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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 Harding [00:00:02]:
Well, hello everyone! Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the Astrapreneur Podcast. My name is Edna Harding and I'm nothing but a messenger of hope, life, and truth in the marketplace. And I'm so glad you guys are tuning in today. And in today's episode, we're going to talk about why some leaders are anointed but ineffective. Is anybody else in the building? Okay, does anybody know anybody that's so gifted and anointed, but are ineffective. You're not seeing any fruits in their lives. Well, my friends, I'm so excited that you guys are tuning in today, and we're going to unpack that today. For those of you guys who are new here, in this podcast we talk about all things business and life God's way, where we focus on your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances.
Edna Harding [00:00:52]:
So if this is something you're interested in, you're in the right spot. Okay, so first let's go ahead and dive deep into the teaching today. You know, there's a quiet tension many believers carry, and that is something that a lot of people think maybe, but they don't really say out loud. But I'm gonna go ahead and say it out loud for you. You know, like, for example, they're clearly anointed and they're gifted, so why isn't it working? For example, the sermons are powerful, you know, the calling is evident, The gifts are undeniable, undeniable, but then their fruits is inconsistent. The teams are strained, the businesses are stalled, and the influence is not there. So today we're talking about a truth that requires maturity to hear. So yes, we're going to get into the filet mignon of the word, which is anointing does not equal effectiveness.
Edna Harding [00:01:50]:
And confusing the two has cost many leaders their peace, credibility and assignment. And this is something that even me personally that I've dealt with, because first of all, anointing is not the same as readiness, okay? Because anointing is God's authorization, but effectiveness is stewardship of that authorization. That's the missing component, the stewardship aspect. You know, the Bible tells us in Romans 11:29 that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. So God God does not revoke the anointing because of immaturity, but scripture shows us that anointing can exist without wisdom, discipline, or alignment, which is why someone can be genuinely called and still ineffective. And it's not because they have bad intentions, but they're undeveloped, okay? They're not mature. So let me give you an example. Saul was anointed, but he wasn't aligned, okay? He's one of the best examples you see in the Bible, okay? He was chosen by God.
Edna Harding [00:03:01]:
I'm talking about King Saul. He was anointed by Samuel. Remember, Samuel anointed him, and in fact, he was empowered by the Spirit of God. Yet his reign ended in dysfunction. Have any of you guys seen that movie King David? It's a really good movie, by the way. I watched it with my kids. Angel Studios actually has it available right now, so it's playing in there, but it's such a great movie to watch. Such a great movie.
Edna Harding [00:03:24]:
I cried towards the end. It was so good. Anyway, back to the story. Saul repeatedly honored public opinion over obedience, and that's really what made his empire or his reign fail. In fact, in 1 Samuel 15, Saul disobeys God and then says, "I feared the people and obeyed their voice." That one sentence right there reveals the issue. Saul was anointed, but internally he was ungoverned. He cared more about what people think than what God thinks. And here's what happens if you can't govern your internal, your pressure by man, you won't be able to handle the pressure of the outside, right? Meaning like larger giants.
Edna Harding [00:04:12]:
And so let me just make it plain. When you can't master your people pleasing, right? That's going to be hard. And that for me, to be quite honest, that's been a struggle for me throughout my career, throughout my business, is I don't want to ruffle the feathers. I just want to— I want to be a blessing. I want to be able to say yes, yes, yes, when God is telling me I have to learn how to say no and I have to stop fearing what man thinks, but fear what God thinks. And if he's saying that they're taking advantage of you, I have to be like, no, I'm not putting up with that. And, and that's something that he's been working on me for years because of where he's taking me. Because if I could be gifted, but if I don't have that inner authority where I can master that feeling, that emotion of wanting to please people, it will produce outer collapse.
Edna Harding [00:05:08]:
Does that make sense? Anointing isn't enough. We have to govern our feelings, our emotions, right? We have to govern our decision-making. We basically have to govern our soul, our mind, right? Our imagination, those kind of things. And the truth is God's power flows through the soul, okay? Not around it. In fact, 3 John 1:2 says that you may prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. So when your soul is undisciplined, when it's wounded, when it's insecure, when you're reactive, the anointing is still operating, but effectiveness is compromised. And this is how you get charisma without character. Have any of you guys met— I remember, not to mention name— there was this pastor, so charismatic, moves the room, so friendly, so kind, but he was a lying, deceiving man.
Edna Harding [00:06:08]:
Okay? And that's what happens, right? You could look good on the outside, but inside you're evil. Okay? You could also have vision without follow-through. You could have all these big dreams, but you don't execute. Okay? And most importantly, you can have authority, okay, but no one trusts you, okay, because of who you are. Okay? So here are 5 reasons leaders can be anointed but ineffective. So number 1, they rely on anointing instead of obedience. So anointing is not a substitute for obedience, okay? Jesus says in John 14:15, if you love me, keep my commandments. So you can be anointed, but if God's giving you an instruction and not obeying, you're not going to receive the fruitfulness of your gifting.
Edna Harding [00:06:57]:
Some leaders, you know, they pray for power, but then they avoid correction. And if you want to have power, the right kind of power, you have to obey God. Obedience sustains what anointing initiates. You need to have both. You know, your gifts will make room for you, but to stay in the room, you have to be obedient to God. Okay, number 2, they never develop leadership skills. So calling does not cancel the need for competence. In fact, in Exodus 18, Moses is anointed but ineffective until Jethro teaches him structure.
Edna Harding [00:07:32]:
For example, you know, outsourcing, you know, the leadership to other people under you. Okay, because if you have the anointing and you're burnt out, it's not going to do you any good. So God needs to teach you how to delegate, not just to delegate, but to delegate to the right people. And that's an area that I'm, you know, that I'm working on. So by the way, guys, I'm currently looking for graphic designer, like a creative designer, a creative website designer. So if this is you and you have a heart for God's people and you want to use your gifting, please reach out to me. I would love to have you interview and be part of upcoming projects in the future. All right, okay, so let's move on.
Edna Harding [00:08:26]:
Number 3, they're emotionally undiscipled. So many leaders love God, but they never learn to govern emotions, which I mentioned earlier. What happens is you react instead of you discerning, you control instead of trust, and you isolate yourself instead of getting wise counsel. In fact, Proverbs tells us that he who rules the spirit is better than one who takes a city, in Proverbs 16:32. And so the first thing we need to do is govern ourselves. And that is why, even for me, you know, I'll transparently parenthood, when I started noticing like I'm just lashing out on children, my children, because they're not listening, even though like, mind you, I'm a very patient person. But after calling you 15 times and you're still not listening, and I'm like, and it's weird because, does any other mom relate where when my husband, when daddy says something, they listen right away, but when mommy takes them 50 times and me raising my voice for them to listen? Anyway, thank you to my husband. He was able to help me come up with a way to not yell because I told them I hate yelling.
Edna Harding [00:09:34]:
And in fact, when I spanked them, I spanked them once the other night and they were like, it didn't hurt mommy. And that even made me more sad, like defeated. And I told them it's because I don't want to spank you. But if me talking nicely to you and you guys are not listening and I have to raise my voice and that's not working, I have to come up with other ways. Then my husband was like, well, just send them to the room, make them go to bed, take out some stuff. And he said, don't waste your energy. And I'm like, you know what, you're right. I don't want to waste my energy because to me, you know, anger and getting upset and getting frustrated isn't helping the situation.
Edna Harding [00:10:13]:
And so I had to learn to govern myself. So over the past day or so, that's what I did. And guess what? I haven't been yelling a lot. So thank you, husband. But the point of this is I have to govern my emotions, govern myself. Number 4, they refuse godly structure. Remember guys, God is a God of order. In 1 Corinthians 14:40, it says that all things be done decently and in order.
Edna Harding [00:10:37]:
And some leaders resist systems because they confuse structure with restriction. They're like, well, it's not going to work for this because, you know, my thing does this. No guys, systems work. Structure doesn't limit anointing. In fact, it protects it, which is why I encourage all my clients to build systems for their businesses. Okay, from operations to sales to marketing, even decision-making, inspired hiring, system, system, system, systems. If this is something that you need help with, join my Business Unlimited Mentorship Group. It's the most cost-effective and most affordable option for those of you guys who are struggling in startups, and you're going to get the results you desire.
Edna Harding [00:11:22]:
Okay, you're going to get the fruits from your labor. Okay, if you follow God's ways. All right, so yeah, that's a shameless plug. Go to my website, favormouth.com, and click on services, and you'll see that right there. Okay, and number 5, they mistake fruitfulness for faithfulness. And the problem is results can come from gifting, but lasting impact comes from alignment. Okay, so you could get a little bit of results, but guess what, my friends? That doesn't mean you're aligned. Okay, because Jesus warns in Matthew 7:22-23 that people can move in power but still be unknown to him, because God is not impressed by your activity, but he's looking for faithfulness to his original plan.
Edna Harding [00:12:11]:
Okay, so just imagine this: you build, build, build, you get results, you get awards, applaud from man, and then you get to heaven, he's like, that's not what I wanted for you. And do you think he's pleased by your multi-million dollars and your awards and your Escalade and fancy vehicles and fancy stuff? He's not. He wants that— he's going to ask you, this is my plan, did you stick to my plan? He's looking for faithfulness, not fruitfulness according to man's standards. So with me, I can honestly say that I am building it the way God intended. Sometimes I get distracted, yes, when the gold and the whistles and the, the thing that looks like gold— and I got— but God always pulls me back because I, I make it a point every single day. I was like, Lord, show me what to do. Help me to build this ark like you want me to build it, according to your perfect standards, according to your perfect plan. And it's taking me a bit longer again because of life and seasons in general.
Edna Harding [00:13:15]:
But I know that when I get to heaven, that he's gonna say, well done, my good and faithful servant, because everything that I'm doing and building is for his glory and for his namesake and for his people, based on the blueprint he gave me. Does that make sense? All right, so now, um, let's talk about, um, how this shows up in business. So In business, your vision can be strong, but your execution is weak. Or you have favor that opens doors, but your system can't contain growth. Or you have leaders who attract people, but they can't keep them. So again, what this comes down to, this is not a calling problem. This is what an architectural problem. So you're anointed but ineffective.
Edna Harding [00:14:05]:
Okay, so how do you do that? Okay. He advances structures that can steward influence. So it's not so much that you're not gifted, but you have to create structures and systems and the right people around you so that you're able to support your gifting and your anointing. Does that make sense? Now, if this spoke to you, you know, this episode is not a rebuke, okay? It's a, a nice and loving invitation of hope and truth right? And like grace and truth, where God is not asking you to become less spiritual, but he's inviting you to become more mature. Okay, mature sons and daughters. No more babies, no more little children, but mature sons and daughters, because the earth is groaning for people like you to step into all that God has. But you have to follow everything I just mentioned above. Okay, um, and, um, I mean, probably not above, but prior So I'm looking through my notes.
Edna Harding [00:15:05]:
Okay, so, um, remember that effectiveness is not about striving, it's about aligning with God's pace, God's instructions, and God's ways. Okay, so I want you to ask these questions and I want you to reflect on it. Maybe write it on your journal. You know, where have you learned on anoint— where have you learned— where have you leaned on anointing instead of obedience? That's number one. Where have you leaned on anointing instead of obedience? Okay, number 2: What leadership skill has God been prompting you to develop? So for me specifically, it's I'm too nice and I have to be firm and I have to stop, what do you call it, overextending myself to people who's not putting in the same effort. So if they give me a lot of energy, give them a lot of energy, but if not, they're not putting in the effort, like I shouldn't do that because it's not fair to me, right? I'm giving it my all and they need to give it their all too. Okay, number 3: Is my soul disciplined enough to carry my assignment? Okay, the soul work is the most important work. It's the hardest work, okay? And it's the hardest work is the heart work, right? But it's so essential if you want to experience the wealth that comes with no sorrow.
Edna Harding [00:16:29]:
Number 4: where am I resisting structure God is offering? Okay, what, what, where, where are you resisting structure? Because you need structure, okay? And, and because of all the stuff I have, like, it's weird because I have so many different business ideas and so many different offerings, and I'm like building each structure. I'm like, oh my gosh, it's never-ending. But what better time to do it now when I still have littles and I can't really travel as much, so that when, when it's time, it's green light, I can run fast and run well because the systems are all in place. All right. And number 5, am I measuring success by fruit or by faithfulness? Okay. And I can honestly say for me, it's by faithfulness. All right, in John 15:16 it says, I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain. God is not just interested in moments of power, but he desires eternal impact.
Edna Harding [00:17:34]:
And remember that anointing may open your door, but it's the alignment with God and his ways and his pace that keeps it open., and it's your maturity that determines what remains. You're not being diminished. God isn't being mean to you and stopping you from stepping into your position, but you're being developed to carry all that he has for you. Because when anointing meets alignment, effectiveness becomes inevitable. And isn't that what you want? Don't you rather be effective than efficient. All right, well guys, my friends, I hope that blessed you. I hope that encouraged you, and I'll see you guys next time on the next episode. Take care, my friends.
Edna Harding [00:18:21]:
Have a good one. Bye-bye.
Edna [00:18:29]:
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 7 of my secrets on how to win and grow business the right way. Until next time, keep shining.