Ep. 54:

Welcome back to Renewed Strength, the podcast where faith and fitness come together to help you live stronger—inside and out. I’m glad you’re here today. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I want to take some time to focus on something that fuels both our faith and our fitness: gratitude.

In a world where it’s easy to focus on what we don’t have—more time, better results, a stronger body—gratitude shifts our perspective. It reminds us that what we do have is already enough.

You ever finish a tough workout, completely spent, and then realize how grateful you are just to be able to move? That moment when you’re lying on the mat, catching your breath—you’re tired, but thankful. Thankful that your body showed up. Thankful for the strength to push through. Thankful for the opportunity to grow.

Gratitude changes how we train. Instead of punishing our bodies for what they can’t do, we start celebrating what they can do. Every rep, every run, every recovery day—it all becomes a form of worship.

Colossians 3:17 (NIV) says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

That verse captures it all—whatever we do. That means your training, your meal prep, your recovery, even your rest days. When you do it with gratitude and purpose, it becomes an act of worship.

There are so many ways we can practice gratitude through fitness, health, and wellness:

Gratitude for the ability to move. Not everyone gets to train, stretch, or even walk without pain. Every movement is a gift.

Gratitude for progress, not perfection. Thank God for the small wins—the extra rep, the better sleep, the improved mood. Those are blessings.

Gratitude for nourishment. Whether it’s a healthy meal or just enough food on the table, each bite fuels the body He gave you.

Gratitude for rest. God designed rest as part of renewal. Your recovery matters as much as your effort.

Gratitude for community. Training partners, coaches, loved ones, even the people who cheer you on from the sidelines—they’re all part of the journey.

Gratitude for growth. The discipline, the patience, the resilience you build—it’s shaping not just your body, but your spirit.

When we approach our health with a grateful heart, we move differently. We eat differently. We speak to ourselves differently. Gratitude keeps us grounded in grace instead of striving for perfection.

This week, I challenge you to make gratitude part of your workout. Before you start your next training session, take 30 seconds and thank God for something specific—your breath, your body, your strength, your purpose. Let that spirit of thankfulness carry you through every rep and every moment this week.

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