Your Gifts Have A Purpose (Podcast Interview)
The gifts and interests you have inside of you are not by accident. They are God given talents that you’ve been entrusted with to glorify God.
In a podcast interview with The Abundant Woman Collective Podcast, I shared my testimony about using my gifts to serve God and some practical advice that can help you do the same.
Listen to the full interview below:
Transcript:
Hey friends. Welcome to another episode of the Abundant Woman Collective podcast. Today we are in for a treat. We are here with my new friend, Joe Harris. Welcome, Joe. Thanks so much for coming on.
Hi Samantha. I’m so excited to be here. Thank you. Okay, so
let’s start with sharing. I’ve already read your bio, but share Joe, who you are, um, and sort of a little piece of your story that’s gonna translate into what we’re gonna talk about today.
Yeah,
sure. So, um, my name is Joe and I’m a mom of. Three and a work from home. Mom. I have multiple businesses with my husband and we also have multiple ministries as well. So we’re very busy people. So, uh, my journey started maybe over 10 years ago actually, and it all began when I was looking to grow my, you know, quote unquote career in marketing, um, inside the music entertainment industry.
So I was in college and I wanted to grow my career. I wanted to move to New York. I ended up transferring schools, and while I was there in New York, I, I, it was a really strange thing because it was like I was trying to like find God. But at the same time, in a way, I was like pulling further away from him because of the circles I was in, the people I was around, and the darkness in that industry, the music industry.
So, um, eventually I crossed paths, um, with a young woman around a time where like I was just kind of like fed up with how things were going in my life. I was in an ungodly relationship. I was, you know, pursuing this music career. And I was just really not in God’s will for my life. And I was using gifts he had given me, but I wasn’t using them in a way that was giving him glory.
Instead, I was using it for the world, right, to serve the enemy, the things of this world that contradict God. So, um, what happened is I just got to this point of feeling like fed up and I was like, you know what? I’ve been doing things my way for so long and it’s not working out, so let me do things God’s way.
And there was. Specific things that God was literally telling me, like, stop doing that. And I, like, I would hear God speaking to me, but for some reason, because I had not fully surrendered my life to Christ, it was like there was a veil and I couldn’t really receive and understand it right and the seriousness and the weight of what he was telling me.
So it got to that point and I finally decided like, okay, I need to cut off this ungodly relationship. I started going to church as much as I could and just like pouring that pain onto the Lord, right? Because it, it hurt, like letting go of that relationship was super painful. Um, at that time I was still like, in my music stuff, my music career, God hadn’t, you know, I.
Really uncovered, um, what that was doing to my spiritual life at that point. But it, it was like a, you know, step-by-step process. So, um, what happened is I was just really seeking the Lord and I didn’t really have Godly influences in my life at that point. Like my friends went to church with me. But we weren’t really surrendered to Christ like we were going to church and then after we were like going out, drinking, going to the club, and just like being of the world, right?
And it was all out of just not really knowing God’s word and being discipled in his word. So I, those were the kind of influences I had in my life. And then God. It was like God saw my heart. The Bible says, if you search for me and seek me with all your heart, you will find me. And I was truly seeking God with all my heart in the way that I knew how.
So it wasn’t perfect, but it was all that I knew. So what he did in response to that is he answered me and he sent someone my way who was living by his word, who was walking in truth and light, and he used her significantly. Um, He used this friend of mine to eventually like lead me to Christ. And you know, she was praying for me.
She never condemned me for how I was or anything like that, but through her prayers, God started really convicting me through her testimonies. Like she would share a testimony and then inside the Holy Spirit would convict me and I would be like, oh man, like. Now I can’t do that anymore. I can’t live that way anymore.
Mm-hmm. And so it was like this continual process of that, right? Like little by little, these like small steps of feeling convicted to the point where God brought me to a place where I knew I couldn’t keep my career anymore. Like that was like the final thing. Right? So what happened is that my, this friend of mine, she.
Invited me to go on a, a fast with her, and I wasn’t really used to fasting in the way that she fasted, like she did, like those like biblical, like dry fast, like, you know, I, I didn’t fast that way, so it was a new experience for me, but inside I felt like I had to do it right. I, I knew it was the Lord prompting me to do it.
So we were on this fast and then we felt like we were supposed to keep going, so we kept going and it was so hard. Like I got so much opposition. Spiritually just resistance. Feeling like it was hard to pray, con hard to concentrate, wondering like, okay, God, is this like doing anything. But then inside there was like this thing of like, just keep going.
Like this is what you’re supposed to do. So we did that. I don’t remember how long the fast went on. It may have been like, you know, a few weeks. Um, but at the end of that fast I experienced God on a level I had never experienced in my entire life. It was so. Powerful. I literally felt the tangible presence of God and like it, it was just, it was, I, I can, I don’t even have words to describe it, but I knew that there was like a change at that point.
So around that time, either in that process of fasting or after it, um, the Lord showed me and made it clear through a conversation with my friend that it was time for me to leave lay down on that job that I had working in the music industry. So, Initially, I, you know, reached out to the people I was working with.
I didn’t really, I was a baby Christian at that time, and I didn’t know how to explain what I was experiencing. So in my mind I’m like, okay, God told me to quit and go into ministry. That’s right. It didn’t happen that way, but that’s what I was thinking. So, yeah, so I, I told them and. The response was, you know, not positive.
Um, even some of my Christian friends condemned me for my decision, actually. Mm-hmm. Um, because my career, and this is how the enemy works, right? He, the enemy has some power on this earth, and he will give you success too, in the wrong ways to make you think it’s God. And that’s what happened to me, right? I thought my prayers were being answered, like, oh, I’m seeing success, right?
The, the people that I was working with, we were growing, like, we were getting access, you know, to certain events and opportunities, and it seemed like we were being blessed, but we weren’t. It wasn’t from God because it wasn’t honoring him. So, you know, it was difficult in that moment to lay that down. But I, God helped me and I will say that I never.
Regretted it a day in my life. Um, you know, since then, God has just blessed me with so much peace. You know, a beautiful family. Like he’s done so many things for me that I know if I stayed on that path living outside his will, it wouldn’t have never happened.
That is so powerful. There’s so many things you said in there that I was like, yes, girl.
I love, I love your story. I love that. That he was so gentle with you and that he also put people in your path to make sure that you were being discipled like your friend. Yeah. Dec Discipleship is huge. Yeah. It, and something, I feel like right now, it’s something we’re missing, we’re lacking from like the older women discipling the younger and then the younger discipling like.
Yeah, like us, especially younger, we just aren’t great as it, at it as a, as a whole. That’s a general statement, I guess. But I love that you had someone to step in and it sounds like she was interceding on your behalf as well. Mm-hmm. And praying for you and then showing you and sharing with you and not condemning like I mm-hmm.
Love that. I used to work for young Life and one of the, um, mottos is earn the right to be heard. It’s that it’s creating relationship. It’s mm-hmm. Instead of coming straight out the gate with like, you are going to hell sis. Like, that’s not how you maybe win most people over. And so it’s that relationship that she had with you.
You liked her, you trusted her, she was praying for you, and then at some point she was able to share. Right. The, that, Hey sis, we’re not walking the right path. And so that is cool. And there was something you said about the enemy because I think we, I think we, um, restrict the enemy’s capabilities to just being bad things like the enemy equals that.
Right. Which is true. But however, like you said, that he wouldn’t give you promotions to keep you in the industry if he wouldn’t. Mm-hmm. Give your name more glory. To keep you there, to have success, be the reason that you were to stay there, as opposed to all the things that you’re doing now, which all give glory to God and you’re making disciples in the kingdom.
If you had stayed there, you wouldn’t be doing. People’s lives wouldn’t be impacted by you in that way like they are now. Even that, that like, thank you for saying yes
and still, glory to God,
leaving the crap behind. Can I say crap? I dunno. Um, to come here and to do these things, that’s so good. So what does life look like for you now as far as these ministries?
Tell me a little bit about some
of your ministries. Yes. Before I do, there’s one thing that just popped in my heart that I would like to share regarding what you said about discipleship. Right. So, um, what I just wanna say is that, What really spoke to me about that friend of mine wasn’t what she told me, but it was the fact that I could tell her relationship with God was so tight and that’s what I wanted.
Mm-hmm. And it was because I love, I lo, I just was like in a place where I’m like, I love you so much, God, I just wanna be close to you. And that’s what drew me to turn away from my sin. So when we see. People out here living a certain way that doing things they’re not supposed to do, okay? They can stop doing those things outwardly, but that’s not gonna save them, and that’s not gonna make them love the Lord.
They need to fall in God, fall in love with Christ first. When they love him and they find out that their sin separates them from God, then they’re gonna feel compelled to turn away, but it’s gonna be for the right reasons. Mm-hmm.
Yeah. I mean, honestly, praise God that we don’t have a religion or a relationship with him that is workspace because yeah.
We would all be out of luck, right? So yes, that he loves us enough to not only die for us and rise again, but to keep himself holy so that sin still separates us. I feel like that is a bad thing if you don’t understand the goodness that comes from it. Like I don’t wanna be in relationship with a God who is small, who my human mind can comprehend all of his actions and why.
Or that allows darkness in his heaven or allows sin, you know what I mean? Like I, part of the reason I fall so much in love with God is because he’s so faithful, his word doesn’t change. He’s so holy and that he doesn’t allow for the other stuff. And I know we could be like, that is such a horrible thing, but really it’s such a good thing.
Like we have to, you’re right. Fall in love with Jesus. And I was just, that’s so funny. I was just having this conversation this morning cuz we were talking about the Grammys, um, and. How The more we fall in love with Jesus, the more we fall in love with who he is with his character. The more our desire is to turn away from the things that don’t please him.
The more, it’s not a religion based thing. It’s not a, you have to do the checklist. You even said, I’ve done it too. Like we’ve gone to church and I’ve Yes. Started all night long and then walked into church like, because it was a check mark, it wasn’t a relationship. It was a thing I had to do to be a good Christian.
Um, but in the dark I was not, you know? And so I love to fall in love with Jesus. And when we get to that point, that means that anything that’s not pleasing to him, I mean, from the big things to the very little things like the way we speak or the. Things we consume, the more we fall in love with him, the more our desire changes to please him, to want to be in line with him.
Right. And so thanks for clarifying that because yeah, I hope that encourages us too, for sisters who are saved, that people are watching and people are wanting what you have. And I hope and pray that what we have is of him and not like the. Half foot in half foot out kind of of the world, kind of of the Lord, like God, if we could all be sisters that are so on fire for the Lord.
People would change, our generation would change. This world would change by the, by us, by women. If we could be those women.
Yeah, that’s so true. And I think, yeah, I think that, um, you know, God has to really work in our hearts because, you know, starting out it’s easy to kind of adopt that religious mindset because it’s like, okay, we know that this certain thing is wrong, or we know that that displeases God, but he knows where everyone’s at and he has a way of dealing with people that.
They can receive. So I think it’s just being spirit led. And over the years, God has really dealt with me about, you know, not being condemning, not being judgmental, like yes, speak out against sin, speak out against what is wrong, but also like love people where they are and understand that it’s a heart.
Thing. It’s not about just changing actions. It has to start inside of the heart. When the scripture
says that, he knows, that goes both ways, right? Like he knows our heart, and it goes even, so how do I say this? There’s some sins that are more obvious than others, right? And so, right. That’s on the outside, but like Nomia knows the heart, but then there’s some people that on the outside look perfect.
And yet on the inside Nomia knows his heart. Yeah, totally. But it’s the idea that even loving, like loving them where they’re at, but always encouraging them to be better. Always praying for them to meet the father, always. Interceding on their behalf. There’s like that fine line between like it’s not complacent.
We’re not saying, Hey, like you are fine the way you are. Just come to he Like just all of that. You are fine the way you are to receive the love of Christ, right? Like God will meet you in the lowest of lows and the highest of highs and praise God for that. He will meet you wherever you are. You don’t have to clean up ourselves or we don’t have to clean up ourselves to come to him even for salvation, but like, Even now, so many women I meet that are like missing intimacy with the Lord because they think their actions, how do you say this?
Like their actions draw them closer or like, I’m not perfect, so I can’t come see God today. Me, my heart would be so broken if my kids ever responded to me that way. Right? Like if my daughter was like, Sam, mommy, Sam. So mommy, my life’s a mess. I can’t talk today. I don’t really wanna see you or be with you cuz my life is just so messy and it’s so awful.
Like I would be heartbroken. I would want my kid to come to me whenever they are. But so many women that I talk to are like, well, my life doesn’t look good, or I’m still dealing with this, or I’m still. Whatever. Fill in the blank. And the Lord wants you to come to him with that. Like come to him as you are.
Yeah. In scripture. And so I don’t know if that was for somebody, I don’t know who that was for, but receive it and take it and go spend time with your father.
Yeah, because God is the only one you know who can change us. So it has to begin. Like, you know, at that point in my life, God received me because he knew that like I didn’t know what I was doing.
Right? It’s different. There are certain people out there who know they’re doing wrong and they just are like deliberately going on in it. But then there’s people who are just struggling and having trouble getting out of their sin, and there’s a. Distinct difference for those people out there who are just struggling.
It’s like, you wanna be healed, you wanna be delivered, you want to walk in God’s righteousness, but you’re having trouble with certain things. God will help you, you know, feel encouraged. And what you to encourage me so much and still does to this day, is King David, if you really read the Psalm carefully, he struggled with sin.
Mm-hmm. But he loved God and he was a man after God’s own heart. So you know King David, he did. Space consequences for his sins, right? God didn’t pat him on the back, he didn’t get away with anything, but God was merciful towards him and helped him, and he will be merciful towards us and help us, but we just have to have that willing heart.
I mean, if you literally read the Psalms, All of them. You’ll see David’s up and downs like it’s one chapter to the next. Right? It’s praising God and then woe is me. And so that is such a good reminder that he didn’t, God doesn’t pass on the back. He still had consequences, but His mercy. Mercy is new. Yes.
His, he’s mercyful to
us. I love that. Yes.
Joe, let’s talk about, today’s topic is using your gifts to honor Jesus. And so we’ve heard your story of enter in the entertainment industry. But yet you left. And so tell me how the Lord is using your gifts now in this
season. Yeah, so about three years ago, um, after I had my first child, I realized that, you know, I needed to kind of find something that I can do from home to contribute to the home.
Um, it’s not, and it’s funny because initially my husband and I wanted me to stay home with the kids. He goes to work, and I just was planning to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. But inside, I just always felt like it was God’s call for me to work. Um, not necessarily only for financial reasons, but I, it’s, I, it’s hard to put into words, but I just feel like it’s something I was supposed to do and I, I really, truly enjoyed having my own projects to work on.
Yeah. So that’s where my journey kind of began, finding what can I do from home using the gifts I had. So it’s funny because I never thought I would go back into marketing. I, you know, I had dropped any clients I had, I just left it. I went into a completely different field. I was like managing Airbnb properties and cleaning them, and I liked doing that, but I couldn’t do that with kids, so I had to stop.
Yeah. And um, I was, you know, doing a lot of research on like, what can I do from home? And then that’s kind of where everything started. And my gift of writing, my gift of marketing that came back up. So over the process of time, um, God led me to copywriting, which is what I do now. And, um, over time, you know, God started dealing with me about like working on my skills, perfecting my skills, and okay, so how does this relate to God, right?
And glorifying him well. One of my businesses called the Virtual Mama. Um, it’s a business where I serve clients offering copywriting, content writing, but also I have a teaching platform where I help other freelancers, virtual assistants, learn how to break into copywriting. God made it very clear that he wanted me to honor him with that business.
So little by little, God started showing me ways to do that, whether it’s planting a seed, maybe sharing a scripture within an email, or you know, just giving him glory for the success that I’ve seen so far by just, you know, He made it just very clear, like that’s what he wants me to do in this business is give him glory.
Talk about him, point people to him even though it’s not necessarily a ministry, but in a sense he, I believe that he wants to use it to help people and I’ve seen him do it, which amazes me.
I think it’s so funny because we didn’t connect through that and we were both in the same field at the same time.
Basically, any place you are is ministry. If you are running a marketing business or home, if you are in a college dorm room, if you’re a grandma loving on some grandbabies or in corporate America like. The Lord plants us in places for a reason. And four seasons what, like you said, like a scripture on an email, you never, you’re probably like, oh, it’s just a scripture, but you probably aren’t.
But some people could probably be like, oh, it’s just a scripture. It’s just me. It’s who I am. But we never know the impact that that scripture could make on whoever’s receiving it. Right? Or how the Lord will use that seed. So I love, I love that, that every, like every place we are is a ministry in every season and position.
We have the opportunity to bring glory to God, whether it’s in the home, outta the home, all the things. And so using your, what would be like marketplace, worldly, whatever, business, right? It’s not a Christian business for Christian entrepreneurs. You had the opportunity to, Bring hope and life and glory through your emails, through your clients, through the women you got to disciple, or they’d probably call it mentor teach.
You know what I mean? So that’s so cool. Yeah. And how full so holds you, you thought you were done with marketing. Did you like marketing back then when you were in the music industry?
Oh yeah, I did. I feel like I always kind of had this little entrepreneurial seed in me, but. I just didn’t know how to use it in the right way.
So, because I was living in the world and that’s what was in my heart, that’s how it came out, right? It’s like God gives everyone gifts, whether you’re saved or not. You have these gifts, but the way that it comes out of you is going to be affected by what’s in your heart and how you’re living. So I had that gift of entrepreneurship and marketing and stuff, but I was just, you know, using it for what I had interest in at the time, which was music, but it wasn’t.
You know, um, it wasn’t within God’s will for my life. So, um, it is gonna look different for everyone, but I truly believe like whatever natural inclinations you have things in you that you just, like, there’s probably a reason for it. Like God gave you that gift for a reason, and there is a way to use it for God’s glory.
Not necessarily in the church, because even when I first started my journey as a Christian, the first thing I did was I went to go apply for marketing jobs at other churches and ministries. I did not get one single, no acceptance letter from anyone, not one interview. So obviously that wasn’t for me.
Right. God, I truly believe what God has been putting on my heart lately is this is the time for followers of Christ to use the gifts and resources they have to expand his kingdom. So whatever industry that is, whether it’s marketing, whether it’s trucking, whether it’s cooking, cleaning, it doesn’t matter.
Don’t think that you, because you got saved, now you have to go run out and open a church because that’s not for everyone. Paul said, I believe it may be in Corinthians, but I remember Paul saying that whatever state you were in when you came to know the Lord, remain in that state. Right. So there are times when God will call you out of your, um, job, whatever you’re doing, like he did me.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to lay down your craft. It’s just like, okay, God, how do I use this now for your glory? For some people it will be full-time ministry. For others, it may be starting a business. For someone else, it may be to be an employee and and serve in that capacity working for someone else.
So God has a different uh, You know, calling for everyone, it’s gonna look different, but he will show you as you take small steps to figure it out.
Yeah. And your story is that right? Like you liked marketing, you used it, you had skills, writing skills obviously too, and you were using it in the world, and yet here you are using it in a different capacity.
The same gifts that he’s given you. I love that. He’s like, no, sis, I’m not done with this. I still want to use you. Just err this way. Every person is not called to start a church. Every person is not called to be a pastor. Every person is not called to be a world famous preacher, but every person is called to go and make disciples.
To do things wherever you are that glorify God. So, absolutely. Yes. And sometimes that’s harder than doing it in the church, right? Like it’s harder. To be this person in an industry that is not necessarily, yeah, so you’re right. It can be so, mm-hmm. I think that’s super fun. What are some ways that we can use our gifts to honor
him?
Yeah, that’s a really good question. So number one, I would say, you know, start with prayer. And even if you wanna fast about it, you can fast, but start praying for the Lord’s direction, right? Um, so that way as you’re taking steps and trying different things, he can be directing your paths, the Bible says to in all your ways, you know, submit it to him.
He will establish our plans if we acknowledge him, if we give our plans over to him. So that’s the most important thing, is really to pray and involve God. But then from there I will say, don’t. Over spiritual life, everything, because I made that mistake in the beginning. Sometimes there are some decisions in our lives that we need to wait and we need to hear from God.
Absolutely. Right? Mm-hmm. If you’re gonna marry someone, you’re gonna wanna hear from God about that, right? If you’re making a big decision about, um, maybe buying a house or something like that, you wanna hear from God Now when it’s something that, uh, pertains to our everyday life. You don’t always necessarily need to wait for God to tell you Yes.
To like at least try something. So one of the things God put on my heart was to start trying different things. So, you know, for me, I’m just using myself as an example, but it can, you know, relate to anyone I knew that I liked writing, so I was like, what can I start doing to use that gift in a different way?
Right? I, I tried the blogging thing. I tried, you know, social media, all these different things until I found something where I, I was like, wow, this feels good to me. God is opening doors. It’s, this seems like there’s something there to keep pursuing. So I would say like, after praying is, step number two would be to think about what you’re naturally good at and what you like.
Doing what you have interest in and start trying different things. Do a little bit of research, look and see what opportunities pertain to that gift, right? Whether it’s either a job or maybe starting a business or a side hustle, whatever it is. Um, but start doing a little bit of research and from there, You’ll be able to try different things and now trying me look different for everyone.
It’s not always applying for a job or starting a business. Sometimes it’s just working on your skills. Taking a course, buying a book to learn more about it, right? But start taking steps forward in that way. God is gonna, you know, direct your path. And then from there, I would say to. Start getting involved a little bit more involved with people who do that, what whatever it is.
So, you know, start going to networking groups or look online and you do have to be spirit lit about it, right? I’m not saying just like embrace everything because not everything may be conducive to your spiritual life. You gotta be. You know, careful and discerning in all of this that you’re doing, but I would say the most important thing is like to try.
I’ve seen people almost like paralyzed, where it’s like they don’t wanna make a move until they hear something, and I’ve been there myself. But sometimes the Lord directs you as you’re moving. It’s like when the Israelites were crossing the Jordan River, the water didn’t part until they started moving through the water, right?
Mm-hmm. So sometimes you have to take steps. Sometimes God will tell you what to do, but sometimes he wants you to like get moving and he’s gonna direct your steps as you’re going forward.
That’s so good. I always visualize that too, like, okay, I have to step in the water and then it parts, but you didn’t know that before you made the step.
Yeah. And then it parted. Yes,
exactly. There was one more thing I wanted to add that I didn’t say, and I think it’s so super important. You also like whatever you’re doing now, whether it’s a job, a business, like any way that you’re using your gifts now, it’s really good to pray about it and examine yourself.
With the Bible and really think about like, is this really honoring God? Like ask yourself like, does this position cause you to compromise in any way? Has it caused you to compromise? Mm-hmm. Caused you to assemble, you know, are there things that you know maybe influence you in a wrong way? Because those are signs that it may not be where God wants you.
You know, there’s gonna be situations like Daniel, for example, where. You’re not necessarily gonna be around saved people, but he will give you the strength to stand firm. But now, if you are com constantly compromising or you have to do things that go against the word of God, then that’s definitely not, you know, where you need to be and what you need to be doing.
He will never give you something. Or put something in your path that compromises who he is, what he’s told you to do in the word of God. And scripture, refute scripture, right? So scripture backs up scripture in the same way that we can compare our life to scripture. And Daniel is a great example for me. I wanted to do the word of the wise because when I had my business in the beginning, I was like a, uh, what did they call that?
Like a shiny object syndrome like your girl has. Mm-hmm. Yeah, a Google Drive full of courses that she bought. Because I thought, yeah, there were so many things I had to learn and do, and I had to do all the things. So if you are. If you’ve heard from the Lord, here’s my, my word to the whys. If you’ve heard from the Lord and you’re searching for something new, he may not have something new for you until you stay obedient in what he’s given you.
So if he’s like, even if it’s a little thing or start a business, or whatever. Mm-hmm. So many times we get distracted, we’re like, oh, well so and so just made six figures selling t-shirts on Shopify. Let me go try that. But did the Lord tell you to, did he tell you to go ahead and stay in your virtual assisting business or whatever it is, or.
Making sourdough from home. That’s my current hobby, but like whatever it is. Right. If he’s told you here and he hasn’t moved you from here, then this might not be for you. We’re not doing the collect the courses and collect all the things. Yes. So good. Yeah, because Joe, Joe isn’t, that’s not what Joe’s talking about here, so
just wanted to Yeah, it’s so good, honestly, because I think it’s important for people to know that too, because I struggled with shiny object syndrome.
You know, it’s like, okay, I, at, at first it’s like I’m trying to start a blog or I’m trying to get more clients, and then all of a sudden you see this ad pop up on social media about like you said, yeah. Oh, someone’s making six figures without using social media or without doing this, or, mm-hmm. And then they make it sound easy, but they don’t tell you all the boatloads of money they first invested to even.
Like get to that point. Like they don’t show you that. Right. They’re not gonna give you away everything for free and like free resources do help. Right? Like I give tons of free resources that have actually helped people get clients. Yeah. There’s good free resources out there. But what I’m saying is that like, like you were saying, Samantha, it’s so important to not get distracted from the specific thing that you know, that God wants you to do.
And I love that you included fasting because it is a tool that we so often forget, but it is. Such a powerful tool to fast food or social media or things, but, and there’s several ways to fast, right? And we won’t get into that, but. In order to be fully, completely dependent on the Lord and to hear from him and seek him, there’s so many scriptures that talk about fasting and the, the outcome of what that looks like.
And so if you are, if you’re like, I’m super ready for change and I’m super ready for, I’m desperate girl. You need to fast because it will change your life.
It will. Yes. So good fasting. I think that, at least in my experience, I don’t think it’s talked about enough or really taught. Mm-hmm. And so a lot of people don’t do it, or it’s that people just don’t want to.
Right. But it is so powerful. It’s. Scott has worked through it to change my life. So anyone out there who’s maybe felt a little nudge inside that they should fast, like you should obey that cuz it will. God wants to do something in
your life. Okay. Let’s see. I love those tips. Those were fantastic. I want you to leave us with some encouragement to the women who are listening, who are listening to your story.
They’re like, yes, I wanna go from this to this like Joe did. What would your sort of last words of encouragement be for her?
I would say, Don’t overthink everything but pray about everything. I know that that could sound a little vague, but I think that so many times we tend to overthink the things that God actually wants us to do, and then sometimes we make mistakes because, We’re taking action but not praying about it.
So having that balance of the two, like stay prayerful, but also don’t overthink because, you know, God did give us wisdom. So as long as we’re using biblical wisdom and praying about things, you know, it’s okay to make decisions and try things as we’re seeking God’s direction. Um, so, you know, don’t. Feel paralyzed with fear that you’re gonna make a mistake.
Don’t sit on an idea that God has given you for a year before you at least do some research and take a step forward. You know, like, don’t do that. Don’t do it. Um, I’ve done that and I’ve held myself back in that way. So that’s probably the encouragement that I would give. Yes and amen. I’m clapping
up over here.
Okay, Joe, where can the ladies come? Say hi to you. Come say hi to you on social media and then give us your website too. And of course, friends, I’ll post all of these in the links below. But where can we
come say, hi. My um, main Instagram is at the Virtual Mama. M a m a, I’m very active. If you wanna say hi dm, like I’m super approachable there.
Um, and then as far as websites I have too, um, one is for Bible devotionals. So I share bible devotionals and videos. My husband and I share them together, and you can find that at the gospel in the. Work. Also, you can go to business in his image.com, and this is a community that the Lord put on my heart to start for Christian entrepreneurs.
So if you’re looking to grow professionally and you want more Christ-centered resources to meet other Christians who are on the same path as you, that’s. Where you can go to find those resources. I wanna
encourage you to do that if you are a, because something we said earlier is like you don’t have to over spiritualize it, right?
So you don’t have to, if you are using your gifts for God, it doesn’t mean you have to start a Christian Church or start a Christian business, even. Um, you can still, like my marketing bus business did not serve strictly Christians until the very end. Um, yes, Christians came to me because that’s who saw my stuff or whatever, and yes, I shared my faith openly, but it wasn’t a specifically Christian, you know what I mean?
Audience based. And so, um, however, That is one thing. The second thing to that though is you still should hopefully surround yourself with Christian’s business entrepreneur people, if that’s the season you’re in, and your gifting is to start a business. You need to surround yourself with Christian sisters who are walking it out with you because.
That is different. We do things different than how the world does things. We don’t manifest, we don’t wish good vibes. We don’t do all the junk that the world does. And so you still, even if your business is not Christian base, you still need to surround yourself, Christian people who will walk it out, pray for you, and do business God’s way with you.
So I’ve been in plenty of masterminds and groups that do. The opposite of what we teach, so no
way of Mr. So good.
Okay. As we wrap up, I like to do a rapid fire for fun. And so I’m gonna ask you three questions. They’re generally easy, um, and they’re just a little bit about you. Okay. Um, personally, okay. So the first one is your favorite scripture right now.
Ooh, my favorite scripture right now, probably the one that I read this morning. Psalm 24, verse one. Um, I’m not gonna try to repeat it word for word, but it says about, it says something along the lines of the earth and all its fullness belongs to God. Everything in it. If you want me to give context on it, I’m happy to, but that’s, that’s the scripture that I have in my heart.
Um, so. With that scripture, it just really spoke to me about where I’m at right now with, you know, my businesses and the things God has led me to do, reminding me that even as I’m putting forth this effort, I don’t need to feel nervous. I don’t need to think about the people that I’m working with and trying to win favor because he’s the one that’s in charge.
He’s the one that’s in control. So whatever you’re pursuing, whatever project you’re working on, just remember that God decides the outcome. Period. Number
two, what is something that you’re loving in this season of your life right now?
Um, so much, so much. I’m loving my family and the blessing of working from home with them.
I think that that’s probably like the top thing that I’m loving is being able to do what God has called me and also be present in their lives. Cuz that’s something that I always wanted. Yep. And it totally is. Um, it’s such a blessing.
Okay, last one. Don’t laugh at me. If you had to go to a desert island and you couldn’t bring people or the Bible and you could only take one
thing, the be Oh man.
I
had to clarify for us Christian folks.
Yeah. Cause that was definitely gonna be my go-to response. I would probably bring water. I would bring a thousands. A million gallons of, uh, spring water.
Okay. You wanna know the funny thing? Cause I’ve asked this question a few times and I think you were the first one to gimme something practical like that’s gonna help you survive.
Okay. Thank you. So much for coming on. Seriously, thank you for sharing your story and getting vulnerable with us, and then thank you for encouraging us and equipping us. Like I feel like what we talked about today is super practical for these women to be encouraged, but then like go out and do something and not sit on the thing that God’s given them.
So thank you so much for your time with us.
Oh, all. Glory to God. I’m grateful to be here and you know, share God’s word with other people, so other women. Yeah.
Y’all didn’t I tell you that episode was go so good? I pray that this episode blessed you, that it encouraged you and that it equips you to use your God-given talents and giftings and interest for his kingdom and for his glory.
Wherever you are, whatever season you are in, and God I. Guys, I just want to encourage you that if you, if this episode really resonated with you, to reach out to me, head to the abundant woman.co/coaching, and let’s schedule a breakthrough coaching session. I would love to mentor you and walk through these seasons with you using my business experience of having a super successful marketing agency and ministry, and now using the discipleship.
Programs in Jesus as our guide in Holy Spirit to mentor and coach and disciple you through this. So again, message me, email me, or go to the abundant woman.co/coaching
friend. I hope you were blessed by this episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. Before you go, quick things one, can you follow us on social? I would love to get social with you. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube all have the username Abundant Woman co come say hi. Also, we have a free Facebook community that has women just like you building community.
Going after Jesus and just making connections. Come join us there. I can’t wait to meet you. And last, I would love if you could screenshot this episode and share it on your socials for a chance to be featured. Until next time.