Mission Over Position: When God Prepares You for More

Hey there winning women, do you feel like God is shifting you into a new season? Maybe it's your career or maybe your family dynamics is going to be changing. Perhaps your relationship status is going to be experiencing a change or maybe he's placed something on your heart that seems absolutely crazy and out of the box that will look completely different than your current season. And you're questioning if it even could be from him, if that desires from him.

I believe that God prepares us for these transitions, but not by focusing on titles or positions, but by refining our character and faith through the mission He gives us. I like to call it the concept of mission over position. So today, I'm going to share three key points to focus on when God is shifting you into a new season and how to embrace that mission even when you don't feel prepared based on your current position. And just a heads up.

You'll hear me use the word position a lot in this episode, but when you hear the word position, just think of it that it isn't necessarily about a job title. It's more so about your current state or season of life that you're in. So speaking of power and position, I want to share a little bit of my background. So I went to school for communication and public relations. ended up minoring also in English and I had enough credits to possibly even double minor in Spanish from a summer semester in Mexico.

Yes, I was collecting titles even before I stepped into the workplace. But here's the thing, even after all those titles, all those accolades that I had behind my name, all those minors and emphasis that were listed on my degree, after I graduated, I found myself in customer service and sales roles that didn't directly line up with my passion for communication. That is until I landed my dream job at a Fortune 500 company.

Toyota North American headquarters located in Dallas. I mean, this job checked every box, ladies. It had a great salary. I felt stability for the first time in my life financially. I also carried our insurance through that job, and it was a pretty good insurance. Alan and I were able to have two major surgeries through that and barely paid for anything. I even had a company car, and even though Toyota isn't a Christian company,

They encouraged employees to bring their whole selves to work, which allowed me to launch a faith-based employee group. Sounds perfect, right? But here's the kicker. This was also when I had a one-year-old and a two-year-old at home. Our YouTube channel was also growing rapidly, and our math tutoring business that Alan started was taking off. So all these things we had prayed for were actually happening. But God started calling me to focus on something I wasn't quite ready for.

I spent all this time building my value outside of the home and God was nudging me to shift my focus and focus on the value that I brought inside the home. And that my friend was the start of a huge, a huge seasonal shift for me. Maybe you're in a similar place where you've worked hard to get something only after you obtain it to start to feel God leading you away from it.

And the thoughts or opportunity of change is creeping on your doorstep and that terrifies you. Feeling terrified is a completely normal feeling when God is preparing you for a shift. But it's also an invitation for God to grow your character. And this leads me to my first point to focus on when God is shifting you into a new season, are you open and allowing God to refine you? And if so, then your focus should be on character over crowns.

We live in a world that celebrates crowns. We've got titles, accolades. I mean, you saw how I racked up all my accolades and I was so proud when I walked across that stage after graduation. The world measures greatness by visible achievements, fame, and power. I mean, I even fell for it. I felt great after accomplishing all of those things. But while the world chases crowns, I truly believe that God values character. He isn't impressed by titles or achievements. He's simply looking at the heart.

God is more concerned with who we are becoming than what we are achieving. See, crowns can be deceptive because they often hide what's truly in our hearts. That's why God allows us to go through these seasons of refining, not to punish us, but maybe just to develop our character. When we look back at the seasons where God elevated you, whether it was a promotion, whether it was a new relationship, maybe it was that child that you prayed for that he gave you.

or that husband that you prayed for, whatever it is, if you dig deeper, you'll find a preceding season where you didn't know it at the time, but that season was preparing you and refining you. I wrestled with God for a year before I had the courage to leave my job and come home. And in that time, God was simply refining my character. Now I can speak about it now, but it was not fun. I discovered how little faith I had.

and how many of the limiting beliefs were rooted in fear. Here we are, we have a ministry, we have a YouTube channel, and God is slowly wrecking me and showing me that while you talk about faith, you have little faith. And sis, when God is developing your character, here is one thing you should not do, and that is blame your spouse or others for your current season. my loving husband, boy, he got the grunt of this.

When the kids were young, I was tapped out. was struggling with the capacity to do it all. had mommy guilt over every milestone that I missed. And I started to do a lot of heavy finger pointing in this season. I was so wrong for that. I would point things out that Alan wasn't doing well. He was actually doing a lot. He was doing the best that he could. We were both doing the best that we could. The truth is, God could be calling you to keep your focus on him. But instead,

And naturally, it's easy to look at others, to look at your spouse, look at your kids, to look at your boss, to look at those who you feel are hindering you. And instead, God is trying to show you how He can grow you, grow your perspective. He's developing your character, sis, not your spouse, not your kids, not your boss's character. He's developing your character in this season. And we may miss what God has for us.

by focusing on others. So let's look at a powerful biblical example that illustrates this point. And that is good old King Saul versus King David. Saul was the first king of Israel. And by all worldly standards, he looked the part. mean, Saul had the height, he had the looks, he had the charisma. From the outside, he was everything you'd expect a king to be. He wore the crown, but he definitely lacked character.

King Saul is a perfect example of someone who may have been chosen by parents, but lacked and even was rejected for his character. See, Saul's downfall teaches us that crowns without character lead to destruction. Now, in contrast, David, on the other hand, was the youngest of Jesse's sons. He was a shepherd boy who, from a worldly perspective, was pretty much nobody. No title, no influence, no royal bloodline. But the Lord...

does not look at the things people look at. 1 Samuel 16, 7 says how people look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the hearts. And so that's why character is way more important than crowns. Crowns are temporary. Character is eternal. Titles can be taken away, but your integrity follows you. And fame, well, that simply fades over time. But faithfulness endures. So don't chase the crown. Chase God's heart.

And just like David, when you pursue God's heart, the crown will find you, in God's timing, in God's way, and for His glory. And so what do think God is teaching you about yourself in this season? Maybe God is growing your patience. Maybe He's trying to grow your humility or just growing your trust in Him like He did me. The current season you're wrestling with could be God preparing you for your next assignment. And whatever that may be,

Don't miss the fact that true leadership is about character, not about authority. So yes, it's important to focus on character developing during a transition. But my next point is that I want to encourage you to focus on faithfulness over fame. You may not know where this next season is taking you, but instead of focusing on the fame of that, focus on faithfulness in this season. And the best way to do that is through service. How are you serving your family? How are you serving your body?

How are you serving your colleagues, your boss, others that are in need? I had a friend who recently decided to plant a church with her husband, and she always reminds me how serving her community just by baking goods and helping others helped her embrace this new season of ministry that she's about to step into. Sometimes the pathway to greatness is actually through the simple, menial tasks. Going back to David,

Before he ever stood before Goliath, or even before he sat on the throne of Israel, he was just a young shepherd boy in the field of Bethlehem. Why is that important? Because Saul was the first king of Israel. But remember, Saul had been chosen because, let's just say, he looked like a king. Didn't mean he acted like one, but he definitely had the appearance, remember he was tall, he was handsome, seemingly fit for the role.

So imagine the state that Samuel is in. He's heartbroken over Saul, so as Samuel was grieving, the Lord spoke to him and called him to go and anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the new king of Israel. So David ends up being selected, but not because he was king-like, but because he was simply a servant. David was serving. Think about that. David wasn't even considered significant enough to be invited to this important event because he was out in the fields.

He was faithfully serving as a shepherd. Once again, we see that humble service positions us for divine opportunities. And sometimes the pathway to greatness is through these menial tasks. So while we are in seasons where we are called to faithfulness and service, here is one tip that you should not do, and that is to have limiting beliefs.

Imagine if my friend who is now called to ministry to plant a church with her husband Imagine if during that season where she was called to just be faithful and serve others through baking goods in her community Imagine if she said I don't want to bake these cookies. This is too much work She would have missed how that service opportunity was preparing her for the service opportunity in her current season of planting a church What about you? Maybe God has put it on your heart to homeschool your kids

Have you taken opportunities to volunteer your time or your talents in preparation? Can I be honest? I grew up with the perception that homeschool kids were weird. I know that's so bad, but I did. I don't know where it came from, but I just thought they were different. Different isn't bad. Now as an adult, I see that that mindset was backwards, false, untrue, and so crazy. And the crazy thing is now I wouldn't even be opposed to it if God called us to do it.

And those of you who know me know that I never thought I would ever say that. I also never considered myself capable of growing food or even baking using minimal ingredients. It's so much easier just to go to the store and buy. But recently, I've been on this health cake where I have been so intentional about what we put in our bodies and what I put in my body. And y'all, the other day, I made my very first sourdough bread.

I never saw myself being a sourdough maker. I mean, I still don't consider myself one because y'all it took 16 hours. I mean, I had to keep my starter alive in the fridge. It was work. But man, I'm so proud of pushing out this stigma that I can't bake from scratch. I can't teach my kids. I can't be responsible for my kids' education. All of these limiting beliefs will only keep you stuck. Don't limit yourself. Don't say I would never fill in the blank.

And I'm not saying you should start making sourdough, but you never know how that limiting belief could limit what God is exposing you to and growing you in this season. Maybe you're listening and you're thinking, I have been faithful and I still feel overlooked and insignificant in this current season. Maybe you're serving behind the scenes and it still feels like no one notices. Just remember that God sees your faithfulness.

I spent two years leading hundreds of women in a virtual Bible study before I ever picked up a podcast mic. In that season, God was teaching me how to serve women, how to listen to women, how to encourage them. And little did I know that that was preparation for this podcast. So as you shift your focus to faithfulness through service, don't abandon, but tend to the areas that you have been given influence over first. That could be your spouse.

That be your family. Are you faithfully serving them, even when it feels mundane? That could be your team at work or your boss. Are you diligent in your job, even when you don't get the recognition? Or maybe it's at home or at church. Are you obedient in the small tasks, even when they seem insignificant? See, David wasn't in the field just dreaming of fame. He was just faithfully serving his father. And his obedience positioned him for his destiny.

And so how can you serve others in this season even without recognition? And are you willing to embrace humble beginnings knowing that God sees your heart? Sweet sister, I don't know what God has for you in this next season that you are called to, but I do know that if he's called you to it, if that desire, if that vision is from him, then he'll empower you. And that's my third and final step is that God doesn't just call, but he equips.

He doesn't just leave you to figure it out on your own. He equips you with everything you need to fulfill the mission. Notice I didn't say everything you want, but He equips you with everything you need. See, this is so important to remember because often the call feels bigger than our capacity. And that's exactly how it should feel. Because think about it, if we could do it on our own, we wouldn't need God. God doesn't call the qualified. He often qualifies those who are called.

He provides the courage, the wisdom, the resources, and the strength needed to step into new seasons. And the primary way that He equips us is through the Holy Spirit. See, David didn't feel qualified to face Goliath, but he was empowered in those tough moments by God's presence and past faithfulness. Maybe God is calling you to a role that feels too big. Maybe that's stepping into leadership or launching that new venture or even switching from

public education or private education or homeschooling your kids. If God is calling you, He will also equip you. You're not supposed to be ready. You're just simply supposed to be willing to depend on Him. Remember, Moses felt inadequate because of his speech impediment, but God empowered him to lead Israel out of slavery. Even Gideon. Gideon saw himself as the weakest in his tribe.

But God empowered him to defeat the Midianites with just 300 men. And then Esther, good old Esther, our sweet sister Esther, was just an orphaned Jewish girl who became queen for such a time as this. See, God specializes in calling the unlikely and empowering them for the impossible. Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. So if you're listening and you're wondering,

Well, how exactly is the Holy Spirit equipping me for the next season? Well, as a believer, the Holy Spirit is in our present situation and equips us in our everyday lives in multiple ways. One way is through guidance and wisdom. John 16, 13 says, but when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. So when you don't know the next step, guess what? The Holy Spirit leads you.

The Holy Spirit also provides strength and weakness. When you feel exhausted or overwhelmed, guess what? The Holy Spirit gives you supernatural strength. I know as a mom, I have felt that strength when I thought I had nothing left. The Holy Spirit also provides boldness and courage. So when fear tries to paralyze you, the Holy Spirit gives you that boldness. And then in uncertain times, the Holy Spirit can provide peace. That's when anxiety tries to consume you.

That's when depression tries to consume you. The Holy Spirit can just bring you peace in those tender moments. Philippians 4 to 7 says, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Jesus Christ. So see, the Holy Spirit is in your heart. Maybe that decision that looks like it will have a good outcome will cause strife in your marriage. And a strong marriage is something that you're going to need in that next season.

So do you see how God is possibly protecting you and through his Holy Spirit will give you wisdom on how to make that decision. Maybe the next season you're going to is going to be isolating. And so God is developing your community in this season and he's creating the right people who will be in your corner. Maybe you feel like I'm not married or I'm not attractive or I'm not feminine enough. Maybe God is preparing a spouse for you. And in the meantime, he's refining your character and encouraging you to lean into softness.

and embrace healthy feminine values that will prepare you suitable for a loving spouse. These are all examples simply to show that He's not calling you because you're already ready, but if He has called you, then He will equip you to step right into that season. So if you're hesitating to step into that new season because you don't feel equipped, that's a natural feeling, but God is right there with you. And how can you lean more into the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength during this time?

As we close, I'd to pray for you. Lord, we thank you. Thank you so much for the example of David, who taught us that your calling is about mission over position. Lord, help us trust in your timing and to embrace the seasons of preparation, no matter how hidden or humble they may seem. And Father, give us hearts, hearts that are faithful in the small things, the mundane things. Give us the courage to face our giants and integrity

to wait on your perfect timing. And Father, while you may be refining our character or molding our motives or preparing us for that greater purpose that you have planned, do we step into this new season, whatever this season may have, whatever this season may be, help us to walk boldly in faith, anchored in your word and confident in your promise. And may our lives glorify you and inspire others to pursue their God-given purpose. Lord, we trust you.

We love you and we thank you for every step of the journey. Jesus name we pray, amen. Woo! Wow, what a powerful conversation today. I hope that this episode encourages you to embrace the mission that God has for you, even if it means stepping into a new season with uncertainty. But this episode spoke to you. I would love, I would love you to take a moment and just do three things.

First, subscribe to this podcast. You can do that by saving this podcast.

you'll be notified when a new episode comes out. Next, you can also share this episode with a friend who might need a reminder that God is calling them to a greater purpose. You never know how you're sure it can be the encouragement that someone needs today. And finally, I know I don't ask for much, but if you are enjoying these episodes, would you mind rating and reviewing the show? Your feedback not only helps us grow, but it also helps other women find this community a lot easier because there's so many podcasts out there. And as always, if you

want to keep the conversation going, can connect with me on social media. I'd love to hear how this episode impacted you. Go win this week. Go make God proud. And I can't wait to see you on the next episode. Bye for now.