Episode 3: Fearless Stewardship: Trusting God With Big Investments in Your Calling

Speaker: 00:00:02

What would it feel like to

radically pursue your goals today?

2

: 00:00:08

We all have dreams we hope will come

true one day, but there are three major

3

: 00:00:12

things that often hold us back, and

that's fear, failure, and finances.

4

: 00:00:19

Unfortunately, these three obstacles

stop many people from fully pursuing

5

: 00:00:23

their dreams, causing them to abandon

the very calling God has given them.

6

: 00:00:29

However, there's a biblical principle

that can transform the way we approach

7

: 00:00:34

these challenges, called stewardship.

8

: 00:00:37

And many of us in the Christian

circle have heard this term before.

9

: 00:00:41

But what does it really mean to

be a good steward of our time,

10

: 00:00:45

talents, money, and resources?

11

: 00:00:48

I've thought a lot about this over the

past few years, and I'll tell you that

12

: 00:00:52

my perspective on stewardship shifted

ically during the pandemic in: 2019

13

: 00:00:59

For many of us, the events

that happened that year made it

14

: 00:01:03

impossible to ignore the reality that

everything in the world is temporary.

15

: 00:01:09

Rapid loss and change forced

us to face this truth head on.

16

: 00:01:14

And at that time, I was working as an

analyst for an options trading company.

17

: 00:01:19

And just before the lockdowns,

I was struggling with a

18

: 00:01:22

personal identity crisis.

19

: 00:01:25

I was raised in a middle class family,

and I had been taught that the clear path

20

: 00:01:29

to success was to go to college, get a

degree in a stable field, and work for a

21

: 00:01:35

company long enough to secure retirement.

22

: 00:01:38

My father, who is an engineer, also

made it clear that I should avoid

23

: 00:01:43

risky paths like art or fashion.

24

: 00:01:46

And this advice shaped my belief that

risk was inherently a bad thing and

25

: 00:01:51

would inevitably lead to failure.

26

: 00:01:55

And the indirect result of this

belief was that I started equating

27

: 00:01:59

predictability with success.

28

: 00:02:02

Now imagine how shattering it was

when I realized that the career

29

: 00:02:06

I had chosen, though stable, was

something that I absolutely hated.

30

: 00:02:11

And what I've learned is that stability

alone doesn't lead to good stewardship.

31

: 00:02:17

True stewardship comes from trusting

that, with God's provision, you can

32

: 00:02:20

live without fear of the future.

33

: 00:02:22

And when circumstances change,

Christ remains the only constant,

34

: 00:02:27

and you can trust that He will

never leave or forsake you.

35

: 00:02:31

If you've made it this far into the

podcast, you're probably a dreamer who

36

: 00:02:36

has a complicated relationship with risk.

37

: 00:02:40

It's something that's consistent in your

life, but it brings a great deal of guilt.

38

: 00:02:45

You have big dreams you want

to pursue, but you also have

39

: 00:02:48

loved ones in your life who are

affected by the risk that you take.

40

: 00:02:53

Maybe you've even questioned whether God

has called you to do something beyond

41

: 00:02:58

your current circumstances or if your

ambition truly has a place in his plan.

42

: 00:03:05

And I'm here to tell you that God

wants to see every gift and talent he

43

: 00:03:09

is giving you for his purpose, but you

must surrender your ambition to him.

44

: 00:03:15

I have a confession.

45

: 00:03:18

I am a recovering hustler

and knowledge addict.

46

: 00:03:22

Every time I see a new course

or shiny program, I feel an

47

: 00:03:27

overwhelming urge to buy it.

48

: 00:03:29

And so it's no surprise that I've spent

over 20k on courses, coaches, and online

49

: 00:03:35

learning programs in the past two years.

50

: 00:03:40

I love to learn, but God

challenged me this past year on

51

: 00:03:44

my constant craving for knowledge.

52

: 00:03:47

I realized I was spending

more time learning how to do

53

: 00:03:50

something than actually doing it.

54

: 00:03:53

And here's the truth.

55

: 00:03:54

Knowledge comes from knowing,

but wisdom comes from doing.

56

: 00:04:00

It's only when you challenge yourself

to take action on your dreams that you

57

: 00:04:04

gain the confidence to steward them well.

58

: 00:04:07

And in the pageant world, having a

list of accolades and degrees is often

59

: 00:04:11

seen as essential for your success.

60

: 00:04:15

But is that really what it

means to be a good steward?

61

: 00:04:18

In Colossians 3, 23, we're reminded

that whatever you do, Work heartedly,

62

: 00:04:26

as for the Lord, and not for men.

63

: 00:04:28

And to me, this means that being

a good steward is about seeking

64

: 00:04:32

to please God through your

work, not the people around you.

65

: 00:04:37

Because God isn't concerned with whether

you have a master's degree, a fancy title,

66

: 00:04:42

or thousands of followers on Instagram.

67

: 00:04:45

He's looking at your heart, and how

you surrender your success to Him.

68

: 00:04:50

And don't get me wrong, there's nothing

wrong with being educated or ambitious.

69

: 00:04:55

In fact, these are desires

that come from God.

70

: 00:04:59

And everything you do is meant

to give you wisdom through

71

: 00:05:02

experience and bring Him the glory.

72

: 00:05:07

The experience you gain in pageants is a

great asset in the entrepreneurial world.

73

: 00:05:13

But here's the real question.

74

: 00:05:15

How much do you value your own brand?

75

: 00:05:20

I've observed that many women in

the pageant world rely heavily

76

: 00:05:24

on securing sponsorships and

donations to fund their ventures.

77

: 00:05:29

And while that approach works for

some, I believe a more effective

78

: 00:05:32

strategy is to leverage the skills and

experiences you've gained from pageantry

79

: 00:05:37

to position yourself for success.

80

: 00:05:39

Relying too much on one monetization

strategy can cause you to overlook

81

: 00:05:44

more effective methods for growth.

82

: 00:05:47

And from my experience consulting

pageant women on brand building.

83

: 00:05:50

It's about finding what aligns with

your unique strengths and calling,

84

: 00:05:54

and that requires deeper exploration.

85

: 00:05:58

Brand building is a continuous process.

86

: 00:06:02

It's only when you trust that God

is more invested in your success

87

: 00:06:05

than you are, that you'll discover

the path to fearless stewardship.

88

: 00:06:11

So stop idolizing the outcome

and start being obedient to

89

: 00:06:16

what God is calling you to do.

90

: 00:06:19

In an episode four of this podcast

trailer series, we are going to talk

91

: 00:06:23

about the difference between purpose

and popularity, and the key to building

92

: 00:06:28

a meaningful faith driven brand.