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Ministry Wives & Women is a podcast for ministry wives and women seeking encouragement, spiritual depth, and honest conversation for the journey of faith. everyday life, and the challenges of church leadership. Hosted by Andrea Griffith, each episode offers thoughtful wisdom, real stories, and gospel-centered hope to help women live with greater resilience, authenticity, and grace in every season.
Andrea Griffith (00:01)
Hello, friends. As we conclude season one and look ahead to season two, I wanted to pause and just share some reflections and thoughts directly with you. If you've been listening to this podcast for any length of time, you have heard about the cohorts I have the privilege of leading through the Church Hub. Each time our group gathers, we ask a joining question. This month, the joining question was: Tell us about a time of rescue in your life.
Over the last two days, I've heard some incredible rescue stories. The stories have ranged from salvation to car wrecks to being rescued from terrible choices to being alone in an obscure place and acquaintances showing up at just the right time and place and rescuing my friend. And if one point came through, it is that Jesus is a rescuing God. No other explanation accounts.
For these unexplainable stories. He rescues us from ourselves, from sin, from harmful situations, and from the brokenness of our circumstances. Even when we don't see him coming, he is at work orchestrating a rescue. Season one of this podcast has been an unseen rescue that God prepared for me. Talking about resilience and hearing trusted friends talk about it.
Has been a grace, a rescue that I did not see coming. In episode one with Ann Wilson from Family Life, we defined resilience like this: it is the strength to endure hardship, suffering, and challenges without losing faith, hope, or love for God. It is not merely the ability to bounce back, but it is the grace-driven capacity.
To persevere through difficulties while continuing to trust in God and his promises. The words grace-driven jump out at me every time. We will be resilient only if we are rooted in the gospel of grace. And hopefully, season one of this podcast has pointed us all to that. Each woman we have heard from has pointed us again and again to.
To Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Turning to Jesus like my 17-month-old granddaughter turns to me for everything she needs is where we find and live out resilience as we face hardships, disappointments, and perplexing circumstances.
We find resilience in the life and work of Jesus. And we live out that resilience by abiding in him. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that through the true knowledge of God, we have everything we need for life and godliness. And as we come to know him more deeply, he gives us everything we need to be resilient. This week, as I got ready for my in-person group,
I wanted to have food for the ladies as they came. So I made the batter for pumpkin muffins. I prepared everything the day before, but I waited to bake it until the morning that everyone arrived. That morning, as I juggled oven temperatures, baking times, getting myself ready, the morning schedule.
And everything I needed to lead this group for three and a half hours, I suddenly re-realized how hard it is to be resilient. Because the week before I had burned 24 pumpkin muffins. And I knew that this morning, when all the ladies were about to arrive, that I had to see this through to the end. And that is why resilience is tough.
We get tired, we become weary. Pain in life is real and it does not resolve quickly. Our own willpower and determination only go so far. It's hard to see things through to the end. We need someone who is perfect in his understanding of us.
And of our circumstances, and someone who can give us what we cannot muster up on our own.
Jesus perfectly endured to the end. And if we are in Christ, God has graciously given us Jesus' record of resilience. So as we seek to be resilient, we do it from a place of already being gifted resilience, not striving for it.
As we've journeyed through season one together, Isaiah 40 has come up a couple of times. I love Isaiah 40 because it reminds me that he knows exactly where we are and what we are facing. And he gives the power and strength to the weary. Several times we've quoted Mark Vrogop,
We are living in what we know to be true about God when we don't know what is true about life.
By reminding ourselves again and again who God is. We endure what we don't understand because resilience is not built on our strength, but on God's faithfulness. Psalm 9:10 says: Those who know your name will trust in you. To know God, we have to carve out time to be with Him. One of my favorite episodes was with Megan Thompson, who shared that she said.
Stopped thinking of her time with God as a duty to check off a list, and instead she began to see it as an invitation each morning as she opened her Bible. God was inviting her to come away with him, almost like being invited to a party, a celebration, or a place of joy. And when we truly get there and see God as He is, this becomes the best part of our day.
Andrea Griffith (06:37)
We have heard from woman after woman.
Who told us of a God who rescued her from herself and empowered her to keep loving, pursuing, and living for Him, no matter what difficulties ministry brought her. We have a faithful, rescuing God. Thank you for listening this season. Many of you have found me through social media and have shared how much these conversations have meant to you, and that has meant the world to me. My hope was that you would feel seen and not.
Alone, encouraged and spurred on to love and good works, and drawn to know Jesus more deeply. As we've been releasing these episodes, we've been busy recording season two, which focuses on faith, another spirit-produced characteristic that I desperately need. And we will be taking a short break about a month, before season two releases. Follow the podcast so you will know the moment.
It drops. And while you wait, if you want to keep growing in resilience, I'd love to walk with you through my Bible study, The Resilient Soul, Enduring Faith in Weary Season. It's nine weeks of opening God's word together, and it's available now on Amazon. Thank you for joining us this season, and I cannot wait to see you for season two