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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 [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 [00:00:49]:
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the Estrepreneur podcast. My name is Estrella Edna Harding, and I'm so excited that you're joining me here today. If you're new here, I just want to let you know that we don't just talk about business here. We talk about identity. We talk about obedience. We talk about the internal architecture which requires you to carry what God is building through you. And today's episode is for those who feel frustrated. Maybe you feel restless, maybe you feel underwhelmed by what used to be to excite you and also pull towards something bigger that you can't specifically articulate yet.
Edna [00:01:27]:
So I just wanted to say that you're not crazy, you're not ungrateful, you're just stuck. I'm just kidding. You're not stuck. And the reason why we feel that way is your identity is actually being upgraded because God is promoting you first internally before he promotes you externally. Now, I want to talk about this. I just want to give you an example because this literally happened today or this past weekend. I had a client who was very frustrated that we were focusing so much on sole work instead of the business work. Right.
Edna [00:02:08]:
The actual, like, sales, marketing strategies, you know, the landing page, all that good stuff. My program is specifically soul work, sales and stewardship. Right. But soul work always is first. And we're from an identity perspective. Right. And this is what we're going to be talking about today. Because what happened was she got so frustrated with the pace of the soul work and basically started saying a bunch of things about myself that I'm not going to repeat here.
Edna [00:02:39]:
But it's what people don't understand is, you're right, this isn't the typical business consulting services or business coaching services. I do focus a lot on soul work because I believe in a scripture where it says, you, you will prosper just as your soul prospers. And a lot of people want the prize, but they don't want to pay the Price, and they don't want to prepare themselves for the increase. A lot of times people want the, you know, the, the palace, but they don't have the character to, to be able to steward the palace well. And so I'm saying all this not to shame anybody, but I'm here to just kind of give you a perspective. Perspective. Hopefully that would challenge your thinking, if that is your thinking right now, that soul work is not important, it's not relevant. And, and we could do soul work by going to church, reading the Bible, but there is some healing that needs to take place.
Edna [00:03:33]:
There needs to be deliverance that needs to take place. And mind you, my friends, this is not something that I'm just telling people to do. I've done this, I've gone through this for years. And every time when I think that, you know, my character development is done, there's another layer that the Lord reveals to me. And so it never ends, but the foundation has to be there. And the problem is people don't want to take the time to sit with themselves and really look at themselves from the inside out. You know, they try to fix their external things, but in reality, everything that you see on external is a reflection of your internal. Does that make sense? So today we're going to go into that, and I guess I want to start off by saying, you know, when.
Edna [00:04:18]:
There will be times when God will outgrow your identity. So, for example, if. Have you ever felt like your old goals feel too small? Or maybe your rhythms, the way you used to do things, feels too tight, or maybe your confidence levels feel outdated, maybe your standards feel unacceptable, or maybe your, your, your old version of yourself, like who you were feels expired. And I felt that way too. It's like, you know, when this person was talking very mean, nasty things to me, I'm like, a part of me is like, maybe the old Edna would have put up with this, but who do you think you're talking to, right? Like, it's one of those things, like you start seeing yourself for who you are and you stop tolerating things that you used to tolerate. To tolerate before, too. Sorry, guys, my tongue twisted. You know, this isn't a midlife crisis, my friends.
Edna [00:05:17]:
This is a divine expansion happening faster in your spirit than in your behavior. And so I want, I want you to know this, that one thing that you'll know is that you're being promoted by God when your identity feels stretched and not your schedule. Let me say that again. It's when your identity feels stretched, not your schedule. Your schedule or what you do on a regular basis isn't what's being stretched. It's actually your identity, your internal, that causes the manifestation you're looking for. Because most leaders pray for God to increase their influence, but what God does is he increases your identity first because he does not want to elevate a version of you that cannot sustain what you're asking for. And I've said this over and over again, but I don't think people really understand this because promotion always begins internally.
Edna [00:06:15]:
Always. You know, promotion is a spiritual long process. And it's usually long because before it becomes visible. And the reason why is because our dying to self needs to take place. And I know this is not probably an episode you want to hear, but this is truly the truth. God outgrows your identity before he outgrows your opportunities. And so I want to make this plain. First, discomfort, if you're feeling that, is the first sign of promotion, okay? Discomfort is actually not a problem.
Edna [00:06:57]:
It's a prophecy. Discomfort is that divine tension between you, who you've been, and who God is calling you to become. You know, discomfort doesn't mean something is wrong. It actually means something is ending. And I don't know about you all, but I don't know. Well, I'm just thinking of what I'm seeing is, like with my kids, when they're going through a growth spot, they're just uncomfortable. They cannot sleep, they're whining, they're uncomfortable. It's because you're growing.
Edna [00:07:26]:
God is growing you. God often promotes you by making your current level feel impossible to stay in. Like I remember. Okay, let me give you an example. This happened, like, recently. So I was looking at my laptop, and mind you, it's so good. Laptop, one terabyte. I'm looking at it, and before, it used to not bother me, but like, you know, some of the letter.
Edna [00:07:48]:
Like the black part on the letters is coming out. You know, the key. That's what I'm talking about, about the keyboard. And then I'm looking at my mouse, you know, the mouse pad on my laptop, and it's like kind of like fading. And I'm like, you know, it's time for me to get an upgrade on my laptop. And so this is kind of like the. How it feels. It's like you're looking at your.
Edna [00:08:09]:
You currently have. You're like, what am I settling for this? I need to get something better because this is not who I am. And I. And I can. Because I'm able to, like, I can financially afford it. I just choose not to. So a lot of times, thank you, Holy Spirit. A lot of times we choose to stay, stay in an old version of us because it's comfortable knowing that God has already given you everything you need to step into the new, but because you're just willing to accept that, you're willing to tolerate.
Edna [00:08:33]:
And the thing about this, if you continue to tolerate the old stuff, the new stuff will never come. Does that make sense? So you're, you're, you're, you're not bored, you're being expanded, you're not irritated, you're being elevated. Right? You're not restless, you're being repositioned. Right? And, and this is really important because I remember also, like, one time I was. What do you call it? They. Long story short, I. Something messed up where I didn't realize that they gave military discount for the luggage fees and so forth for the airlines. And then.
Edna [00:09:16]:
And I went to the front counter. So I guess I have to sneeze. If you think I'm gonna, like, I'm gonna sneeze at some point. And I was trying to like, hey, can I get a refund? Because I didn't realize that I could, you know, get a discount for the military because my husband's in military. Well, long story short, they couldn't give me a refund. And so what they decided to do was, okay, let me just upgrade you to first class. I was like, really? I was like, awesome. And so we.
Edna [00:09:43]:
I went on first class. And it's been a while since I've been in first class. And I totally forgot the feeling of being able to stretch your legs out being in first class. Because we forget, like, you know, the feeling of luxury or the feeling of expansion or increase because we settle from. For. What's that word? What's not first class? What's the bat. What's the back called? Not commercial. My brain's going black.
Edna [00:10:09]:
Standard seating. I don't know there's a word for it, but I can't think of it right now. Okay, so. And then now, like, when we. When I sat back in, like, regular seating. Cabin. Yeah, regular standard cabin. I don't know.
Edna [00:10:23]:
Sorry. I was like, this is not as comfortable. You know, thank God. You know, on my way back, I was able to have the whole, you know, like, roto myself, which was nice, but I was like, I kind of like first class class seating. Does that make sense? And so discomfort is the holy agitation. Hear me, my friends. That begins when your identity no longer matches Your assignment, and the worst thing you can do in that moment is to try to return to normal, to try to keep it usual, because you don't want to ruffle the feathers. Normal is dead, my friends.
Edna [00:11:03]:
And God killed it. So I want you to hear me, okay? If you're feeling discomfort right now in your current season, it's because God is trying to work on your inside. Okay? Now, there is a difference between spiritual agitation and burnout. And I want to very, very specific and what that is. Remember that every leader at some point will feel pressure, but not every pressure is the same. Okay? So I want you to distinguish the difference between the two. Burnout and spiritual agitation. Number one, Burnout feels like depletion.
Edna [00:11:42]:
Spiritual agitation feels like acceleration. Okay? Like, when God is moving fast. Like, I'm literally looking at my list of all the things I have to get done, and it's done. This was done in November, and now I'm adding more stuff that I have it. Like, and mind you, I usually make a list of everything I need to do for the year, and I've already done everything in November. Okay? So it's going fast, and I feel like I'm moving quicker than I thought I would. Okay, the second point is burnout drains your energy, whereas agitation increases your sensitivity. Burnout drains your energy, and agitation increases your sensitive sensitivity.
Edna [00:12:29]:
Okay, so what does that mean? It means that I'm discerning when something is like, okay, yeah, this is a time waster, or this is a distraction, or this is an attack from the enemy. I'm like, no, I'm gonna keep going. Like, I'm not gonna focus on this. Okay? Whereas burn. I was like, I'm so exhausted. I'm so tired. Maybe I need a break. Right? Whereas agitation is just like, okay, well, I, I, yeah, this, I could do this, but I'm not going to.
Edna [00:13:00]:
You know what I mean? It. It's very. Or. Or you're feeling like you're not. Thank you, Holy spirit. Like, you go in an environment, you're like, well, you know, this is not for me. Like, you're just so sensitive. You're.
Edna [00:13:10]:
You're agitated. Because, like, no, this is not, this is not. I, I don't need to put up with this. Does that make sense? I hope this is making sense. Okay. Burnout makes you want to quit everything. Agitation makes you want to change everything. Like, okay, I gotta upgrade this.
Edna [00:13:26]:
I gotta upgrade this. I mean, guys, I kid you not. Like, this year I had to upgrade a lot of things. I had to upgrade my makeup My skin care, my laptop bag, my clothing, my. Even my diet. Like, now. Like, I'm just. There's just so many things that I'm like, wow, God, like, you're really helping me change everything to line up with my internal.
Edna [00:13:50]:
Okay, do you guys understand what I'm saying? Burnout feels hopeless, whereas agitation feels holy. Okay? Burnout is exhaustion from misalignment, where agitation is activation from divine timing, where it's like now. It's like, the time is now, Edna. Like, you're. Stop settling. Stop playing small. I played small for a very long time because I want people to relate to me, if that makes sense. Like, I.
Edna [00:14:20]:
In a way, like, I don't know if you ever heard of this term, where I dumb myself down on purpose because I don't want people to really know what I know because I don't want people to use me because I've been used in the past. Does that make sense? So it's now. It's like, okay, that's enough, Edna. Stop playing small. It's time to go be all that you God called you to be. Okay? So if you're spiritually agitated, remember that you're not breaking down. You're actually breaking out. You're breaking out of the limitations that you put on yourself or what others put on you, okay? The identity that kept you safe so that you could step into, the identity that makes you effective needs to die, right? That.
Edna [00:15:05]:
That has to go away. Okay? So spiritual agitation, my friends, is God saying, you've outgrown this level. I'm preparing you for the next. And that's exactly this journey that I've been on this year. I don't take on everybody for my clients. I pick and choose who I work with. If someone dishonors me, I will not work with you. I don't need.
Edna [00:15:27]:
I always tell people this. I don't need your money. God has me one way or another, okay? And so when. When you have that. That wholeness, that authority, you know, knowing that, okay, first of all, my source is not my business. My source is God. And I will not put up with this spiritual abuse or emotional abuse or verbal abuse or physical abuse anymore, because I know who I am and I know who I serve. Okay? So God upgrades identity before authority.
Edna [00:15:58]:
That's the. That is it. The fourth thing. I think that's the fourth thing that I want to talk about. Because we often ask God for greater influence, but then God asks. Asks us for greater internal structure. Because before he expands your territory, he expands your joy, your emotional Intelligence, your capacity, your discipline, your spiritual regulation, your obedience and your authority, okay? God will not multiply what your identity cannot hold. Do you hear me, my friends? God would not multiply what your identity cannot hold because you don't receive authority based on your gifting, okay? Everyone has gifts.
Edna [00:16:42]:
Heck, you know, what do you call those people? The magicians and the psychics and all those folks out there that are part of the kingdom of darkness all have gifts, okay? But. But they don't have authority over darkness. They don't have authority over Jesus. Jesus only gives authority over those who have his heart, okay? You receive authority because you're aligning with his truth, with his ways, with his mind, with his words, okay? When God wants to promote you, he doesn't start with your business, okay? He starts. I want you to go. Listen to me. I'm gonna slow it down this part, because I want you to hear me. He starts with your mind.
Edna [00:17:21]:
He starts with your posture. He starts with your habits. He starts with your standards. He starts with your spiritual intelligence. He starts with your willingness to surrender. Your next level will require a you that you have not met yet. Let me say that one more time. The Edna that you are hearing right now isn't the Edna that I am becoming, okay? I have to grow into it still.
Edna [00:17:54]:
You know, even though I. I feel like I've grown and matured a lot, there's still more. There's always more. Okay? So you have to set those standards a little bit higher. And. And that means you have to focus on all the different things that I mentioned just before this comment. Right? All right? Now, how do we cooperate with a season of divine expansion? Let's get. Let's get practical, okay? Let's get practical, because when God is promoting you internally, you have to cooperate or the transition becomes chaotic.
Edna [00:18:32]:
And I don't know about you guys, I don't like chaos. So this is how you yield instead of resist. Number one, stop trying to revive expired seasons. If the grace is gone, if the excitement is gone, if the clarity is gone, God has moved. Follow him. All right? Number two, strengthen the version of you God is revealing, okay? Take identity cues seriously. For example, the new standards, the new boundaries, the new desires, new convictions, they are not random. They're actually prophetic, okay? And number three, I want you to release the habits that belong to the old you.
Edna [00:19:12]:
Old structure cannot hold new anointing. What worked in one season becomes bondage in the next. So the things that I put up with before, I am not putting up with me putting up with next in my next season or even in this season, okay? That old Edna is gone. I'm not going to cast my pearls to swine. I'm not going to, you know, just continue to give out of the abundance of my heart and be generous and generous to people who don't value me or my gifting. Number four, let discomfort become your mentor. So instead of fighting it, ask God, what identity are you forming through this discomfort? Right, and the last one is prepare for doors to open after you are ready, not before. Spiritual promotion happens inside first.
Edna [00:20:06]:
Let me say that again. Spiritual promotions happens inside first. By the time you see the change outside, the real revelation has already occurred on the inside. All right? So if you're feeling uncomfortable, if you're feeling stretched, if you're feeling restless or unrecognizable right now, okay, join the club. This is because God has already promoted you internally, and now your environment, your confidence and your structure are still trying to catch up. Okay? So you're not behind. You're not confused, you're not unstable. You're becoming who God called you to be.
Edna [00:20:50]:
And God is demanding the version of you that can carry what he is releasing next. So the question for you is very simple. I want to end with this. Will you cooperate with the expansion or will you cling to the identity God is trying to retire? Okay, stop holding on to old wineskin. New wine cannot go into old wine skin. Okay? You need to be a new wine skin so you could carry the new oil that God is pouring out this season. Remember, my friends, your next level is not waiting on a door. It's waiting on a you that agrees with God's upgrade.
Edna [00:21:30]:
Well, I hope this blessed you and I hope that this will encourage you to be all that God called you to be since the beginning of time. God bless you guys, and I'll talk to you all soon. Take care. Thanks for joining us this week on Estrepreneur. Make sure to Visit our website, favorandwealth.com 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. 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.
Edna [00:22:10]:
Until next time, keep shining.