3 LESSONS IN ALIGNING YOUR HEART TO GOD’S WILL
Many people get caught up in how the world defines success and find it tempting/natural to chase after fame, fortune, possessions and more. None of that is important to God. Christians who embrace that truth can have a lifestyle that is more peaceful and fulfilling. To align your heart to God’s will, be obedient, pursue after Gods’s calling for your life, measure success in God’s terms and point people to Christ.
In 2020, God called me to start a fitness YouTube channel called, The Fitness Mission. I had no experience with YouTube and had no desire to become an influencer. But, I did have a desire to align my heart to God’s will. Over the years, God has used my ministry to help grow my faith and give me a platform to point people to Christ. I learned to step out, embrace the calling, discover God’s standard for success, and celebrate victories along the way.
Lesson #1
STEP OUT AND ANSWER YOUR CALLING
Aligning your heart to God’s will involves stepping out of your comfort zone and being willing to say yes when God gives you a mission. The devil is great at pointing out all your weaknesses, but as the apostle Paul says “we boast in our weakness” because it takes the spotlight off us and lets God be glorified for any success we have.
HOW TO BE AN ‘APOSTLE’ – OR AT LEAST BE LIKE AN APOSTLE
Christians are often referred to as “Christ followers”. It implies having a mindset and desire to submit one’s will to God. The term apostle means, one who is sent out. This mindset builds on being a faithful follower and becoming empowered with a calling, a mission, that intentionally goes out to be an influence among others and be a messenger of Christ. Jessica Brodie in her article, Should Every Christian Strive to be Like the Apostles?, she says, “The answer is yes! We can do our best to model Jesus…We can share His message with others.”
When God first called me to start The Fitness Mission, I was very resistant. I felt unqualified and let the fear of failure nearly keep me from starting the ministry. That’s when I had to pause and ask God to “direct my steps according to His Word”.
I prayed that simple prayer daily and that’s when God revealed that my channel would be used to feed the hungry. It took two years and a lot of grit, but eventually my YouTube channel became monetized, which for us means we now donate 100% of the money to MANA Nutrition, an organization that provides life-saving packets of food to severely malnourished children. If I had let the fear of failure stop me from being faithful, I would have missed out on seeing how God orchestrated my ministry to feed His children, both spiritually AND physically.
Lesson #2
DISCOVER GOD’S STANDARD FOR SUCCESS
Aligning your heart to God’s will requires understanding that God measures success differently than the world culture measures success. The world defines success through wealth, power, and popularity – to name a few. Success in God’s eyes is when we build a deep, meaningful connection with God the Father and help others (and ourselves) grow closer to Him.
Jesus isn’t tracking how many “likes” our faith-based Instagram Reel received, he’s tracking our faithfulness.
During my first year of releasing YouTube workouts, I found I was comparing my channel to others. I became jealous of social media influencers and became obsessed with checking my video views and seeing how many new subscribers I had gained. That’s when I began praying the words of Psalm 139 from the Bible over my ministry and my heart: “Search me God and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
When we pray for wisdom, God gives it with abundance. He showed me that measuring my ministry’s success based on popularity or financial gain would never result in true fulfillment. If I compare myself to those who have more, I’ll feel envious. If I compare myself to those who have less, I might puff myself up.
Jesus isn’t tracking how many “likes” our faith-based Instagram Reel received, he’s tracking our faithfulness. The marker of success is when people see Jesus through us and the work He has called us to do. That’s something we don’t always see ourselves.
Lesson #3
CELEBRATE THE VICTORIES AND POINT PEOPLE TO CHRIST
In the Bible God tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS” and then because we need reminders, He repeats “and again I say Rejoice!” If we want to align our hearts with God and make Him the Lord of our life, we need to celebrate all the little victories along the way. You’re making a difference in the world and God’s Kingdom, and that’s worth celebrating. When small milestones are achieved, rejoice! When big victories happen, rejoice!
When you invite God to direct your steps, He will bless you and make you successful in His eyes.
God has accomplished great things with The Fitness Mission. My ministry is small but mighty. The Fitness Mission YouTube channel has almost 400 free workouts available and averages around 400 hours of watch time (aka exercise time) each month. In addition to traditional workouts, the channel offers family fitness classes, Parkinson’s workouts, and prenatal wellness.
Our family donates around $200 each month to MANA Nutrition, simply from people exercising. Followers report that the mission of feeding starving kids keeps them motivated to stick with their exercise program & complete more workouts.
Most importantly, The Fitness Mission has given our family a platform to share the Gospel (the biblical instruction from Christ) in our local community and online. Through this ministry God has blessed me with the love and support of a group of faith-based fitness YouTubers called the Core Kingdom Collective. Our family celebrates all these accomplishments while eagerly waiting to see what God will do next.
Wherever you are in your ministry, business, or fitness journey, when you invite God to direct your steps, He will bless you and make you successful in His eyes. When we align our heart with God’s will, He will give you the power and platform to connect people to the life changing power of Jesus Christ.
