Fit For Her Journey

Daily Sins Sabotage Your Health Goals

• Allie Gibbs • Season 2 • Episode 8

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What's secretly sabotaging your health and fitness goals? The answer might surprise you. In our fast-paced American culture, we often approach health and wellness with the same mentality we apply to everything else: we want quick results with minimal effort. As Christians navigating health journeys, we rarely acknowledge how spiritual barriers can significantly impact our physical well-being. While we often blame our metabolism, busy schedules, or lack of willpower, there's a deeper spiritual dimension many of us overlook. The latest episode of the FIT FOR HER JOURNEY podcast dives deep into a raw and honest conversation at the intersection of faith and fitness, exploring three specific sins that commonly derail our health goals.

The good news woven throughout this message is that sanctification—like weight loss—is a process. Progress and growth come through movement, not perfection. The Holy Spirit helps us desire what God desires, which is the ultimate antidote to these struggles. This isn't work we can accomplish through willpower alone but through dependence on God's Spirit. Health is more than reaching a target weight or maintaining perfect eating habits; it's about spiritual well-being and nourishing our souls with God's Word. As we set our gaze on things above rather than worldly standards, we experience transformation from the inside out.

What spiritual barriers have been holding you back from the health journey God designed for you? Share your thoughts, and let's encourage each other to grow both physically and spiritually.

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Speaker 1:

You are now listening to the Fit for Her Journey podcast with Allie Gibbs. 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. What's up? Fit for Her Journey family? If you're new here, welcome. It's great to have you and I'm so glad you are tuning in If you have been listening and rocking with us over here at Fit for Her Journey. Welcome back, family.

Speaker 1:

Today I want to lean into something that we don't often talk about enough in the health and wellness industry or as Christians as a whole. In America, many of us speak to our health, indicating that we want to live more healthier lifestyles yet and still fall short in the actions that lead us to that outcome. We live in a culture where we want everything quick, fast and in a hurry, with minimal effort. We want overnight results, but in reality, nothing in life on this side of heaven comes that quickly. I'm going to make it plain right here, ladies you don't gain unwanted weight overnight, although it sometimes feels like it whenever we step on that spiteful scale. That's why we can't let that be the only indicator on our success and our goals, because the devil is a liar. Okay, but the gaining of the weight took time. It is a process that all bodies will naturally do if we continue in habits that lead to that outcome. We do not get to a place of dissatisfaction in our weight, body shape or health overnight. It took time, it was a process and, in reverse, a weight loss journey and the journey to better health physically and spiritually will also take time, as it is a process.

Speaker 1:

But as believers, as Christians, I want to speak to sins that Christians commit daily that hijack your health goals. Sin can hijack your health goals. So let's look at it from this perspective. First, we see gluttony allowing our stomachs to have more control over us than the spirit. Overindulging leads to spiritual and physical harm, while self-control is the fruit that leads to life. Philippians 3.19,. Paul reminds us to not walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Verse 19 says their end is destruction, their God is their belly and they glory in their shame, with mindset on earthly things. Even here in the text, paul is emphasizing on the need for progress in our lives as Christians.

Speaker 1:

The sin of gluttony is the sin of overindulging or overdoing something Overindulging in eating, drinking or anything in general that you do in an excessive manner that leads you away from God and Christ. People who do this even glorify their overindulgences by simply excusing it, celebrating it as if the gluttonous actions and behavior is right or justified. I know firsthand that weight loss and leading a healthy lifestyle is not easy, and I too have struggled, because I really enjoy food. I mean, food is food, but the message here is not to stress over specific food choices or perfection on your journey to better health, but to lean more toward a humble and authentic dependence on Jesus, especially in picking up your cross daily and denying the flesh of the comforts of gluttony. In 1 Corinthians 6.13, it says Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy both one and the other. In context, this verse is found in a passage that discusses sexual immorality. However, the idea here is that our bodies should be used for righteous purposes in glorifying God, rather than for ourselves in selfish indulgences. Stay with me, y'all.

Speaker 1:

The second sin we see is covetousness. Constantly comparing your results to someone else can lead to envy, idolatry and jealousy, having a strong desire to have what someone else has. I didn't know it then, but I struggled with this for a long time, especially when it came to my physical body, constantly trying to transform the shape of my body through excessive and extreme workouts and dieting, taking fat burners just so I could be within a certain weight. I was later convicted that this stemmed from early insecurities, from seeds that were planted that left me feeling like I wasn't enough. This may look different for everyone, but it can sound something like I wish I had her body, or she is so lucky to have a body like that. You even see a physical, fit woman who has never had any children and now you're comparing your body after having three or more children to hers, idolizing your favorite fitness or health influencer, celebrities, the lady at your church that is on the praise and worship team yes, all because you have a strong desire to have a body or image of someone else.

Speaker 1:

Covetousness comes in many different forms than just the physical. I wish I knew then what I know now, when I first started my fitness journey, especially after having my children, and that is no matter what a fitness influencer, celebrity, model or even a friend's body, whatever it looks like, my body, results or outcome would not look like theirs. Therefore, I should not compare my body to theirs. No matter how hard you try to transform and change your body to look like someone else's, you will never be successful in accomplishing it. Why? Because no two people are the exact same. You don't share the same genetics, hormonal balances or how your body receives, digests and process foods. Plus, how 140 pounds looks on me won't be how 140 pounds looks on you.

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The conviction for me was so real y'all Like. It's amazing how God moves. This is emphasized in Psalms 139, 14, when it says I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very well. God of all creation created you as your unique self and there is no other duplicate version of you in all of creation. So when you think about being God's masterpiece, which you are, there should be no need to covet to be like anyone else other than Christ himself, who is perfect, pure and righteous in all of his ways. Don't rob yourself of peace and joy by getting caught up in comparison. It is not wise and it isn't of God. Instead, take heed to being rooted in your identity in Christ. Focus on believing and understanding the truth in what he says about you.

Speaker 1:

Begin practicing healthy habits toward Christian living, and as you shift and change your mindset and take action, progress will be made. As you make room to live and lead a healthier lifestyle, physically and spiritually, allowing your mind, body and spirit to reflect his love and grace. Not because it was easy or in your own strength, but you were dependent on Jesus and the move of the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and guide your path. You are made in the image and likeness of God, jesus and the Holy Spirit, so there should be no other human in this fleeting world that you should desire to be like. Do your part to care for your body and health, and the results that come from it will give you more peace and joy than trying to look like another person. Make sense, ladies. And lastly, just because someone looks slim, curvy or even healthy on the outside does not mean they are healthy on the inside, physically or spiritually. Okay, the best thing for you to do is to pray and ask God to show you how to care for your body and health, for his glory and for your good.

Speaker 1:

And the last sin we see is laziness, allowing your mood to dictate your actions. I know, the journey to better health physically, emotionally and spiritually is not easy, and there will be days where you just don't feel like showing up and you're unmotivated. Proverbs 13, four says the soul of the lazy, one craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made prosperous. This does not mean that one lacks desire and all motivation all the time, because they indeed wish for many things, yet their outcome, for the result, is that they have nothing because they cannot or will not apply themselves to the work to do the hard thing, lacking the commitment required to take their desires before God in order to make them their reality. The results of being diligent doesn't just show up in the physical. It also shows prosperity in spiritual richness and blessings.

Speaker 1:

The Bible tells us to be doers of the word and not just hearers of the word. Otherwise we're deceiving ourselves, meaning we must allow the word of God to take root in us and be disciplined and obedient enough to take action in what it is, it says. And if you didn't know, yes, this is a sign, an invitation for you to read your Bible, sis. Ignoring the signs from God to be diligent, obedient, consistent and disciplined is dangerous, because I know this for sure to be true, and that is when God speaks. He doesn't speak to be heard. He speaks to be obeyed. We have a God who is extremely patient with us. He has so much mercy and grace for us, but we must not take any of it for granted. He gives us time to do the good works he's placed within us, but we also must not let sin culture or the toxic and deceitful ways of the world to corrupt us into thinking we have more time than we really do. We don't have time to waste.

Speaker 1:

These three sins may be hijacking your health goals and spiritual well-being. I know many of you desire to live and lead healthy lifestyles but yet fall short by constantly conforming to the pattern of the world we see, while being lukewarm Christians that make room for sin to exist instead of renewing your mind. There is more to health than just reaching a weight loss goal or eating healthy foods every day. It's also about your spiritual well-being, and are you nourishing it well? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Are you setting your gaze on things above? Just like with weight loss, sanctification is a process, but we must throw away the sin that gets in the way of that process and anchor ourselves down in our why, in the purpose and plans of God.

Speaker 1:

Consistency, discipline and self-control can only exist when you let go of the excuses, disobedience and distractions that lead you in exchange for having faith and trust in the one who restores, confirms, strengthens and establishes God. You don't have to have it all figured out, sis. Progress and growth comes with movement. Don't be still or idle. Don't let your mood dictate your actions. Get up, get active and move.

Speaker 1:

I encourage you to just start. I want to leave you with this truth, and that is the sins discussed here today. They are all forgivable. There is hope. So ask yourself if you are committing any of these sins and, if so, I encourage you to bring them to the Lord to confess without fear of rejection, so he can wash them away. We can trust that the Holy Spirit will help us as we learn to desire what the Lord desires, for this is the antidote to covetousness, laziness and gluttony. This isn't work we can accomplish on our own, but only through the spirit of God that is given to us through Jesus. So today, my prayer is for your strength, encourage on your journey to grow from the inside out and that God renews your heart today, knowing that you are not in this journey alone. Amen, family, that is it. That is all, ladies. God bless you and until next time. Peace, love and blessings you.