Hey friend... so do you want to hear a super low (slightly embarrassing) moment in my life...well just push PLAY! Lol
When you are walking in obedience, growing, and learning NEW things...there will be struggles and tests. You will feel resistance. You may even feel attacked!
Testing and struggle are inevitable on our journey! It can often leave us feeling discouraged and confused, but today we are talking about straight-up TRUTH and perspective for not just understanding Tests and trials in our life but for overcoming!
We’ve got to take our THOUGHTS captive because after all, so much of the battle is in the mind...so I’m sharing some encouraging thoughts for you today as we ask ourselves questions like:
💫 Is the test you are facing an OPPORTUNITY because God has your best interest in mind?
💫 Could it mean that God wants to bring you into something greater?
💫 Does testing mean that God isn’t pleased with you? What does it reveal about His heart for us?
What is the REAL value of tests or struggles in our life?
Let’s get our eyes on HIM...as we embrace the process of purpose!
Let’s refocus our thoughts so we can run without wavering towards our greatest potential as wives, moms, and kingdom entrepreneurs!
LET’S STAY CONNECTED
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michelle5Hiatt
Email: hello@nourishingmichelle.com
Full Episode Transcription:
Welcome back to The Nourishing Mompreneur Podcast, where we get encouraged and empowered as we pursue our greatest potential within the walls of our home. Hey Mama, my name is Michelle Hiatt, and I'm so thankful you're here. Do you feel like your life is good, but something in you feels unfulfilled? Do you feel stuck in the trenches of motherhood, exhausted and working so hard, but feeling like you're getting nowhere? Do you have big dreams you hold in your heart, but you've been living small? Are you motivated for more, but don't have the clarity or the courage to do anything about it? Do you want to discover God's best and see if it's really possible to be an excellent wife, an intentional mother, and be successful in business, all for the glory of God? As a wife of 16 years, a homeschooling mom of five, and an entrepreneur, I know exactly how you feel. Every bit of it. I truly believe that the most important work you will ever do is within the walls of your home and that there is purpose in every season. If you are a fellow business-minded mama, with a heart for home and a love for Jesus, let's process this journey and grow together.
Hey friends. So do you want to hear a super low, slightly embarrassing moment in my life? Well just just keep listening. When you are walking in obedience, growing and learning new things, there will be struggled and test. You will feel resistance you may even feel attacked. Testing and struggle is inevitable on our journey. And it can often leave us feeling discouraged and confused but today we're talking about straight up truth and perspective for not just understanding tests and trials in our life, but for overcoming too. We've got to take our thoughts captive because after all, so much of the battle is in the mind. So I'm sharing some encouraging thoughts for you today as we ask ourselves questions like is the test you are facing an opportunity because God has your best interests in mind? Could it mean that God wants to bring you into something greater? Does testing mean that God isn't pleased with you? What does it reveal about his heart for us anyways? What is the real value of tests and struggles in our life?
These are questions that you might have. And I just want to address this today in today's episode, so let's get our eyes on Him as we embrace the process of purpose. That is success after all right? This process that we're on, let's refocus our thoughts so we can run without wavering towards our greatest potential as wives, moms and kingdom entrepreneurs. I'm totally here for that. Welcome Message and see if it's really possible to be an excellent wife and intentional mother and be successful in business most of fast and I wasn't quite sure why is within the walls of your home, and that there's purpose in every season. If you are a fellow business minded mama with a heart for home and a love for Jesus, let's process this journey and grow together.
In January of this year, I did a 21 day fast. So it was a spiritual fast and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But I did expect to come out of that feeling more mentally, spiritually and emotionally strong. God had been doing so much in my heart. I was really seeking to rest in Him and to make room for God more of him to bring through some breakthroughs. I was really just anticipating that I wanted to hear his voice more clearly, to be strengthened and renewed in spirit to receive healing and greater freedom in certain areas. Now, I understand that fasting is not a magic pill. It's not like God, I'm fasting so that I can receive X, Y and Z. God's not a vending machine where we put in our good works and out pops our reward of choice. That shouldn't be our intention at least. Obedience, not obligation or selfish ambition should be our driving force. I only entered into a fast because I knew without a doubt that God was leading into it. So that being said, fasting is absolutely inactive obedience, of surrender of submission. of creating space for God to show up and do what only He can do. It's planting a seed of righteousness that in faith will bear good fruit. And I think that in faith you can believe for fresh revelation miracles and breakthroughs to be activated through an act of obedience like fasting. But this isn't about fasting. This is about the after effects or the expectations if you will. So I came out of my fast expecting of great things. I expected to just feel strong and I think just like a spiritual giant mighty, and I quickly ended up super discouraged because I was floundering so hard. Immediately.
I came off at my fast and I just felt like I was being thrown this way and thrown that way. And the week or two afterwards were really difficult. Like I said, I kind of thought that I would feel like some kind of spiritual giant and instead I felt pressed down my eating rhythms, my emotions, I just felt all over the place. And I would have a fantastic day where I float in the spirit and then the next day I just felt a mess. I felt confused because I couldn't figure out what is going on. How do I get back to my to my personal like new normal because God was calling me deeper. He was calling me different and I wasn't going to go back to being the same person I was before that time of fasting. I was so discouraged and I just felt weak and unstable after completing such a strong spiritual fast I'm like how could I be so weak God? What kind of failure am I? How do I think I can continue pursuing my potential in new courageous ways? When this is my state?
I had a big baking week making the nursing cupcake jars, which often looks like or not often always looks like a couple really late nights in the kitchen. I usually listen to podcasts or sermons and I have a really sweet time with the Lord actually look forward to it. It's just a quiet time where I work and the Lord just speaks. But on this particular night. I just come off of my fast I was kind of struggling and I could not shake the heaviness the doubt the feelings of discouragement, weakness, and then of course the guilt and the shame of struggling at all. So I had a really low moment. I was literally found myself at like 2 am sitting in the pantry like crying in a bag of tortilla chips. Like I just felt a complete loss of control. I was like just ready to throw in the towel and not move forward with what God had already told me was my next step. Have you ever had a moment like that where you just sit down in your sorrow and let your emotions get the best of you? Where you feel like throwing all your dreams and desires in the trash? You wonder if you're cut out for the calling.
In that moment, I just held everything out to the Lord and I was like okay, God, I will slow down and wait on you. I knew that God had done a huge work in me during that time of just that set apart time of fasting which is quite significant. I bring that up because it was a time that I specifically just set apart for him. I knew that he was always going to continue working but what I was aware of is like wow, there's just so much more work to do. So I was like I'm committed to your ways. God I'm committed to your timing however long it takes. I'm just gonna like slow my roll here. I recognize that you have so much more to do in me. But then, then I realized I realized that God wasn't changing his mind or taking back the promises that he had already spoken. That he had already confirmed time and time again in my life. Through that night and after all the tears I came to my senses and I realized that obviously my emotions didn't dictate my reality. But my thoughts were not coming from a place of truth. I was under attack.
You see one of the things that I've been praying for was to hear God's voice more clearly. As we hear him more clearly we can draw close to Him and He was speaking a lot to my identity and I was just grasping with a fresh Grace who I am in Him. It's also important to be aware that there is another voice that is speaking to there's the voice of the enemy and he is an accuser and he wants to steal your identity and he wants to speak lies over your life. And I was more sensitive to listening. I was hearing God's voice but in this situation, I was hearing the wrong voice. The confusion was causing me to spiral and saying, oh my gosh, he's so dumb guys. Like his tactics are always the same. He wants you just to question everything. Just like in the Garden of Eden. They're in the garden, and he told them do not eat from this tree. And Satan comes and he's like, are you sure that God told you that? Did he really say that? That's exactly what he does to us today. That's exactly what he was doing to me in that moment. Are you sure that God told you that? Are you sure? Anytime you feel guilt and shame and a lack of self worth it is not the voice of God, don't get it confused. I was seeking to step out in faith and deeper into my calling. And Satan was trying to crush my competence with fear and insecurity and just straight up wise seeds of doubt, right. Nothing was even wrong. Nothing was wrong. I just got confused. I felt overwhelmed. I just was in a funk.
Once I realized that, wait a minute. God didn't change his mind about me. I'm just hearing the wrong message. I'm listening to the wrong voice. And I identified that it was spiritual warfare going on. I was able to immediately rise up and call him out as a liar that he is and you know what victory and peace came immediately. And in the days and weeks after that, so many breakthroughs began to come and beautiful things begin to happen. But you guys peace and clarity is such a gift to be treasured. So protect your peace because the Spirit of God is the giver of that.
Peace is a fruit of his Spirit and God desires that for our lives. So when we lose our peace, that is when we need to start asking questions and seek to get to the root the truth of the situation. When you are walking in obedience you're growing, you're learning new things. There are going to be struggles and test. You will feel resistance. You may even feel attacked. Some of the attacks are probably just your own thoughts. But identify what voice you are identifying with. Testing does not always mean a significant trial of some kind. The battle is so much in our mind and testing often comes in the light of a thought. So what thoughts my friend are you thinking? What lies are you believing? If your thoughts are rooted in fear are laced with guilt, shame, doubt, anything. If they go against the promises of God in your life, you can be sure to rise above with the Word of God. Our battles are not against flesh and blood. We know that but so often we forget in the moment. Going through trials and tests are part of our faith journey. which means that as a Christian wife, as a mom as entrepreneur, you will not only learn a lot, but you're going to be tested along the way.
Don't let these moments moments when emphasize that word. Don't let these moments steal what God is doing in your life. If I had sat down in the pantry, in my moment of sorrow and shame and like whatever, like my low moment, if I had agreed with the doubts and the fears that I was feeling and quit right then in there, there would be no podcast today and I would not be speaking truth to you right now. You will often be tested or tempted with the very things that God is teaching you. Don't get discouraged or confused. When you're in school, there's typically a test after the lesson right? So don't let it take you by surprise that as you have fresh revelation in your life as you learn new things, that you're you're not tested on the very things that you're learning. Hold on to who you are. So why would God allow you to be tested and to struggle? Why would God allow us at times to be tested into struggle? I'm not coming at you as a theologian or Bible scholar or anything like that, but I am a mom and I can use a simple example to understand that sometimes, as a mother like we let our children struggle because we love them.
For example, this summer, my two youngest girls completed swim lessons. So why did I pay good money to make the time sacrifice and to submit them to the process of learning and struggle? It's because I love them because learning to swim is for their own good, because it will save their life. It is out of the goodness of my heart that I push them to grow in a valuable ways that will serve them for the rest of their life. So I take them to swim lessons and I sit there and I watch them learn what is learning look like? It looks like struggle. I watched them resist I watch them cry, try to argue and negotiate with a teacher even my gosh, my youngest was a hoot. The first week I just kept like jotting down notes of things. She was saying I was like this girl. Oh my gosh, I mean the first day she was telling the teacher, "you're lying to me," like like just all these things. I'm like, this is just she's so funny. She was having an issue with the struggle of the process. Now I took a picture of her when she got in the pool the first day she was super excited about the idea of swimming. She was pumped up. But as soon as her head went into the water, the battle began because she had been taught to be obedient. Fortunately, she could submit to the process and she did great, but it was a challenge. And sometimes we get excited about the end goal and we forget that we got to put our head into the water and do the hard things. To get there. So I watched them learn. I also watched them practice. Repeating it day after day, takes time. It takes consistency. We have to learn lessons and we have to practice and rehearse those to really get them sometimes. And at the end of it all I watch my girls get tested.
Often once we learn and comprehend the lesson in our life or gain clarity on what God is speaking to us. We are tested on that very truth. Even just this weekend, right when lessons are over, but we're still practicing. We're still learning. We're still reinforcing the things that have already been taught. My daughter she's been trained and equipped to swim. She still wants to resist some fear still wants to kind of get the best of her when we get into the pool. So she was in the water. She was on the step she was swimming. We were just practicing. And I flat out asked her like "Baby, what do you do if you ever fall into the pool, if you can't touch, if you get to the deep end, if you need air, or you get scared or you're in a bind, what do you do?" And then once she answered "I float," I immediately just grabbed her and pushed her out into the water to test her. I'm not just being a mean mom, I love her I care I don't want her to forget what she has been taught. I was right there. I would never let her drown. I would never let anything like that happen. But I had to give her the opportunity to learn and to let the lessons stick. She needs a reminder because it can be the very thing that saves her life and I did it again out of nothing but love. I love her enough to do the hard things to push her into the deep waters to challenge her in ways that feels scary to her. Business and motherhood will sure test you. I think we can all agree on that. They're going to they're going to test your faith and deep ways and I just want to bring to the light that there is a natural progression of learning and growing and being tested at times is normal. It's part of it. I gave permission for the swim teacher to teach and test my children out of good intention and love for my children. Our heavenly Father loves us so much and he always has our best interests in mind too. If he allows testing or even discipline, just trust his heart at those times when you just don't understand and life just doesn't make sense. Or feel scary. can cling to that verse and we know that in all things God works for the good for those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose. We can know that he is working on our behalf. He is for us. He is on our side.
So when we go back in the Bible, Adam and Eve I mean they were tested from the very beginning from the very beginning of Scripture. They were tested. And we see time and time again all throughout Scripture, how his people, his children are tested. I mean, just look at the the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years as they were wandering and all the things that they went through. It's not just them. Jesus himself was not above temptation, testing and trial. Even Jesus was tempted, just was baptized. And immediately he was trying to out into the wilderness to fast and pray and after that time, after 40 days of fasting and praying, Satan came in tempted him and tested him.
Matthew 4 it says, "Then Jesus.." this is right after he was baptized,
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For 40 Days and nights he fasted and became very hungry.."
and it continues on with with the rest of that story. It did not diminish the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. It gave Jesus the opportunity to stand on the truth of who he was. Don't be discouraged if you are tested, or tempted or going through a trial. It doesn't define you. But It simply gives you the opportunity to press into God deeper and arise up in victory by declaring the truth of God over your life considering Jesus's example. There are some very important questions to ask yourself and to take to the Lord. This is something that I am just chewing on myself in my own spirit because these are really these are questions we've got to think about.
Ask yourself, is the test you are facing an opportunity because God has your best interests in mind? Could it mean that God wants to bring you into something greater? Does testing mean that God isn't pleased with you? Listen, friend, just because you're struggling doesn't mean that something is wrong with you. Our culture of Christianity often wants us to believe that if life is not going great for us or for going through a hard time that something's wrong with us. Or society, even Christianity wants everything to be about us. If we're not joyful and blessed all the time. If we're we must be walking in sin we must not be pleasing the Lord in some way. It's our fault. But let me speak some truth to you. What if the test that you are working through because God actually loves you that much?
Clearly, Jesus had pleased his heavenly father when he was tested in the wilderness. He was the Son of God and most loved by God. Jesus was tested because God didn't love him or because there was something wrong with him. It was actually out of God's love. He allowed that. So let's make it about him about God, not about us and let's pursue the process of purpose no matter what it looks like. Not gonna leave us or forsake us or leave us alone. But how do we how do we overcome the test? Temptations? The trials in our home life in our business journey, here's a few strategies.
The first thing I just want to say is just throw yourself at the feet of Jesus. First Peter five seven says Give all your worries, your cares your anxiety to God for he cares for you. It's okay to have a moment to struggle to cry, to go through it and to sit in your moment. Let him hold you. Let him love you. Let him just be your daddy just be with Him and His presence. It changes everything. I always picture, you know in the movies, a middle schooler or a teenager maybe they go through a breakup or they get bullied at school or there's had a bad day and they like run in their rooms and like just throw themselves on the bed. It's like super dramatic. Like that's how I feel sometimes like don't you just feel like oh my gosh, God like I quit and you just run it's okay. Like you can have a moment you can throw yourself at the feet of Jesus like he can handle you he can handle all of you your emotions, your everything. Just let it out. Being with him, his presence changes everything. Again, like I could just leave it here, but I also understand our humaneness and I just want to say again, it's okay to have a moment. But just let it be a moment and once you come out of it, like fight your trial and temptation with the example of Jesus, well, how did he do it? stood on truth, which is the word of God. Every time Jesus was tempted every time he was tested, he fought it with Scripture. He said every time time and time again quote for the scripture say and then he would quote the Scripture. Claim your identity. You are chosen people of royal preset a holy nation God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness and it was wonderful light of Scripture at it. Claim your victory
1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 8:37 "All these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us."
And always remember that you are not alone. The bible says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you."
The Bible says
"Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
There are so many scripture verses honestly you can just Google like verse for victory verse for whatever you want. I mean, there's just so many truths that you can hold on to and stand on. But that is your weapon. The Word of God is your warfare and these times of testing is times that make you want to question everything about who you are and what you stand for and what you believe in. Let your test become your testimony and faith. We've heard that that catchy phrase a million times but it's true and I love it and I think it's beautiful. Let your test become your testimony. Be encouraged because great things are ahead. I believes in you enough to prepare you and to push you into purpose. Tests prepare us for the next lesson. Right? If you're in school, you take a test and then you move on to the next lesson. Well, they that's what tests in life do as well. They prepare us for the next season the next level and they facilitate our progress. Jesus, he was tempted after he fasted, okay, he went through that test and then immediately he began his ministry. Immediately he began the very purpose that he was called to do on this earth. That journey began for him immediately after that. So if you feel the pressure, the struggle of a test in your life, if you're feeling tempted to fall back and maybe old ways if you're feeling just under attack, maybe it's just in your mind, you're just feeling attacked. Maybe you're closer to a breakthrough then realize maybe God is using your heart to make you more holy. Hang on and cling to the truth sprinkled all through this conversation and just know that you're not alone in your struggle. And God wants to do what he says.
Psalms 42 He says "He lifted me out of the pit of despair out of the mud in the mire he set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along."
He just faced his ultimate test when he was nailed to the cross. It was a test friends it was a test of surrender, of obedience. But look what came out of it. Our very salvation was birthed out of Jesus's surrender. This gives us so much hope the real value of testing is that it shows what's in our hearts. It reveals what's within.
I heard a quote this week it said
"The testing of God is the invitation to himself."
Isn't that good? Maybe the test in your life is actually God inviting you to draw closer. Maybe it's actually God inviting you to trust him deeper, to surrender fully. Be available to be filled with more of him. It's not about this journey. It's not about passing a test. It's about us pressing into more of God, more of His presence. He is the great reward and if you can draw near to God in the end, every struggle, every test everything you will ever face, it will be worth it. Because you have him because you have him. Yes and Amen. Okay, I think I'm gonna leave it right here.
I hope this encouraged you today. I know it's encouraged me I just sit here and as I put these thoughts and ideas together, I'm like Lord just teach me like I am here learning with you. And I'm like seared into my heart. These truths that you are working into me and and flowing through me to you. So let me just pray for you real quick before you go and head out on your day, Lord, I just pray for the mom, listening today, Lord that you would just give her wisdom during whatever struggle or test she may be facing in her life. God, I pray that you will help her to hear only your voice. Block out the confusion. Lord, I cancel the voice of the enemy, the lies, the attacks, the guilt, the shame, the accusations, whatever is coming her way. The thoughts that are not of you, Lord, I just ask that you just wipe those away in Jesus name that only your voice she would hear, Lord, and that she would respond rightly and that she would run to you God, that you would be the strength on which she stands God she was stand on your word and hold tightly to the promises that you have on her life. I pray that the mom listening would be filled with peace knowing that she's not alone, and that there's power and victory and comfort and joy because of the Holy Spirit that lives within her. You are within her God. But I pray that she would see the testing in her life as an invitation to draw near to you that she would be able to embrace it, to appreciate it to be thankful. Even in the hard times and the hard moments that you are working in her you're refining her. You're making her more holy God you have great purposes for her life. She wouldn't be struggling or wrestling in any way. If you didn't have more for her if you weren't working in her God. May she receive your invitation to draw near to you God. I thank you that you will strengthen and satisfy her every need today. In Jesus name I pray Amen.
Hey Mama real quick, before you run off and do all the things, if you found value in today's conversation it would mean the world to me if you left a review on my podcast. I know you know how precious time is. The biggest thing that you can give me for taking the time to share on this podcast is to leave a written review. This helps me on my mission to encourage and empower others who are pursuing their greatest potential from home.
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