gym five days a week, do cardio till we nearly pass out, hire an expensive trainer, and take all the latest supplements, but if we ignore a fundamental pillar, i.e. dieting (fasting), how can we expect optimal results? How can we truly live out who we’re called to be? Remember, Jesus said, “when you fast,” not “if you fast.” He also began His ministry with 40 days of fasting. It’s a key ingredient in our Christian walk. 

The diagram below is of two different Physical Nutrition Hierarchy Pyramids. One is a “Proper Pyramid of Importance” and the other is a “Fantasy Pyramid of Importance.”

*The idea for this diagram was borrowed from rippedbody.com.

With the “Actual Pyramid of Importance” you see that the base of the pyramid is what’s actually most important for body composition. It goes from most important to least important, starting at calories and ending at supplements. However, the “Fantasy Pyramid” more closely resembles what many of us view as important. Rather than supplements being at the top of the pyramid and the icing on the cake, we seem to focus more time, money, and attention on supplements (or the easy fix), instead of actual proper nutrition.

The diagram below is similar to the previous diagram, except this one is of two different Spiritual Nutrition Hierarchy Pyramids.

The Spiritual Nutrition Hierarchy Pyramid is similar in how it is set up and followed. Once again, you cannot substitute fads, trends, and shortcuts for Biblical fundamentals.

A decent trainer wouldn’t tell a beginner that they could achieve extraordinary results without proper diet and nutrition. It’s the nuts and bolts of training. If we’re not already incorporating fasting, let’s not be condemned by this statement, but rather challenged to go after it! “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:14-17

I’m speaking to myself as I write this. Fasting isn’t about buffeting our bodies or trying to get God to move. He’s already moved! We are just positioning ourselves to be more in tune with Him and what He’s already done by sending His son Jesus.

There are no shortcuts.  A shortcut will only lead to diminished results or possibly total derailment. Likewise, there is no substitution for time with Him in prayer and reading His Word everyday. Blessings!

The Good News-tritionist