Living Sent: Faithfulness

Faithfulness is formed in the quiet, everyday yes, not the spotlight. 

In this Living Sent episode, we explore what it means to trust God in unseen seasons and show up with steady obedience, believing He is working in what feels small.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Hey, friend, welcome back to Women Under Construction. I'm your host, Katie Wood. This is a space for women who want to follow Jesus honestly and deeply, not just the visible moments of ministry or leadership, but in the quiet, ordinary places where real discipleship happens. Today, we are talking about something that sounds so simple, but is so incredibly hard to live out. We're talking about faithfulness. I'm gonna open us with a prayer. Lord, would you open our ears to hear from you, Lord? Would you encourage our hearts to trust you? Not in what we can see, but in what we know to be true about you. Would you help our wills to obey you, not based on what we see, but on who you are and who you have called us to be? Amen. All right, friend, grab your coffee, take a deep breath, get a Bible, a journal, and let's get started. So I mentioned it earlier. Today we are talking about faithfulness and not the kind of faithfulness that I think gets applauded, not the kind that like when you scroll through someone's social media, you're like, wow, that's like a really faithful woman. But the quiet, ordinary, sometimes, if I'm being honest, most of the time, faithfulness that shapes our lives over time. Because I think if we're really honest with one another, most of our lives are not traumatic moments of calling or breakthrough. Think about it. Most of our life is showing up, doing the next right thing, trusting God when the results seem unclear. And in a world that is obsessed, and I mean obsessed with outcomes and metrics, that kind of faithfulness can feel really deeply uncomfortable. We live in a culture that measures everything: followers, growth, revenue, productivity, visibility. And those metrics slowly seep into the way we evaluate our spiritual lives too. And we start asking these questions like is my work making an impact? Is the ministry that I'm in growing fast enough? Am I doing enough for God? But scripture, it tells us a very different story of how God measures things. Because in the kingdom of God, faithfulness matters far more than visibility. And sometimes the seasons where God is doing the deepest work in our lives are the seasons where almost nothing looks impressive on the outside. So today I want to take some time and dig into three key points. First is the theology of faithfulness. I want to talk about my own journey, navigating career changes, and calling. And I want to talk about what faithfulness actually looks like when you still feel like you have imposter syndrome. And towards the end of our time together, I want to share a little bit about something new that I'm launching called the Founding Circle, because it's part of this story too. But first, let's start with the theology. One of the most fascinating passages about faithfulness is something that Jesus says in Mark 4. He tells a short parable about a farmer. See, this farmer, he scatters seed on the ground. And Jesus, he says something that I've always found interesting. The farmer sleeps, he wakes up, days pass, and the seed sprouts and grows. And then Jesus does this thing where he adds in a line that says, though he does not know how. And see, in this process, that line, it always catches my attention. Because the farmer participates in the process, right? He's planting the seed, but he doesn't control the growth. That belongs to God. And I think this is one of the fundamental theological tensions in the Christian life that we live today, that we're responsible for obedience, but God is responsible for outcomes. The Apostle Paul he describes this exact dynamic in 1 Corinthians 3 6. He writes, I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. And I think about that structure. We talked about it last week. Paul plants, Apollos waters, God produces the growth. And that distinction, it matters deeply. Because when we confuse those roles, two things can happen. First, we become very prideful when things grow. And second, we become so incredibly discouraged when they don't. But scripture, it reminds us again and again and again that growth is always a miracle. You can plant a seed, you can water the soil, and you can tend the garden. But life itself is something that only God can produce. And see, that reality, it requires humility, it requires patience, and it requires faithfulness. See, there's this deep misunderstanding in modern Christian culture about what faithful seasons look like. Hear me out. We often assume that faithfulness should eventually lead to visible success. But scripture, it doesn't always tell that story. Think about the prophets. Think about Jeremiah. My man Jeremiah, he preached faithfully for decades and almost no one listened to him. Think about Noah. He spent years building an ark before a single drop of rain was produced. And think about Jesus. Thirty years of quiet preparation, three years of ministry. And when he went to the cross, most people assumed that the story had failed. But faithfulness is rarely evaluated correctly in the moment. Faithfulness is something that comes visible over time. And often the most formative seasons of our lives are the seasons where almost no one sees what God is doing. Because God, He's not just out here building outcomes, He's building people. Our God, He is shaping character, He's forming humility in us, He is strengthening endurance. And see, that kind of formation often happens underground. See, this conversation about faithfulness is deeply personal to me. I think it's probably because my own life has taken many, several unexpected turns. If you had asked me years ago what my career path would look like, I probably would have given you a very clear, linear, straight answer. But the thing that I've learned is that God rarely writes stories in straight lines. See, I've worked in corporate environments, I've navigated leadership roles, I've stepped into business responsibilities. My husband and I, we own these two veterinary hospitals, and I have had the honor and opportunity of serving as both the marketing director and now as the executive director. And see, somewhere along the way, though, God started surring in my heart something different: a desire to write, to teach, to help build women this environment that helps them grow in their faith and in their leadership. And see, stepping into this calling as founder of Women Under Construction and Bible teacher and podcaster has been both exciting, exciting, exhilarating, um, and deeply uncomfortable. Because I think anytime we step into something new, there's a voice that whispers to us, who do you think you are? And if I'm honest, that voice, it still shows up sometime. Because imposter syndrome, it's real. See, I believe that you can know that God has called you to something and you can still feel unsure. You can still wonder if someone else would do it better. You can still feel like you're figuring things out as you go. But one thing I've learned through every career shift and every transition is this: God rarely reveals the entire path. Instead, He reveals to us the next faithful step. And most of that time, that faithfulness, that small step, it looks really ordinary. To me, this has looked like writing when I'm not sure who will read. Recording a podcast when the audience is still small, building something slowly without knowing what it will become. Because faithfulness was never wasted. Because God is using every step of obedience to shape who we are becoming. So let's take a minute and talk about imposter syndrome. We're doing a little switcheroo here. I think that this is something that a lot of women experience and struggle with. One thing though, that I've realized is that imposter syndrome often comes from confusing calling with perfection. We assume that if God calls us to something, we should feel completely confident doing it. But scripture it shows us the opposite. Look at Moses, he felt inadequate. Gideon felt unqualified, Esther felt afraid, Jeremiah said he was too young. God does not call people who already feel ready. He calls people who are willing to be faithful, and then he equips them along the way. So if that's the case, what does faithfulness actually look like? It's not dramatic most of the time. Faithfulness looks a lot like showing up again tomorrow, choosing integrity when no one is watching, doing the work even when recognition doesn't come, continuing to plant seeds even when harvest is far away. Faithfulness is built through small, consistent acts of obedience, a prayer offered, a task completed well, a difficult conversation handled with grace, a decision to trust God when the outcome is unclear. These things they can feel so small, but over time they become the architecture, the foundation of a faithful life. And that leads us into something I am so excited to share. Over the last year, I have been slowly building up women under construction, writing, teaching, recording, creating resources. And one thing that I've realized over the course of this is that spiritual formation is something we're not meant to do alone. See, growth, it happens best in community. So I am launching something called the Founding Circle. It's a small group of women who want to go deeper, women who care about spiritual formation, women who want to grow as leaders, thinkers, and disciples. The founding circle will also shape the future of women under construction. And honestly, I'm terrified to launch this because anytime you build something new, you wonder, will anyone show up? But, and this is where faithfulness comes in. Faithfulness says you plant the seed, you do the work, and you trust God with the growth. So if you're interested in finding out more about the founding circle, go ahead and visit my Substack. Go ahead and visit my social media pages. There's a link in my bio. I would love to have a deeper conversation with you about this. As we close, let's end the way we often do in this space. If you're somewhere where you can, take a deep, slow breath. Let your shoulders relax and let the rush of the day just slow down for a moment. And I want you to repeat after me I am not sent empty-handed. I am inhabited. The Spirit of God dwells within me. I am not responsible for outcomes. I am called to faithfulness. My life is sacred ground. My work is sacred obedience. I do not carry pressure. I carry purpose. God sees the seeds I plant. God sees the steps I take. My faithfulness is not wasted. God is at work even when I can't see it. Amen. Friend, faithfulness often looks quiet. It looks a lot like showing up again tomorrow, planting the seeds that take time to grow, and trusting that God is working beneath the surface. If today's conversation encouraged you, reminded you that your faithfulness matters, or maybe helped you see your season of life a little differently, I would love for you to stay connected with me and what we're building here at Women Under Construction. Make sure you follow or subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss upcoming episodes and conversations like this one. If this episode spoke to you, would you take a few minutes and leave a review? Those reviews really do help more women find this space of steady, grace-filled formation. And finally, if someone came to mind while you were listening today, go ahead and share this episode with her. You never know how God might be using one small reminder that faithfulness matters to shift someone's whole season. I'm so grateful that you're here. Until next time, keep showing up, keep planting seeds, and keep doing your holy work.