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The Estherpreneur Podcast is for faith-driven founders and Kingdom leaders who know they are called to build but refuse to do it disconnected from God.
Hosted by Edna Harding, Christ-Centered Business Architect and CEO of Favor & Wealth, this podcast is where biblical wisdom meets business strategy, leadership, wealth, identity, and spiritual alignment.
Here, we talk about what it really takes to build what God assigned to your hands: obedience, clarity, sales, stewardship, emotional maturity, spiritual warfare, and the courage to come out of striving.
Each episode will help you discern what is misaligned, strengthen who you are becoming, and build with excellence, favor, and wisdom.
Because you are not just growing a business.
You are stewarding an assignment.
And the leader God is forming in you matters just as much as what He is building through you.
Visit FavorandWealth.com and EsthersOil.org.
Edna [00:00:00]:
Well, hello everyone. Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the Ask the Preneur Podcast. My name is Edna Harding, and I'm nothing but a messenger of life. And in today's episode, we're going to talk about grace. Grace, grace, grace. And this is something, that word, that I think a lot of people misuse. Grace, grace, grace. For example, God understands.
Edna [00:00:34]:
God understands. He's loving. He gets it. He's kind. And while that's true, God does understand, what many people mean is grace gives me permission to stay here. And today I want to lovingly but clearly say this: God is not giving you permission to keep doing what you're doing. Okay, grace is not permission. Grace is not God overlooking misalignment.
Edna [00:01:04]:
Grace is not God tolerating what he's trying to heal. And grace is definitely not a license to remain undeveloped. Grace is power. Grace is access. And grace is divine enablement to become who God already sees. Okay, and what I love about this is that grace reveals who you're becoming. So first, let's start with who you are, not what you've done. Okay, grace is not given because you're weak.
Edna [00:01:35]:
Grace is not given because, you know, you're, you're, you're defeated. He's given it to you because you're called. And in Titus 2:11-12, it says, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. So grace doesn't excuse behavior, it actually trains your identity. And so what happens is if grace is present and transformation is absent, there's some— there's a gap there, okay? There's something that's not being understood. And let's just call a spade a spade, there is a misuse of grace in leadership and business. And especially among leaders, okay? So grace becomes the reason why we delay hard conversations. Grace is the reason why we avoid discipline.
Edna [00:02:35]:
Grace is the reason why we stay in unhealthy systems or environment. Grace is the reason why we excuse emotional immaturity, and grace is the reason why we call dysfunction seasonal, okay? The other day I mentioned an example of my anger. You know, I get angry after— even it takes a while, it's still— I get angry, and that's not right, okay? He gives me the grace so that I could control that, so I could defeat that, and I could, you know, get rid of that demon, okay, that is trying to irritate and irk me so that I will lash out, okay, because of stress, anxiety, whatever it is. I could have all the reasons in the world. I'm tired, I'm exhausted, I'm a mom, I'm this, I'm that, but in reality, God gave us self-control, and if we keep making excuses for our behavior, we're never going to get saved. We're never going to deal with that if we are in denial, okay, because grace doesn't remove responsibility. In fact, what it does, it gives us plainly in Romans 6:1-2, it says, shall we continue in that grace may abound? By no means. What grace does is it restores capacity to walk responsibly, okay? So if you think about Saul, Saul didn't lose God's grace overnight, okay? It was gradually.
Edna [00:04:06]:
He was anointed, he was empowered, he was chosen, but because he consistently used justification and constantly made excuses instead of repentance, in 1 Samuel 15:24, 1 Samuel 15, when Saul disobeys God and then explains himself, he assumed that grace will cover partial obedience, but then Samuel responds and says, "To obey is better than sacrifice." So grace didn't fail Saul, submission did. Grace could have restored him, but pride got in the way. It blocked his repentance. Okay, so there is a difference between grace and permission. Okay, so let's make that distinction clear. Permission says you can stay here, and grace says you don't have to. So grace doesn't lower the standard, but grace meets you at the standard, which is why in 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. So grace is power in weakness.
Edna [00:05:14]:
Not partnership with weakness. So it doesn't keep you there, but it gives you to overcome. It gives you the power to overcome that weakness. So in business, grace as permission sounds like, we'll fix the systems later, God knows my heart. Oh gosh, that's the worst. God knows my heart. This season is just messy. They'll eventually grow.
Edna [00:05:37]:
But what happens is unmanaged grace produces burnout teams, it confuses culture, you stall growth, and then you carry people— like, people carry what systems could carry, right? And so we could make excuses for our lack of revenue, lack of progress, this and that. But at some point, we have to take responsibility and allow the grace of God to overcome those weaknesses with wisdom. Okay, because grace does not replace order. In fact, 1 Corinthians 14:40 is one of my go-to verses. It reminds us that let all things be done decently and in order, because what happens is grace will empower you to build what discipline sustains. But if you do not have discipline, there's nothing to sustain, right? So the purpose of grace wasn't to make you comfortable. It was designed to make you free. And grace empowers you to get rid of old patterns, the old self, fear-based relationship, right? Emotional reactivity and the cycles that you keep calling, "This is another test, this is another test." Is there a reason why you keep facing the same test? Is it the reason why you're facing the same mountain? Could it be that you're not passing and that God has to send it to you again because you're not passing? Grace is God saying, "I'll walk with you, but I won't lie to you." Okay, it's the truth that's gonna set you free.
Edna [00:07:08]:
And we're in denial thinking that, oh, you know, this too shall pass, you know, it's just part of the journey. But you should be experiencing better— not the same test, but a different test, an elevated test. Not that you want to face giant devils or higher devils, but that's what happens if God promotes you. You're supposed to be maturing and not, you know, doing the same first grade test. You should be taking high school tests, if that makes sense. It spirit. All right, so I want you to ask yourself without condemnation, okay, where have I called grace what was actually avoidance? Number 2, what have I delayed that grace was meant to empower? Is it going back to school? Is it hiring that admin? Is it, you know, joining Edna's Business Unlimited program? Yes, shameless plug. Is it cutting your hair so that, you know, people could find you attractive? Is it you working out so that, you know, you could have the strength to be able to build what God told you to build? Okay, number 3: Is grace producing growth or just relief? Are you growing internally and externally? Number 4: Where is God inviting discipline Not prayer.
Edna [00:08:33]:
At some point you need to stop praying and start doing. Okay, and number 5: What version of me is grace trying to form? These are key component questions, okay? These are not just from, you know, just shooting from the hip. These are valid questions that I highly suggest you take the time this evening, this weekend, and write it all out. And have a one-on-one with yourself and ask these questions truthfully. Grace saved you, yes, but it was never meant to stop there, okay. In fact, Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us, by grace you have been saved for good works which God prepared beforehand. Grace is not permission to stay bound. In fact, grace is power to build what God prepared.
Edna [00:09:29]:
So if Grace feels uncomfortable right now, that's not failure, that's actually formation. God is forming you into something bigger than you, which is why I've been— I don't know about you guys, I've been feeling stretched. Like, he's like, higher standards, it's okay. Like, I give people so many chances, and at some point he's like, enough. Pay attention to the patterns, not the potential. All right, all right. So remember, my friends, you're not being exposed, okay? You're being elevated into alignment with his vision, his standards, because he wants the best for you. But he can only give you the best if you are the best.
Edna [00:10:16]:
He doesn't do favors, okay? He, he does it based on what your abil— your ability to carry. Your stewardship, right? Grace is provision so that you can be transformed, okay? That's what God wants. He wants transformation. So stop settling for less and go for God's best. And the way you do that is by making yourself better every single day, even 1%, 10%, 50%, 100%. Get better day by day and glory to glory. Let the Holy Spirit help you navigate through these decisions. Stop wasting time.
Edna [00:11:03]:
The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. All right, friends, God bless you, and I hope to see you guys next time. Take care.
Unspecified Estherpreneur Host [00:11:17]:
Thanks for joining us this week on Estherpreneur. Make sure to visit our website, favorandwealth.com, www.theshiningcompany.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 7 of my secrets on how to win and grow business the right way. Until next time, keep shining.