Season One Finale Q&A!
Welcome to the finale episode for Season 1 of You Are You Podcast!
I'm blogging about the season finale a few months after it aired (sorry... new job busyness!) so you may have listened to it already. If not though or if you'd like a refresher, below is a summary.
On Season 1, Episode 10 of the podcast, we discussed:
An update on my experience with redundancy
Plans for You Are You Podcast Season 2
Q&A based on five listener-submitted questions (thank you for sending those in!)
Check out the podcast for details on the first two points, and a summary of the Q&A is below.
1. Why do you believe in God so much?
Aww I love this question very much. I really hope people think this about us when they meet us. Honestly I think I believe in God so much because my faith has been tested hard. At least twice. [Full details in Episode 10] Maybe my situations didn’t make sense to me, but I could rest knowing God Almighty knew everything and would care for me. I had surrendered before but now was willing to listen to absolutely anything he said. And it changed my life.
So if you’re struggling in any way, whether that’s a crisis of faith, dealing with the consequences of sin, experiencing injustice, whatever - I pray you see it as a “womb not a tomb” as Pastor Bob Sorge has said. Your situation is not dead. God is birthing something. Press into the labour pains and allow God to lead you through it. Your faith will be stronger on the other side.
If you’re not in a trial or maybe you’ve never really experienced anything too difficult, I pray you’re surrendering to God 100% as well! I’m not sure everyone needs a massive trial to grow their faith but God’s certainly used them many many times. Moses, David, Esther, Ruth, Joseph, Paul. We’re in good company.
2. What’s something you hold onto when you feel like you aren’t hearing a lot from God?
In our Christian walks, perhaps we all go through periods where we aren’t hearing from God like we used to or like we want. My short answer to this question is that I hold onto the fact that God is GOD, that he loves his children, and that we am safe in his plan and can always seek him more. This answer could probably end right here.
But maybe you’d like a longer answer. Because during the waiting period, maybe we’re upset or feel weak or frustrated, and it’s nice to hear someone who understands. If this is you right now, I hope this chat kind of feels like a warm hug. I get it and know it’s not easy.
What I’ve realized, and maybe what you’ve realized too, is that God works in mysterious ways. Yes, sometimes maybe we don’t hear from God because we’re not seeking him. But other times, we believe we are seeking him with all of our hearts as it says in Jeremiah 29:13 but we still don’t seem to find him. When this happens, I pray we remember that God is God. He is in control of everything. He loves us, sees us, knows all our thoughts, and absolutely knows what he’s doing.
Then, with this assurance, some things I do to seek God are... [Full details in Episode 10].
3. What’s the best possible way to overcome temptation?
Definitely by relying on the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16-17 shows us:
*Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
If we’ve tried to overcome sin by ourselves before, we’ll know willpower isn’t enough.
Jesus knew this and cautions us in Matthew 26:41 to:
*Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
While the Holy Spirit will remind us of God’s truth, we also need to have a solid foundation in God’s truth which is why Psalm 119:9 and 11 reminds us:
*How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Now I’m quite a big picture person. So as God took me through some refining experiences in the past, it helped to keep my mind on my reason for living. If I didn’t surrender sin, if I kept wilfully sinning, it would keep me from God. [The above may be enough but if you're interested in more of my testimony, listen to Episode 10!]
4. How do I become consistent in doing devotions?
If you’ve been following The Yay Project for awhile, you will probably have heard this answer already. But please allow me to share this testimony again for newer listeners and also maybe just because I want to give God glory. It still amazes me that he changed my life so dramatically.
So I’ve been a Christian my whole life. There were a few years in high school and university when I wasn’t really walking with God closely, but since my early twenties I’ve tried to grow in my walk with God. But even in this, I would sometimes go months at a time without really praying and journaling. I added in journaling because this is when I would really spend the time and pour out my heart before God.
But for the past few years, I haven’t missed a single day. And all I want is to find ways to spend MORE time with God. I want to pray in tongues before meetings at work. I want to take praise breaks throughout the day. I want to try and have as many day dates with God as I possibly can. I want all of my social interactions to be God-glorifying situations.
What changed? [Learn more in Episode 10]
5. How do you comfort someone who doesn’t believe in God but is suffering right now?
God’s wisdom will always be greater than our own. He alone knows human hearts and all the tiny details that make up situations. So let’s learn to wait upon the Lord in more and more situations, amen?
Every situation is different but perhaps these general principles will be useful:
Pre-pray
Listen - to your friend AND the Holy Spirit
Ask questions, listen some more, act accordingly
Leave it to God
[More details in Episode 10]
Thank you for listening to Season 1
I pray this season has strengthened our faith and given us practical ideas on how to embrace our God-given design, carry out our God-given calling, and love God 100%. If you’ve enjoyed it, please do support this podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share it with a friend.
It’s an amazing feeling to be surrounded by women who love God and want to seek and worship him together. I also pray season 2 will be a blessing - very useful with many practical takeaways and give us many more opportunities to grow in friendship as we grow in the Lord.
So can’t wait to praise God with you on the podcast again soon. And in the meantime, see you on Instagram! Let’s keep sharing God’s love, his truth in our communities and online! Feel free to reach out and send me a DM - would love to share more or listen to what’s happening in your lives.
