The Faith in the 5 Fs is a faith that can improve your life satisfaction in this life and any life yet to come. If we have a spiritual life that extends beyond our current physical life, our need for the other Fs will eventually vanish. Finances are one F I certainly hope I have no need for eternally. I don’t want to work that long!

Family is the F most people would say is the most important thing in their lives, yet our society doesn’t exactly paint a picture of family being valued, much less family values. We have all the best intentions and dreams of the kinds of marriages we want to have, the incredible children we want to raise, and the joy we want to experience as a family. Our reality looks a bit different. Ask yourself how many “normal families” you know of. Find a family without some dysfunction—a pop culture cliché, but still some truth, no? A large percentage of marriages end in divorce and millions of families don’t even exist, not to count those that do and are terribly marred by bitterness, anger, and pain.

Each of the 5 Fs shares a basic feature: they are dependent on intention. Our Friends F will suffer and wither in the absence of thought and action. I’m not saying our friends will abandon us, although they may if we don’t invest wisely in our friendships. I’m saying our life satisfaction will increase, significantly, if we act and think with purpose regarding the value and role of friendships in our lives. Topics to consider include how to stay connected, how to make time to engage, how much time is right for our season of life, and most importantly, what a healthy friendship looks like.

People generally agree that financial issues are the most common stressor in life. Christians speak of how Christ discussed money more than almost any other topic. Marriage counselors will attest to financial troubles driving deep wedges in relationships. Second to war, financial issues (like recessions) are our nation’s biggest cause of calamity. Think about that.

Including Fitness as one of the Fs does not typically stoke much debate. The question is, how to define fitness? What are the key parts of fitness, the essential elements that, if ignored, will have a negative impact on your overall fitness and your pursuit for a satisfying life?