Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Josh: Do you ever feel like, you know God has a purpose for your life but you're not quite sure how to actually walk it out?
Sometimes we think purpose is just one big assignment we have to discover. But most of the time, purpose is lived out through everyday obedience, knowing who God created you to be, and taking the next step with him. Today we're sharing three practical keys to walking a purpose filled life so you can stop overthinking your calling and start living with greater confidence and intention.
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. 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
[00:00:59] Corina: everyday step, silence those Bible app reminders judging you from your lock screen and let's jump in.
So pretty much my whole life, as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a pastor.
I wanted to be in ministry, I wanted to be a missionary. I wanted to be pretty much anything that involved in ministry, like I was here for it. And I also wanted to be a mom. I always just had that kind of maternal, you know, like herding my little sheepies everywhere I go. I call them little duckies. I would always say follow, follow your mom little duckies.
But I, I, even as a child, like as a little kid, I was always wanting to mother and to take care of people. And so these were like two things that I really felt strongly about and thought 100% could be my full time job. Never really thinking about what it really means, probably not knowing what it really meant to be a mom and a full time minister.
And so once we got married, we started leading worship and we were learning to be in ministry, but also what leadership looks like now that we were leading adults, which felt crazy.
But then we started having kids and our ministry was growing and our responsibilities were growing and our kids were growing and we decided to homeschool them.
And I just began to have this kind of conflict inside of me where I felt like, God, I know you've called me to ministry, I know that you've called me to lead people, but you've also given me these kids. And you know, I knew in my heart and in my spirit that my kids were my first ministry. They were the ones that needed all my attention and needed all of my focus.
And in order to do that, well, for me, I was going to have to lay down some of the ministry stuff I was doing. And it really was hard for me because I knew that there was purpose for me in teaching the Word, in leading worship, in doing the things that I really felt like God created me to do.
But mothering sometimes feels a little bit thankless, a little bit unseen, a little bit difficult because you're, you know, up to your elbows in dirty diapers and. And, you know, tissues and wipes and all of the gross things that happen with babies and bodies, you know, all day long, that's what you do. And. And Josh would get home and he'd be like, what you guys do today? I'm like, I don't know. We were just here. I think we colored something today. You know, there were some of those days where it just felt like, is this really what I'm called to? And so there was just this tension of I had to give up, you know, one piece of ministry after another. As my kids got older and we really got into homeschooling, it was like, I can't do women's Bible study anymore. I can't do those extra things that I used to like to do because I need to focus on my children and homeschooling them and really leading them well. And for me, I'm not one of those, like, boundless energy type of people. I need to refuel. I need to rest. And so I just didn't have everything that I felt like I needed to do, all the things. But in that season, God really showed me.
Your purpose hasn't changed. Who you are and who I've called you to be hasn't changed. Just your audience has changed. So it's not about, you know, you're not maybe leading, you know, 30, 40, 50 people at the moment. You're not doing these big things that you think and know, really, that I've called you to. You're doing it with two, you're doing it with three. You're doing it faithfully unto me in the unseen places. And that helped, but it was still hard. And so it had to be a choice that I made that I was going to continue to walk in my purpose, even when I had two people to lead. And they mostly didn't understand what I was saying.
And so, you know, or mostly didn't want to do the things that I told them, you know, it's just this. It was a struggle for me, but it really.
When I decided, okay, God, this is what you've given me to do, and I'm going to do it with all my heart, it became so much easier. And there wasn't the battle of like, oh, I wish I could, you know, or, oh, why does she get to do ministry and have kids and I have to be stuck over here.
Those kind of thoughts started to just subside because I realized this is what God has called me to in this season. It doesn't change who I am. It doesn't change my calling. It just is a different assignment. And so it. It really has to be one of those things where I know who I am and where I am right now maybe doesn't reflect what I think it should look like, but I will be the person that go called me to be in this place. And so, yeah, it was a fun season.
And our kids are not fully grown. They're still at home, but our two older boys are. They're all in school now. And so there's more room for more ministry opportunities and other things that we get to do. But we still. This is my first ministry. Our home is my first ministry. And when they need something, that takes priority. And so that. But that had to be settled in my heart. I'm going to be who God called me to be. No matter what it looks like, whether I am leading hundreds of people or I'm leading two or three people, I'm just going to be who God made me to be. And I think that is something that can feel really difficult.
[00:06:34] Josh: Yeah, that's such a good example of how our identity, who God created us to be, it doesn't change.
It's always the same. Our title might change. In fact, it's going to change multiple times throughout your life. But your title doesn't define you. God gets to define you. He tells you who you are. And so that's. That's why it's so important to know who God created you to be.
Because otherwise you don't know what your purpose is. And you think, okay, well, it's this thing I'm doing right now. Well, is it. Does that line up with your identity? And that's where we kind of get this crisis of, okay, I'm doing this. Maybe it doesn't feel right.
Maybe it's a different season than you're used to, or God leads you to something else, or that door closes and you go, I don't. I'm lost. I feel lost. I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I think we've all had that moment in our lives, a season, maybe, where you felt, oh, I don't. I'm not sure, is this what I'm supposed to be doing? And that's why we really need to pursue God and ask him, who did you create me to be?
And then you can make that decision. Yes, this lines up with my purpose. Or maybe for this season, I need to do this to support my family or to pay my bills. But I know that even as I show up at maybe that job that's less than ideal, I bring who I am to that job. I can minister people at my job at the grocery store. Right. I can lead people even when I'm the lowest person on the totem pole.
It just flows out of our identity of who God created us to be.
[00:08:09] Corina: I think that's why it's so important that we know who God created us to be.
It's important for you to know, who did God make you to be? What are you called to? Because our purpose flows from our identity.
And when we don't. When I don't know who I am in Christ, just like starting with, I'm a daughter, I am loved, I am enough. When I start at that place, then the other things that I'm called to, the purpose for my life begins to come really clear. It comes into focus. And so when you know who you are in Christ, when you feel secure in your place in the kingdom and in his heart, then you can be. It's. It's not as scary to begin to step out into the things that you're passionate about or that maybe he's called you to. It's so important that we allow our purpose to flow from our identity instead of trying to get our identity from our purpose, which was a big struggle too, for me. It's like, well, I'm leading these people. I'm teaching Bible studies. I'm leading worship. I'm, you know, this is who I am. It's what I do. And then it's like, no, I'm a mom and I change diapers all day and, you know, clean noses. And it's like, none of those things are actually who I am. That's not my identity. It's just what I'm doing. And so recognizing that what you're doing does not define you, but God defines you. He is the one who gives your identity, then your purpose flows out of that. That changes everything.
[00:09:35] Josh: Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good Works that he's actually appointed for us.
Before we were even born, he knew the work that he had for us. And that gives us so much confidence to know that God is working those things out in you.
You can be confident that God has a good plan for you, that he has special assignments just for you that only you can do.
And so it actually becomes a joy to explore that with the Lord and say, God, who did you create me to be? What am I supposed to to be instead of, what am I supposed to do? Those are two different kind of questions we can ask. So we can ask God, what do you want me to do? It's a little more powerful to say, God, who have you created me to be?
And then the do kind of flows out of our identity, what's inside of us.
[00:10:30] Corina: Yeah. Jeremiah 1:5 says, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart. I appointed you. And I think it's so beautiful that God, he's not just saying this to Jeremiah. He says this to each one of us. I knew who you were. I knew who I created you to be. And I appointed you for a specific task. Just like in Ephesians 2:10, there is a work that was prepared beforehand that you were appointed to. And so God has something for you. It's not like you don't have to go find it. When we find ourselves in him, then he begins to unveil. Even with Jeremiah, where he's like, God's telling him what to do. And he's like, yeah, I don't think that I should do that. I'm too young. Nobody's going to listen to me. And God's like, this is who I made you to be, buddy. You're gonna. You're gonna do it because this is what you are called to, and this is what I made you for. And I believe it was Jeremiah that said that he had to speak the word because it was like fire shut up in his bones. Like he couldn't do. He couldn't not do it. And I think that's the beautiful thing about the way God makes us is that it's our passions, it's our. It's our desires, it's our dreams, the things that God put in your heart, even your personality and the experiences that you've had. God uses all of those things. But those. Those passions and desires and Dr. Those are the things that kind of lead us toward that purpose. What is burning in your heart? What is fire? Shut up in your bones.
I have friends who they are. Like, everybody needs to know Jesus. Everybody needs to know the gospel is the point. And they're passionate and fiery about evangelism and telling everybody about Jesus. And then I have friends who are like, the church needs to be holy. We need to purify ourselves. We need to come before the Lord. And they're passionate about these things. And so what are you passionate about? What is the thing that you just can't wait to tell people? Or the thing that you wake up excited to do every morning? That's a really good clue as to what your purpose is and the need that God made you to fill. Because we're all individuals and we all have different things that God placed inside of us.
[00:12:38] Josh: Have you ever had an opportunity and said to yourself, oh, I could never do that?
Or maybe you had a dream where you go, oh, it would be amazing to start a business or be amazing to start a ministry where I could minister to women that are victims of abuse or whatever the dream is. But you said, I could never do that.
That's a problem with your identity. You don't understand who God created you to be. Because that dream actually probably comes from God. He's the one that put that in your heart. A normal person doesn't go, oh, I should do that.
That's part of who you are. And so you have to go through with God and say, God, what is holding me back? Who did you really create me to be? Is that dream in my heart from you? And did you put that there?
And do I have what it takes? And when we hear our Father say, yes, that's what I created you for, you have what it takes. When you have somebody believing in you, especially when it's the God of the universe, you have that confidence to step into your true identity, your true purpose, and then those things that you're creative for, yeah, there might be a struggle getting started, but it flows naturally out of you. And so many times we work with people that are trying to discover their purpose, they're trying to discover their identity, but they're believing a lie about themselves that somebody else put there. Maybe when you were a child, somebody told you, yeah, you're not smart enough or you're not capable enough, you're not strong enough.
You couldn't do that. You're not going to amount to anything.
And then we believe those lies about ourselves for forever, and it really holds us back. Instead of listening to the one who created you and knows what you're created for. When we get our identity from God, then We can truly step into our purpose. And so this is what we actually help our clarity coaching clients with.
People come to us and say I'm not sure if this is what I'm supposed to do or I don't know who I am. We help them hear from God and then uncover lies that they've been believing that have been holding them back.
And then we destroy those lies with God's truth. We renew our minds with the truth and then that sets us free and then you can step into your purpose.
So if you're struggling with kind of knowing what am I created for or who does God say I am, go to joshandkarina.com coaching and look at our coaching program. We would love to have a session with you. You can just schedule one and try it out and we'll help you walk through this process of discovering with the Lord, who am I? What did you create me for? What's holding me back? And then destroy those lies and step into the truth that God has for you. Check out joshandkarina.com coaching we would love to work with you.
[00:15:30] Corina: The next thing is that it's so important that we stay connected to God's voice.
And I think this is somewhere that we can feel like, like I'm doing my devotions, I'm, I'm spending time with God but we're not always listening to what he has to say about us. Where our prayer time can often become our list of things that need fixed. It can really easily be just kind of a check in versus spending time just saying God, what do you think? What do you want me to know today? What do you think about me today? And I think it's important that we recognize we have to abide in him in order to continue to hear his voice over our identity and for our purpose. Because we have so many things to distract us. Like I don't know about you, but the phone, the tv, the phone calls, the things that are going on my kids schedules, oh my goodness, we have a crazy drop off pickup schedule this year and it can all just be constant noise, constant movement where we don't take the time to sit still. And beyond that, everybody wants to tell you who you are, the enemy, the world, other people, they want to tell you oh, you can't do that, you're not strong enough that you didn't do that right? And there's all these little things that we pick up throughout the day that we filter through these lenses of, of lies that we've believed, of limiting beliefs and we're like, I read my outline that I was gonna teach or the book that I'm writing or the poem that came out and they didn't respond, you know, really great, or maybe they had criticism and I shouldn't do that. And so it's just all of these little things constantly that are just eating away at that identity. We have to stay hidden with Christ in God in order to really fully be able to walk in our purpose and to know who we are day after day after day. It's not just one, a one time thing where you're like, oh, this is what God said and now I'm just gonna walk in it forever. I'm so good at this. No, it is constant. Wash my mind with the water of the word. Wash my, my sinking with the living water that he has for me every day. It's so important that we learn to abide in him, to remain connected to the vine. Like John chapter 15 tells us, the branch has to stay connected in order to live. And so in order for us to really fulfill the calling and the design of God on our lives, we have to stay connected to Him.
[00:18:03] Josh: Yeah, we desperately need to hear his voice every day, just encouraging us, saying, you're my son, you're my daughter, I'm so proud of you. Keep going, don't give up. It's so important. We need to hear that encouragement from our Heavenly Father and to get our identity from Him. And it's not enough to just get it one time because often, I mean, first we need reminders of that. But often God leads us kind of one step at a time into our purpose, Our God created destiny for us.
Because a lot of times if he said, okay, this is where I'm going to take you or where I want to take you, we would get so scared and be like, there's no possible way. But one step at a time with God, we can get wherever he wants us to go. We just have to stay connected to Jesus, walk with him. Just like the disciples, they walked with Jesus every day and they got to places they never thought were would ever be possible.
All they did was stick with Jesus and actually just sense the grace of God coming on you right now to take a step with him, to not give up. And he's giving you grace to hear his voice, to get your identity from him and not from another. His sheep listen to his voice, they will not listen to another. You're a good sheep. You hear his voice and he says to you right now, don't give up, don't ever give up. Keep pressing forward. Keep pressing into my presence. Get your identity from me, and I will take you to places you never dreamed of.
[00:19:30] Corina: Yeah. That's so beautiful. It actually reminded me of a pastor friend of ours. We were having a conversation, kind of like, you know, what's going on? What's God doing in your life? And he told us that he was out mowing his lawn, and the Lord said, it's time to move. And he was like, okay, where are we going? And God's like, it's time to move. And so he didn't give him the next step. He didn't say, it's time to move to blah, blah, blah. It's time to, you know, go on to whatever. It was just, it's time to move. And so he was like, all right. He told his wife, they listed their home. Like, they're. They're here for it. They're doing the thing. He's taking the step. And they started looking for other houses in the area.
Nothing was available. So they were like, okay, we're gonna rent until God tells us the next step, where we're moving, what we're. What we're doing, where we're going. And I just think it's such a beautiful example of someone who hears God's voice and takes the step even into the unknown, even into. I mean, the. Like. To be like, well, we had this beautiful house, and now we're just gonna go rent until. In the same city, you know, until some unknown time. It's such a diligent servant that would say, yes, Lord, I will take the step with you. I will follow you. And I think that's what God is calling all of us to. We want the whole picture, but often God is just giving us the next step. So don't be afraid when he says to do something and you don't know what the outcome is. Just do it with him anyway. Because his ways are. He always blows our minds when we follow him. He takes us to places we never thought they would be. I thought the disciples as such a good example because they didn't know where they were going, but they went, and it was awesome. And that's what God has for you.
[00:21:09] Josh: So I want to take a moment just to talk about how do we renew our minds with our identity? Because it's one thing to know what you're called to. It's another thing to believe that you can actually do it.
And so we want to go to God, get our identity, and renew our minds with that.
So say you're called to be an author.
You can say declare over yourself day and night, I'm an author, I'm an author, I'm a writer.
And that helps. That's another thing to start thinking about, okay, what does an author do? What do they believe about themselves? What is inherently true about a best selling author? Whatever you're called to do, and then start declaring that. So if you're supposed to be an author, say, okay, I love writing. I write for at least five minutes a day. I'm great at communicating complex thoughts in a way that people can understand and receive.
Whatever it is. Start exploring with the God and say, okay, God, what is true about me as a writer or as a minister or as a business person, as a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, whatever it is that you're called to, you know that is in your identity, you start thinking about that and praying about that. Allow God to speak that into you and then declare that over yourself every day. I'm actually really organized. I organize my thoughts really well.
My house is clean. You know, those kinds of things. I love doing those things.
Those bring me joy, writing brings me joy.
And that starts to shift your mind because it's one thing to just go, I'm an author. But when you start saying, okay, I have all these characteristics about myself that are true, that God's told me are true about myself, then that starts moving you in the direction and you actually believe those things about yourself. It's just more powerful. It allows God to move more powerfully in your thought life, to move you forward into your calling, into your true identity.
[00:23:03] Corina: Yeah, and I would also say, who do those kind of people hang out with? Like, who does a best selling author hang out with? Probably not people that don't think that they're good writers, or probably not people who are discouraging them from, you know, doing the thing that they're created to do. Or people who are distracting them all the time, like, oh, stop doing that, come do this instead. We have to be so careful. You have to be so careful about the people that you are spend your time with. What are they pouring into you? And also the people that you are sharing your dreams with. Because not everybody's going to get it. Not everybody's going to go, oh, God said that to you. Let's go 100% this. These are precious things that the Lord is calling us to and so we need to treat them that way. I need to surround myself. You need to surround yourself with people who will encourage you towards the Dream in your heart with people who will say, okay, I know that maybe you're not there yet, but what does it look like to get there? I want to help you. Those are the people that you want to just surround yourself with, spend time with and share your dreams with. It's okay if not everybody knows that you're writing a best selling book. It's okay if not everybody knows that you're going to run a marathon. And only the people who really believe in you and know that you're going to do it, those are the ones you want in your corner and those are the ones you want to be sharing these things with and protect those things. Protect the things that God has spoken to you about your ideas, identity and about your purpose. Protect them because they are so precious. And it's like that seed that's planted that needs time in the soil and the darkness to begin to germinate and to begin to grow before the world gets to see it. And you know, I think that's really important that we protect those things, those seeds that God has planted and allow him to be the one to water it. Allow only certain people to be in that space as you become who God made you to be you.
[00:25:00] Josh: And what we're not saying is just to completely cut off relationship with the people that maybe are the naysayers, but just be careful what you share with them. Just prayerfully consider, okay, is this a dream that I'm going to share with this person?
So sometimes those people are part of our lives. Maybe you have a relative that's a pessimist, that's okay. We still love them, they're still part of our lives.
Maybe just don't share that dream with them and go to those people that you know are going to encourage you and to give you godly wisdom and lift you up and you're going to leave going, yes, I can do this.
Instead of the ones that are going to say, yeah, you should probably give up now, let's be realistic, that's never going to happen.
Those are the ones you don't probably want to share your dreams with. Okay, let's give you a few practical action steps to walk this out. So the first thing to do is to take inventory.
Just ask yourself and ask God, who have you created me to be?
And you can spend some time with the Lord, processing and saying, what am I passionate about? What am I naturally good at? Where do I see God using me already? Yeah, ask God to speak identity into you. Say God.
I'm listening. Tell me who I am. It's just like Gideon, the angel showed up and said, mighty man of valor. And Gideon was like, ah, I got the wrong guy. I'm sorry.
And God continued just to pour out identity over Gideon and tell him, this is actually what you're going to do. And Gideon was like, okay. I mean, there was a process where he had to believe that, Right. But then he really did it. God used him powerfully to deliver the nation of Israel. But he needed that word from the Lord. He needed to hear God's voice reaffirming him again and again. And trust me, God is okay with that. If you need to hear it a bunch of times daily, actually, that's okay. In fact, I think God loves to tell us who we are every single day. So spend time with him going, God, who did you create me to be? What have you made me good at? Where do I have favor with you and with other people that there's doors opening and start to take some steps into that.
[00:27:09] Corina: Yeah. And then remove the obstacles.
Take the things that are holding you back. Take the, and set them aside. And this starts with your beliefs. Those lies, those limiting beliefs that have held you back from doing the thing that you've always wanted to do, from walking in your purpose or from really believing. This is what God says about me and this is who he says I am. We want to get those lies out of the way. We love to lead people through that five step process of overcoming lies and limiting beliefs, because God always has a truth to speak to you. And so that first step right there, get those out of the way, that's the first thing you want to get rid of. Because there's going to be plenty of other things that are going to tell you the opposite of what you know to be true, what God has spoken to be true. And so we don't want to partner with those or agree with those. We want to agree with the truth of who God says you are and what you're supposed to do. We want to, like Josh said, limit our exposure or interaction with people who are discouraging us, who are not believing in us, who don't think we can do it. These are the people that you do need to get rid of. The ones that pull you back into sin, the ones that are constantly inviting you to be the person that you used to be or the one that, that doesn't. That you're never going to fulfill your calling because you're just stuck. Those are the people you definitely need to just.
I'm sorry, just cut them off. Okay, we don't want anybody. You don't want anybody in your life that's going to pull you back into sin, that's to pull you away from God. But definitely the people that are discouraging, the people that are not 100% on board, just limit that interaction and definitely protect those seeds, protect your heart.
[00:28:57] Josh: And the last step is to partner with the truth.
So keep track of what God's speaking over here. Like when we have conversations with God and He says stuff to us through His Word, through maybe that kinder, wiser, gentler version of your own voice in your head, or maybe a picture he's showing you, feeling that you have write that down and then keep track of that, go back and review it over days, weeks, months, years. And that picture of who God has created you to be becomes clearer and clearer the more that we spend time in that. And that's actually something to meditate on. That's just spending time thinking about it.
Meditation is just spending time intentionally thinking about the things of God.
And that is so powerful to change our brains, to change the way that we think, to rewire our brains to think like God thinks, think like Jesus thinks. And then you want to turn those things that he's saying about you into declarations. Those are just present tense I statements that you can say over yourself morning, noon and night, or whenever there's a false belief or a lie that pops back up. That's how we do. Our warfare in our minds is by actually, I know what the truth is and I'm going to declare it about myself right now.
[00:30:10] Corina: Yeah.
[00:30:11] Josh: And then you want to just start living intentionally towards your purpose. This is just asking God what's the next step that I need to take. Maybe it's even just a small step. I'm going to take a small step with you today, God, and I'm going to trust that you're leading me in the right direction. And then as you start to take one step after another, that picture becomes clearer and clearer. God actually can direct you, move you around, give you clarity on your purpose, your identity, and what you're supposed to do.
And the next thing you know, you'll be where God wanted you to be all along, who he created you to be. So I just sense the Lord giving you his ability to step into your purpose, to discover who he created you to be and just really hear his voice very clearly in this season as you go after it. He doesn't want you to be lost. He doesn't want you to be stuck or confused about who you are. He wants to give you clarity. Yeah, because he loves you. You're his son, you're his daughter, and he delights in you. And he created you on purpose for a purpose. He doesn't want you out there wandering around trying to figure it out. No, actually, he wants to guide you into this process. And so many times it's just about saying yes to his process. God, work it out in me. I'm going to listen to you. I'm going to step out in faith that you actually are speaking to me. You are leading me, me, and just spend time with him every single day, going, God, who did you create me to be? What do you love about me? And write those things down, meditate on them, create declarations, and move forward into your purpose. If you want help with that process, go to joshandkarina.com coaching check out our Clarity Coaching program. We would love to meet with you and just hear your story, help you uncover any lies that you are believing that might be holding you back and discover God's truth so that you can renew your mind and step into your true purpose of who he created you to be.
[00:32:10] 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?
[00:32:21] Josh: Then rate and review this podcast. Help us Spread the message of transformation far and wide.
[00:32:26] Corina: All right, time. Time to walk back into the noise with peace, purpose, and maybe a tiny bit of guessing.
[00:32:31] Josh: We'll meet you back next Thursday for another episode.
[00:32:34] Corina: Bye.
