Rediscovering Purpose ( The Difference Between Survival And Purpose - 11

Miranda Leigh: What's up guys? Welcome back. I'm so happy that you are here wherever you are listening from today, whether you're in the car, folding laundry, heading to work, going for a walk. Whatever it looks like, I'm so happy that you guys are here. Hey, before we jump into the conversation today, I want to acknowledge something. If you've been walking this journey with me over the last several episodes, then I want you to know that God is doing something super intentional. Okay. You know, honestly, when I look back at the progression of these conversations that we've had together, I truly don't think it's accidental. All right. Guys, I think he's been preparing us piece by piece, layer by layer, for breakthrough. Like Think about where we've been together, okay? Like it has just been incredible to see the growth of where we were from episode one to where we are now on episode 11, okay? And just the downloads that he's giving. And I feel like even just the responses that I'm getting from people, it is so awesome just to see what it is that he's doing and how people are having breakthroughs. So glory to God on all of this, okay? You know, and I truly believe that, you know, from us talking about God pulling us out of old versions of ourselves. And versions that you know we've built from survival mode and versions that we've built from pain, versions, you know, building from performance improving. You know, and then we've talked about protecting our peace, you know, because once God starts healing you, not everything can come with you into the next season. Amen. And then we talked about how the cage door is already open and how so many of us are standing in front of freedom that Jesus already paid for. But fear keeps us setting inside of the prison, right? And then we talked about creating systems that protect. That was what we talked about in the last hangout together. Because freedom isn't just spiritual friends. Freedom has to become practical, right? We have to create rhythms and boundaries that keep us from returning to places that God has already delivered us from. Amen. And friend, if you've missed any of those conversations, I really want to encourage you to go back and to listen to it because I truly believe that where we're going specifically in this hangout today, is it's almost like the lead up to like from where we have been, you know, because I genuinely genuinely Believe that God has been building something through all of those hangouts that we've had together, right? And praise God for that. Guys, every episode has been layering another brick unto the foundation. Every conversation has been preparing us for today's question. Because once God starts healing you, once peace starts returning, once you begin to walk in freedom, friend, a new question begins to emerge. And it's this. Now what? Who am I becoming? What was I actually created for? What was I made for? Because here, what I've learned is that when you're surviving, you don't spend much time thinking about that purpose. You know, like when you're drowning, you're not able to dream. When you're overwhelmed, you're not asking God about vision. You know, you're asking him how to make it through the day. Or honestly just doing it on your own without even having a conversation with him. And I have been there. So I just want you to know that you are not alone in any of that, okay? And I think that there are women listening right now who have spent years surviving, years taking care of everyone else, years carrying responsibilities that were never yours to carry, years wearing every hat imaginable, years putting themselves last. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, guys, they forgot themselves. Not intentionally, but just truly just because life happened. You know, motherhood happened, marriage happened, jobs happened, responsibilities happened, pain happened, loss happened, disappointment happened. And now they're sitting here wondering: who am I outside of all of the roles that I fill? What does God actually want for me? What if there is more? And friend, if that is you today, I want you to know something that you are not behind, you are not forgotten, and purpose did not pass you by. So before we go any further, let's just open up in prayer and let God do what he wants to do, okay? All right. Jesus, I thank you for every person listening today. Thank you that you were a God of purpose, not a God of confusion. A God of clarity and not of chaos. God, in today I pray that you would just quiet every distraction, even right here, right now, every fear, every expectation, every lie that says that we've missed our moment. Help us hear your voice. Help us see ourselves the way that you see us. And give us courage to follow wherever you are leading us next. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Okay, let's get into it. So let's talk about the difference between survival and purpose. So, you know what's interesting in this whole conversation that I feel like Holy Spirit deposited? I have been in both of these words, I felt like I have been in purpose. And then because of, you know. somehow switching the mindset from purpose-driven to almost going towards works, then it turns to survival. I realize that like survival and purpose cannot lead your life at the same time. One will always dominate the other. Okay, so survival asks, how do I make it through the day today? More purpose asks, who am I becoming? Survival keeps your eyes on what is urgent. Purpose keeps your eyes on what is eternal. Amen. ⁓ and that is so good, and that blesses me so much. Is because Because it's allowing you to not just see what's happening right here, right now, but it's allowing you to see greater. you know, and I'll I'll honestly even ask God, like, give me eyes to see what you see. Give me ears to hear what it is that you hear. Calm the noise. I've said this before in my Bible studies, and even to women that I've mentored. People probably think that I'm crazy. As I'm driving in my car, and after I've dropped the kids off to school, you know, I'm having a conversation, it looks like by myself, right? Whether people think that I'm on the phone or just crazy. Because I'm talking to myself. I don't care. Because I'm literally talking to God as if He is like in the driver's seat, okay? ⁓ with me. You know, he's he's hanging out. I wish he could just be in the driver's seat and I could just be hanging out on passenger side, right? But as I am I'm talking in the physical because I know that he is in the spiritual. Praise God, right? So, you know, remembering that purpose keeps your eyes on what's eternal. I'll literally have those conversations with him of like, God, what have I missed? If there's something that I have missed, would you show me what it looks like? Would you show me where I missed the moment, right? And we serve such a good God, you guys, that He does not condemn us. He does not make us feel bad for quote unquote missing the mark. Because at the end of the day, the world does a really good job at making us feel that we've missed it. At the end of the day, I'm telling you, and I promise you this, we haven't, because he has a really great way of making the crooked path straight, right? And I think that so many of us have spent years answering urgent things when we've forgotten the eternal things, you know? ⁓ not because we don't love God, not because we're not gifted, not because we're not capable of this, you know what I mean? Because I absolutely believe that we all have a capacity that we could go deeper. And I really feel like he's calling us for an expansion in this season of expanding our capacity. But in order to expand our capacity, guys, we have to understand. We cannot be doing this in survival mode. Okay. Honestly, all of these things, again, not because we don't love God, or you know, we're not called to this, or we're not gifted, or we're not capable, it's because we've been caring too much, guys. And maybe that's why God has been walking us through this journey again from episode one to where we are now. You know, I believe that He, you know, is creating this to be a space where again, brick by brick, he's teaching us how to create that peace, you know. The chaos, and I truly believe that all of this peace that he's giving us, guys, isn't just teaching us how to feel better. Okay. Maybe he's creating margin, you know, margin to hear him, margin to dream again, margin to truly rediscover what he's placed inside of all of us before life gets so loud. Okay. And guys, I just want to pause real quick. If something is already stirring inside of you in this conversation, would you do me a favor? Send me a message, okay? I wanna know what are you feeling right now? What are you hearing right now from the Lord? I love hearing what God is doing through my friends in this episode, these episodes. And, you know, I love hearing breakthroughs and stories and moments, you know, where things just click. So if something stands out to you, whether it's already happened or it's happening now, or through this hangout, guys, send me a message. Tell me what spoke to you. Tell me what is Challenging you? What is God revealing to you? You know, because we're truly walking this thing together. So, and also if there's somebody that's popping into your mind or into your heart right now, send this to them. Maybe they need this. Maybe they need this conversation just to know that they are not alone, friend. Okay. So please just do me a favor and let people know that they are not alone. Because the world does such a good job at letting people feel that they are alone when they're not. And guys, we are not meant to do life alone. Amen? So let's get into some scripture before we just get into some more words, okay? Because I want you to you guys to know that these are these hangouts that we have an opportunity to do, it it's it's holy spirit driven and I'm grateful for it. But I never want it to just be, I've said this before, a conversation where it's just me talking at you, okay? I want you guys to know that I truly feel God is doing something here. And this is our ministry, guys, that we get to do this and we get to come here and lean in and grow and be challenged and you know. He he's purifying us and he's refining us through these hangouts, right? But I want to bring everything back with scripture and always having scripture to back up what I feel that the Holy Spirit is saying for us to do and how we can grow deeper. Okay. So Jeremiah 29, 11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope in a future. Ugh. And that's just so good. I love the scripture because it reminds me that God never lost sight of the plan. Even when we did. You know, He never forgot the assignment. Even when life distracted us. He never stopped seeing who we are becoming. Even when we couldn't see it within ourselves. So, friend, God has already purposed for your life before you have ever experienced your first setback, something so beautiful, okay? Before your first disappointment, before your first heartbreak, before your first failure. Guys, purpose was never dependent on your circumstances. It was always rooted in him. So let's talk about it. Let's go a little bit deeper. You guys know that I love questions that allow for us just to pause and to reflect. So let's talk about this out loud, okay? Answer these questions as real as you can because remember, where we bring things to the light, darkness can't exist. So I'm so grateful for that. What makes you come alive? Okay? Not paying the bills, not what everybody else expects from you, not what you're good at because you've done it for years. What genuinely makes your heart come alive? Just say it out loud. Next question when do you feel the closest to God? Guys, honestly, sometimes for me, it's after drop-off with the kids at school. And I can just have a moment of just peace, even whenever those chaos moments happen, you know, when the car rides, let's be real, it's not always easy. But I sometimes feel the closest to God when I just have peace in my car and I'm just driving and I'm truly looking at the beauty right in front of me. You know, even if that is grabbing a coffee and before I get into the house after drop-off, and I can just sit in my car and listen to worship, or honestly sit in there and just listen to nothing but him. Mm-hmm. But it's like, wow, God, like I really was weathering that storm, man. Like that that was not easy, right? The those those arguments over nothing in the car, you know, with the kids arguing or, you know, I can even feel in the car, I get my self-control gets so tested. Just keeping it real with you guys, you know? But it's so cool because it's like almost in those moments he's like, Hey, good job. That was awesome. You know what mean? And almost hearing it as like as if a dad is talking to you. Cause I when I look at God, you guys, I see him not as just this you know, imagin imaginary thing in th the sky. But I I see him as like my dad, you know, okay, dad, instead of God, what do you want to do today? Like what does it look like? Show me what it looks like, God. ⁓ and I feel like whenever we can learn to talk to him like that, it's easier to feel closer with him versus just feeling like you're just talking to air, right? to nothing. And gossi he is there in every single moment. I can promise you that. Even if you do not feel him, he is there. I can promise you. What burden do you carry that other people don't seem to notice? You know, are we walking around here having this Instagram mentality on, our you know, we have this smile on and everything just looks like white picket fence and inside people don't understand, you know, the pressure that you are carrying, or maybe that your relationships are falling apart, or that you, you know, just lost a job, or you're feeling pressure in your job, or you're not sure what to do with your next step, ⁓ What burden do you carry that you don't to ⁓ notice or ⁓ just ⁓ be real with, know? ⁓ what coming up over and over your life? ⁓ What keeps popping up ⁓ You know, I've had times where I've had visions of this podcast and, you know, some really cool speaking engaged engagements and opportunities for, you know, women's conferences and stuff like that. And I'm like, man, that keeps popping up, but it just feels so far. I don't even know how it could even happen. And he's just like, just watch. Just sit back and watch. But let me tell you something. He will not give these ideas, these thoughts popping in your head for no reason. He just w he's not a god like that. He is not he is not someone that will give you these Things and be like, ⁓ just kidding, you're never actually never gonna reach it, right? But we have to be the ones that are willing to lay this stuff down, guys. Lay the pressure down, lay the fear down, lay the confusion down to be able to become everything that he's calling for us to be. Because listen, purpose leaves clues. Purpose isn't always discovered in a giant moment, friend, okay? Sometimes it's hidden in the things that God has been whispering to us all along. You know, the things that you have always cared about, whether it's people, whether it's wanting to have a family, whether it is going deeper with the word and ministering to women, or you know, having these conferences, or ⁓ you know, honestly just starting a simple Bible study, okay? Guys, he's always drawing us to these things, okay? ⁓ it's like things that you can't seem to shake, whether you're having dreams or visions in the evenings, or you know, he's creating you know, space whenever you are just going about your day and you're Find yourself just visioning, envisioning what this could look like, you know, having those downloads, those I call them like holy downloads. Because these are not things that I would come up with. These are things that truly he has given me, right? And let's back it up even more. Ephesians 2:10. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Okay? So think about that. Prepared in advance. Not after you got everything together, not after you became perfect, not after you healed Healed completely, prepared in advance. Okay? God isn't scrambling to figure out what he's gonna do with your life. He already knows it. The invitation is simply just learning how to trust him enough to follow. Right? And I truly feel in this moment, this season that we are walking in, friends, that there are women listening today who feel like they have missed it. Maybe life took a turn that they didn't expect. You know, maybe they spent years raising babies, maybe they spent years Walking through grief. Maybe they maybe they're rebuilding after heart heartache. Maybe they're just starting over. Maybe they're looking in the mirror and wondering where the girl with all the dreams went. And can I lovingly remind you of something? If you are still breathing, right here, right now, God is still writing your story. Your purpose did not expire. The calling did not disappear. The dream isn't dead. God is simply inviting you into the next chapter. That's it. He's inviting you in. So will you lay down the fear, the pride, the control, and just truly learn what it is to surrender to his will and let him do what he wants to do in and through your life so you can become everything that you are called to be as he is getting the glory. Can you do that? I wanna remind you that he has this all waiting for you. All you need to do is say, God, I can't do this alone anymore. I need your help. I need you. I need you to show me what I am not seeing. Would you redirect my path and bring me where you are calling for me to go into my purpose? So so that survival mentality dies here right now. And I can become each and every day one step closer to who you are calling me to be in my purpose for you, Lord. And can I push you a little bit in a loving way? Some of us keep asking God for clarity while refusing to slow down long enough to receive it. We want answers while we're distracted. You know, we want direction while we're scrolling. We want revelation while we're running. But purpose is usually discovered in stillness. ⁓ ⁓ And maybe ⁓ that's why is teaching about all along. ⁓ Not so we stop, ⁓ so we can hear. ⁓ Amen. ⁓ So ⁓ here's weekly homework. ⁓ This week want you to spend ⁓ minutes ⁓ him. Okay? No agenda, no pressure. ⁓ No striving, just you, your journal, and him. And ask yourself these five questions. God, what breaks my heart? it's every day when I feel like I am ⁓ going in the direction of which you want me to go. God, that breaks my because I know it breaks yours. ⁓ God, what me joy? That's number two. ⁓ What brings me joy? ⁓ And for me, seeing joy is when I can see my kids running around with no care in the world, because that's exactly how he has reminded me to live my life, to not worry about things and truly just see joy in every single thing. What am I naturally good at? That's number three. Own it. Honor it. Okay. What are you naturally good at, friend? I feel like he, you know, he's given me this gift to steward to women, like steward just time and conversations with women. What are you good at? Maybe you're good at that too. Maybe he's calling for you to do something more, and that's leading into point number four. Where do I feel God drawing me lately? Maybe that's to start a podcast. Maybe that's to start a Bible study. Maybe that is just to start the book that you know that God has called for you to do. Maybe it's called to start the family and to lay down worldly things. And finally, number five, if fear wasn't a factor, what would I pursue? Would you go all in? Would you let surrender consume you? Let fear die right here, right now? And then I simply want you to pray, God, what are you trying to show me in this season? Stop and listen. Okay? Not for the entire roadmap, but genuinely just for the next step. Because that's usually how God works. might not get the whole picture, okay? But we will get that glimpse of what it looks like. And your call is just to take a step. And guys, I really want to, like this is super heavy on my heart right now. Again, as we pre as we close this moment, I want you to think about something. If somebody did come to mind while listening today, whether it's a friend, a sister, a coworker, someone who's feeling lost, someone who's feeling like I don't even know what's next. If they came to mind, don't ignore it. Send them this episode as a gift, not because you're trying to fix them, not because you're trying to preach to them, but simply because you're thinking of them. You know, sometimes the greatest encouragement we can give someone is reminding them that they're not alone. So as you send it to them, just say, hey, I want you to know that God puts you in my heart today, and I want you to know that I'm thinking about you. Because you might be the only positive message that that person receives today. Okay. So just know when he gives you these prompts, it's It is our call. What are we gonna do with this? What are we gonna do with this? Am I just gonna let it be a fleeting thought that just goes in and out? Or maybe God is trying to speak something to them through you? Which could honestly spark one of those questions above, right? Where do I feel that God is drawing me lately? Maybe he's calling for you to mentor. Maybe he's calling for you to do something greater than what you can even do right now by yourself, friend. Okay. but that's never gonna happen if we still stay in that scarcity mindset and we're in that survival mode. So that has to die right here, right now. Thank you, Jesus, for convicting us, showing us what we need to do, where we need to go, right? I truly don't think that it's an accident that you've been here for these conversations, guys. I don't. I don't think that it's an accident for one. Second, that God has been walking us through peace, freedom, stewardship, and now purpose. I truly think that He's just preparing us. You know, and before, before God does something through you, He often does something in you. And maybe this season has been less about finding your purpose and more about becoming the person who can carry it. You know, you don't need the entire plan today. You just need the next step. And God is so faithful to reveal it. All you just gotta do is ask. Amen. Ugh. I love this so much. Let's go out with prayer. And again, if this is sparking something in you, do something about it, guys. ⁓ Don't just sit on You are created for purpose. Amen. So let's pray. And let's go out and just continue to be the light for the rest of the day. Amen. Let's go. ⁓ Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord, for this moment. Wow. Thank you for this opportunity just to get to sit here with my sisters, my friends, God, to be together again for a moment, a brief moment in time. God, just to be able to get filled back up so we can go and we can be the light and we can be everything that you've called for us to be today. Focusing on today, worrying about today. And the word it states, focus on today, worry about today because tomorrow has enough troubles of its own. God, and I pray that we just focus on that and know that today is enough. Thank you for creating us with purpose. Thank you that our value is not found in what we do, but who we are in you. God, would you just help us quiet the noise this week? Help us to hear your voice. Give us courage to follow you into whatever comes next. Whatever it looks like, God, whatever it looks like. Would you remind us that we don't have to have it all figured out? We just simply need to trust you with the next step. And know that that is enough in Jesus' name. Amen. Hey man, guys, whoo! I wanna know. If this episode encouraged you, challenged you, or spoke to you in any way, I would love to hear from you. Send me a message. Tell me why. What is your biggest takeaway? What is the part of this moment that we hang we got the opportunity to hang out together today that spoke most to you? What do you feel that God's revealing to you in this season? You know? And truly, if you are committed to spending those 15 minutes with God this week, send me a DM with one word. Purpose. I want to hear it. That is your challenge. Are you committed? Let's go. Let's rally. It together, guys. I cannot wait to hear what God does. I love you so much, friend. And remember, you were never created to simply survive. You were made for so much more. I love you guys. Cannot wait to see you on the next hangout. Have a great day.