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The Estherpreneur is a weekly chat about doing business and life God’s way. Join your host, Edna Harding as she offers biblical strategies and practical applications to improve your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances. Listen along as she talks with guests on how to thrive in all areas of life. Edna is a Wife, Mother, Growth Strategist, Author, Minister, Certified Maxwell Business Consultant and Executive Coach, an accredited Master Mindset Coach, and Speaker whose message of hope, truth, and wisdom reaches people all around the world. FavorandWealth.com Estherpreneur.com
Edna Harding [00:00:03]:
Welcome to Estrepreneur, a podcast for entrepreneurs and leaders doing business and life God's way. Each week we discuss biblical and practical tips to improve your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances. Listen along as I speak with special guests on how to thrive in all aspects of life. Hi, I'm Edna. Like many of you, I wear many hats. I'm a military wife, mother, author, certified John Maxwell business and executive coach, trainer, and founder of Favor and wealth, where we help the good guys win. So tune in as we bring on the light. Well, hello everyone.
Edna Harding [00:00:47]:
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the Estrepreneur podcast. My name is Edna Harding, and I'm nothing but a messenger of life. I just wanted to first welcome those who are tuning in for the first time. If you guys are looking for wisdom from the Bible in regards to your business or in life, this is the place to be. Today's episode is something that has been in my heart for a while. As you all know, there has been many, many years of challenging times for the body of Christ, some more than a decade. I can speak from that angle. And although God has definitely sustained and provided the daily manna during these wilderness seasons, it's been a challenging time.
Edna Harding [00:01:44]:
And I feel like in the Spirit, there's a lot of you who are just tired of the battles, battle weary. Thank you, Holy Spirit. So before I just share what the Lord put in my heart for today in all transparency, guys, long story short, there was a podcast episode that was supposed to go out this week. Bottom line is that audio was not available because it was deleted or some sort or it was just. It was a hot mess. But I believe that this was a divine interruption from the Holy Spirit and that he wanted me to share this one that you're listening to. So this is gonna come out on the 3rd of October. I'm recording this on the 1st.
Edna Harding [00:02:31]:
And the reason why I'm sharing this is whoever's listening to this episode, the Holy Spirit wants you to know that this is for you, that he drew you to this episode specifically for whatever reason, because he wants to speak to you and he wants you to know that he sees you. And so before I. Before I get started into, like, my notes, I'm just going to open up in prayer. Okay? So, Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for my brothers and sisters who is listening on this other side of the airwaves. I thank you, God, that you are faithful, that you are kind, you are merciful, and that nothing is so difficult for you. Father, I pray that as I release your word for your people today, that their hearts will be fertile, that every seed that is planted today from the word of God will bear fruit, tangible fruit in their lives. So they will know, oh God, that it is you, oh Lord God, who did the work for them. We love you.
Edna Harding [00:03:40]:
We honor you. We thank you, Lord, for all these things. In Jesus mighty name, Amen. So today's episode is. I. I guess I don't know how else to title it, but it's When God feels Silent. When God feels silent specifically for those who are. Who feel broken right now, whether you're an entrepreneur or not an entrepreneur.
Edna Harding [00:04:03]:
Because I believe normally this podcast is for entrepreneurs, but for some reason, I just sense that this week is going to. Going to be a mixture of both entrepreneurs and just regular folks. And so I just want to share just basically the scriptures that we're going to be focusing on. It's in nations two to three. I want you to read this. And as I was, you know, the funny thing is, is when I was praying for my team, praying for just my friends, praying for my clients, and I was reading Lamentations, chapter two and three, I was just like, ugly cry, ugly, ugly cry. You know what I mean? Like, I was just crying. And just as I was reading this, I feel the heart.
Edna Harding [00:04:52]:
I felt the heart of the people, and I also felt the heart of God. And so I pray that as I speaking that you. You tone out my voice, but you hear his voice. And I pray that as you listen to this, you'll be encouraged in this particular season. Okay, and so today we're going to go somewhere where most business podcasts won't take you. We're actually going to talk about what happens when your business feels like it's dying, when your life feels like it's dying, when everything around you seems like, oh, my gosh, like it's. It's all over. And especially when it feels like God is not listening or God is not there.
Edna Harding [00:05:43]:
And so we're going to go dive into chapter two and chapter three of Lamentations, which I believe is some of the most rawest, most honest passages in scripture in regards to suffering, loss, and waiting of, like, waiting for the salvation of the Lord in the darkness. And so if you've ever felt like God abandoned you or your business dream, this episode is for you. Now, before we go into the teaching, I want to give a little bit of background. You know, Lamentations was actually written after Jerusalem's destruction. This is when everything was gone. The Temple, the city walls, the economy, the people's hope. Just think of it like, as, like a war zone. Right now the prophet Jeremiah is sitting in the middle of the ruins, basically, and he's writing poetry about the devastation.
Edna Harding [00:06:41]:
Now, I want to just emphasize that I'm not comparing your failed business launch or your failed life to Jerusalem's destruction. But I want you to think about the emotional and the spiritual experience that they, that you're having and what they were having. That's pretty much universal, right? So maybe your experience looks like the business you thought God called you to build just isn't working. Or maybe you've invested everything and you're, you're just watching it crumble in front of you. Maybe the doors that you thought was a sure thing got. Is not open, right? And, and God remained, made sure that the doors were closed. Maybe the breakthrough you've been praying for hasn't come. Or maybe you're questioning if you hear go correctly in the first place.
Edna Harding [00:07:30]:
And what I love about lamentations is it gives us a permission to be honest about the pain while we wait for restoration. And I think this is a lot of times what is like we, you know, we always hear the faith talk, like, speak in faith, declare, faith, declare. And I understand, like, we watch our words always decree his promises. But I think before we decree his promises, promises, you could still be honest about what you're feeling, right? And because God, when you think of a relationship or a marriage, I don't just say all the good stuff. I say what I'm feeling because that's authenticity. Authenticity, right. That is what makes a relationship with God truly a relationship. It's not just like faking it.
Edna Harding [00:08:17]:
It's like a real, authentic relationships. And I guess I just want to encourage you, my brothers and sisters of Christ, like, it's okay for, for you to voice out your frustrations. It's okay for you to voice out your pain. It's okay to voice out, like, the challenges that you're facing because God can handle it. The thing that it gets becomes a problem is all, is that it's all like complaining, complaining, complaining. You're not fighting. You're not like, petitioning the Lord to, to deliver you. You're not petitioning his promises to remind him of His Word.
Edna Harding [00:08:54]:
You, you just. All you do is complaining, complaining, complaining. So there is a balance, right? I guess that was for somebody, because that wasn't in my notes. But. So you don't want to just keep complaining all the time, right? You want to make sure that, yes, be honest, be transparent. But at the end of the day, the. The words that are coming out of your mouth should always speak life and not death, right? So let me just read chapter. Sorry, Lamentations, chapter 2, verse 1 to 3 says.
Edna Harding [00:09:22]:
It says, how the Lord has covered daughter of Zion with the cloud of his anger. He has hurled down the splendor of Israel from heaven to earth. He has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. Without pity, the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob in his wrath. He has torn down the strongholds of daughter Judah. He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor. In fierce anger, he has cut off every horn of Israel. Now, if you think about this, Jeremiah is completely being honest and saying, God did this.
Edna Harding [00:09:54]:
God allowed this destruction. And you know, the funny thing is. Well, it's not really funny, but kind of funny sometimes. Our business failures aren't attacks from the enemy. Oh, I know. I don't want to say that, but I have to speak truth in love sometimes. Our business or life failures aren't attacks from the enemy, but they're actually God's discipline. They're God's redirection or refinement.
Edna Harding [00:10:26]:
And I learned this the hard way many times. And the example that I could think of is back in 2012, I already knew that the Lord told me not to marry this man. And I still went ahead. And of course, for many reasons, right? There were so many times that the Lord had so many opportunities to walk away from this relationship, but because of stubborn sin and pride or whatever, I just kept going back to this guy. Long story short, he was abusive. And I went through the worst divorce of my life. I almost died, literally. And.
Edna Harding [00:11:09]:
And a lot of times we're thinking, oh, this is an attack of the devil. But in reality, it was the consequences of your choices was the consequences of your decisions, right? And so this could apply to business. You know, you could be, you know, in a business partnership that you think that, oh, God is blessing this business partnership. And then all of a sudden, six months later, it fell apart publicly, painfully, spectacularly. And that's actually happened too, right? Where you think like, okay, this is it. This is a good. This is the thing. But then in reality, God never told me to align with this person.
Edna Harding [00:11:52]:
I assume because this opportunity came, it was from God, but I didn't really ask God, is this really from you? Does that make sense? So I have to say that sometimes we think it's God abandoning us or God Is whatever causing it. But sometimes it's just the consequences of our choices, you know? I mean, have you ever felt like, you know, you're just sitting in ruin, just like Jeremiah, you're wondering how something I that you thought God will bless could end in such devastation. So I love that reality of it. This is what Jeremiah felt like how? Like, this is horrible. Like, this is the worst thing that can happen. And I just want to say that I'm not going to go into all the scriptures, but I'm going to give you some. We're in verse one to nine. The first point that I want to make is that God's discipline isn't God's rejection.
Edna Harding [00:12:51]:
So think about it. The city was destroyed, but Jeremiah is still talking to God, not about God, right? When your business falls apart, when your life falls apart, you. You might feel like God abandoned you, but in reality, his discipline actually proves that you're still his child. You know what I'm saying? So if, if, for example, if I am disciplining my child, it's because I love them and I wouldn't discipline them. Like, for example. Let me give you an example. So if other kids, other children are running around and they're misbehaving or they're whatever, I'm not going to go over there and discipline somebody else's child, because that's not my child. But if it's my child, yes, I will discipline you because I have a relationship with you.
Edna Harding [00:13:42]:
You are my child. And my job is to ensure that you're on the right path. So I guess I just want to start off with that, that if you are experiencing the discipline of God per se, remember the scripture in her Hebrews 12:6. It says, the Lord disciplines the one he loves and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. And so I want you to ask yourself this question. And this question might be challenging, but I want you to ask yourself, is this failure actually God protecting me from something that would have destroyed me later is the reason why, for example, I don't have finances right now is because he's trying to protect me from something that he does not want me to buy. You know, we have to really ask the Lord. The reason for everything, the timing for everything, especially if we're asking God, especially if you're trusting the Lord, especially if you're submitting yourself to Him.
Edna Harding [00:14:43]:
We really need to ask ourselves, is this the enemy or is this God's form of love, which is discipline? Right? Now let's go to verse 17. This is the second point that I want to make, which is sometimes God tears down what we built wrong. Verse 17 says, the Lord has done what he planned. He has fulfilled his word which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity. So sometimes we build businesses or lives on the wrong foundation. Okay, Sometimes we build our finances on the wrong foundation. It could be ego, it could be fear, it could be comparison or worldly success metrics.
Edna Harding [00:15:31]:
That God loves us so much that he doesn't want us to succeed in building the wrong thing. Ooh, it's a hard one. Just, just, just saying this is, is, gosh, hurting me. But it's good. It's good. God. Did you understand? God loves us too much to let us succeed in building the wrong thing. Now, remember, like, the partnership that I mentioned, for example, that I thought was a done deal.
Edna Harding [00:16:11]:
When I look back, I see now it was built on my need for validation. It wasn't God's calling. It was so I could network with someone who is like a, I guess a socialite in Houston who's very well known. Gorgeous girl, seems sweet on the outside, but inside she was definitely broken. There was a lot of insecurities there. And, you know, there's this, you know, it's. I don't know if this is not a scripture, but it says like attracts the like. And so we're two broken individuals trying to validate ourselves in, in the city utilizing this new project that we're doing.
Edna Harding [00:16:51]:
But in reality, we both had wounds that needed to be healed, right? And we couldn't set people free if we ourselves were not free. You know what I'm saying? So I want you to understand that, that the, the business model or whatever thing that you think was supposed to be like, the way sometimes that is not his vision. That was ours. And so a lot of times when we're, when we're, when we're going through hard stuff and we're wondering, well, why isn't God, like, blessing this? Why isn't God, like, moving this? Could it be that he never told you to do that in the first place? And it is not in because He's a bad God. It's because he does not want us to have long term destruction. So instead of prolonging the thing, he tore it down immediately because he was saving us from ourselves. I know. Like, I'm listening to myself.
Edna Harding [00:18:00]:
I'm like, wow, this is so good. God, this is so good. Like, wow, I hope you guys are getting something out of this. And I'm, I know I'm Speaking a lot slower, but I'm really just meditating on what is happening right now. This was a divine interruption from God because I truly believe that many of you guys have been looking for answers, have been praying for a solution or an answer for something. And maybe you're praying wrong, maybe you're not praying for the answers that you're supposed to be praying for, which is thy will be done, thy will be done on earth as it is heaven. Let your will be done, not mine. That is the prayer we need to pray.
Edna Harding [00:18:46]:
We're not supposed to be praying for a specific outcome. We're supposed to be praying for God's will to be done on the earth. Right? That's what we call surrender. All right, in number three, in verse 18 to 19, let me just read these scriptures. As the hearts of the people cry out to the Lord, your wall, your walls of daughter of Zion. Let your tears, tears flow like a river. Day and night. Give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest.
Edna Harding [00:19:15]:
Arise, cry out in the night as, as the watches of the night begin. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Notice that they're crying out to the Lord. They're pouring out their heart in his presence. It says, pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. So I want to say this point, next point, which is God's silence doesn't mean God's absent. Let me say that one more time. God's silence does not mean God's absence.
Edna Harding [00:19:57]:
So if your life and your business pain, keep praying even when you don't hear answers, right? Keep showing up even when you don't see results. Keep trusting even when circumstances scream otherwise. I actually had a heart to heart conversation with one of my clients today. She's going through some stuff and a lot of major challenges. And when, when she finally started getting momentum, all of a sudden, she get a whiplash of attacks. And now like the question is, like, is, is this attacks? Are these truly attacks or is this the Lord slowing her down so she can actually rest right now, I'm not going to give too much details because some of you might know who this person is, but sometimes the very thing that we think are a detriment to us is really God loving us, right? And all he wants us to do is keep asking him, keep praying, keep showing up when he tells us to show up. And all we have to do is keep trusting even though the circumstances don't make sense. Okay, now let's, let's not end this episode on a bad note.
Edna Harding [00:21:14]:
I want to Talk about Lamentations 3. This is a time where now, this is where everything shifts. Okay, so let me read verse one to three. It says, I am the man who has seen affliction. By the rod of the Lord's wrath, he has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light. Indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again all day long. So what I love about this, it's still painful, it's still honest and about, and about the suffering. And by the way guys, just speaking that, I feel like the Lord wants to share this.
Edna Harding [00:21:50]:
Like, don't leave all of your emotions inside you. Like, if you don't journal, do it like I journal a lot. Not as like, as detailed as I was one of my younger days because quite honestly I don't really have much time in the morning because I have a busy mom. But I do take time to reflect and I, I write down the things that are, that are, that is on my heart, the things that are hurting me, the things that are burdening me. I write it down and I make it plain. And what it does is I feel like this is me casting my cares to Jesus. When I write down the things that are bothering me or the things that are grieving me, or the things that are concerning me, I just write it down and I say, lord, here, take these, take these vain thoughts and it might cast all my cares upon you, Lord Jesus. And I think this is really going to help those of you guys who just feels overwhelmed like you, like, believe it or not, you're thinking you're negative.
Edna Harding [00:22:50]:
Like the things that you meditate on does affect your, your well being, it does affect your health. I'm not an expert in this, but I've, I've done enough research and I've done enough studying and learning from the experts when it comes to, you know, your emotions and, and dealing with your, your overall wellness, how your emotions affect your wellness. And so it's, this is why I'm so, like, I'm a big advocate for taking care of your soul first if you are struggling financially or in business, like taking care of your soul first because out of the abundance of the heart that must speak as you think in his heart, so is he. Like all these verses isn't just like poetry, it's actually the truth. And like once you start taking care of your inner self, outer self, the things around you will start shifting. And so think if things are not shifting outside of you, it could also be that you still haven't done Your internal work. Okay, now that's a whole nother teaching that I don't have time to go to today. But hopefully one of these days I'll go over that.
Edna Harding [00:23:58]:
Or if you just want to, you know, contact me directly and schedule a one on one with me. My rate is $555. And so just if you want to spend two hours with me to just go into like the soul work portion, please, please, please reach out to me, go to my website, favor and wealth.com because I, because you don't have to wait till the episode comes out. Like this is where you know there's a scripture says, and I know it's, this is a shameless plug, but I think people need to hear this, is that if you are not willing and to invest. The Bible says buy wisdom, gain understanding, sell everything you have, you know, to, to buy wisdom. And the point of that is like you have people, you can either figure it out the hard way, which is do a lot of trial and error or you could talk to someone who's already been there and done that. And most importantly, the someone that the Lord is, is putting on your heart. I never tell people.
Edna Harding [00:25:05]:
And this is like for, just for those of you guys who are. It doesn't have to be me. It could be anybody, right? If, if you are looking for mentors and coaches and consultant, just make sure that you're not just googling or you're not like, okay, I'm hearing this podcast, so I have to hire Edna. You need to go back to Jesus. You need to ask the Holy Spirit and ask him who is Edna assigned to help me with this particular situation? If it's because sometimes the answer, and a lot of times actually it's not. He's not going to give you the answer. Sometimes he'll do it through a person. And this doesn't necessarily mean it has to be a paid person.
Edna Harding [00:25:42]:
It could be a free person. Someone that you, that you might run across, you know, in a, in a Starbucks. Someone you may run across like in a podcast. Like it doesn't have to always be paid. But my point is a lot of times what I found, the answer that I was looking for was through somebody in the body of Christ. I stopped there for a reason. You know, there's a scripture that talks about, I don't remember exactly where it is, but it says that the, the head needs the foot and the finger the toe. You know, like everybody plays a part.
Edna Harding [00:26:19]:
And I know for me the gap that I feel is in is business. Right. And creating wealth. Right. And healing wounds. You know, soul wounds, like healing from trauma, healing from unforgiveness, healing from bitterness. Like, all those things. That's my.
Edna Harding [00:26:33]:
That's my gifting. And so that might not be your gifting, and that's why you look for people who have that gifting to help you with that particular weak area. Right. Like, for example, for me, I am not a nutritionist. I. That's like, probably the worst thing about me is like, okay, I don't really know how to read labels. I know how. And so what I do is I hire an expert to help me with that.
Edna Harding [00:26:59]:
Right. Especially financial finances. Right. I. I know the basics just because an essential. Because I was a licensed financial advisor back then, but it's not something I'm passionate about. It's not something that I like. Oh, my gosh.
Edna Harding [00:27:14]:
Like, let me just start listening and reading this all. So, yes, I hired experts to help me make good, well, financial decisions. So it's the same thing. Okay. All right. So I don't know where that went off, but I. Hopefully that helps you. Okay.
Edna Harding [00:27:32]:
But if you look at verse 21 to 26, it says, yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope because of the Lord's great love. You are not consumed, for his compassion never fails. They are new every morning. Great Israel, faithfulness, I say to myself, the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait patiently for the salvation of the Lord. This right here is the turning point, right? Because what change, it went from complaining to confidence. And that's what we need to do, right? We need to stop complaining and going into confidence.
Edna Harding [00:28:19]:
So, yes, you could talk about the circumstances, you could talk about it a little bit. But at the end of the day, you need to be confident in the God who you're speaking to that he can do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all we could ask or think, and that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Right? So again, let's go back to, you know, you go from chapter two to chapter three in Lamentations, it's. The circumstances were so the same, but then Jeremiah's perspective shifts and he, He. He shifts from what he sees to what he knows about God. I'm going to say that one more time. He shifts from what he sees to what he knows about God. This is key.
Edna Harding [00:29:01]:
This is everything, my friends. This is everything. So to give you guys an example, you know, over the Summer. This was recently. This year. I mean, it was just tough, man. We had. We had rental properties that were vacant.
Edna Harding [00:29:15]:
We had issues with our what. What with our. One of our. What do you call that? Our tenants. And then we have, like, unexpected, like, expenses. And, like, it was just rough, right? It was like, I just took out some more loans for my business for certain investments and things of that sort, and just. Just say the timing was not good because we have, like, three trips planned. It was just.
Edna Harding [00:29:43]:
It was just a bad scenario. And I remember something shifted when instead of like. And mind you, I've learned just because over the years not to. Not to say what I see, but I felt what I see, if that makes sense. So I didn't really, like, complain to God about, like, all my circumstances, but I felt it. Like, it was obvious. Like, when people. When people see me, when I pray, they'll know that I'm in the thick of things because I wear my emotions on my sleeve.
Edna Harding [00:30:16]:
So I felt it even though I didn't say it. So whether you feel it or you're saying those things, what I did was instead of talking about or trying, and I asked the Holy Spirit to help me master my emotions because that was so hard for me, because I hated seeing my husband stressed out. I hated seeing saying, like, my girls disappointed because they think, honey, I'm sorry, we can't buy that right now. You know, like, from the Five Below store. Like, it was, like, so sad. I'm like, could they. It was like, you only get one. You can't get, like, five like you normally do.
Edna Harding [00:30:49]:
And I know this is, like, so basic, but this is just a. Just a little example. It was so hard. It was the most difficult time because we had to choose. Okay, well, we can't get all these snacks. We got to get, like, one of the snacks. So. And I'm saying this to say that I understand.
Edna Harding [00:31:04]:
I get it. But what happened was instead of feeling and instead of saying what I see, even though it wasn't always, like, 100% accurate, like, I wasn't always, like, on point, I just kept decreeing God's word and I just kept believing that God was faithful, even though it seemed as if he wasn't. You know, in the Bible it says his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Right? They are new every morning. New every morning. Great is your faithfulness, O Lord.
Edna Harding [00:31:51]:
Great is your faithfulness. You know, whenever I am struggling in my faith, I just sing that song, just thinking about it, reminding myself how faithful God is through the years, he's always come through for us. And it may not have been the way I wanted or the time I wanted, but he always did. Right? And so I just want to remind you guys that God's faithfulness to you isn't measured by your life success success or your business success, okay? It's measured by the character of God, which never changes. And one thing that I. That I realized is that, for example, when. When my partnership collapsed or my finances collapsed, when everything that I worked hard for was gone, I had to separate God's faithfulness from the outcomes of my life. Oh, my goodness, Jesus.
Edna Harding [00:32:53]:
I hope you hear me, my friends. When everything collapsed, I had to separate God's faithfulness from those outcomes because I had to remember that God was faithful. Even when I lost money, even when I lost reputation, even when I lost friendships and relationships, even when I lost that marriage, even when I lost confidence, even when I lost the dream I thought he gave me, he is still faithful. That doesn't change who he is. Our circumstances does not change who he is. His faithfulness was in teaching me discernment that I didn't have before. His faithfulness was in preach, preaching me, protecting me from partnerships that should have destroyed my family. His faithfulness was in redirecting me.
Edna Harding [00:33:45]:
Right. Hold on, guys. My. My notes came out. Hold on. Sorry, guys, one second. That's all right. My computer just, like, just disappeared on me.
Edna Harding [00:34:03]:
Okay, okay. Oh. Apparently the enemy does not like what I'm saying, but I. I know this is going to help you. Okay? His faithfulness was in protecting me again from partnership that could have destroyed my family or even friendships. He could be redirecting me to the real calling he had for me. That's where his faithfulness is. His.
Edna Harding [00:34:28]:
His faithfulness is refining my character for the next level he was preparing. So all those things. Do you see what happened? So instead of looking at what was actually happening, now I'm seeing what God was actually what was really happening. Does that make sense? So it's like, you know, like they call smoke and mirrors. Like you think this is what's happening, but in reality, this is what's happening. I hope this is. This is blessing you. Okay? The second thing I wanted to say is the Lord is my portion.
Edna Harding [00:34:58]:
Verse 24, it says, I say to the Lord, the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him. Your portion, my friend, is in your business. Your portion is in your income. Your portion is in the luxury life. Your portion isn't your client base. Your Portion isn't in your reputation. Your portion is God himself. Oh, come on.
Edna Harding [00:35:21]:
Oh, come on, man. I. I did a whole teaching of this many years ago when I just. Everything just started collapsing. I did his teaching back in. I think it was. Was it 2016? Go, go, go. Read it.
Edna Harding [00:35:34]:
Go watch it on YouTube. I don't remember exactly what it was. If you, if you're really curious of what that teaching is, why don't you message me on my website or. Yeah, estrepreneur.com and ask me for it to remind me and then I will do it. I'll let you know that. That thing. But. But this is huge.
Edna Harding [00:35:54]:
Your identity isn't based on your external things. Your identity is. Is based in God himself. So if God took away your business tomorrow, or God took away your family tomorrow, if God took away your finances tomorrow, but gave you more of himself, would you consider that a good trade? I know that's not a good question. We have to really, honestly answer that question. That's a tough one. The business part, yeah, the money part, but the family part, o, that's a tough one. And I pray to God that no one ever experienced that.
Edna Harding [00:36:40]:
But that's a tough one. But it really makes you really think about it, right? It really makes you think about it. Like, if the answer is no, then is your portion really him, or is it the things that you have been blessed with? That's a hard one. That's a hard one, guys. Even myself, like, thinking about who, it's not making me feel easy. But in the name of Jesus, our family is protected and guarded by the name of the Lord. Let's move on to the next one. But that's a food for thought, right? That's a food for thought.
Edna Harding [00:37:24]:
So I thank you, Holy Spirit. So an example of that is if you lose your spouse, if you lose your child, if you lose your loved one, your family member, that is hard. That is so hard. I don't, honestly don't know how people do it. Who lost a spouse, who lost a child, who lost their mother at a young age like that, that is really the grace of God. And that's a miracle in itself that you'll be able to. You know, I love how God says he'll never give us anything we can't handle. And maybe he knows I can't handle that.
Edna Harding [00:37:54]:
But some people are, oh, my goodness. It's just. I don't know. I don't know that I. I just asked that question to myself. I'm like, oh, that's Hard. That's hard. I didn't want to think about it.
Edna Harding [00:38:04]:
But you know, those are some of the things that, that comes with the price of following Jesus. The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. And a lot of times he doesn't place fair. He usually over oversteps his line, if that makes sense. All right, let's continue on, guys. We are taking a lot of time here. Verse 3 of verse 3, verse 26, number 3. It's good to wait quietly when you want to hustle loudly.
Edna Harding [00:38:35]:
So this is the point I want to say. It says it good. It's good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. You know, this verse wrecks the whole like striving, striving, striving culture. We've all been told the life and business you want isn't built by hustling, okay? Or by working really, really hard. It's built by wa on God's timing while working with his wisdom. So he'll give you. One thing I love about the Lord is he doesn't give you the next like 50 steps, right? You know, the scripture says man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.
Edna Harding [00:39:11]:
So yes, I do have a five year plan. I do have a business plan, I do have a family plan, I do have a lot of financial plan. I have all these different plans because the scripture says to plan. But I also know that that is not set in stone that at any point I gave the Lord permission to do as he pleases at the timing, as he pleases. But the fact of the matter is, this is reason why people struggle, is because we think that when we write the plan, especially for all you planners out there, that he has to stick to our plan. That's not how it works. That is not how it works. My friends.
Edna Harding [00:39:49]:
There is a difference between like striving and faithfulness. And striving is when you just try to stick to the plan no matter what. Like for example. Let me give you guys an example. So this week, you know, my assistants, they couldn't work for, you know, technical reasons and so many things. And I'm like, oh my goodness, I already had my week planned out. Now I have to kind of shift things, twist things. And then there were some challenges, but, but this, I gave God permission a long time ago to disrupt my flow to do what he pleases with me.
Edna Harding [00:40:23]:
And that's what I'm doing. Okay? So again, there is a difference between like, okay, I'm waiting on the Lord by like doing my part and then, and then letting him to kind of agree with everything I do or I'm waiting, Lord, where I'm doing my part. And if at any point he says, okay, nope, this is not what I want you to do right now. I want you to do something else. Are you willing to obey and wait on God's green light for you to go ahead and do that? Right. So I want to compare, just real quickly, what the difference is between striving and faithfulness, Right? Rest and stress, okay? So hustle culture says, I have to make this work or it all falls apart. Faithfulness says, I'll work with excellence and trust God with outcomes. Okay? Hustle says, I can't afford to wait.
Edna Harding [00:41:20]:
Faithfulness says, I can't afford not to wait on God. Hustle says, more activity creates breakthrough. Faithfulness says, right alignment creates breakthrough. Okay? So there is a difference when it comes to the discipline of God and the discipline of darkness. Okay? So I want to kind of go over this real quick because this is really important. Verse 27 to 30 in Lamentations, chapter 3 says, it is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has said, laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust.
Edna Harding [00:41:58]:
There. There may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. Nobody preaches about this part, but it's here, okay? It's here, the discipline of darkness. Because this is where character is forged. This is where pride dies. This is where you learn that your identity isn't in your business, success or life success. I spent many seasons like this, you know, many, many scenes like this, you know, sitting in silence, no big moves.
Edna Harding [00:42:36]:
Just me, God, and the ruins of what I thought was my calling. It was the most painful seasons, multiple seasons of my life and business. But it was also the most transformative. That, right there is the discipline of darkness, right? So the discipline of darkness. And there's a discipline of love, right? So you have. You know what I'm saying? So you have. He disciplines you through love with consequences. But there's also a.
Edna Harding [00:43:10]:
When I call discipline of love, meaning it's doable, but then when you go through, like, the pit of hell, it seems like the pit of hell, but in reality, it's not from hell, it's from God. This is the most beautiful discipline because he changes you from the inside out. He prepares your character for what he's about to bring. Okay? Now this is the part where it gets good. And then I know I gotta wrap up this episode soon. It says verse 31 to 33. It says, for no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion.
Edna Harding [00:43:45]:
So great is his unfailing love, for he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. So God does not enjoy your life pain or your business pain? He's not up in heaven enjoying watching you struggle, okay? He's not gleefully watching your failures and be like, ah, this is awesome. Ha. I'm. You're screwing you over. The discipline, the waiting, the silence, all of that is purposeful, not punitive. You know, verse 40 says, let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. So this is the invitation that Lamentations is going to give you.
Edna Harding [00:44:26]:
Especially. Let's focus on business first, and then we'll focus on life number one. What did I build that God didn't authorize? What did I build that God didn't authorize? This is not just for business, but also life. This can apply for both, actually. Is it something based on comparison? Is it something that you did out of fear not calling? Is it something form for validation and not impact for the kingdom of God? I know. The second question I want you to ask yourself is, what needs to be rebuilt on Kingdom Foundation? Could it be the pricing, which is based on value, not insecurity? Could it be marketing based on truth or not manipulation? Could be success, real success, not measured by your net worth or your influence, but actually the impact you made for the kingdom of God. You know, if I think if people really ask this question, I'm like, okay, did I live a successful life based on God's definition of success, which is damaging the kingdom of darkness with the kingdom of light? I can honestly say that I've lived a successful life. I made a lot of demons angry, and it's all by the grace of God.
Edna Harding [00:46:04]:
All right, the third question I want you to ask is, what is God trying to teach me in this season? Okay, so for example, what are the character traits he's developing? What are the tendencies he's breaking? What is the trust he's deepening? So for me, is the. The trust factor, for me personally, is the timing of everything, right? Like. Like, it's one of those things where it's like, I remember this prophetic word, just like I see you, like, you're running, then you're stopping. Then you're running, you're stopping. Two steps forward and five steps back. Three steps forward. Like, the timing, the pace of it that's the part that he's developing in me. He's deepening, is that trust.
Edna Harding [00:46:46]:
And that I am not behind. Even though I feel like I'm behind, I'm not behind. I am right on time. All right, so let me go ahead and close with these scriptures. In verse 55 to 58, it says, I called on your name, Lord, from the depth of the pit, you heard my plea. Do not close your ears to my cry for relief. You came near when I called you, and you said, do not fear. Yes, Lord.
Edna Harding [00:47:07]:
Look up my case. You redeem my life. So here's what I want you to hear, my friends. Whatever ruins you're sitting in right now, in your business or in life, God sees you. That failed launch, that failed marriage, that failed friendship, that failed parenting, all of that, he sees it, okay? The failed finances. Come on. The empty bank account he knows. The silent phones, he hears your prayers, the closed doors, he's positioning you for better ones.
Edna Harding [00:47:38]:
Your business and life. Pain is never wasted because everything that's happening, it's refining you, it's redirecting you. It's preparing you for something better than what you lost. But you also have to do what Jeremiah did. And let me tell you what those are real quickly. Number one, be honest about the pain. Number two, keep talking to God, not just about your problems. Number three, remember his faithfulness when you can't see his activity.
Edna Harding [00:48:08]:
Number four, wait with expectant faith, not anxious striving. And number five, let him rebuild on his foundation, not yours. Okay? Now, if you're in a lamentation season right now, sitting in ruins in your business or in life, wondering what went wrong, I want you to know this episode was for you. He has not abandoned you. I promise you. I know. I'm speaking from the other side of, you know, all of that. I have a beautiful children, amazing husband who loves the Lord and loves his family, and a great, faithful man.
Edna Harding [00:48:48]:
I mean, he. He just. Just. Just brag on him. Like, he remembers things I've said, and he has solutions. Like, he ordered me a cord for my screen that I totally forgot about and he came. Or he gets me Ricola for my tea because I have my throat like. Just like the best husband in the world.
Edna Harding [00:49:07]:
So I love you, DJ And I love my beautiful girls who loves God with every ounce of their being. They love the Lord Jesus. In fact, my daughter, my oldest, told me yesterday, actually, we're driving from soccer practice, and she was like, mom, our. Her. Her friend was telling her that, what are you going to be For Halloween. And she says, I don't celebrate Halloween. And like she was just firm with it. She did.
Edna Harding [00:49:40]:
And I told her I had this conversation with her. The reason we don't celebrate Halloween is because it's the origins of it and just what it stands out for. I'm not going to give you all the details here because that's not the point of this episode. But after just our family chooses not to participate in that holiday activity, we're convicted not to do it. Although a lot of our family and friends do it. We just choose not to. And she said. What did she say? She said nothing.
Edna Harding [00:50:10]:
And she said that after. After the holiday is, I guess after the Halloween, her friend is going to give her candy that does not have any Halloween stuff on it. So it's so cute. But I love how she's really sticking up, you know, for, you know, what we believe in, which is the truth. What we believe the truth is. And then, you know, our finances are amazing. You know, we're not lacking. We're debt free.
Edna Harding [00:50:37]:
Everything is well, you know, God is providing financially for my business, for my team. I have amazing clients and I can't complain. I can't complain. So I'm saying this like being on the other side of the lamentation part, but the crappy part, the part that no one wants. He is faithful. Khee is so faithful. Okay, I want you to just remember that he is faithful. Now send me a message and tell me, you know, what ruins are you sitting in right now? How can I pray for you? You know how to reach me.
Edna Harding [00:51:15]:
You go to. You could actually email me@prayer favorandwealth.com or you can go to my website on estrepreneur.com and Esther's oil.com is currently being built. I'm super excited. You could message me there, but it's not really up and ready. For those of you guys who don't know, I had that website a long time ago. Then life happen and the enemy taught he could silence that ministry or end that ministry. But it's back up slowly but surely. It's always been going.
Edna Harding [00:51:45]:
Just didn't have a website. So you could also message me on that. Okay. And if you're ready, my friends, I just. If you're ready to build a kingdom, foundations instead of worldly ones. When it comes to your business and life, let's talk about working together. Because the business God rebuilds or the life God rebuilds are unshakable. Okay? All right, my friends, until next time, keep trusting in the waiting.
Edna Harding [00:52:08]:
This is Edna Harding, and I'll see you guys on the next episode. God bless you all and just know that you are loved with an everlasting love. Take care. Bye bye. Thanks for joining us this week on estrepreneur. Make sure to visit our website, favorandwealth for more information on our services. While you're at it, if you found value in this show, we'd appreciate a rating on itunes. Or if you simply tell a friend about the show, that would help me out, too.
Edna Harding [00:52:42]:
Also, check out my book, the Ugly side of Sales, available on Amazon, where I share seven of my secrets on how to win and grow business the right way. Until next time, keep shining.