Your Very Own Personal Trainer!

A year or so ago I took an online course for certification to be a personal trainer. Since I received that certification I have been reluctant to let anyone know or to advertise my services. The main reason I guess is the fear that I might not be able to help people or that I could give them the wrong advice and actually do them more harm than good. It all boils down to lack of confidence. And we all know that confidence will only come by trying and succeeding in something.


This morning as I was reading scripture from the Old Testament book of Jeremiah I began to think about how God is our ultimate personal trainer! God, our own PT, can help us succeed in overcoming obstacles that get in the way of our breaking free from the bondages of addictions, whether they be the serious addictions or more minor ones.

Jeremiah was addressing the exiled Jews who were in captivity in Babylon. Here are the verses that impacted me this morning from the 11th chapter of Jeremiah: 
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.

Sometimes when we have wandered far away from God we tend to ask “why has God left me?” But if we are really honest then we will admit that God never leaves us. It is we who stray from Him. When we need his help we start praying. We think we are seeking Him but it is usually just with a half-hearted effort. We think He is like some “genie” who will magically appear as soon as we call on Him. But as verse 13 says, we WILL find Him when we seek Him with ALL of our heart! When we do that He promises that we WILL find Him and then, and only then, can we be freed from all the” things” that hold us captive.

What is holding you captive during this season of your life? Is it fear, worry, a mean spirit, materialism, etc.? Or is it of a more physical nature like drugs, alcohol, nicotine, gambling, or food addiction? These are very real chains that bind and are extremely hard habits to break. I am sure that these physical addictions make people feel like the situation is hopeless! But the promises of the verses above offer wonderful hope to help break even the worst addictions!

Isn’t it wonderful to know that the Lord has such wonderful plans for each of us? His plans give us hope and a reason to look forward to a better future. He told Jeremiah to remind His people who were being held captive that when they come to Him in prayer He will listen. But He also made it clear that they should seek Him with ALL their heart. That is when we will find Him and He will free us from those chains that are keeping us from attaining all that He has in store for us….HIS plans, not ours! After all, we have our very own Personal Trainer ready to help us succeed and we can have all the confidence in the world in HIM!!!!!!