Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Josh: Have you been waiting for God to reveal your purpose before you take action?
Maybe you're waiting for a clear sign, the perfect opportunity, more confidence, more training, or a moment when everything finally makes sense. But what if clarity does not always come before movement? What if God reveals more of your purpose while you are already walking with him? Today we're talking about how to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start taking practical, faith filled steps toward the purpose God has for you.
[00:00:33] Josh: If you're tired of leading others while secretly battling doubt, discouragement and mental warfare,
[00:00:38] Corina: and you want practical tools to renew your mind and walk boldly in your
[00:00:42] Josh: calling as a leader, you're in the right place.
[00:00:44] Josh: Welcome to believe and become.
[00:00:46] Corina: We're Josh and Corina your spirit filled coaches, here to help you overcome those limiting beliefs and lead others confidently.
[00:00:53] Josh: If you're ready to hear God's voice more clearly, to step into your purpose and find joy and strength in the
[00:00:58] Corina: everyday, step silence those Bible app reminders judging you from your lock screen and let's jump in.
[00:01:10] Corina: So often when we tell our story, we talk about how we're waiting for the clouds to part and the Lord to calm down and say, this is what you should do.
And it just cracks me up. Because God rarely moves that way. It is very rare that he's like, you know, opens the curtain and gives you all the steps and tells you exactly where you're going. So often he invites us into partnership with him and a relationship and as we move forward with him, he reveals, begins to reveal those steps and that is what our journey has been like.
We were in a church for about 15 years. Josh worked as an engineer for about 20.
And during that time there were, there were times when it was like, yes, this is what we're supposed to do. Like, Josh is supposed to work 40 hours a week and we're, you know, supposed to volunteer here and give everything and lead well. And we learned so much throughout that time. But towards the end, it was coming to that place where we were still waiting for God to give us the next step, to tell us, okay, now let's go do the thing, you know, move. Here's what we're, here's where we're going. And it was more like pain and turmoil because we were, we thought we were, we were trying to be faithful and we were, we believe, okay, this is what God has. When he has something else, he'll tell us. And so we're just gonna be faithful in the waiting. I think that we often believe that this is what God said So now I have to do this forever and ever. God said to be here. So now I'm gonna do this until God says something else or God opened this door. And so now I'm gonna serve faithfully until I die. And with God, it's more about that relationship, that ongoing conversation of, is this still what you have, God? This is starting to feel like maybe this isn' right thing anymore. Is there something different that I should do? And we didn't have those conversations with him. We had them often with each other. Like, what is happening? Is this where we belong? What are we supposed to be doing?
But we didn't have that constant, like, God, what do you say? Where are you leading us? And so we just tried really hard where we were, but I think eventually we got to the point where we couldn't stand it anymore. We just. We knew we have to do something. And so even in that first step that we took of stepping down from ministry, stepping away from our church, and beginning to walk in what felt like a dark hallway, we were taking steps. And so God began to meet us in those steps, and he began to close doors. We knew there would be an open door, but he had to close doors when we stepped into things prematurely or places that we didn't belong yet. And that was hard. But we continued to trust him in the journey until he brought us to where we are today. And really, in all of that was a process of learning more about who we are in him, more about what he has for us. But it took those first steps of. For us, it was getting out of the discomfort of staying the same. But often, I think God is calling us earlier. God often calls us before we get to that point where he's like, I have to kick you out the door because you're not moving. You know, he calls us into those steps, but it often felt too risky. It felt like we have a whole family to take care of and mouths to feed. And what about this and what about that and what will that look like? God doesn't always give us all the steps and the outcome, but he promises to be with us in the process and to grow us and to make us more like Him. And so for us, that has been a journey, and it's a continuing journey as we continue to knock on doors and see what God is going to do, where he's taking us. But it's.
It is one well worth going on with him because we find our purpose when we stop being scared.
[00:05:05] Josh: I think for us, we took a lot of small steps along the way, where we would, we were going to conferences, we were getting filled up, we were spending just more time investing in ourselves. And then we started, we talked to a coach. We started really considering, oh, what, what could be the next step for us.
But it felt really scary.
I think that really kept me stuck for a long time because I was afraid. I was afraid of what that would look like or what if we fail or what if God doesn't show up or what if all the what ifs. And it kind of kept me stuck for a long time. Even though we were starting to take little small steps. And then God would say, okay, here's the next step to take. And so many times in our lives, we want the whole picture. We want to see the end from the beginning. God, what is the whole process, where we going to end up? And so many times we couldn't handle it. If God showed you all the things that you're going to do, where you're going to end up, you would say, there's no way that's possible.
There's no way that could happen. Or I couldn't do that. And so you would never start on the journey. But he wants to just say, are you going to trust me in this one first little step and then the next step. And then maybe there's one big step that you need to take or a couple. You're learning to trust him. He's teaching you to trust him throughout that process. But I think for many people, as it was for me, waiting can be rooted in fear.
Sometimes I'm waiting on God really means I'm afraid of failing. I'm afraid it's not going to go well for me. So I'm just going to stay here. Even though it's maybe feels a little uncomfortable, it's actually a lot more comfortable than stepping out in risk. And so that's really where we were at, where it was like, okay, we know there's more for us, we know God has more for us, but this is really, I'm saying I feel safe here. Even though it's way better to step out and trust God and see him show up for you. So many times for a long time, I was waiting. I want to feel confident this is going to work out. I want to have my plan in order again. God wasn't giving me the whole plan.
And so waiting for confidence, sometimes that's just an excuse. Waiting for the clouds to part and the voice from heaven to say, this is what you're going to do.
It's an excuse for not taking those small steps that we know that God is asking us to take.
[00:07:25] Corina: Yeah. So it's important to ask yourself whether God told you to wait or fear is keeping you stuck, because we can very often be like, well, I'm just using wisdom. I'm just waiting on the Lord, you know, and. And God. I feel like God was waiting for us. He was waiting for us to start taking steps in obedience to the things he had already told us about who we were. Isaiah 40, 31. We all know it. They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. I mean, who doesn't want that? But that word wait doesn't mean I'm going to sit in the corner and wait until God shows up. This is more of. Of an active waiting. It's lying in wait. It's active preparation. But it's also calling to that thought of abiding in Christ. When I'm waiting on the Lord, I'm not just like, okay, like, sitting in waiting room. No, I am doing what he made me to do, what he's asked me to do in this moment. And I'm abiding in his word. I'm abiding in his presence. I'm going with Him. And so as we wait, yeah, we take a step. We take a little step here, a little step there. Unless God says, absolutely not, sit here. You sit here and you wait. That is the only time you sit and wait. And even in that, there's prayer and there's intercession and there's wisdom. And so we want to make sure that we are waiting because God has told us to wait more than just being stuck because of fear, because all of the what ifs, because I don't know if I can trust God. And that is often where we need to uncover those lies. That is what we love to do. The real obstacle, it can be not just a lack of direction, but just beliefs. Like, I'm not qualified. I can't trust myself to hear God. Right. God maybe won't show up. Our clarity coaching program helps you uncover. Uncover those lies and overcome them with the truth. The truth of what God says about you, the truth of who you really are, but the truth about God. Often we don't recognize that we're not trusting him or that we don't really believe he's going to provide or heal or whatever it might be. And so as we dig deep to find those lies, then we can uncover them with no shame. There's tons of grace in the process, and we can hear God's truth in those areas. And so we want that for you. We want you to find freedom so that you can begin to move forward with confidence.
So if you're interested in booking a session with one of us, go to joshandkarina.com coaching and we would love to help you overcome those lies that have been holding you back for too long
[00:10:07] Josh: so many times in life.
God gives us clarity and direction as we step out in faith.
We think we're going to sit and wait and God's going to tell us what to do.
Sometimes we need to just trust that actually we are hearing from the Lord. That little nudge, maybe that idea that popped in your head, maybe that is from God because he speaks to us all the time. And especially if you've been a believer for a really long time, you aren't even really aware of all the times that God is speaking to you. It's pretty much all the time. So what feels like maybe your thought could actually be from him. And so just taking a small step is often all we need to do to gain the clarity and direction that we need for our lives. I think about when Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, he said, okay, guys, it's time to start the ministry. I'm sending you out. Don't take anything with you. You guys go here, here, here. He sent them out with their assignments. I'm sure the disciples did not feel prepared. They're like, we haven't done anything yet. All we've done is sit and listen to you.
And you're not even sending us with supplies. What are we going to do? But Jesus knew they were ready, they were prepared. They were at the right time in their lives where they needed to step out. Trust God that he was one going to provide for them, for their food, for a place to stay, all that stuff. But also that they had all the training that they need. They knew everything they needed to do. It was really just a matter of putting it into practice. And so in their obedience, as they stepped out, they saw provision, they saw miracles, they saw salvation. I mean, they saw God work so powerfully, and they came back with such incredible reports of what God had done. But what if they had said, but, Jesus, we're not ready.
We haven't practiced with you, you haven't taught us enough. We're just gonna wait longer because we're afraid.
They never would have seen God show up so powerfully. And that's so often how it is in our lives. We're just, I'm not ready yet. I'm not qualified. I don't have the degree. I don't have the letters after my name. I don't have whatever it is. I don't have the resources, the connections, the open doors.
What does it look like to explore with the Lord and say, okay, what is one step I actually can take today in order to step into my calling, into stepping into my true purpose? And then you start to get clarity. Okay, that worked. That didn't work. I tried that. I thought I was gonna love it. Boy, that was not what I thought it was gonna be. But I realized that this area, well, that actually brought a lot of life to me. And I saw a lot of fruit from it. I saw a lot of open doors.
And God can kind of steer you where you need to go in that process.
[00:12:49] Corina: God often gives us just enough light for the next step rather than the entire journey. He shows you where you're going today, tomorrow, this week, this month. You don't need the complete plan to obey what he has already told you to do, what he has already shown you. And we like to think about it like the headlights on your car, you know, they only show a couple hundred feet ahead of you, so. But home is six, seven miles. You don't wait until the lights show you the whole way home. No, you just go with the light that you have until you get to the place where you want to go. And it's that same idea. God is lighting your path.
His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path. That doesn't mean that it's going to illuminate the whole way, but he's going to show you the next step ahead as you follow him, as you stay in the word, as you stay in his presence, and you heed those nudges. I love that you said God speaking to us more than we realize. And we don't often know that it's even Him. We just have an idea or we just, oh, I would love to do that. Or maybe I should go there today. Follow him. See where he takes you. Because he has a destination in mind. We just don't always know what it is. And I think often, sometimes even God will be like, oh, this is where we're heading, just to get us moving. And then along the way, he'll be like, actually, why don't we turn here, you know, and it takes you somewhere else. And you're like, what? This is not where you expect it to be. But in our obedience, we get to the place where he has for us to go, for us to minister, for us to be fully who we were created to be. And so follow him, listen for him and follow him, because he has good things for you. Even if you just know the next step, even if you just have a half a step, just do it and see where it takes you. Because that is where the clarity comes.
[00:14:34] Josh: So here's some practical steps that you can take to put this into practice in your life, to stop being stuck and to move forward with God into your purpose in life.
Again, your purpose is not limited to your title or your career or the platform.
You just need to start moving and see what's in front of me that I can do. What are people that I have influence with today that I can help.
People in your family, your friends, people at your church.
There's opportunities all around you. And start going, God, what is one that I just need to step into instead of just waiting for that? Okay, I need so much information. I need the clear picture. I'm just going to start taking some steps with God. What is something that feels like it's been on your heart or an idea that's been rattling around in your head for a really long time?
What would be one thing I could do to start that maybe wanted to write a book for forever?
Maybe just. It's the practice of setting a timer and writing for five minutes a day.
Work on an outline. It doesn't have to be this huge commitment. Okay, I'm going to lock myself in a room for an entire weekend to write a whole book. That's actually a huge commitment. Maybe it'd just be a small part of it. I'm just going to start writing a little bit every day and see what comes out.
Sometimes it's really something very simple that God's leading you to.
[00:15:59] Corina: And remember that action gives you information about what produces peace, what produces fruit in your life, and where you have grace.
So as you begin to step into these things, where you feel like, okay, I think God is calling me to this, I'm going to start to do that. You're going to see, oh, I have so much peace here. Or there's so much grace for me, when I started writing my book, I was getting up at 5 o' clock every morning and writing for an hour before anybody else started stirring in my house.
There was grace in that season. It took me a whole summer and there was grace in that season for me to get up early. And to write with Jesus. I haven't found that grace again in another season since then. It was just for that season because I said, okay, yes, I'm going to do the thing that I believe you're asking me to do, even though I started it four years ago, even though I never, you know, fully felt like I could do it. I'm just gonna believe that God, this is what you're asking me to do, and I'm gonna do it. And I didn't know where it would lead, but it led to a published book. And I've been able to teach from it at different Bible studies in. At conferences. Coming. I have a conference coming up in August where I'm gonna get to go and teach. And it's just so exciting because it was one simple step of obedience, but I felt the grace on it, and now I'm getting to see the fruit of it. But there was grace and peace for it in that season. So where do you have grace? That is a huge thing, but I didn't find it until I stepped into it.
So you have to begin to take that step and start with what you've got. What people do you have that you can influence? Who are you leading? Who can you share with? Who can you bring to church? Whatever it is that God has put on your heart, begin with where you are.
[00:17:46] Josh: So we want you to actually take some time right now or later today, if you don't have time right now, but today, sit with the Holy Spirit and just ask him, God, what is one thing that you're calling me to step into and what is the smallest step that I could take right now to move into that? And I believe that there's a grace for you right now to hear God's voice and to step into something new that's been on your heart for a long time. I just feel God's power coming on you in order to step into something new and to take even a small risk with him and to see where that leads you.
You never know where that might lead you. That might open incredible doors, because that's how God works.
And it just takes one small step. And I just feel him right now just getting out his crowbar and unsticking you right now to be able to move forward. He's just releasing an incredible ability to trust him in the process.
That even one small step could lead to the greatest journey of your life.
And so if you're feeling stuck, maybe it's been hard for you, maybe you feel you are stuck in a waiting season where I don't know how to get out of this. Our Clarity coaching program is designed to help you get unstuck, to uncover lies that are holding you back and replace those with the truth of what God really says about you and what he really has for you. So go to our website joshandkarina.com coaching. You can read about our coaching program there and book a session right now. You can access our calendars and book a session with one of us to just talk about what is it that God has put on your heart and what is one small step that you could take today, maybe booking a session with us? Is that one step that you need to take today to get started on that journey for the rest of your life? Who knows where God will lead you as you follow him every step of the way? So we just bless you to get unstuck today, to move forward with God and to just trust him and say, God, I'm putting all my eggs in your basket. Where are you going to take me? Where are you going to lead me? He has incredible things in store for you. Just say, God, blow my mind. Because that's what he loves to do. He wants to do above and beyond all you could ask or think or even imagine in your life.
But sometimes it takes taking a step in order to see that come to pass.
[00:20:21] Corina: Hey friend, we hope you enjoyed today's episode. If so, would you take 30 seconds to share this podcast with someone who may need encouragement or practical tools for fighting their battle?
[00:20:31] Josh: Then rate and review this podcast. Help us spread the message of transformation far and wide.
[00:20:37] Corina: All right, time to walk back into the noise with peace, purpose and maybe a tiny bit of guessing.
[00:20:42] Josh: We'll meet you back next Thursday for another episode.
[00:20:45] Corina: Bye.
