S6 Bonus 10 | Chasing God Goals with Rebecca George
Join Carla as she talks to author Rebecca George about her latest book - Do The Thing, Gospel-centered Goals, Gumption and Grace for the GO-getter Girl.
Do not be fooled - this is not a conversation about hustle and earning your worth. This is a conversation that will encourage and inspire you to take steps in faith where God is calling you to go!
Grab a copy of Rebecca’s book on Amazon!
Connect with Rebecca here: www.radicalradiance.live or on instagram @rebeccageorgeauthor
Navigating Hustle Culture:
Rebecca shares her journey escaping the hustle culture that emphasizes constant striving and self-sufficiency.
Purpose of "Do The Thing":
Exploring goals, gumption, and grace without falling into the trap of overwhelming hustle.
Discovering Your Calling:
Rebecca introduces the "Calling Venn Diagram" exercise, a practical way to identify your gifts, align them with God's desires, and meet the needs of others.
Falling in Love with Your Lane:
Embracing and appreciating your unique path, even in challenging seasons, and finding joy in your own journey.
Deferred Obedience:
Recognizing the tendency to delay obedience due to fear and learning to step out in faith, trusting God with the outcome.
Encouragement for Every Woman:
A reminder that everyone has a call, regardless of past circumstances, and God delights in partnering with us to fulfill His purpose.
Connect With Carla:
Inquire about 1:1 coaching ---> carlaagreswellness@gmail.com
Join In His Image Wellness Collective ---> carlaargeswellness@gmail.com
Come hangout on IG with me @carlaarges
Check out the blog
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Carla: Hey friends, welcome to Affirming Truths. I'm your friend and host, Carla Arges. This show is a safe place to share our struggles, grow in faith, and root our identity in Christ. My hope is that you will leave each episode feeling encouraged in your journey. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode and it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review.
[00:00:30] Carla: I am so glad you're here. Let's get started. Hey friends, welcome to this bonus episode of Affirming Truth. I am so excited about my guest. I, I kind of Instagram stalk her just because she's so encouraging. Um, it is Rebecca George. She is host of the Radical Radiance podcast and author of Do The Thing.
[00:00:56] Carla: Gospel centered goals, gumption, and [00:01:00] grace, or the go getter girl. Welcome Rebecca.
[00:01:04] Rebecca: Oh, Carla. I'm so grateful and honored that you would have me. Thank you for having me today. I'm excited about our conversation.
[00:01:11] Carla: Before we dive in, why don't you give us a short little 411 on Rebecca? Who is Rebecca?
[00:01:18] Rebecca: Sure. Well, I'll start with, I'm wife to Dustin.
[00:01:21] Rebecca: My husband is a lead pastor here in our hometown in East Tennessee, which certainly keeps our life busy. And I was, I always like to start there because. I would say that's one of my primary callings is supporting and encouraging him and the context of local ministry here And I also write and speak and podcast and do a lot of the same things that you do carla I just released my debut book do the thing as you mentioned a couple months ago, which sounds weird that that's that time has already passed, but, um, that's been a joy and I've been hosting the radical radiance podcast for about three and a half years, which [00:02:00] feels wild.
[00:02:01] Rebecca: I started it right. in 2020, and it has just been so fun to have conversations that point us toward what it looks like to radiate the heart of Christ and all that we do a lot falls underneath that umbrella. And it's a joy to get to learn from all of our guests. And it's one of my favorite parts of what I do.
[00:02:20] Rebecca: And I also speak quite a bit at women's conferences and retreats and things. So I wear a lot of hats is the short and long. That's the answer to your question.
[00:02:29] Carla: Yes. But I love it. And I love that all your hats that you wear are hats that enable other people to see Jesus and pointing people to Jesus. So that is one of the reasons why I love you and I'm so excited to have you here today.
[00:02:44] Carla: Okay. Do the thing. Now, I gotta tell you, um, before really stepping in to who God has created me to be, what my call in God is, I spent a lot of [00:03:00] time reading personal development books. And the Underpinning of them all really seem to be rooted in this hustle culture. You've got to do more. You got to be more.
[00:03:12] Carla: You can do it all. How is this book? Has it talks about goals and gumption and go get her. And I, and I've read it, so I know it's not one of those, but in your own words, how is this not just another package of hustle culture
[00:03:30] Rebecca: as you're talking? I'm nodding my head and I'm smiling because. You don't know how much what you just said was.
[00:03:40] Rebecca: Just like oozing out of my heart for so many years, because like you, Carla, we probably read a lot of the same books, right? And I'm not going to call anybody out on this podcast, but listeners are probably imagining maybe some of the books that we're thinking of that really led us astray a few years ago into this [00:04:00] mentality that we have to get up at 5 AM every morning and drink all of the water and read all the self development books and just do more and be more in order to earn favor approval, et cetera.
[00:04:11] Rebecca: And I fell for it too, and I'll be honest, I got to a point where I was, I was exhausted. I didn't know where my identity was rooted. I'd been a follower of Christ since I was about 10 years old, but I think some of this messaging that just became so popular had just really rooted in my heart in an unhealthy way.
[00:04:34] Rebecca: And when God began to really show me, okay, this is. primary, who, who you are in Christ and, and really rooting myself in that, that foundational truth that maybe I'd known most of my life, or maybe I've memorized that scripture passage, but I'd not lived as if it was true. Right. When I started, uh, really walking through that with the Lord and realizing my gifts kind of along the way [00:05:00] in my desire to write and encourage women.
[00:05:03] Rebecca: Um, I. Lovingly call this my, if I got hit by a bus book, like if I got to write no other book, um, that women would read, this is the core message of, of conversations that I have and, and some of the things that I think God wants to do in our hearts as we begin to see our gifts and talents from a more gospel centered lens.
[00:05:27] Rebecca: And so I actually read a review of the book the other day and. The reader was so funny in the way that she worded it. She said, when I opened this book and I read the title of do the thing and, you know, focusing on, you know, goals and it's for the go getter girl, my heart felt like it was a recipe for self sufficiency.
[00:05:55] Rebecca: And what I found inside the pages was something very different. And that's [00:06:00] exactly what I wanted to happen because I fully realized that the title will entice the girl who wants to do it all, who wants to be a go getter girl who wants and has ambition for the Lord and, and how she's using her gifts for his glory.
[00:06:17] Rebecca: But let's see that rightly. Right. I think I've spent the majority of my own life, um, feeling like an overachiever and a lot of personality tests have tested me in that way. And I've kind of been apologetic about it. Right. Which I think we can do sometimes. And, and I think what the Lord is teaching me is that this almost holy ambition, right, that he's given us as women, it's a gift.
[00:06:41] Rebecca: And also we have to steward it rightly, and we have to have boundaries and we have to read ourselves in the knowledge of who we are in Christ. And live out of that place as we're using our gifts for his glory. So that's the long answer of, uh, why I was smiling and nodding as you asked that [00:07:00] question, because it's exactly what I wanted to happen.
[00:07:02] Carla: Yeah, I recall back in those personal development days to use it exhaustion. Yeah, I felt burnt out and what I've discovered and you know, your book supports this when you do it with the grace, when you do it with God, when you partner with him, I actually find that there's more rest required, holy rest, godly rest.
[00:07:28] Carla: In and not an absence of hard work, but there's this godly rest that you settle in as you do his thing, right? Yeah. So speaking of the thing, I know women often come to me like, what is my thing? How do I discover my gifts? Like I want to be walking in the will of God. I want to, but I feel. Maybe my mental illness, maybe my trauma, maybe the, [00:08:00] the lack of, you know, biblical education, like how do I, with what seems to be all these things stacked against me, how do I discover my thing and shine in it?
[00:08:14] Rebecca: Yeah, I love this question and it matters so much to me. And because you've read the book, you know, a little bit of. How I would coach someone through this question, which I'm, I'm happy to share. I think a couple guiding principles that I would say as we unpack that would be. Sometimes it's way bigger than we feel like we're equipped for.
[00:08:40] Rebecca: Sometimes it's way smaller than maybe what we were imagining and it often changes from season to season. And I think we have to give ourselves permission for that. And so. With all of that in mind, there's an exercise I love walking women through that has been powerful in my own [00:09:00] life. And I pray the same for listeners today.
[00:09:03] Rebecca: And this is something that I would grab maybe a pen and paper and process through with the Lord after you listen to this podcast episode. But it's an exercise that I call the calling Venn diagram. So you may remember walking through, uh, kind of a Venn diagram exercise, maybe early on in your educational Experience.
[00:09:19] Rebecca: Maybe in elementary school, you're comparing and contrasting different ideas and seeing where they meet in the middle. And that middle intersection point is kind of what you're looking for, right? And this Venn diagram has three different circles in it. The first one is labeled what matters to you. And I think we don't spend enough time really thanking the Lord for how he's wired us and the gifts and talents that he's placed in our laps that we get to use for his glory, things that maybe we lose track of time when we're doing that particular thing, or we experienced such joy when we're doing that particular thing.
[00:09:56] Rebecca: So brainstorming around that can be a good starting place. [00:10:00] The second bubble is labeled what matters to God. And what begins to really be revealing is when we look at how he's naturally wired us and the desires he's given us. To use those gifts for his glory and then line that up with what matters to him a personal example for for me and you Carlo would be We love to encourage and disciple women, right?
[00:10:23] Rebecca: And there's many mediums where we are able to do that And that also matters to god that his word continues to go forth the gospel continues to spread so I can see how Those two things begin to overlap and then the Third bubble is labeled, what matters to other people? What are some practical needs that maybe you see in the world around you where God has planted your feet today?
[00:10:46] Rebecca: And how can you meet those needs using the gifts and talents that he's given you? And so for both of us, God really gave us a vision for the type of woman he podcasts are a [00:11:00] reflection, a beautiful reflection of that. Right. And so in the personal example. Example for both of us, that might be how that plays out, but that's going to look different for every single woman listening today.
[00:11:12] Rebecca: And that's the beautiful thing is that we get to discover that with the Lord, as we continue to just ask him for wisdom and discernment, um, and what our thing is in this season and how he wants to use us. I
[00:11:25] Carla: love how you said it looks different for everyone. It reminds me of, I think it's um, chapter 12 where you talk about fall in love with your lane.
[00:11:37] Carla: Um, I think oftentimes we are looking to see what other people are doing, how God is blessing them, where they're being used. We try to imitate, we try to Deflect. Um, we get down on our gifts. We get sidetracked. What does it mean to fall in [00:12:00] love with your own lane?
[00:12:03] Rebecca: Yeah, man, this is a hard one because sometimes, well, I'll back up.
[00:12:12] Rebecca: The person who's struggling with this and identifying what their lane is and falling in love with it. It's probably not the girl who is in a, what she would consider a great mountaintop season of life, right? It's a lot easier to experience joy and to see, man, God, you're really blessing this particular area.
[00:12:36] Rebecca: It's easy to fall in love with our lane when we're in that kind of season. Right. And to give a personal example. A few years ago, I married my husband and that moved us to a very small town of about 12, 000 people in South Mississippi, right before a global pandemic, where what I didn't know was I would move there and then me and my husband would lead a church through [00:13:00] what we've all experienced in the last few years, I left my family, I left everything.
[00:13:06] Rebecca: And for the first few months I was there, it was very, very easy for me to laser focus in on everything I felt I was missing out on, everything I felt I had lost, all the things that were comfort and familiar to me, they were all gone other than my husband and the Lord. And as I look back, and even in that season, I could see that God was creating capacity in that season that I had never had before.
[00:13:39] Rebecca: It was in that season that I wrote the book. It was in that season that I started my podcast. And God really blessed that time, even though it was a harder lane, um, if I chose to see it that way. But that didn't mean that he wasn't blessing it. And then it wasn't the good, right place that he wanted me to be in.
[00:13:58] Rebecca: And sometimes I think [00:14:00] that's a few of the things that we have to consider and see and ask the Lord to give us eyes to see like, Lord, I'm really struggling to see how this is your good best. Lane for me, reveal that to me, help me see how you were at work in this season. Um, asking those types of questions really has helped me when I'm in one of those seasons that it's hard for me to appreciate or find joy in my lane.
[00:14:29] Rebecca: And I think that's the woman that we're, we're getting at with that question, right, that's struggling in that place. And I've been there.
[00:14:35] Carla: And I've often find in my own experience of those tough lanes, those tough seasons that in what we think is barren land, God is refining us and preparing us for that mountaintop experience.
[00:14:53] Carla: Like you need the strength to climb the mountain. You need the grit to climb the mountain. You need. You don't just [00:15:00] magically appear there. It takes tenacity and perseverance and it's in the valley that he really prepares us to take that on in my experience. One other thing before we, we wrap up, you mentioned in your book, deferred obedience, deferred obedience.
[00:15:21] Carla: And I know that I have been. guilty of that in my own life. Um, kind of like, because I wasn't appreciating the lane God was calling me to, I was like, no, I want this lane. And I kept trying to charge through that lane and really was deferring the obedience of where God wanted me to go. What would you say to the woman right now that maybe Feels that call Yeah.
[00:15:48] Carla: Is maybe being asked to do something and is deferring
[00:15:53] Rebecca: that. Yeah. I think it's helpful to know what that might feel like in our [00:16:00] hearts when we're doing that, right. So that we can begin to recognize it. Um, one of the main markers I always describe is when we find ourselves. in conversation saying, Well, you know, I've just really been praying about what the Lord has for that.
[00:16:18] Rebecca: I've been really praying about what God might have for that. And prayer should be the first defense of any decision that we're making or any step of faith that we're taking forward. That is the good, right, holy first step. And We're promised in the book of James that God gives us his wisdom liberally without reproach when we ask him for it.
[00:16:43] Rebecca: And so there will come a moment when God will make it clear. Sometimes it's a yes, sometimes it's a no, sometimes it's a not now. And when he does in particular, give us that, yes, you are to take that next step. And we [00:17:00] continue to say that we're just praying about it. We're just going to see what God has.
[00:17:03] Rebecca: That's what deferred obedience looks like. And, and I'm saying that because I'm describing moments in my own life where I've, I've done the very same thing. And so we know in our heart. there. And that's exactly what I'm talking about. So deferred obedience defined would be delayed obedience, right? When we're delaying a step of faith forward, that God has made abundantly clear to us.
[00:17:30] Rebecca: That's when it becomes disobedience. And so I think that's important to define so that when we're there, we're able to say, okay, I'm going to in humility, recognize this is where I am. And Lord, I, I'm going to open my hands and I trust you with the outcome. I know it's not all on me or up to me. You are at work in and through and with and behind this step of faith.
[00:17:53] Rebecca: Um, and I'm going to step out in faith and say yes and give you my yes. trusting you with the outcome. And that can [00:18:00] feel really scary at times. Most times, most times, the reason we're experiencing deferred obedience is fear. Yeah. Right. And so, um, we also know that that does not come from the Lord when it is something that is of him, that he has led us to.
[00:18:14] Rebecca: And so that would be my encouragement. And I've been there and it's, it's typically. In those difficult steps of faith that we will experience this and we can move forward. We can take that first step. Yes.
[00:18:35] Carla: And everyone has a call. God has given us all a thing. And so if you're discouraged, feeling like because of my past, God can't use me because of my circumstance, God can't use me.
[00:18:52] Carla: That's a lie. Yeah. Not only can God use you, He wants to use you. That's right. God delights in [00:19:00] partnering with us to bring about His kingdom here on earth. Um, I've, you've just been, I could talk to you for so long. Oh, I love your heart and I love your encouragement. Guys, you can get, do the thing, um, wherever you get your books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, wherever they are.
[00:19:23] Carla: Um, and I just want to call out to the recognizing your thing that Rebecca was just talking about. There's actually like a blueprint for that in the book and she walks you through it. So if you want to really dive into that, there's a whole section on that in the book, that is such a valuable tool.
[00:19:44] Carla: Rebecca, thank you so much for being here with us today. Thank you for your wisdom. Um, and for your time. I appreciate you.
[00:19:51] Rebecca: Oh, Carla. I'm so grateful. Thank you for having me.
[00:19:59] Rebecca: Thanks
[00:19:59] Carla: [00:20:00] for joining me today. I hope we're already friends on social media, but for not come find me on Instagram at Carla arches or at affirming truth. Can't wait to see you back here next week. Bye