[00:00:00] Speaker A: A Christian leader, you are constantly pouring out, making decisions, solving problems and carrying responsibility for other people. But if you're not intentional, it is easy to spend your whole day reacting to pressure instead of thinking from God's perspective. Romans 12:2 tells us that transformation happens through the renewing of our minds. So today we're sharing three simple practices Christian leaders can use every day to stay grounded in truth, connected to God, and leading from peace instead of pressure.
[00:00:33] Speaker B: If you're tired of leading others while secretly battling doubt, discouragement and mental warfare,
[00:00:38] Speaker C: and you want practical tools to renew your mind and walk boldly in your
[00:00:42] Speaker D: calling as a leader, you're in the right place.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Welcome to believe and become.
[00:00:46] Speaker C: We're Josh and Corina your spirit filled coaches, here to help you overcome those limiting beliefs and lead others confidently.
[00:00:53] Speaker B: 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] Speaker C: everyday, step silence those Bible app reminders judging you from your lock screen and let's jump in.
[00:01:10] Speaker D: There was a time in ministry school where actually went on a ministry trip to another state and we spent all day ministering to people, just pouring out.
We were super busy.
And at the end of the day each day I would call Corina on the phone and I would be just so filled up. Like I would be so excited. It would be, you know, 10, 11 o' clock at night, but I would be so excited about what God was doing. I found the difference that it makes when you work with God instead of for God. See, we had spent 15 years as worship leaders at our church and I didn't realize, but I was doing it, a lot of it, on my own strength. And I didn't know, I didn't realize that I was striving. There's all this pressure I was putting on myself to be enough to prove myself, to meet other people's expectations.
And finally through this course of going to ministry school and then on this ministry trip, all of that got taken away. And I realized it's so much better when you get to work with God instead of for him. I didn't have to earn his approval. I already had it.
And it was just so much. It was just this incredible experience that I had of when we do ministry the right way, when we're leading from God's strength and not our own, we actually get filled up, we get more energy.
So if at the end of the day of whatever you're doing in your job, whether you're leading a ministry or maybe you're Bivocational, you have a full time job and you lead a ministry.
We've been there.
If you're not filled up and energized, at the end of the day, you need to take some time with the Lord to evaluate and go, God, what's wrong? Cause this isn't. This wasn't how we were designed. We weren't designed to just pour out and pour out and be emptied, constantly emptied. We're supposed to be filled up as we work with God.
[00:03:01] Speaker A: I think that's where that mind renewal process comes in. That's where we need to learn how to renew our minds regularly so that we can lead from rest, from that knowing. I am loved, I'm enough, I'm accepted, I don't have to prove myself. Instead of all of that pressure that like Josh said, we put on ourselves, other people put on us, just the pressures from all around. And so this mind renewal piece is really important in helping us to become sons and children of God who love to work with him instead of for Him. I just love that.
[00:03:36] Speaker D: Yeah, that's the way that we were designed to operate. We're not supposed to be running on empty all the time. And we understand it's tough. Like you pour everything that you have into your ministry, into your job, into your family, and you're trying to earn God's favor at the same time. You don't have to do it that way. God has a better way. And it all centers around our beliefs. We have to get our beliefs right, get them aligned with what God's word says about us and what he says about us. And once that happens, the pressure lifts and it might happen. I pray for you that that happens in a moment. I hope it does. But a lot of times it's a process of I'm identifying beliefs that I have that are just aren't true, that are causing me to operate out of performance, out of this pressure, this need to. Maybe it's a need to achieve or for approval from other people or maybe even the applause. Like as worship leaders, we're like, it's never for me. But sometimes there is an element that creeps in. You don't realize that you're. Sometimes you're doing it for other people. And that's okay. We do want to serve other people, but it's not for their approval, it's for God's approval. And so that's what we're going to teach you today, this mind renewal process, how to get your beliefs aligned with what God says. And then it releases this Freedom into your life releases you from the pressure to perform and the pressure from other people, the pressure that we put on ourselves.
[00:05:03] Speaker A: So let's talk about some of those lies that we might believe as leaders. How about it all depends on me. Yeah, I have to make sure this, that everything goes perfectly because this is on my shoulders. It's all, it's, it's me. And as a leader, there is an element of the buck stops here. But sometimes when we can't trust people, we feel like we can't trust them to do enough or to be enough. It really comes from our own sense of control or our own feelings of unworthiness. I have to prove that I'm a good leader and that comes through micromanaging everything that's going on. Right. So there's, it's really a lie that it all depends on me, that I'm the only one that can do it or that can lead it or whatever that might look like.
[00:05:45] Speaker D: If I don't do it, it won't get done.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: It won't get done.
[00:05:47] Speaker D: Yeah, well, and that's, that's just kind of poor leadership. If we aren't as leaders bringing other people up around us that can fill in those things that we're doing, then we're really not leading very well. That's something that we need to be intentional as leaders to empower those around us. That's what God wants us to do. That's what discipleship looks like. Come alongside me. Let's do it together. Okay, you're ready, you run with it.
And that right there, you get so much more fulfillment than okay, I have to do it all myself.
Another lie that sometimes we believe is that I'm failing or I'm going to fail. What if I fail? All those questions, the self doubt that comes in, we feel like, oh my gosh, what's going to happen if this goes badly or you know, I'm responsible, I'm going to look bad. You know, all this pressure that we put on ourselves when really that's just a lie. God has equipped you for the ministry, for the leadership position that he's put you in. He's given you everything you need to be successful if you rely on Him. And then really we just are obedient to what God is asking us to do, we leave the results up to him. And boy, if we mess up, we laugh and move on. We learn something from it. That's a part of the process of learning. Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Yeah, I've heard it Said that if you're, in order to succeed, you have to fail. Yeah, right. You have to fail forward. It's okay. It's going to be okay. And I think behind that lie there can sometimes be this spirit of like, foreboding or like catastrophe. Like if I don't, if this doesn't work out, you know, I'm going to lose my job or they're, they're going to find somebody to replace me or I'm going to get demoted or the world's going to explode.
We, we get to these like really high stakes places and sometimes that's not necessarily the case. So we really have to evaluate what would that look like with the Lord? Go there with the Lord God, what happens if I fail? What does that look like? Can I give this to you? Because sometimes it's beyond the lie. There's just. The enemy is trying to confuse you and throw you into doubt. What about this one? I have to keep everybody happy, right?
I have to make sure that the people I'm leading are happy. I have to make sure that my leaders are happy. I have to make sure that my family is happy. Everybody. I'm trying to like, keep everyone happy. And there's never room for me to take care of myself, to take care of my soul, to spend time with Jesus. I just have to constantly be in, it's just this really high pressure place of making everybody happy. And I don't, I don't think that is a, like, everybody's like, yay, sunshine and rainbows. Like, here's, you know, fulfilling everybody's dreams. But it's like this level of I'm not ruffling feathers, I'm not disappointing anybody, I'm not doing anything wrong, I'm not getting in trouble.
But I think that takes the element of there needs to be a little bit of risk when you're leading. You need to try things in order to see what's going to work. And sometimes that might not make everybody happy. You need to sometimes make decisions that are hard and you can't do that if you're trying to make everybody happy.
[00:08:54] Speaker D: Yeah, and ultimately we can't. You can't please everyone. It's impossible to do that. So just take that. Getting rid of that belief that it's your responsibility to keep other people happy, it is so freeing. Like, that's up to God. God gets to get to work that out in everybody else's lives. It's not your responsibility.
[00:09:12] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:12] Speaker D: And here's, here's the last one I should be doing More. How many of us have held that one? Oh, my gosh, it's like, oh, I'm not doing enough. I'm inadequate. You know, I need to do more. I need to serve more.
And really, we just need to find that balance with the Lord God. Is this really what I'm called to in this moment, at this time? Do I need to put anything else on my plate? Or maybe I need to take some things off?
There's so much power and freedom in saying, you know what? Actually, that is not my calling. That's not my responsibility. That's my season that I'm in right now. I actually, I can't do that. I don't have the bandwidth.
God is telling me I need to focus in these couple key areas and sitting with the Lord and figuring that out. So much freedom comes from that.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: And like Josh said at the beginning, when you go to work with God instead of for God, and that comes from the mentality of, I'm a son working with my father versus I'm a slave working for a harsh master. And you get to work with him like, there's no pressure in that. There is just presence. And when we're in his presence, the striving comes off, the fear goes away. There's contentment and peace because you know that you're doing the thing that you were created to do, and you get to do it with the God who made you to do it. He empowers you. He meets you in the moment. He gives you solutions.
You're able to hear his voice in those hard times. And so when that pressure comes off, there's so much freedom and so much peace to be found in that place.
[00:10:45] Speaker D: Yeah. There's no other way, really, to do it.
[00:10:48] Speaker A: No.
[00:10:48] Speaker D: I mean, it's just the other way leads to burnout. If we want longevity in leadership, in ministry, we need to work with God, not for him, and know that our place with him is secure.
And so that's one of the main lies that we believe about ourselves. It's like, oh, I need to do something. I need to make up for some mistake I made or sin or whatever it is. I need to earn my way into God's presence. That is the biggest lie that the enemy tries to tell us and get us stuck in these cycles of striving. And I just got to work harder. I got to do more. I got to make up for what I lack.
But here's the truth. God looks at you and he says, that's my son. That's my daughter.
I am well pleased in him or her. Once we operate out of that identity, the security of knowing I don't have to do anything for God to love me, that changes everything.
[00:11:43] Speaker A: It really does. And that's where we get to renew our minds with the truth. Just like Romans 12:2, that tells us that transformation comes through the renewing of our minds. When we begin to believe what God.
Not just mental ascent, right? Not just. I know it in my head. God loves me. I'm, you know, enough. All those things, not just in your head, but when you really begin to feel it in your heart, that's where the change comes. And that comes through renewing your mind through seeking God for the truth and then beginning to declare that truth, coming into partnership with that truth. This is what God says about me. This is how he wants me to live my life. And so then I begin to see my circumstances the way he sees them. I begin to see myself the way he sees them. I begin to let go of those things, those that I'm not really supposed to be carrying. And like Josh said, create margin in my life for rest and for seeking his face and for all the things that are necessary to take care of your soul. Allowing yourself to listen to his voice. Allow yourself to listen to his voice, ask him questions about where you are and what you're doing, and renew your mind with that truth. That's what it comes down to. The mind renewal peace is so huge.
[00:13:01] Speaker D: And Jesus said, the truth will set you free. So if we're believing lies, what does that mean? We're going to be bound, we're not going to be free. So that's why we have to be intentional to seek out the truth. What does God's word say? What is he speaking to me right now for today? And then intentionally renew our minds with that truth. That's where freedom comes. That's where that joy of working with God instead of for him. That's when that all comes out.
But we actually have to be intentional to do that. Otherwise we're basically giving our brain permission to run on autopilot and believe all those lies. And we're going to react out of that. Our emotions are going to come out of those lies that have been built up over years and years. But the good thing is that it actually doesn't take that long in the grand scheme of things to change the way that we think. So then instead of allowing the pressure and the circumstances and other people to tell us other people's opinions to tell us what we should be thinking or feeling, we get to be intentional and say, no, I'm going to think what God thinks about me. I'm going to renew my mind with that. And then your brain starts to do that automatically. Doesn't that sound better? Instead of this, the hamster wheel of like, I got to please people, I got to do more. I'm always inadequate. Get off of that hamster wheel and get on a new one where your brain says, you know what?
I'm right with God. He loves me doing exactly what he asked me to do.
I'm secure in him. I know who I am. I know who he is, and I operate out of that instead of lies. And this is one of the biggest things that we help leaders like you do is to identify lies that you've been believing for too long to ask God what is the truth. And then we help you come up with a plan to renew your mind with the truth so that you can defeat those lies. You can live in freedom every single day, the freedom that Jesus paid for. You don't have to stay stuck. He came here to set you free.
And so many times we have those chains that have shackled us in our minds and we don't even know it's happening. But Jesus came to break those chains and to set you free. So if you're tired of leading under pressure and you want to know the joy and the freedom that comes from working with God instead of for him, check out our Clarity coaching program. It'
[email protected] coaching it's designed to help you get free from lies and to walk in the freedom that Jesus paid for. To renew your mind with his truth so that you can get rid of that pressure and you can lead from freedom. So check out our Clarity coaching program. We would love to work with you.
[00:15:36] Speaker A: Okay, so let's give you some action steps to put this into practice. The first thing you're going to want to do is start your day receiving before you start producing. And what that means is before you check your messages, before you start solving problems, before you thinking about what everybody else needs, take a minute and connect with God. Even while you're laying in your bed. Sometimes by the time our feet hit the floor, your phone is in your hand, you're checking text messages, you're thinking about what's coming up for the day, you're already going. And so before you even put your feet on the floor, just take a moment and connect with the Father. Ask him, God, what do you want me to know today? Or God, show me how Much you love me. Because when we can start our day from that place grounded in his love, everything else starts, starts to come into clearer focus of what do I actually need to be doing? What does it look like to do that from a place where I feel loved instead of that adrenaline of feet hit the floor first thing, eyes pop open and you're off running. Spend those first few moments of your day connecting with the Lord and inviting the Holy Spirit to help you lead from presence and not pressure.
[00:16:46] Speaker D: Second step is to find the lie that's fueling the pressure.
As a leader, we always feel the pressure, right? But there's usually a lie behind that that's actually adding to that pressure. And Jesus wants you to be free from that. So whenever you notice the anxiety, the frustration, or that you're striving, just take a moment, pause. We're going to take some deep breaths. And then remember that you are always connected to God. The Holy Spirit lives inside of you.
You are always perfectly connected to him, whether you feel it or not. Oftentimes our emotions are lying to us.
You are perfectly connected to Him. He is always speaking to you. He's leading you. So take a moment. We're going to pause, just take some deep breaths and then tune in to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you in that moment.
And then we're just going to ask Him a few questions. Ask the Holy Spirit, what lie am I believing right now?
Is there a lie I'm believing? What's fueling this pressure and is that actually true? Do I have to believe that?
You don't have to believe lies. He's setting you free from that right now.
And then just ask God, what do you say instead? What do you want to replace that lie with? What's the truth? I need to renew my mind with. So, for example, if you're believing, I have to fix everything that becomes God is leading me and I only have to be faithful with what he's asking me to do today. It just takes the pressure right off. I just have to be obedient. God's leading me, he's leading you.
You don't have to strive. You don't have to give into that pressure.
Give it to God and you can just rest that he is leading you every step of the way.
[00:18:29] Speaker A: So the third thing is to declare the truth throughout the day. You probably, if you've listened to us, you knew we were going to get there.
Because the declaration is the most important part. That is the partnering that we do with what God is saying. And so Turn what you hear after you've taken this moment in the middle of the stress, and you get with the Lord and you hear what he says over your situation, turn that into just a short declaration. It doesn't have to be this long, drawn out thing, or maybe it's a scripture that comes to mind and you want to begin to just speak that over yourself in the middle of the situation. And then before meetings, before difficult conversations or important decisions, just begin to declare and come into alignment, alignment with the truth of what God is speaking over you and your situation so that you can come into those conversations and meetings and moments with peace instead of pressure. And then whenever that pressure resurfaces, return to that truth instead of rehearsing the problem. I think we just love to meditate on what's going on, right? And sometimes it feels like that turns into all the problems of my day. And so instead of meditating on what God is saying, I'm meditating on how badly it's gonna go or what I think it's is going to happen. Or that person always acts like this or says that, no, no, no, let's take all of that, throw it out the window, and just focus on what God is saying. So some examples would be I lead from peace, not pressure. No matter what the situation I'm walking into, I lead from peace, not pressure. God's responsible for the outcome. I'm just responsible for obedience. And so I'm going to be obedient in this situation. I'm going to do what he asks me to do, and then I'm going to let him handle the rest.
I'm a loved child of God before I am a leader. And that starts right at the beginning of your day when you ask him to show you his love or you ask him what he wants you to know today.
That's where it starts. And so you can walk in that throughout the day as you remember, I am a love child of God before I am a leader, before anything else that I have to do today, I am loved by God. He made me, he is with me and he's working it out.
[00:20:38] Speaker D: And right now I just feel Jesus saying to you, you can hand your burdens over to me. My yoke is easy, my burden is light. You weren't made to carry all this on your own.
Jesus says, I've got strong shoulders, we're yoked together, let me do the heavy lifting. He's giving you his grace to do that right now. He's taking the pressure off. He's releasing his presence over you because his presence is really all we need, just a greater increase of his presence in your life. Your awareness is increasing right now through every step of your day, every decision you have to make, every meeting you go to, Jesus is there. He's carrying the burden. He says, just give it all to me. Give me the pressure. I love to handle it. I can take it. I'm strong and you can just be free to be my child, to be my son or daughter.
And I just delight in you. Whether you hit that perfectly, whatever you were supposed to do or you messed up, I still love you. If you make a mistake, I'm there to pick you up.
God is so good. He loves you so much. He delights in you, and there's no need for striving. Jesus says, I'm good with you, you're good with me. I love you so, so much. So we just bless you to walk in the freedom that Jesus paid for. You don't have to strive, you don't have to perform for his love. The pressure's off and you are set free. Because who the sun sets free is free indeed.
[00:22:13] Speaker C: 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?
[00:22:23] Speaker B: Then rate and review this podcast. Help us spread the message of transformation far and wide.
[00:22:28] Speaker C: All right, time to walk back into the noise with peace, purpose, and maybe a tiny bit of guffing.
[00:22:34] Speaker B: We'll meet you back next Thursday for another episode.
[00:22:37] Speaker C: Bye.
