Have you ever pondered the intersection of your unique gifts and divine calling? Today we unravel this complex tapestry, sharing insights into aligning with our life's purpose through seeking God's kingdom and righteousness. Our journey through the episode unfolds the narrative of personal growth, from the tentative steps of spiritual infancy to the confident strides of maturity. We delve into the transformative power of prayer, scripture study, and obedience as key tools to discern our callings—be it in teaching, podcasting, or any other divine appointment. Our candid conversations reveal that embracing our roles in God's grand design is not about self-fulfillment but about contributing to a larger mission of glorifying Him.
The voyage through these episodes is marked by raw and relatable testimonies of overcoming fear and the growth that springs from faith. Listen to the intimate account of how the simple act of receiving a studio key evolved into a pivotal moment of doubt and ultimate triumph. We highlight the indispensable value of community and the courage found in vulnerability, emphasizing how reaching out for support can be a lifeline in times of crisis. Our discussions of biblical giants like Moses serve as a reminder that feelings of inadequacy are common, but they also underscore the steadfastness of God's faithfulness when we move forward in obedience. By the end of our time together, you'll be inspired by the stories of personal and professional breakthroughs that beautifully illustrate the promise: commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will indeed flourish.
Have you ever pondered the intersection of your unique gifts and divine calling? Today we unravel this complex tapestry, sharing insights into aligning with our life's purpose through seeking God's kingdom and righteousness. Our journey through the episode unfolds the narrative of personal growth, from the tentative steps of spiritual infancy to the confident strides of maturity. We delve into the transformative power of prayer, scripture study, and obedience as key tools to discern our callings—be it in teaching, podcasting, or any other divine appointment. Our candid conversations reveal that embracing our roles in God's grand design is not about self-fulfillment but about contributing to a larger mission of glorifying Him.
The voyage through these episodes is marked by raw and relatable testimonies of overcoming fear and the growth that springs from faith. Listen to the intimate account of how the simple act of receiving a studio key evolved into a pivotal moment of doubt and ultimate triumph. We highlight the indispensable value of community and the courage found in vulnerability, emphasizing how reaching out for support can be a lifeline in times of crisis. Our discussions of biblical giants like Moses serve as a reminder that feelings of inadequacy are common, but they also underscore the steadfastness of God's faithfulness when we move forward in obedience. By the end of our time together, you'll be inspired by the stories of personal and professional breakthroughs that beautifully illustrate the promise: commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will indeed flourish.
Welcome to the Joy Podcast, your women's guide to living a joy-filled life. We are your co-hosts, katrina Morris and Allison Jordan. We are grateful you joined us, as we have real and raw, faith-based conversations surrounding motherhood, marriage, careers, friendships and everything else in a woman's daily life that's right, ladies, grab your cup of coffee and pull up a chair as we dive into all the things.
Speaker 1:Hey everybody, welcome to Episode 6 of the Joy Podcast. We are excited you are back for another week and today we are talking all about your calling and gifts and, allison, can you break it down a little bit more further for us? We were talking last week about your purpose and what that means, and so talk to us a little bit about this week.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, if you have not listened yet to our episode on finding your purpose, go back and listen to that one first and then come back. And we're going to talk today about our callings and gifts. So our calling, basically our calling is what God has chosen for us, for our special purposes, to carry out that purpose. And so when a person, when we are aware of that and surrender to it, then we can start living out our purpose that God has called us to. And so our calling is a little bit different than our purpose. We all have the purpose to honor and glorify God and made in his image. That is our purpose to have that intimate relationship with him. But our callings are different.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and so I think that's really important the differentiation between the two. And then understanding what does that even mean? We all have gifts and callings that we act as one body and we're all here for the same purpose to glorify God. But some of us are called to be teachers, some of us may be called to be podcasters, some of us are. You know, we're all called for different things, but it is all to glorify him. That's right.
Speaker 2:And there's so many things about our callings. First of all, I mean, we have to listen to what the Lord is calling us to do, and we can't listen unless we're in his word and having prayer time with him to really be still and listen. And we have to walk in obedience. And it reminds me of this passage of scripture I'm going to share it with y'all today Matthew 6, 33, and it says this but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own, but we are to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to us.
Speaker 1:That's so good. I love that part about do not worry about tomorrow, or tomorrow has enough trouble of its own it sure does I think and we probably a lot of us get anxiety or we have fear and we get concerned over tomorrow and the next day and the next day, but really we just need to be obedient in today and what our calling is today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and pursue righteousness. Yeah, and you know, righteousness is here's this, what righteousness is? Because you may be like, well, what is?
Speaker 1:that? What is righteousness? Yeah, I didn't know for a long time. I'm like Like, well, what is righteousness? Yeah, I didn't know for a long time.
Speaker 2:I'm like huh. Righteousness is a key attribute of God that refers to a right relationship with God and his creation. So we want to pursue righteousness.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, absolutely, and I think just the definition of that being right with God and referring back to the purpose episode with God and referring back to the purpose episode, we really talked about the infancy and how you grow and your maturity. And I do want to read Hebrews 5, 11 through 14. And again, this is the Tony Evans study Bible. This is the Christian standard version, and I'm going to also read the commentary and I need my glasses yes, we have to put those on so we can see.
Speaker 1:Let me get my glasses, okay. So again, hebrews 5, verse 11. We have a great deal to say about this and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand, although by the time, by this time, you ought to be teachers. You need someone to teach you the basic principles of god's revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.
Speaker 1:Now, everyone who lives on milk is an inexperienced with the message about righteousness, living right with god. Because and then the commentary says somewhere Hold on the Greek word. Translated, lazy can mean dull or stubborn. I've probably been there before. I know I have. So, in other words, they had become mule-headed and refused to grow spiritually. Something is wrong if a 30-year-old is still eating baby food. Knowing the ABCs and 123s of the Bible is crucial, but there comes a time to build on this foundation with further understanding and growth. Any believer who fails to move from milk to solid food, milk being the content of God's word, while solid food is the spiritual application and use of God's word in life, has some developmental issues and becomes stagnant in spiritual development.
Speaker 1:Give me some solid food, yeah, but just thinking about going from infancy to maturity and what all that even means, I think the growth process you know, we, we, we can't.
Speaker 2:when we're infants we don't have teeth, we can't, we can't eat. But as we grow and mature and grow physically and spiritually, we're going to gain those teeth to really chew on the meat.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's very vivid yeah.
Speaker 2:Right, yes.
Speaker 1:But it's true, because we have to have the capacity to handle what's in front of us or to what he has for us. And so you know he doesn't reveal our calling all at one time. No, it has to be developed, as we're talking about, and you know we don't get saved one day and ask the Lord to enter our heart and then the next day, you know we're spiritual mature, you know, and we are, you know, leading a team or doing. You know what we're supposed to do in our calling. It takes that time and it comes to the growth and we've talked about it many times. The growth is uncomfortable and it can hurt and we don't know necessarily why we're going through the difficulties.
Speaker 2:We call those the growing pains.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, and they come in many different forms. But you know why do we go through them? We have to, like the first time you learn how to walk, you fall right, you get picked up, you skin your knees, you do. The first time you learn how to walk, you fall right, you get picked up, you skin your knees, you do the first time you're riding a bike. So if we really think about God in that sense, or following his will, it's just the step of obedience, day by day, and knowing that we don't have to worry about tomorrow. We can plan, I can plan for my future and we should right, we should. God is the planner envisions. You know, as far as just thinking, I have a vision for my future and I have things that I'm excited about, but I can't live on that.
Speaker 2:I have to live in today and you have to live and walk in obedience to what? He calls you to walk in and that is where the growth happens, because you're not going to grow right inside your little comfort zone, right, I mean? We can't stay right, right here and never walk. We've got to walk and as we walk, he's given us that strength continually.
Speaker 1:And you know so I do want to share a story, but first I want to talk a little bit about in where you may be right now yourself and you listen in, or if you're watching, you may not be in the place where you think God is calling you to be. You may not feel like you're using your purpose and you're gifting. You may not even know what that is, but what I can say is where you are today is for a purpose that you have the ability to take. The words that we're speaking and the scriptures that we're speaking. Don't take our word for it.
Speaker 1:The scriptures that we are speaking into you. Those are things that you can take and start living today differently than you lived yesterday. And I can look back 13, 14 years ago. I was in corporate America climbing the ladder. I've always enjoyed that, that's. That was what I always wanted to do was be in corporate and, um, now I don't even know why, but anyway. Um so I was in the insurance industry and successful, and I taught classes, I led a team, but I learned a lot from that, so I didn't necessarily think I was in my calling at that time. Who thinks they're calling an insurance? I don't know Right, but I knew that I had a team of people, I had a boss and I had other people around me that were looking to me and how I acted each day.
Speaker 2:That was a great responsibility.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was and I loved it and I still have some of those connections. But let's look forward forward 13 years and when I was there, I never saw this. I never saw Katrina and Co. I never saw me owning an interior design business, or any business for that matter. I only saw what was in front of me and that I wanted to have another child, and you know just the things of life, and I had dreams and goals, but it didn't until this.
Speaker 1:So, looking now, 13 years later, and I can see the development that I needed to have to learn about corporate America, learn about policies and procedures sending emails, having team meetings, the values, the core values all of those things that are pivotal right now in my thriving business right, my growing business, because I do have dreams for that now that I'm here.
Speaker 1:And I recognize the value that I have looking back at that and so he will never take you somewhere or hold you somewhere that is not going to be of value to your future self or to someone else. And so I don't want anyone on the other side to be discouraged even though you may be discouraged right now, If you look at it through the lens of God and through the lens of finding your purpose and then your calling and gifts, he will never take you somewhere where he's going to not equip you to handle it. Of course, Now that means that we may be at the brink of God. If you don't interfere, disaster is going to happen. That may be where we, where we go, but that's when we come into full dependence with him. Yeah, and that is when he is allowed to really take over.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, all that he did in you, even though you felt like that, you didn't know if that was your calling back then, that's where he called you to be and he was equipping you even then for what you were doing now. I mean, you see, all that you learned during that time, all that you added to your expertise to bring you. God knew all those years ago where you would be today and he equipped you for that years ago where you would be today. And he equips you for that. And I love that God when he calls you. And you hear when I say when because he does call us, he does equip us. So there's times in our lives and we've talked about or I can't, lord, I don't know if I can do that.
Speaker 2:I said that, even just this week and and some things that I am going through right now. I don't know, but I know that if God has called me to it, he's going to give me everything I need to carry that out for his honor and for his glory. He's never going to call me to something that he's not going to equip me to go through, just like he did in your story.
Speaker 1:But you may feel you're not equipped because that's your limitation.
Speaker 2:I'm not without him, absolutely yeah, not without him?
Speaker 1:Absolutely yeah, and so we really. You know, when we're thinking about where we are in our life and where we want to be, we have to speak God's word into our circumstances rather than speaking our circumstances into God's word.
Speaker 2:Yes, God's word, yes, and so you know that reminds me of Romans 828. And we had you and I had talked about this earlier today and we were sharing this verse together, but I want to share it with everyone listening today too, because we know that God's will is perfect. We have to be obedient, we have to listen for what his will is in our lives and we have to walk in that obedience.
Speaker 2:And here's what Romans 8, 28 says and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. So he does call us and he's going to work all things together for our good and for his glory. But we have to walk in that obedience and trust him fully. And that is a hard thing to do, because when we look at at our expertise or we look at all the areas we feel deficient in that's where we can cling to him in that, because he is not deficient in any way right and um, when we moved to Wilmington.
Speaker 1:I can remember um, when we're talking about speaking into our circumstances or letting the Lord speak um over us or or taking our circumstances to him. Uh, when we moved here and I got the key to our building, our studio you know there were months of prep and excitement and leading up and packing and moving to another state and all the fun things and and um, looking to the future and what the Lord had. And then the day came that I got the key for the studio, for the studio, and I remember holding the key and looking. I was on the sidewalk and I was looking up the stairs to the studio and it's a, it's a big building, a big home, it is historic home and it's three stories. And I can just remember standing there and I just all of a sudden fear and anxiety washed over me and I heard in my head you cannot do this. And I really was paralyzed. I remember just thinking, oh my gosh, what?
Speaker 2:do I do now what?
Speaker 1:am I doing? You know, what do I do now? Yeah, god, you called us here, you're okay. So what now? And just having sheer, almost panic, yeah. And there were a couple of weeks I couldn't come into the studio when we were you know. A couple of weeks I couldn't come into the studio when we were, you know, painting and doing the things, preparing it, because of fear and anxiety and I just I just felt like it was too big. It was too big and at that moment, in those moments really, that that those next couple of weeks it was now is the time to quit.
Speaker 1:Nobody knows you here. You could quit, and I know I'm sharing a lot and you know. But whatever it is what it is, you know it's part of my story. Hey, that's the lies the enemy wants to tell us. But I remember thinking okay, now is the time I can quit. I can go get a job for another interior designer. I know what I'm doing, I'm the time I can quit. I can go get a job for another interior designer. I know what I'm doing, I'm experienced, I can do this. Somebody else can write my paycheck and I can just let all this go. Nobody knows me and I'll be good.
Speaker 1:And then I remember hearing the Lord say because you have to determine the difference in the Lord and the enemy, that's right, yes. And the Lord and the enemy, that's right, yes. And the Lord saying well, that would be too easy, that's the easy way. And having to recognize in that moment okay, I really have a decision to make. Am I going to let, am I going to quit and let somebody else write my paycheck and be limited, or am I going to stay steadfast, unmovable, find some courage and let God write my paycheck? And two years later, god's writing my paycheck. Two years later, god's writing my paycheck, so we know the outcome today. But you can't ever understand what someone went through to get to where they are today and live in your purpose, live in your dream. Your calling your gifts. It is hard, yeah.
Speaker 2:Because I think sometimes we think, okay, well, if God called us to do that, we know he's going to equip us. So it should just be easy, right, katrina? It should just be easy. Nothing about it's easy, but he shows us that we can do these hard things because it's through him who gives us strength to carry out his will, his calling on our lives and, just like you, you stayed in there.
Speaker 1:It was too big for Katrina, yes, but it, but God already knew yeah he had already started preparing me for that all those years ago yeah, and the other part of that story is really who he brought into my life. So sometimes and I'm not going to say that was rock bottom because I was in a good place, otherwise mentally I felt like rock bottom, I'm quitting, I'm done with this. But sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to realize he is the rock at the bottom.
Speaker 2:There's nowhere else to look, but up Nowhere else to look, but up.
Speaker 1:You don't build a house without a foundation. What has happened here is the decision to move forward. And in that moment of freaking out I had to make a decision. And I can remember, within those couple week time period I would. I got in my car one day I'm backing out of the driveway and I remembered because it was like almost full on panic mode and I didn't have anyone my parents. There was no one here that I knew I couldn't go to my girlfriends, I couldn't actually call a couple of them on the phone and I'm like, oh, can you help? But there was no one here physically that I knew that could help me through this. And so I remember the Lord prompted my heart to remember that there was a card that I'd gotten in the mail from a pastor at the church we had just attended. And so when we came here we found a church wonderful church and started going and I got a thank you in the mail for coming to our church and we want to welcome you to the area. And it was the pastor's card.
Speaker 1:And I'm backing out of the driveway and I'm like I don't even know where I'm going, I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know where to go and the Lord prompted me to go get the card. I knew where it was, went inside, got the card, picked up. The phone I have never done this in my entire life Just called a random person, picked up the phone, called the number and, of course, his voicemail picked up. Because who? You don't know this person. So the voicemail picked up and I just I think I said something like hi, my name is Katrina, I just moved to Wilmington. I come to your church. I got a card in the mail. Um, I'm growing my business here in Wilmington and I'm um having a freak out moment and I really need some prayer and I need you to talk to me. Like it was so. I mean, it was real, but it was like who in the world?
Speaker 1:That's the real, and raw you get here with us. Oh my gosh, yeah, you're getting some raw right now. And so I didn't hear back from him that day. But that night Scott and I received an email from him and it said you know, welcome to the area. We understand it's difficult. We would love to meet with you and your husband. My wife and I would love to meet with you and your husband. So that started a series of conversations. We end up meeting a couple weeks later and um had dinner and just fellowship and it was so life-giving. It didn't take me out of the fear immediately, but it gave me hope that I wasn't alone some comfort.
Speaker 1:that's right, because they had moved here, like Our stories were somewhat similar in they had been called to move here. They started a church. It was still starting something that you were fully dependent on the Lord to do, and so I can remember I ended up developing a relationship with his wife in a friend manner and we would meet for coffee. She really was pivotal in the months after that and so beautiful, and I can remember meeting her for coffee and saying, well, I think where I am now is I'm just asking God to shrink the house.
Speaker 2:I mean I can't make this up to shrink that.
Speaker 1:This is the way I was thinking right yeah, I've asked God to shrink the house so my faith would fit in it, so I can walk in and like, do the things need to get done so I can, we can be open. And because I did think that, like Lord, make the house small, make it not so overwhelming, please. And she looked at me and she said don't ask God to shrink the home to meet your limitations. You ask God to grow your faith to meet his size of the house and his plan for you. Wow, that is, that's a mind drop.
Speaker 2:That is good.
Speaker 1:And that changed my way of thinking, and so I started praying that, and so that's why it's so important One call random people just kidding, um, you know, when the Lord prompts your heart to call someone a mentor, a friend, or do it because you don't know what they can give to you, what kind of comfort they can offer you, and so and I know I've been talking most of this episode I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2:It's just so real.
Speaker 1:And I just feel like, man, if I could give somebody else hope out there, that you are in a place of hopelessness and you don't know which way to turn the comfort of God and people around you.
Speaker 2:That's how we're supposed to surround ourselves with people and, even though you didn't know, you went searching for them.
Speaker 1:God shared that with you Because he prepared yes, he prepared a way for them to reach out to us, for then me to turn around and be able to reach out to them, you know, because the church was recommended by someone in Virginia. Oh you're moving.
Speaker 1:Here's a great church that we've heard about Really, he told us about the church before we moved here, and so we visited when we actually came on vacation a couple of times. So, anyway, he is always working for your good and for the next thing, absolutely, and so just you know. I hope that this encourages you to understand I'm on the other side of that today. God grew my faith. God grew my faith bigger than the house, and now you know, my prayer is be a light to the world, you know, and just shine bright. So I can say from the other side of that God works, he is faithful, yes, he does, and if he's called you, he will equip you. Even though you don't feel equipped, you can't limit your own feelings, because he's so much bigger than that, exactly.
Speaker 2:And I love how you know you can't. You can't limit God, you can't put him in a box. God's plans for us far out exceed anything that we could ever think or imagine. And you know, when we just surrender that. And so it took, you know somebody speaking life into you and speaking truth into you about who God is, just to remind you in that moment of fear and uncertainty, just to say you know what, yeah, I mean God is who God says he is, and I can surrender and I can trust him fully in that. And when you do that, look what God does. He shows you what his purpose is in that season of your life and just walk faithfully in that. It reminds me you know the story of Moses when he was uncertain and I want to read it.
Speaker 2:And I know you know it's in Exodus. Let me find it here, exodus 4. And so Moses had a speech impediment. And so here, god has called him to talk to the people and to share and to do all this mighty work. And he was not very confident in that. And so here's what happens in Exodus 4, 10. Moses said to the Lord Pardon your servant, lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. And here's what the Lord said. The Lord said to him who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go and I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say. So God just calls us to obedience. His plan, it's his plan. He calls us to obedience. He'll take care of the details, the details.
Speaker 2:That's and that's what he showed you in that moment yeah, you know it was too big for you, yeah, but god said it's not too big for me.
Speaker 1:You just follow me and we'll yes I'll take you through this yes, oh, and that is so true, because a lot of times, okay, so, so we have to move first, yeah, before he will reveal the next step or before he will reveal the next part of his plan yeah, that's the obedience yes, it's walking it out it's, it's taking, that's an action.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we have to you. When you first start dating and you're waiting by the phone for that boy you like to call and you're just. You know I was. You know we were in the age where the phone was still connected to the wall. Oh, yes, yes, it was Call, waiting, had just came out, but you would go into the closet and like, shut the door, leave me alone. Yes, but I can remember waiting by the phone for Scott to call or whatever, and and you just waited. You know they say a watch pot never boils. Well, if all you're doing is talking to God and you're never putting action in place, then he can't reveal the next step because you're not being obedient and faithful to believe him.
Speaker 2:If he's going to give you this and you don't take it and do something with it, then why? Is he going to give you more?
Speaker 1:Yes. So, even though I felt crippled when I'm standing at the stairs and I'm like I can't even go in this building because it's just big and I don't even, I had to paint one wall at a time and take one step at a time, and Scott and I had to just get in and do what we could do, but it took the step of obedience to do that and I cannot express that enough. That that's what it intakes, and so, really quick, I just want to say a verse that inspired me is Proverbs 16, 9. Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be established. And another, I think the New American or the New Living Translation may say for in a man's heart, he plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. That is so important. Our hearts deceive us, and so the Lord. We can plan our way and we can pray to him and he can give us some exciting future dreams, but we have to then trust him with the plan.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's all you know. He puts the calling on our lives. We listen, we obey and we've got to walk in that obedience. And then it's up to him to carry out the details. Yes, we are just the avenue by what he uses. And look what he's already done through your business here. Look what he's done in your life. Look at what, how he's grown you just through your obedience to his call on your life yeah, and I could have never imagined we'd be where we are, we where we are today.
Speaker 1:Uh, 10 years ago, 13 years ago, but also even a year. You know, god has done so many things that I had no idea he was going to do. But I know that my life is to be changed, a living sacrifice for him, but it is to be. My purpose is to glorify him through it, to let people see me. Whether I have on no makeup and I'm not feeling great, I'm like oh, how are you doing today? I'm doing okay, but not great. Yeah, you know we have those things, but I know that my life purpose is to be a little bit more vulnerable than maybe others are called to be, and so I don't want to take that for granted and I don't want to take it lightly that I do believe I am called to share these things and they're only to put light into him and point more people to him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, and God has given you the gifts to carry out his plan for your life. And you know, we, we talk about our callings and our gifts and I know you've got some some scripture here that talks about yeah, talks about our gifts, because we, we do all have gifts. Maybe you have one gift, maybe you have 20 gifts, but god is never going to call you to do something that you don't, you can't carry out. He has gifted all of us in certain ways. Read that passage that you were reading earlier to me.
Speaker 1:So it's 1 Corinthians and we're going to it's chapter 12, starting in verse 4. Now there are different gifts but the same spirit. There are different ministries but the same Lord, and there are different activities but the same God produces each gift in each person. A manifestation of the spirit is given to each person for the common good, and the commentary reads given an empowered ability to serve him in ways that benefit others. Our variety is to be unified in submission to the King's agenda for the good of all. We must not use our spiritual gifts for selfish ends, promoting division among God's people. So we all have different gifts, but they're all to work together for good for him.
Speaker 2:That's right and the purpose is because we all have different gifts. They can bring honor and glory to him. So you may have different gifts than I have, but God has gifted us all.
Speaker 1:And I can't say you can Well you have a gift of sin.
Speaker 2:I have no interior design, but you are amazing. God has gifted you in that, and we can encourage each other in the gifts that God has given us. There's no comparison we talked about that before Not to compare our gifts to somebody else's, because your gift is your gift. God has given that to you. Use it for his honor and for his glory. What a blessing, what an honor that is. God has given that to you. Use it for his honor and for his glory. What a blessing that is, what an honor that is.
Speaker 2:And so if you're sitting there going well, I'm not, I don't have any gifts you do, yes, you do. And so the way you find that is to seek his will. Where are your passions? What are you passionate about? What are you good at? Because all the glory for what you're good at goes to God. So if you're good at that, then use that. Use it for his honor and for his glory and seek him out. What do I do? I don't know. I don't know if I'm good at anything. Well then, seek him. He'll show you.
Speaker 1:He'll show you what that gift is and it's always to the benefit of others. Yeah, if you're sitting soaking and souring because you know, maybe you're bitter, because you don't feel like you have a gift or a purpose or whatever, you know, it's time to get up and move on with your life.
Speaker 2:I mean, I can say that's sour into sweet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know, and I know that that may be stern, but I just feel like, if you're listening on the other side of this and you are in the pit, you are only using your gifts for yourself and for um selfish gain. You're not living on purpose you're not living god's purpose.
Speaker 1:And so your gifts. We talked hospitality. Maybe your gift is not to open your door every day, right, but we are called to be joyful spirit in Walmart, in Neiman Marcus, in Bloomingdale's, in you know down the street, everybody can give a smile to a person you walk by on the street and so if the season you're in it may take time to get out of it, right, you're going to move forward, starting today, not tomorrow but to to look to the Lord for your purpose and your gifting.
Speaker 1:Don't just sit and soak. You need to. It's okay to sit and soak in a good way to to abide in the Lord, but you are to go out and help others and do for others. And if, if you look around you and there's only you around you most of the time, or your own just immediate family, and you're not doing things to help others or being in the community or serving others in a in a certain way, I question how close the relationship is if you are seeking his purpose.
Speaker 2:And we were created for that. We were created for community. We were created to bring honor and glory to God and to bring honor and glory to God and like we talked about that righteous living to righteousness is to be in a right relationship with God and his creation. His creation is other people as well.
Speaker 1:So serve others, love others.
Speaker 2:Use your gifts for others, because that does bring honor and glory to God. I think of you, know. Think of you, katrina. If you wouldn't have answered God's call to come here, we wouldn't be here right now.
Speaker 2:I know that's crazy so obedience doesn't just affect Katrina, you know, and so we think about obedience. Is that is strong? So we need to walk in obedience to what God calls us to, to bring glory to Him, but to walk out our purpose, and that purpose is for honor and glory for him and for intimate fellowship with him. And so love God, love others and be obedient to him and use those gifts and seek him in those gifts. Like we said Matthew 6, 33, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
Speaker 1:So always seek him first, absolutely 100%, yeah, and his righteousness, so always seek him first. Absolutely A hundred percent, yeah. Oh well, that was deep, I'm tired now.
Speaker 2:Yes, so necessary, you're right, right, I mean our passions to walk out our purpose and our callings. Use those gifts that God has given us, offer his honor and glory and, as we want to remind you again, you have purpose, you have great purpose in this world, and so we just want to encourage you to obey God and walk out your calling, because whatever season of life you're in, there is purpose in it.
Speaker 2:You have a calling on your life and seek him in that and use those gifts because you are gifted, my friend, you are, you are.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, yeah, absolutely Well. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to this episode of the Joy Podcast and if this helped you, please give us a five-star review. Send it to someone who needs hope, needs to find their purpose and their gifting and needs to hear this. We just pray over you before we, you know, in our own prayer time. We just really hope that this is encouraging to you and others as well. So make sure you're letting us know that, because we are here for you. So we will be back next week and we are starting a series that's right, we are so excited.
Speaker 2:A new series beginning next week on intentional living, so a lot to that. Yeah, I can't wait to unpack that. It's going to be fun as well. So intentional living start next week on the podcast. All right guys, have a great week. Bye everybody on the podcast, all right guys.
Speaker 1:Have a great week. Bye, everybody. Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Joy Podcast. Our passion is to help you find your purpose and joy in the hard things of life.
Speaker 2:Join our conversation by liking, following and subscribing so you don't miss the next episode. We are grateful for you and would love your feedback. Please leave us a five-star review, wherever you listen to this podcast.