Episode 10: Every Woman Has an Assignment

Have you ever felt unqualified to pour into someone else?

In this episode, we talk about what it really means to have spiritual influence—and why you don’t need a title, a platform, or perfection to make a difference in someone’s life.

Looking at biblical examples like the women in Titus 2 and the story of Ananias in Acts 9, we unpack how simple, everyday obedience can have a powerful impact on others.

Because the truth is:

Every woman has an assignment.
And someone in need is waiting on the other side of your obedience.

What may feel small to you—an encouraging text, a conversation, a moment of obedience—could be exactly what someone else needs.

In this episode, we cover:

•  Why we often feel unqualified 
•  What spiritual influence looks like in real life 
•  The power of simple obedience 
•  A practical step you can take today 

🎧 Listen in and be encouraged—you have more to give than you think.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Back in April. That's right, I'm method to encourage women through every walk of life. We know that life speaks loud, but God's word speaks louder.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

So if you're looking for a place to know more about it, a place for you. Join us. Let's get encouraged by the word. Hey guys, welcome back to Encouraged by the Word Podcast. We're your host. I'm April. And I'm Becca, and we are so glad that you joined us today. Yes, this is a very exciting podcast. Um, our tenth episode, and in America, it's the month that we celebrate mothers. And on our episode today, we are going to celebrate women all over the world. So stay with us, listen, open your hearts, and just enjoy.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Okay, I need to say, real quick though, in two months, it'll be our one-year anniversary, so we're gonna have to celebrate. We are. I'm thinking cupcakes and balloons. Yes, for sure. Okay, so back to the topic today. Today we're talking about mothers. And before you get intimidated, this is actually really simple, and we're talking to all women, not just people who have birthed children, but all women. So stick with us.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Yes, and this is gonna be something that we are all going to be able to benefit from. Whether you're a mom physically or not, you all are going to be able to take away uh seeds from this episode and apply it to your life and bless someone else.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Absolutely. So our topic today is spiritual influence, or what some would call, we've heard it mentioned spiritual motherhood. And we're gonna talk about what that means in everyday life and how each and every one of us are called by God to have spiritual influence over other people.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Yeah. And before you check out and you think to yourself, this is not for me. I'm not equipped or qualified to do this. We're gonna cast those wives down. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

And just stick with us because this is for you. Yeah, and we're gonna talk. I know we we've already said it, but I really want you to understand that it's not just about having kids, it's not about your age. You don't have to be older to have impact on others. That's right. Um, you can be any age, and it's definitely not about being perfect. Please get that in your head because God wants to use you exactly where you are, and he has people that he wants you to reach exactly where you are. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

So let's be honest here. Sometimes when we hear pouring into someone or encouraging someone, it can feel a little bit like, am I qualified to do that? Uh, I'm not ready to do that just yet. I'm not um mature in my walk with Christ to be able to do those things. Or I don't know enough. Yeah. You know, I don't know as many scriptures as my friend Becca knows, or I don't know um how to approach someone like another friend is able to, or I'm figuring things out on my own, you know, you just don't feel like you're ready.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

That's right. And I think a lot of times we disqualify ourselves before we even try. We talk ourselves out of it, you know, like she said, I'm not good enough, I don't know enough, I'm not pretty enough to go into that group. I'm not, you know, whatever the lies are that the enemy does, he tells us all the same thing. And we disqualify ourselves before we even step out. Right.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

And we basically get to a point where we just talk ourselves out of doing the thing that we want so desperately to be able to do. Yeah, we feel um our mind where our minds have those lies coming to us and we entertain those lies. And right, we just stop.

SPEAKER_00 3:27

And the truth is when we disqualify ourselves, we're actually disqualifying ourselves from something that God has called us to do.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Yeah, oh, that's good. Because if he put that in our heart to bless someone, he wants us to do that. And it doesn't, it didn't just come from us, it's something that he wants us to do. So being able to make an impact in the world uh as Christians is what he needs us to do. And when he gives us those seats to sow to someone else, we have to act in obedience and be confident enough to do it. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

And scripture actually talks about this in several areas, but in uh Titus 2, 3 through 5, if you'll read that, it actually lays out a blueprint for mentorship. And um, it talks about women encouraging other women, teaching other women, uplifting other women, and that's what we need to do each and every day of our lives.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Yeah, I feel like God knew that it was going to be necessary and we needed it, and so it wasn't just a good idea, it was something that was all a part of God's plan for our life.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Yeah, that's good. That's really good. And then if you look in 2 Timothy, you know, Timothy was an early evangelist, he was a pastor. Yeah, he was a big part of the Bible, and his faith was shaped by his mom and his grandmother. It tells us that. It God thought that was important enough to put in there that we knew that his faith was shaped by these women.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Yeah, and I love that so much because it shows us something really important. The spiritual impact that his mother and grandmother played on his life. It didn't come from um, or the spiritual impact that was put on his life, it didn't come from the pulpit. It came right from his home. I'm sure as a little boy, he was filled with scripture, and he was able to look at the life his mother led and the life that his grandmother walked out to see this is what faith looks like, and this is what I need to do.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

That's really good. It was that consistent faithfulness. So, what does this look like for us? Um, let's make it practical, simple steps, because we will try to overcomplicate it in our mind, and that's not what God wants, okay? So when people hear this and they think, oh my gosh, this means I have to go leave a Bible study, or I have to, you know, we just put these extravagant things in our mind that we think we have to do when you hear pouring into others, and that's not what he's talking about at all. Right.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Sometimes it looks like just sending a text that says, Hey, I was thinking about you today, just wondering how life is going. It doesn't take something big and um overboard to pour into someone's life. It could be super, super simple. Um hey, I'm praying for you, friend. I know you have a big test coming up, and I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you. You can invite someone out to coffee and you know, just be honest and transparent about what God is doing in your life. That's good. That's a big testimony itself and to others, you know, or even just noticing someone. I was at the doctor's office this morning and crossing paths with the young lady, we smiled and I asked her when would she do? She asked me if I was pregnant, which is totally fine. I said, No. At the end of it all, she's not from here. She has no family. We exchange numbers. Um, and so I'm so excited about what's to come. I'm gonna send her a copy of the podcast, the link to the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

You are literally acting out what we're talking about today. God gave you that opportunity. That's amazing. I love that. And I love what she said. You know, it doesn't come from a platform all the time. God might call you to go to Bible college or to start a small group or to do a Bible study. That's awesome. But He also wants to use you in the small things. Yeah. So I want you to think this week. Think about who impacted you spiritually. I know that you have somebody in your life you can think back on and you can think, wow, they really made a difference in my life.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Yeah, there's plenty of people I know who have impacted me. And not that they came from a platform or not that they were perfect in what they said, but what they did say in their words of encouragement helped me get uh through a difficult moment in life.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Yeah. Yeah. And the biggest thing, April, they showed up. That's the first step. The show up, show you care. You know, that makes such a big difference.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

I know sometimes that brings me to tears when I'm like, oh my gosh, that person, you know, thought of me or called me or text me. That part alone just touches my heart and makes me feel so thought of, so seen. It just changes everything.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Yeah, it's such a simple thing. I mean, I can think back a few weeks ago I had COVID and just like even her, a couple other friends, just sending that simple text, hey, how you feeling today? Just checking on you, you know, when you feel so bad, and then that just perks you up knowing that somebody's thinking about you and checking on you. Yeah. But I want to talk about a phrase that has always stuck with me. I heard this from um Terry Sabelle Foy, and she said, Someone in need is waiting on the other side of your obedience. And that came straight from the Lord. The Lord gave her that. Um, oh, that just has stuck with me.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Yes, and that is so powerful because when you really think about it, that means your obedience is not just about you, it's connected to someone else. So we get to be blessed by acting in obedience, but also the person on the receiving end gets to be blessed because they are going to receive something that God intended uh for them to have.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

That's so good. So think about it like this like the text you felt prompted to send and you didn't do it because you were like, oh, they don't want to hear from me, or they're busy, or I'm busy, or the conversation that you avoided, or maybe you didn't. Maybe you had the conversation or the encouragement you talked yourself out of. I have done this, like I wanted to tell somebody something nice, and I'm like, that's gonna sound stupid. I don't want to say that. But what if that was exactly what they needed that day? And it is because if God told you to do it, they needed that that day.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

And that changes like how we see things when we're facing that moment. We realize it's not just about us, but it's about what's on the other end of our obedience, and it puts us in a position where we're like, okay, God, I'm gonna decrease and you're gonna increase in me. That's so good. And I'm gonna do just what you need me to do, no matter what that is.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Yeah, wasn't it John the Baptist that said, I must decrease, you must increase. We want him to come out, you know. Um, there's a great story in the book of Acts about a man named Ananias, and God told him to go pray for Saul. And you know, Saul is who later came in the Bible became Paul. He had a conversion experience, and um, he told him to go pray for him.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Yeah, and did he want to initially? No. He was hesitant, he had questions, he was unsure. But here is the the star of the or the main, the big part of it. He was obedient. Yeah, and a lot of times we can feel that way, we can feel afraid and scared, and at the same time, we could be willing to be obedient, and that's where the difference happens.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

And you know what? Saul received his sight, he became Paul. What if Ananias would have said no? Paul had such a big impact on even us today. He wrote three-quarters of the New Testament. I mean, just think if Ananias would not have been obedient and done what God told him to do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

So what feels small to you could be significant to someone else. That's right. You know, it might feel so simple, like, oh my gosh, if I just smile or say, Oh, I like that shirt, that seems very insignificant and small. But what if that lady had a tough moment where maybe she was being um abused by a spouse and she gets to walk out in Starbucks and she's told by a complete stranger how beautiful she is? Sometimes that's so necessary. It seems small and insignificant, but to her, it could be a very big deal.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

That is so good and so true. So, April, what do you think it is that stops us from being obedient?

SPEAKER_01 11:06

I know for me, a lot of the times it has been fear. Fear. Yeah. You know, and that that probably is the root cause of a lot of these moments, you know, of anxiety or not feeling like you're enough or qualified, those things, but I think it's all based out of fear. It's all fear-based, that's all. Which we know is sent from the enemy. Yeah. And planted in us so that we don't accomplish the good things that God has for us to do.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

That's really good. And sometimes it's just not prioritizing things right, like we've talked about before, being too busy, I don't have time for that, or overthinking. Yes. Been there. Me too. Like way too much, way too much. Yeah. Yeah. But here's a question I want you to really consider every single time. What if someone is waiting on you specifically? I mean, there's special gifts in you that God wants to use and he calls you specifically for that person. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

You know, not someone else, not um the youth minister or, you know, the person with the PhD.

SPEAKER_00 12:10

What if they're waiting for you? That's right. Just you. You are so important. I wish you could understand how God sees you. He has big things he wants to do in your life. He wants to use you. He put gifts in you that he wants to pull out. So be obedient when he tells you to encourage that person. Yes. So let's make this really simple, practical ways that we can act on this, okay? I want you to think of one person. Just one.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

I know that there's somebody in your life that could be blessed by something kind that you would do, say, or something that you would like to give them. Think of one person in your circle.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Yes. Send them a text this week. Check in on them, encourage them. Maybe send them flowers, send them a gift. Whatever it is that you feel prompted to do, God will show you. He'll show you how to do how to um how to encourage them this week. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

It doesn't have to be complicated. Whatever it's put on your heart to do for them, the main thing is being intentional, being obedient. And if you have a little fear, just keep on moving right past it.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

That's right. And I want to throw this out too, because there's been times when God had me do these kinds of things for somebody that has been ugly to me. Oh, yeah you know, like that we've had issues, and God told me to buy him a gift or to send them flowers or to send them a text. Yeah. And that broke things. You know, sometimes he'll call you to do this to people who maybe are your enemies.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Just remember that if he put it on your heart to do it, it's necessary and it's gonna all work together for his good. Right. So just hang in there.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Um put yourself to the side. That's hard sometimes, but we have to put our flesh to the side. And um, when we have those moments where we think, I don't want to do it, I don't feel like doing it, they don't like me, I don't like them. We put that to the side and we do what God has called us to do. And like we said, somebody's waiting on the other side of your obedience. Yeah. When you think of it like that and personalize it like that, like wow, something I say or do could change somebody's life. It changes everything.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Yeah, that's so good. So we have really enjoyed this uh episode. It not only speaks to us, but we hope that it speaks to you. So we hope that you get a chance to listen, like it, share it with a friend. Um, pray over them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Lord, I thank you so much for your word. We love your word. We thank you that you just provided that word for us to give us a blueprint on how to live this life. And Father, I thank you that each and every woman that's listening right now, Lord, that you just strengthen her, encourage her, help her to know that she is called to reach out to others. Psalm 145, 4 says that we are a generation declaring your works to another. And I thank you, Lord, that as we do that, we pass down that legacy, we pass down that faith and that encouragement and we help lift others up and bring them to know you, Lord. And I just thank you that we are called to do that and that you help us and give us opportunities in each and every day to do it. We thank you, we love you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

We're so excited for our next episode, episode number 11. And it will be out again on June the 1st. Yep. So join us here. And remember, we love you, we're so grateful for you, and we hope that you are continually encouraged by the word.