Fit For Her Journey
The FIT FOR HER JOURNEY podcast was created to inspire and uplift women on their journey to personal growth and fulfillment in faith, health, and wellness. Through real insight, wisdom and the word of God, join Allie as she shares a bit of church, a bit of life, health and wellness and a lot of the word, God’s Word! Allie deep dives into the word of God and shares with her audience empowering and heartfelt reflections while creating a safe space for women, where vulnerability, truth and growth can exist on their journey. Life comes with its own challenges and setbacks, and Allie invites her audience to draw near to God for hope, grace and restoration. Be encouraged to surrender, abide, and step into the incredible will of God that He created for you. Be her. You are her. Become FIT FOR HER JOURNEY.
Fit For Her Journey
Draw Near and Abide Pt. 2 | Turning Temporary Wants into Eternal Gains
Do temporary desires drive your spiritual journey, or are you steadfast in your faith? Join Allie Gibbs on the Fit For Her Journey podcast as we navigate the profound teachings of John 6. This episode challenges listeners to examine their motivations in following Jesus, urging a shift from seeking earthly rewards to striving for genuine spiritual growth. By reflecting on the miracle that provided physical nourishment of feeding the 5,000, Allie emphasizes the importance of abiding in Jesus for eternal nourishment. Through personal stories and biblical insights, we distinguish between authentic followers and those swayed by self-centered intentions.
Drawing parallels between physical health and spiritual growth, Allie shares personal experiences of quick-fix dieting, mindless habits and fleeting solutions, highlighting the transformative power of abiding in Jesus for true change. This episode encourages aligning health choices with spiritual practices, offering guidance on overcoming challenges like inconsistency and lack of self-control. Allie closes with a heartfelt prayer, asking for the Holy Spirit's guidance and strength to steward our bodies and to expand the Lord's kingdom. Whether on a spiritual or health journey, find inspiration to anchor your life in His word for a purpose-driven future.
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You are now listening to the Fit for Her Journey podcast with Allie Gibbs. Hey, sis, and welcome back to another episode of the Fit for Her Journey podcast, where we have a bit of church, a bit of life, health and wellness and a lot of the word, god's word. I am your host, allie Gibbs. How are you doing today? How are you feeling? What is actually true in your world right now? Yes, I know it looks different for us all and no matter how it looks at the moment, I want to give you this quick reminder that you are not in it alone. The Lord is always near and he will meet you right where you are, to see you in and through your circumstances. I don't know who needed to hear that, but that was for you, sis. Okay, last episode we talked about what it means to abide in Jesus with the I am statement. Jesus proclaimed in John 15, stating he is the true vine and we, you and I, are the branches. When we abide in him, he abides in us. Let me say I tried to move and thought we would have a different topic this week, to talk about something else in relation to the Holy scriptures. Of course, topic this week to talk about Something else in relation to the Holy Scriptures, of course, this week, but when you let the Holy Spirit have his way, I must be obedient and let God do what he does best. He knows the plans, not me. Okay, so this is where we are. We're right here, running it back. We are doing a part two of draw near and abide. Yes, the Lord has spoken and has me running it back. I don't know why, but I do know it has resonated in my spirit heavily as I prayed, so God must know there is someone listening. This two part series is going to bless. I don't know who you are, sis, but God does, and my prayer is that you receive it and God moves on your behalf in a real and mighty way. I truthfully believe he is going to do it and, simply because of his faithfulness and for who he is, I give him all praise and thank him in advance In Jesus' name, amen, family.
Speaker 1:So we previously discussed in the book of John John 15, verses 4 through 5, to be precise, where Jesus is letting us know firsthand that abiding in him is a continuous and daily choice that we make on our behalf to remain in personal relationship and connection with him. This referenced how we expose ourselves to him in our choices, our decisions being concerned with God's will for us and not our own will. Abiding is not forced upon us, given that we all have free will, but to abide is something that we choose for a mutual relationship with Jesus and as a true Christian, we are all called to discipleship and we cannot be out here claiming to be followers of Jesus and not abiding in him or his word. There are wolves dressed in sheep's clothing who disguise themselves as Christians, teachers and prophets, yet they actually do not abide in Jesus at all by how they live and their earthly motivations. Let this not be any of us. Okay, you can see and tell by their teachings, as the motivation leads to glorifying themselves and away from Jesus and indeed a dangerous spread of falsehoods. What I like about the book of John is that it's so rich in speaking of the word abide, as John uses the word frequently and when I searched it, it says the word abide is used by John 68 times in the gospel books he has written alone. If any theologians out there have a different number, I pray you will let me know. Because we dove into John 15, I was moved to dive into additional scriptures in John to tie this all together in how we choose to abide in Jesus.
Speaker 1:Let's look at John 6, 26 through 27. Now for context, jesus had just done the miracle of feeding the 5,000 the day prior and crossed the Sea of Galilee by walking on the water to help his disciples through the storm. Now he is speaking to the crowd who was on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and did not see Jesus enter the boat with his disciples before they crossed. So they went to Capernaum seeking Jesus, and they were so curious and questioned him as to how he actually arrived. So in John 6, verses 26 through 27, jesus answered them truly, truly, I say to you you are seeking me not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the son of man will give you For on him.
Speaker 1:See, people in the crowd wanted to know how Jesus arrived because they did not see where he came from. But Jesus was unconcerned with telling them when and why he came, but instead told them why they came. He came, but instead told them why they came. They were interested in following Jesus because of the physical and material benefits he gave them, and not because they wanted him to satisfy their spiritual hunger. They were unaffected by the wisdom he shared or the actual signs that pointed to his divine nature. They were not following him to abide in him. They desired the tangible outcome. That is how many of us still treat Jesus today.
Speaker 1:We call on Jesus when we're in need of something, when we're in trouble, in a bind, or want him to do something on our behalf that is tangible and or of material value. But how do we seek him when he is trying to change what's in our hearts, to do away with sin and to journey the process of sanctification? Oftentimes we can learn more from understanding the reason we ask God a question than from the answer he gives us to that question itself. The issue today that many people have is that they accessorize God and call themselves believers of Jesus Christ to feel better about themselves, to gain a certain image or reputation, but ultimately it leads to self-centered motives. Why? Because they follow him as long as they are receiving the physical and material benefits he gives them, but when asked to abide in him and trust him in moments of suffering for his namesake will you endure, will you abide in him to satisfy your spiritual hunger? Hmm, jesus, this reminds me of 2 Timothy, 3, 5, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power.
Speaker 1:Avoid such people. This is speaking of people who appear to be Christian. They may appear to be a good person, some may know Christian doctrine and may even go to church, but do not have the real essence of godliness genuine holiness, reverence, a deep respect and admiration for God, exalting him for who he is and giving him the highest esteem and honor in your life, your faith, love and devotion to God, professing that Jesus is Lord and Savior and is the only way to God. But what happens instead? People deny its power. This will show in how you and I live our lives. Is the presence of the Holy Spirit working in and through you, or are you still leaning onto your own strength and might? Over time, your daily behaviors will reveal if you have placed your hope in God or your own abilities. A real observation is how we persevere through our suffering. Are we trusting God? Do we rest in hope in God and the gospel? Our actions will show if we have the fruit of the spirit. This may look like saying you're a Christian and you believe in God.
Speaker 1:On social media You're sharing posts thanking God for a blessing, the blessing of a house and my God, that is mighty A car, a job, some form of status, but then the social medias don't show that same admiration and exaltation for God when he needs you to pivot to follow Jesus. This could look like now you downsize your house, you give up your luxury car and you're no longer in that job or have status. You may have taken a few L's, lost some friends, relocated, joining a new church. Then what? Do you still have the endurance to trust him, or do you start doing your own thing and speak less of the blessings of the Lord? Abide in Jesus as he abides in you.
Speaker 1:I ask you this will you seek him impurely for the physical and materialistic miracles, or will you seek him for who he is, as the bread of life that fulfills your spiritual hunger? He says in verse 27,. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life. See, jesus is pointing out to us that we shouldn't be so concerned with doing work to just fill our stomachs or to satisfy our earthly desires, because it will perish, but we should be concerned with the bread that sustains for eternal life. To make this very plain we must abide in Jesus. We cannot experience eternal life without Jesus. We cannot have a relationship with God without Jesus. We cannot have spiritual fruit without Jesus. Jesus shows us contrasts between material things and spiritual things. We see it in society today that people are more attracted to material things than spiritual things. We even see this with our Christian brothers and sisters, those chasing to get a bag yet not being faithful in their giving. In reality, in today's society, people will gravitate to a sign that says free money and free food before one that says spiritual fulfillment and eternal life.
Speaker 1:I'm just saying I know this to also be a struggle in the fitness, nutrition and health space. Sis, I already know some of you are convinced that you are not a gym girly. You don't like working out, you don't want to meal prep because you don't like eating the same things, you can't stand drinking water, or maybe you just forget. You even skip your women's health exams and with a busy and chaotic schedule, with family work and trying to have a bit of a social life, where is the time? But what I've learned is that many of us prefer convenience with minimal effort. If you're anything like me, I am one who prefers convenience when it comes to certain areas in life, but I've learned that the desires for convenience can become idolized, which ultimately can lead to a lack of trust and faith in God.
Speaker 1:For anyone who has been on a weight loss journey, or even a weight gain journey for reasons that may include to reach a goal, weight for health reasons, to feel healthy or for personal confidence in yourself, first thing I often see is people will make a decision to start and follow a diet, or maybe you have been instructed to follow a certain workout and exercise schedule to ensure you reach those goals. And for those seeking convenience, you might take a series of prescribed or unprescribed weight loss supplements to see results faster. You ultimately make the decision to abide in it right. Sometimes you have success and other times you fall off track. But what's for certain is that as long as you remain on that diet, those supplements and on that workout and exercise schedule, you will see results. But the moment you decide to not abide in those plans, guess what? You can expect those results to stop because you're no longer following that plan and it's no longer serving you.
Speaker 1:How many times have you done that with something or someone in your life? I know I have. There was a time where I thought I could eat whatever I wanted, not exercise and not gain weight, because I figured in my youthful state, my metabolism would burn those calories right off and burn them fast. But guess what? Life was still happening. I was getting older, my body naturally was changing and I had children. Ladies, I know you know what I'm talking about. I've tried different quick-fix diets. I've taken various fat-b burning supplements, done extreme workouts just to try to gain a certain result and confidence. I made the choice to abide by that because it worked then.
Speaker 1:As women, our anatomy is designed to accommodate changes that we experience and sometimes we don't necessarily like what those changes look like on us. But I believe there is always a blessing that comes from it. Rather we see it in that moment or not. What good is it to reach a goal weight if you don't transform and change the eating habits and behaviors that got you in that uncomfortable place? What good is it if there is no firm foundation to anchor you in the health choices that you make? People will run to a quick fix and convenient way to weight loss or health, before anchoring themselves into something solid that will last long term.
Speaker 1:But even in our daily mundane task, we should still abide in Jesus To include fitness, nutrition and health. Why? Because, even though the Bible doesn't say it specifically, jesus demonstrated exercise as he walked to spread his ministry. He ate foods that nourished his body without overindulging. He trusted God to protect him in health. And if we abide in him and he in us with our able bodies, why should we not honor these things, to care for our bodies in this way as well? We can do so by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us, utilizing the spiritual food we receive, by filling ourselves with the word of God, loving ourselves so we can love each other, wringing out our sinful behaviors and habits that jeopardize the food that endures to eternal life.
Speaker 1:The truth will set you free. In John 8, verses 31 through 32, it says so. Jesus said to the Jews who believed him If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. First, jesus is speaking to those who believe in him. That is, many of you listening right now. He was not speaking to the unbeliever in this moment, even though he knew you would be listening and watching the miracles and blessings that are happening around you. Jesus invites you into the room even before you believe.
Speaker 1:He is speaking to believers of false belief, because to abide in Jesus, you must abide in his word. This means to continue to believe and trust in what he has said and to walk in obedience. This is to address those who say they believe and yet do not believe. Why? Because you say you're a believer and follower of Jesus but you're not prepared to yield and give yourself to him. That real belief, trust and obedience in him actually implies the act of seeking him for what he can do for you versus trusting him for what he can do in you. You pray for discipline, you pray for consistency, you pray for patience and you even pray for guidance, but when he calls you to it, you turn the other way and do your own thing because it's comfortable and familiar. The word made flesh is to abide in his word. This means to remain with it continuously, to dwell in, to make your home in it, so much so that it becomes a part of your life and becomes a permanent influence, to show yourself as his disciple, and not just something you say because it sounds good and it sounds safe, not just something you say because it sounds good and it sounds safe.
Speaker 1:The verse continues by saying and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. This is often used out of context, but let me help you, sis. Jesus himself is the truth that will set you free. He isn't the way, the truth and the life for nothing, and with that he sets you free from guilt, shame and the crippling, enslaving power of sin and sinful patterns in your life. He helps you overcome areas of your life where you lack discipline inconsistency, overindulgences, lack of self-control, self-medicating, just to name a few. Jesus does not give us the freedom to pursue harmful actions that don't actually serve us, but he does give freedom to have a new and overflowing life as we follow him. This is the result of abiding in the word of Jesus and how we, as believers, prove ourselves to be his disciples and set free to be all that God created us to be.
Speaker 1:So, sis, I want to encourage you today to not continue to live life with no life in you by only consuming the bread and water that is given by man, but to nourish your body and spirit by the living bread given to us by Jesus and accepting Christ into your life in such a way that you come to him to wring out your unbelief and to allow him to transform your belief, changing your heart and mindset on how you live your life, by leaning into his teachings, guidance and trusting the power of the Holy Spirit. We all should be confident in abiding in Jesus because God, the Father, has guaranteed him. He set his seal on Jesus and that is why he is the bread of life. Amen, family, let's pray.
Speaker 1:Heavenly Father, I pray that I have said everything that you have commanded me to say. I pray over every one of your daughters, listening that you have touched her heart in a real and mighty way. That we find our strength in you, lord. Help us, holy Spirit, to continue to abide in Jesus so he will abide and remain in us. Help our discernment, help us to nourish and steward our bodies well, and may we forever be transformed and changed by your love. Lord, as we spread your word and increase your kingdom, in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus, I pray and we all say Amen. Until next time. Family, peace, love and blessings you.