0:00

And success for me sometimes is

0:02

me sitting there and choosing to

0:04

trust God. That's success for me

0:06

where I am. Like, okay, you

0:09

might not see that, but success

0:11

is that I'm not crying that

0:13

day, that I'm praising in the

0:15

pain, you know? So success looks

0:18

different for where we are. Hey

0:23

everyone come on in here have

0:25

a seat on the pink couch

0:27

with us because this is Joyce

0:29

Myers talk it out podcast and

0:31

today we are going to talk

0:33

about what we all want in

0:35

life and that is Real success

0:38

that brings fulfillment that is not

0:40

empty that is not worthless that

0:42

is not something that you're always

0:44

looking for more and that is

0:46

only available in one place

0:48

and we have a special guest today

0:50

who's going to share her own story

0:53

of great success what the

0:55

world would say, wow, that's

0:57

really successful. And how God

1:00

started showing her, we might

1:02

want to look at this

1:04

a little bit differently. As

1:06

a mom, as a working woman, you

1:08

know, we have those questions. Like how...

1:11

How do I feel good in what

1:13

I'm doing? How do I have confidence,

1:15

success? Am I doing what God wants?

1:18

These are big questions. I wrestle with

1:20

that a lot because I think we

1:22

all find a lot of our identity

1:24

in what we do. And when what

1:27

we do continues to move forward, it

1:29

feels like, look at me, you look

1:31

at me, go in. I'm really, I'm

1:33

doing it. And even as a mom,

1:35

I was just talking to another mom

1:37

yesterday, she was just struggling with,

1:39

I can't do anything right. And so

1:41

when you feel like the thing that

1:44

you're doing is not going well, then

1:46

it does, it deflates you on the inside

1:48

and you feel there's just so much

1:50

shame and so many things around it.

1:52

So what you said in the beginning

1:54

is very exciting to talk about. Well,

1:57

and it's true, and as women, we

1:59

all have so much. many different

2:01

hats that we're trying to wear.

2:03

You know, it's, it's daughter, it

2:05

may be wife, it may not

2:07

be wife, it doesn't have to

2:09

be that. Like, do I have

2:11

to be what the world says

2:13

I have to be? A career

2:15

or not? It's all those things

2:17

and it really all comes down

2:19

to who is God asking us

2:21

to be. What is our relationship

2:23

with him? So our lovely, lovely

2:25

guest today is Dacia James Lewis

2:27

and... She has been very successful

2:29

as a choreographer as an artist

2:31

working in television and movies working

2:34

with very well-known big people Working

2:36

what let me look the list

2:38

here because it's it's very impressive

2:40

Stevie Wonder Mary Jay Blige Jennifer

2:42

Hudson Jamie Fox the list goes

2:44

on I mean this is a

2:46

woman who has an understanding of

2:48

what it means to get your

2:50

career where you wanted to go

2:52

and still ask those questions. Am

2:54

I doing what I'm supposed to

2:56

do? So, De Sia, thank you

2:58

so much for being here with

3:00

us. We're thrilled to have you.

3:02

Hi, you guys. It is an

3:04

honor to be here to speak

3:06

with you guys and you look

3:08

beautiful, by the way. Oh, thank

3:10

you. You do, too. I just

3:12

love her so much. Before we

3:14

talk about, you know, all that

3:16

we're gonna talk about. Can I

3:19

tell you how I met her

3:21

how I met her? Because I

3:23

love it. She, Daisy has spoken

3:25

a podcast and she shared her

3:27

story and it wasn't a Christian

3:29

podcast, but it was, she was

3:31

her authentic self. So she's telling

3:33

all the things you just shared.

3:35

But what spoke to me so

3:37

much about your story and how

3:39

you shared was just your love

3:41

for Jesus and how he was

3:43

a center of everything. So I

3:45

know we'll talk about that, but

3:47

I reached out to her and

3:49

sent her message on Instagram. As

3:51

one does in 2022. And I

3:53

thought... I'm sure she won't respond

3:55

to me, but she did. And

3:57

so we just struck up this

3:59

friend. So to get to see

4:02

her heart for the Lord and

4:04

to see how he is using

4:06

her where she is and in

4:08

the industry she works in, yet

4:10

still she's so strong in her

4:12

faith, I'm very excited for our

4:14

friends to get to hear from

4:16

her today. Well I'm excited about

4:18

it too because I've heard about

4:20

you for a while Dacia and

4:22

I've seen some of what you've

4:24

been doing and so let's start

4:26

with giving us a little bit

4:28

of background about what was success.

4:30

to you in the beginning? What

4:32

were you looking for? And when

4:34

you began starting to see it,

4:36

what was that like? You know,

4:38

now that I look back, success,

4:40

it changes. That benchmark truly changes

4:42

as we are in pursuit of

4:44

things. And for me, I grew

4:47

up in Galveston, Texas, and you

4:49

don't just... You're not born to

4:51

see big in small towns sometimes.

4:53

You know, you're limited to what

4:55

is around you. And so this

4:57

is why I think it's so

4:59

important that when you grow up

5:01

in Christian households and you start

5:03

to explore who and what God

5:05

has called you to be. that

5:07

you actually sit and listen to

5:09

it and he'll guide you. Even

5:11

in the midst where you can't

5:13

see it around you, he'll give

5:15

you the vision for it. And

5:17

if you can put the faith

5:19

behind the vision... anything is possible.

5:21

So growing up, I just love

5:23

to dance. Like many other people,

5:25

I'm dancing at the family reunions,

5:27

you know, I'm dancing in church,

5:30

I'm dancing in drill teams and

5:32

didn't really know that it was

5:34

a gift, but just something that

5:36

I love to do. But I

5:38

had a vision, seeing myself, dancing

5:40

on TV, literally in front of

5:42

my TV, dancing, and I think

5:44

I was doing like Janet Jackson.

5:46

in sync with Janet Jackson. Now

5:48

you're talking my language. Let's go

5:50

80s. Janet Jackson. I'm happy as

5:52

can be. a moment in iconic

5:54

performer and I'm looking at TV

5:56

aspiring to be on the other

5:58

side but not knowing how and

6:00

we can say something as small

6:02

as God I'd like to do

6:04

that and the fact that he'd

6:06

honor that is so wild. Yeah.

6:08

that he knows your heart's desires.

6:10

And so I just made a

6:12

deal with my mom, you know,

6:15

of course, you're going to go

6:17

to school, you're going to go

6:19

to college, you're going to graduate,

6:21

and then I'll let you go

6:23

and pursue it, but you need

6:25

a degree first. Like my mom

6:27

was adamant about that, and I'm

6:29

a first generation college graduate, right?

6:31

And so in that, I said,

6:33

okay, mom, and I got a

6:35

degree in sociology with a minor

6:37

and dance. Because I was like,

6:39

okay, I'll go and study society

6:41

and then go get a dance

6:43

studio. I'm dancing somehow. Like, let's

6:45

throw dance in here. You know,

6:47

and I ended up changing my

6:49

minor to biology and said, if

6:51

this didn't work, did I go

6:53

be a pediatrician? Like, because my

6:55

mom was like, who really gets

6:58

paid to dance? This does not

7:00

happen, you guys. If I have

7:02

to, I'll go be a doctor.

7:04

I like this. I got a

7:06

degree and I'm moving to Los

7:08

Angeles. And she's like, sure girl,

7:10

yes, dream big, dream big. And

7:12

my mom did not believe me

7:14

until I had my car completely

7:16

packed. And the day I left,

7:18

she stood at the door and

7:20

said, you're serious. I said, yes.

7:22

God told me to go and

7:24

I believe that he'll provide for

7:26

me. And the first day when

7:28

I got there, I had an

7:30

apartment and a job. And that's

7:32

how I knew God had planned

7:34

for me to go there and

7:36

start this vision, this dream that

7:38

I had since I was probably

7:40

six years old. And I do

7:43

think that it takes another level

7:45

of surrender in that even when

7:47

you don't know that it's called

7:49

surrender. right, but there is a

7:51

voice telling you you can't. You

7:53

know, and following that intuition, when

7:55

it's backed by faith, and all

7:57

I knew was faith, you know,

7:59

if we're going to church or

8:01

telling me to believe, okay, then

8:03

I'm going to believe in what

8:05

I think is a vision that

8:07

God gave me. And I am

8:09

grateful. I look back now and

8:11

say, girl, you were crazy. Yeah.

8:13

Well, we want to hear all

8:15

of it, because there's so much

8:17

more to this, but you mentioned

8:19

surrender. And that is such a

8:21

big part of this, and all

8:23

of our lives. one part of

8:26

our dream for something that God

8:28

has that's even better and bigger.

8:30

But at the time, we don't

8:32

know that and it's really hard.

8:34

So we're going to check in

8:36

with Joyce as she teaches a

8:38

little bit about what the Bible

8:40

says about surrender and then we

8:42

want to hear some of those

8:44

areas in your dream that you

8:46

had to surrender and how God

8:48

worked through that. God has brought

8:50

me through a lot. And as

8:52

Daniel 327 says, of Shadraq Mysak

8:54

and a Bindago who were delivered

8:56

from the fiery furnace. I

8:59

don't even smell like smoke. In

9:01

other words, you can go through

9:03

the fire and come out not

9:05

scorched or burned and not even

9:07

smelling like smoke. Who could look

9:09

at my life now today and

9:11

realize what I went through all

9:13

those years as a child or

9:15

even how hard the ministry was

9:17

in the beginning? Anybody who owns

9:19

their own business or who has

9:21

started a ministry, you know, you

9:23

know what it was like in

9:25

the beginning. And a

9:27

lot of people want to have

9:30

the end, but they don't want

9:32

to go through what you have

9:34

to go through to get to

9:36

the end. There's challenges in life.

9:38

Not everything is easy. But I

9:41

plead with you. Do things God's

9:43

way. Even when the right thing

9:45

is not happening to you. You

9:47

keep doing the right thing. Galation

9:49

69 says, be not weary and

9:52

well doing. For

9:54

induced season you shall reap if

9:56

you faint not you know what

9:58

if you'll keep doing what's right

10:01

and you won't give up and

10:03

you'll keep doing what's right and

10:05

you'll keep it up and keep

10:07

it up and keep it up

10:10

and keep it up and keep

10:12

it up. Eventually you will break

10:14

the power of the enemy and

10:16

if you can be thankful instead

10:19

of murmuring and complaining no matter

10:21

what's going on in your life

10:23

there is power in thank you.

10:26

Can you imagine how mad it

10:28

makes the devil? When you've had

10:30

a big problem thrown at you

10:32

and you can still say God

10:35

even in the midst of this

10:37

I thank you I thank you

10:39

in and I thank you for

10:41

it because I believe that some

10:44

way somehow you're going to work

10:46

through this and you are going

10:48

to make me a better person

10:50

in Daniel 4 in Daniel 327

10:53

it says the satraps the prefects

10:55

the prefects the governors and the

10:57

royal advisors crowded around Shadwreck and

11:00

meshak and a bingo And they

11:02

saw that the fire had not

11:04

harmed their bodies. Nor was the

11:06

hair of their head singed. Their

11:09

robes were not scorched, and they

11:11

didn't even smell like smoke. It

11:13

would be hard for you to

11:15

even imagine the condition of my

11:18

life and my soul when I

11:20

finally turned my life over to

11:22

Jesus. And you know what? You

11:25

can go to church every Sunday

11:27

for... 50 years and never really

11:29

turn your whole life over to

11:31

Jesus. And he wants a full

11:34

surrender. What are you holding back?

11:36

What are you resentful about? Don't

11:38

have resentment because of hard and

11:40

difficult things that have happened to

11:43

you in the past. Release them,

11:45

give them to God, and trust

11:47

him to work something good out

11:50

of it. So love that whole,

11:52

we've talked about it before, that

11:54

whole idea of going through the

11:56

hard things in life and coming

11:59

out not even smelling like smoke.

12:01

And, De Sia, you had to

12:03

surrender some of those ideas that

12:05

you had and some of those

12:08

things. In fact, even more recently,

12:10

you've had to maybe not take

12:12

in some particular jobs because of

12:14

convictions that you had. Is that

12:17

right? Absolutely. As of yesterday. Oh,

12:19

well, that is recent. Yeah. I

12:21

got another call yesterday for a

12:24

huge TV series, and I had

12:26

to say no. And although you

12:28

are in a position to choose,

12:30

that choice is important when it

12:33

comes down to spiritual integrity for

12:35

me. And for some, they'll think,

12:37

okay, this is my chance, you

12:39

know, like this is the big

12:42

one. And for me, that's the

12:44

hard part sometimes is because you'll

12:46

go back and forth trying not

12:49

to compromise. But spiritual integrity has

12:51

become. more important to me than

12:53

popularity. More important to me than

12:55

me being successful in the eyes

12:58

of other people. Success is not.

13:00

How did you get there? Because

13:02

like you said, that's such a

13:04

big thing. This has to be

13:07

my big break. If I don't

13:09

do this, then I might lose

13:11

it all. How did you work

13:13

through that? You know, I think

13:16

it wasn't intentional. You know sometimes

13:18

we present our plans to God

13:20

and as prayer warriors as people

13:23

of faith that are praying We're

13:25

then almost negating those plans by

13:27

saying your will be done not

13:29

mine So really presenting those plans

13:32

to God with with the purest

13:34

heart truly, but then also I

13:36

was praying a scripture God and

13:38

inheritance gain too soon will be

13:41

lost in the end so I

13:43

don't want anything before I'm ready

13:45

for it and so compromise is

13:48

so easy, but not when it's

13:50

backed by the word of God,

13:52

not when you're backing it. you

13:54

know, by your prayers and surrender

13:57

is not necessarily me saying, God,

13:59

I surrender to you. Surrendering became

14:01

me saying, God, but your will

14:03

not mine. because I don't want

14:06

anything that you're not going before

14:08

me in. And I think that

14:10

that grew just in my relationship

14:13

with my father, with my heavenly

14:15

father. You know, you get to

14:17

this place to where you want

14:19

to make your father proud because

14:22

I might be the only representation

14:24

in this industry of him. And

14:26

so as I continue to grow

14:28

more and learn my father, then

14:31

other things just became not appealing

14:33

to me. And that is what...

14:35

made the separation of what I

14:37

decided I could take or what

14:40

I couldn't take. And that, the

14:42

barometer became Christ for me. Wow,

14:44

yeah. So much of it makes

14:47

me think that we, it all

14:49

comes down to who we are

14:51

in him and knowing who he

14:53

is and his character, because in

14:56

order to do what you're saying

14:58

and care enough to want his

15:00

will not our own, I have

15:02

to know that. His will is

15:05

worth trusting and that I can

15:07

lean into and lean into that

15:09

and know he has good for

15:12

me And he wants good for

15:14

me and even if his will

15:16

does not look like the will

15:18

that I'm asking him like here's

15:21

my plan I think this is

15:23

the way we should go God

15:25

But then to come back with

15:27

your will but not mine have

15:30

to be able to trust that

15:32

he's good. Yeah, and he wants

15:34

good Yeah, because it's much easier

15:36

to say here's my plan and

15:39

it's a really good one help

15:41

me get there I'm really good

15:43

at that one. Yeah, yeah, instead

15:46

of help me keep in mind

15:48

what you really want for me.

15:50

And because you've been able to

15:52

do this, some people might be

15:55

saying, well, that's working for her

15:57

because she's had success. She's, it's

15:59

easy. Has it been easy? No.

16:01

I think sometimes in social media

16:04

also makes this a little bit

16:06

fluffier or it can be. deceiving,

16:08

right? Because we're showing our highlight

16:11

reels, we're showing where we are

16:13

in full confidence in God, but

16:15

I try to also share in

16:17

the atmospheres and environments

16:19

that I'm speaking that

16:21

this was not me 15 years

16:24

ago. 15 years ago rejection and

16:26

in the industry, it is

16:29

complete rejection sometimes. You know,

16:31

you don't get to show your

16:33

talent or your art. or your

16:35

creativity, sometimes it's a no on

16:38

site just by how you look,

16:40

just by what you wear, just

16:42

by the color of your skin.

16:45

And we underestimate what that rejection

16:47

in your job daily can do

16:49

to you. And sometimes it became

16:52

me crying on the floor, feeling

16:54

inadequate, feeling not enough in the

16:56

eyes. of man and God reaffirming

16:59

that in my prayer time, that

17:01

you are adequate in me and

17:03

in your adequacy. in me, you

17:06

cannot fit with everyone else. But

17:08

that still hurts. You know, you

17:10

still see many of your friends

17:13

or colleagues or peers that are

17:15

able to do this. And they

17:17

might believe in Jesus and they

17:19

might have a different level of

17:22

conviction. And that's truly what it

17:24

is. And so, yes, it doesn't

17:26

feel good, but when I choose

17:29

that he is good. for me,

17:31

then it settles my spirits even

17:33

though my flesh might not

17:36

be feeling good. Oh, I love

17:38

that. That's so important

17:40

because I think when

17:42

people look at Christians

17:44

who have made these choices,

17:47

like you said, especially our

17:49

social media world, it all

17:51

looks like, wow, you know,

17:53

it's gone so well, so

17:55

easily and we don't know

17:57

the battles that are going.

18:00

on the inside of all of

18:02

us and to be able to

18:04

see that surrender if we could

18:06

see the surrender that all all

18:08

of us have to do I

18:11

think we would be blown away

18:13

by it's not easy it's really

18:15

hard but God doesn't walk away

18:17

in it he honors you for

18:19

surrender so when when you hear

18:22

that scripture about the things that

18:24

you go through walking through the

18:26

fire and people might see us

18:28

all and think well they haven't

18:30

been through any fire because they

18:33

don't smell like smoke well I'll

18:35

tell you that's that's tribute to

18:37

God because we've all been through

18:39

hard times and and I know

18:41

you have too so when people

18:44

see you on the outside tell

18:46

us what we're not seeing what

18:48

are what are some of those

18:50

things in your life that God's

18:52

had to walk you through the

18:55

fire and still is walking me

18:57

through the fire. You know, I

18:59

believe that fourth man in a

19:01

fire is a scripture that I

19:03

have to remind myself of that

19:06

no, God is with me in

19:08

this. And smelling, not smelling like

19:10

smoke does not mean that you

19:12

weren't in the fire. Right. And

19:14

the refining is happening in the

19:17

fire. Right. And so the essence

19:19

of what I've been through, what

19:21

I've gone through. seem a certain

19:23

way because people are looking at

19:25

success in the eyes of achievement

19:28

in the industry and my career,

19:30

but there's also for my husband

19:32

and I who's who've been on

19:34

a fertility journey for 13 years

19:36

now, not having success in that

19:39

journey is another element that people

19:41

aren't able to see. Although I'm

19:43

transparent, they're like, man, you guys

19:45

handle this so well, but you

19:47

don't see me in the fire.

19:50

You don't see me surrendering to

19:52

his timing when it doesn't feel

19:54

good. You know, you don't see.

19:56

those times when I am posturing

19:58

myself in a place of praise,

20:01

although I am in a place

20:03

of despondency in my flesh. You

20:05

know, so success can be deceiving

20:07

as this overall arching picture of

20:10

greatness that exutes from the outside

20:12

in. Right? Yeah. But on the

20:14

inside of many of us who

20:16

are going through journeys, similar to

20:18

the fertility journey that I am,

20:21

that my husband and I are,

20:23

I'm gonna say we're walking through

20:25

it, like through the fire, we're

20:27

walking through this thing. I want

20:29

to encourage everyone that your struggle

20:32

is not my struggle, and my

20:34

struggle is not your struggle. But

20:36

God says that we are all

20:38

going to go through trials, and

20:40

we have a choice to walk

20:43

through that trial with him, and

20:45

I'm choosing to walk through it

20:47

with him in the fire, getting

20:49

refined, knowing that all things are

20:51

going to work together for my

20:54

good. But let me be the

20:56

first to say, baby, it don't

20:58

feel good every month. that my

21:00

cycle comes sometimes I'm just sitting

21:02

in silence so that I avoid

21:05

speaking anything that's contradicting what the

21:07

word of God says which is

21:09

I am fruitful and I will

21:11

multiply you know and children are

21:13

the heritage of the Lord I

21:16

have to build myself up in

21:18

those areas and success for me

21:20

sometimes is me sitting there and

21:22

choosing to trust God that success

21:24

for me where I am. You

21:27

might not see that. But success

21:29

is that I'm not crying that

21:31

day, that I'm praising in the

21:33

pain, you know? So success looks

21:35

different for where we are. Yeah.

21:38

Oh, that's so huge that a

21:40

successful day is different for us

21:42

in different seasons of our life,

21:44

isn't it? Yes. We can really

21:46

consider it as success some days

21:49

that we got out of bed.

21:51

You know, that that's how hard

21:53

life. is and at other times

21:55

we are seeing success and the

21:57

kind of happiness I guess you

22:00

would say that the world sees

22:02

a success but we can have

22:04

those hard days where we still

22:06

have the joy that doesn't come

22:08

out of our circumstances because God's

22:11

in the midst of it so

22:13

it's so important to understand surrender

22:15

and the difference in God's economy

22:17

and the world's view of who

22:20

we need to be and what

22:22

we need to do. So wow,

22:24

good job if you're getting out

22:26

of bed on those hard days.

22:28

Good job, like you said, if

22:31

you're praising God on those hard

22:33

days. Yes, if you didn't throw

22:35

something today. Yes, yeah, yeah. I

22:37

think it's interesting because oftentimes I

22:39

found in my own life when

22:42

certain areas look successful or they

22:44

seem to be thriving, there typically

22:46

is another area in my life

22:48

where it doesn't feel that way

22:50

at all. And so to me,

22:53

I just kind of feel like

22:55

I have this conversation with God.

22:57

Those things are the ones that

22:59

keep me to him. And they

23:01

keep me pulled tight to him

23:04

because I could get in my

23:06

head and think I am. doing

23:08

awesome. Look at me go. But

23:10

those other things that I'm struggling

23:12

or are hurting or cause me

23:15

to feel broken are the things

23:17

that keep me so tethered to

23:19

him that cause me to feel

23:21

like I have to daily surrender

23:23

or I have nothing left to

23:26

offer him no matter how good

23:28

that one thing looks. Those things

23:30

are the ones that keep me

23:32

so pulled to him. And I

23:34

used to think that was rude

23:37

of him? Like I get that?

23:39

Yes, can't we just... Can't everything

23:41

be great at the same time

23:43

for like a week? Why does

23:45

it have to be this way

23:48

God? You know, yeah. Must we

23:50

always feel like there's something that

23:52

is pulling us? But then recently

23:54

I had that flipped perspective like

23:56

maybe that's his grace to keep

23:59

me pulled so tightly to him

24:01

that I can't I can say

24:03

to you I will not function

24:05

this day if I don't breathe

24:07

him in and breathe him out

24:10

because he is all that I

24:12

have and the capacity I have

24:14

to do that great thing or

24:16

that hard thing is only because

24:18

I am so tethered to him.

24:21

Yeah. You think you need both?

24:23

I've had a lot of different

24:25

seasons in my life like we

24:27

all have but I've had those

24:30

seasons where success as I would

24:32

have called it at the time

24:34

came easily like things came easily

24:36

school came easily college getting the

24:38

jobs doing what I loved you

24:41

know you have those seasons and

24:43

And then you face those questions,

24:45

am I going to surrender all

24:47

this to you, God, or what

24:49

would happen next, doesn't happen, or

24:52

a door closes that you thought

24:54

was going to open, or you

24:56

don't get something important in your

24:58

personal life that you thought you

25:00

were going to get, whatever it

25:03

may be. And then you face

25:05

those questions. Am I going to

25:07

surrender all this to you, God?

25:09

Am I going to praise you

25:11

even through this? expect more, throw

25:14

a fit because I'm not getting

25:16

what I wanted. And instead, it's

25:18

the hardest thing is to remember

25:20

that God is good when I

25:22

don't feel good, that God's plan

25:25

for me is good when I

25:27

don't see where that plan is

25:29

going yet. So I'm sure Dacia,

25:31

after so many years of asking

25:33

God for something, of asking for

25:36

a child in your situation and

25:38

not seeing it, you must have

25:40

had some of those same questions.

25:42

Oh, absolutely. I was in my

25:44

bed last night praying for God

25:47

to settle me in the anxiety

25:49

of my desires, of my desires,

25:51

right? Because my desire is still

25:53

there. God hasn't taken the desire

25:55

away. You know, so I talk

25:58

about waiting well and what... That

26:00

looks like waiting well is equivalent

26:02

to surrender. And I used to

26:04

say this and many of us

26:06

say this all. the time, God,

26:09

I decrease so that you can

26:11

increase. We say it all the

26:13

time, but I was studying that

26:15

scripture about decreasing and humility and

26:17

our exulting is in humility. And

26:20

it's not just about where we

26:22

are in this space of staying

26:24

humble and not being proud, but

26:26

where God is in prominence in

26:29

our lives. And truly, truly getting

26:31

to a place where humility is

26:33

God, I cannot. do this without

26:35

you. You know, I can't, it's

26:37

impossible for me to do this

26:40

without you. In that surrendering, in

26:42

that decreasing, which is you acknowledging

26:44

affirming and believing, no, you made

26:46

me, you are the God of

26:48

the universe, only you can do

26:51

this. And when you get to

26:53

a place where it's a only

26:55

God can do it, it forces

26:57

you to be tethered to him.

26:59

It forces you to surrender and

27:02

to trust him because baby you

27:04

can't do it. When you get

27:06

to that space, all you have

27:08

from there is growth in faith.

27:10

That's what he, that's exactly what

27:13

he's doing at that moment, is

27:15

growing you in your faith as

27:17

you continue to pursue him in

27:19

his almightyness, which means, yeah. You

27:21

can try absolutely everything you can

27:24

to try to do this, but

27:26

I still have to say yes

27:28

You know I can so relate

27:30

to what you said about God

27:32

not taking the desire and Yeah,

27:35

and with that surrender I've tried

27:37

to surrender in cheater ways before

27:39

have you ever done that like

27:41

like God just take just take

27:43

my free will I want what

27:46

you want Just take my free

27:48

will, just take my will and

27:50

make it yours and then it

27:52

won't be so hard, it won't

27:54

hurt when it doesn't go the

27:57

way I wanted it to. And

27:59

God will never take that from

28:01

us, you know, because then we're

28:03

a bunch of little robots. He

28:05

wants us to be people with

28:08

free will. who love him because

28:10

we want to, not because he's

28:12

making us do that. So there's

28:14

something beautiful and very very important

28:16

in surrender that comes in surrendering

28:19

our will and our desires even

28:21

when we feel differently and it

28:23

hurts. It does. And you just

28:25

reminded me of something that... I

28:27

spoke about a while ago, which

28:30

was I got to a place

28:32

in my prayer time where the

28:34

Lord asked me if I never

28:36

gave you children, would you still

28:39

trust me? Yeah. And at that

28:41

time, it was difficult for me

28:43

to answer that question, and I

28:45

had to be honest with myself.

28:47

I was like, yeah, probably not.

28:50

But when we talk about... You

28:52

know Daniel when we talk about

28:54

the Hebrew boys I remember that

28:56

scripture and even if he doesn't

28:58

come in and save us even

29:01

if my lord doesn't save us

29:03

and as I begin to learn

29:05

what surrendering looks like which is

29:07

literally God I want you more

29:09

than anything else and that's it

29:12

it takes a while to get

29:14

there it can take a while

29:16

to get there to where I

29:18

want you more than anything else.

29:20

But in that, there's a boldness

29:23

that comes to where I was

29:25

able to say, and even if

29:27

you don't, we still riding together.

29:29

Even if you do not, I

29:31

am still here as your humble

29:34

servant. You know, that's the caveat,

29:36

if you, if I can say,

29:38

just of glory in it. Yeah.

29:40

So much of it comes down

29:42

to how we define our lives.

29:45

Right. How. In the end, when

29:47

we look back, who we want

29:49

to be and how we're going

29:51

to say this was successful or

29:53

it was not, I love the

29:56

Lord or I turn my back

29:58

on him, you know, how do

30:00

we want to define our lives?

30:02

So... Let's check in with Joyce

30:04

one more time and look at

30:07

that in scripture a little bit,

30:09

and then we'll come back and

30:11

we'll talk about some more really

30:13

important things that will help us

30:15

all in this journey. And we

30:18

are going to be asked to

30:20

give an account. Romans 12 said

30:22

that every man will stand before

30:24

God and give an account of

30:26

his life. Now that doesn't, that's

30:29

not talking about your salvation. You're

30:31

saved by the grace of God,

30:33

not by your works. But... your

30:35

works give you rewards when you

30:37

get to heaven? The Bible talks

30:40

a lot about the rewards that

30:42

will be waiting for us when

30:44

we get to heaven, or we

30:46

can just blow the whole thing

30:49

and not have any rewards. Well,

30:51

I don't intend to spend my

30:53

whole life doing this just to

30:55

get there and have to still

30:57

be in kindergarten, trying to grow

31:00

up spiritually. I'd like to hold

31:02

a nice meeting with Moses and

31:04

Joseph and, you know, some of

31:06

the big guys. Maybe preach with

31:08

Jesus sometime, that would be nice.

31:11

And so, the things that I'm

31:13

talking to you about this weekend,

31:15

they're not necessarily real easy to

31:17

hear. They're not the kind of

31:19

things that people shout and clap

31:22

about, but if you don't hear

31:24

these things, you'll never shout and

31:26

clap. You'll never end up being

31:28

really happy. Because as long as

31:30

we stay carnal and fleshly Our

31:33

lives are not pleasing to God

31:35

that doesn't mean he doesn't love

31:37

us But our lives the way

31:39

we're living is not pleasing to

31:41

God and two times The father

31:44

spoke out of heaven and said

31:46

of Jesus this is my beloved

31:48

son in whom I am well

31:50

pleased And I hope that God

31:52

can say that about me when

31:55

he looks at me when he

31:57

looks at me And I hope

31:59

that he can say that about

32:01

you when he looks at you.

32:03

And each... One of us has

32:06

to make our own decision. You

32:08

can't just do what your friends

32:10

are doing. You can't just do

32:12

what other family members are doing.

32:14

You can't just do what even

32:17

your pastor is doing sometimes. You

32:19

have to make a decision how

32:21

you're going to live. And I

32:23

hope this weekend that some of

32:25

you make that decision to go

32:28

for it all. So

32:30

they see it through your journey,

32:32

okay, with your professional life and

32:35

just yesterday turning down a job

32:37

that you would have loved to

32:39

have done, but you had to

32:42

stand up in integrity, that type

32:44

of surrender, that we talked about

32:46

how hard it is, looking at

32:49

that with that big picture of

32:51

what's important to me. Tell me

32:53

how you walk through that and

32:55

what you want for your life

32:58

to be when you look back

33:00

Well done my good and faithful

33:02

servant And it can be a

33:05

little cliche continuing to say that

33:07

thinking that But that is what

33:09

surrendering is. It's getting to this

33:11

place to where when you go

33:14

before the king that he's able

33:16

to say to you, I appreciate

33:18

you for saying no to that.

33:21

I love you for taking a

33:23

different choice. You might not have

33:25

saw what you did at that

33:27

time and how it impacted those

33:30

around you. But just know you

33:32

made an impact that you didn't

33:34

see. I have to believe that.

33:37

I have to believe that if

33:39

I'm doing a TV show and

33:41

I have to dance and people

33:43

are asking for two inches off

33:46

their shorts and I'm asking. at

33:48

three inches to mine that they

33:50

see that, right? That if I'm

33:53

saying, no, I'm not going to

33:55

do that scene because for me,

33:57

is my husband going to be

33:59

happy with that scene? You know,

34:02

I have to hope that it

34:04

impacts somebody around me, but if

34:06

it doesn't, I need to know

34:09

that God says, well done, I'm

34:11

glad that you did that. And

34:13

I remember talking with a friend

34:15

of mine saying, I said, this

34:18

is hard sometimes because you don't

34:20

always see the reward in this

34:22

life. You know, sometimes if I

34:25

turn down this job, I'm like,

34:27

okay, God, what's coming? You got

34:29

to be sending something else. You've

34:31

got to be sending me a

34:34

different job if I got to

34:36

turn down all of this. Yeah.

34:38

And I remember being like, and

34:41

even if I don't, send you

34:43

something to replace that quote-on-quote good

34:45

thing that you did. What does

34:47

that look like in eternity? Well

34:50

done, I hope. I think sometimes

34:52

I have a hard time wrapping

34:54

my mind around this concept, just

34:57

to be honest. Living for eternity

34:59

feels so abstract to me sometimes.

35:01

And so I'm so in my

35:03

current life and my own comfortableness

35:06

that it's hard for me to

35:08

think that long term. I'm a

35:10

big picture lady, but that's a

35:13

really big picture. And so I

35:15

love what you said when you

35:17

can flip your perspective on like

35:19

who else. Who else are you

35:22

speaking to that you may never

35:24

know about but if I want

35:26

my life to be lived for

35:29

him and and for others to

35:31

be pointed to him That is

35:33

such a perspective flip and I

35:35

don't know something about you saying

35:38

that helps me to like tangibly

35:40

see how this choice that I

35:42

don't like but I know is

35:45

right is impacting the kingdom in

35:47

some way And I think it's

35:49

just really good. Do you want

35:51

to know how carnal I am?

35:54

Yes, please. I've been walking with

35:56

the Lord for a long, long,

35:58

really, basically for my entire life.

36:01

And I still have those questions

36:03

when you're talking about living

36:05

for eternity of like, well,

36:08

I know what now is. Yeah. I understand

36:10

this realm. Yeah. What if I do

36:13

this and eternity is something

36:15

completely different than, you know,

36:18

I'm making choices for that

36:20

time, but this is the

36:22

time that I know. This

36:24

is the time that I

36:26

understand. And that's when it really

36:28

comes to faith because there's nothing

36:31

but faith at that point. And

36:33

because like you said, Decia, sometimes

36:35

we see that result and we're

36:37

like, thank you, Lord. Sometimes we

36:39

don't. And that's where it's really

36:42

trust and faith in God. That

36:44

there are things that matter that

36:46

are in the unseen there are

36:48

things that matter that God's never

36:50

going to tell me about But

36:52

I have to walk in that

36:54

even when I don't really my

36:56

mind cannot grasp what eternity is

36:58

Yeah, so I get what you're

37:00

saying But but it goes back to

37:03

do I trust him? Right do I

37:05

trust how I have seen him move

37:07

in my life over these years when

37:09

I I did take the step and

37:11

I trusted him and Somehow he

37:13

worked it out. So if he's told me

37:15

to do that then and he's told

37:17

me to do it now, he's got

37:20

to know what he's doing. Right. So

37:22

I've got to rely on the fact

37:24

that I've seen his promises fulfilled in

37:26

some way. In some way. One of the

37:28

things that I love about when God said

37:31

this is my son and whom I'm

37:33

well pleased with Jesus is one

37:35

of the times that God said

37:37

that was before Jesus even started

37:40

his ministry. So Jesus had lived

37:42

a good life, but he hadn't

37:44

begun his ministry yet. And God

37:46

still said, this is my son, who

37:49

I love and am pleased. Because we

37:51

think we have to earn that. That

37:53

will make me weep. And it's true,

37:55

God loves us and can be pleased

37:57

with us before we've ever did anything.

37:59

And so I think that's so

38:02

beautiful. And DC, I want to

38:04

ask you this question. This is

38:06

from social media. And I think

38:08

this connects so well to what

38:10

we're talking about here and to

38:13

your story and what you've been

38:15

sharing. But they say, does surrender

38:17

mean I have to give up

38:19

who I am? I have a

38:21

strong personality and I feel like

38:24

I've been taught that surrender to

38:26

God means becoming smaller. Do I

38:28

have to give up the dreams

38:30

that I've hidden away to be

38:32

good enough or submitted to God?

38:35

Oh, wow. Yeah, that's really good.

38:37

It's a big question, isn't it?

38:39

It's a really big question. I

38:41

think when I hear the word

38:43

surrender, it can be a bit

38:46

scary, right? Because I have my

38:48

ideals, I have my ways, I

38:50

have my attitude, you know, I

38:52

have my personality, but God gave

38:54

me all of those. And if

38:57

God gave me all of those,

38:59

then he already knows. how he

39:01

wants to fine tune it, fix

39:03

it, shape it, refine it, because

39:05

he made it. And I think

39:07

it's not about changing, but giving

39:10

him permission to change us. You

39:12

know, I think about like, you

39:14

know, if your child is going

39:16

on a trip, on a journey,

39:18

you have to sign something to

39:21

say yes, you can do this.

39:23

Right? I can do this. And

39:25

so I think that surrender becomes

39:27

a moment where we say, okay,

39:29

listen, I don't know if I'm

39:32

ready for this. But if you

39:34

say it's good for me, then

39:36

I'm a role with you. And

39:38

you'll start to see yourself changing

39:40

and becoming more like Christ in

39:43

the fact that you just said

39:45

yes. Your yes is enough. Right?

39:47

And so I encourage even, you

39:49

know, the listener, the person who

39:51

wrote the social media question. I

39:54

encourage you to stand strong in

39:56

who you are right now and

39:58

just put a yes on it.

40:00

And that yes, God will use

40:02

for his glory. And that is

40:05

the surrender. Yeah. Oh, that's so

40:07

good. what God puts in us

40:09

is for a reason, and that

40:11

reason may not look exactly like

40:13

we thought it would, but I

40:16

love what you said that God

40:18

has designed us for specific things.

40:20

He doesn't mean to crush those

40:22

things, and sometimes our dreams shift

40:24

into better ways with his help,

40:27

but when we... delight in the

40:29

Lord he gives us the desires

40:31

of our heart and boy that's

40:33

hard to hear when you're in

40:35

a place like you are and

40:38

you don't understand why those desires

40:40

aren't happening yet and yeah but

40:42

we have to stand and trust

40:44

and sometimes those questions are really

40:46

hard to figure out but he's

40:49

put things in each one of

40:51

us that he is going to

40:53

bring to fruition and to you

40:55

yes yes I'll get you said

40:57

you just real fast you made

41:00

it sound really simple like you

41:02

just say yes where you are

41:04

and I think a lot of

41:06

times we can over complicate things.

41:08

And this surrender does feel so

41:11

big. And it can be really

41:13

big. It can be hard, but

41:15

also, it can also be so

41:17

simple. And for me, I found

41:19

the thing that causes me to

41:21

want to surrender is I just

41:24

want his peace. I don't, I've

41:26

lived without it before, and I

41:28

don't want that turmoil inside of

41:30

myself. I don't want to live

41:32

in anxiety. I don't want to

41:35

live in chaos. feeling in my

41:37

life. I want to go wherever

41:39

his peace is and I have

41:41

found that if I follow his

41:43

peace and the way he's leading

41:46

me, the surrender comes with that

41:48

and that is you get to

41:50

where he wants you to go

41:52

because you're just following after him.

41:54

You're just following where he's where

41:57

that peace is from him. Yeah,

41:59

that's so great. You know what?

42:01

You are right. You are amazing.

42:03

Thank you for encouraging all of

42:05

us. Would you leave our friends

42:08

with one word of encouragement when

42:10

they are... what God has put

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in their heart and they've had

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to sacrifice and they've had to

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submit and it's not always been

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easy, how would you encourage them

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to keep going today? We say

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the scripture obedience is better than

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sacrifice all the time, but do

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we truly understand what that obedience

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is and that obedience should be

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our lifestyle? and we can really

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put together obedience and surrender and

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make that yes practical just by

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following the voice of God when

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he prompts you to say or

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even to not say something. And

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that is the process of surrendering.

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Surrendering looks like daily saying yes

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to him and denying yourself and

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your flesh. So to make it

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easier for us to rely on

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God and believe in who and

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what he says that we are

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in all of his glory and

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our desires, maybe it's just our

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simple. yes, God, that he's looking

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for, that will prepare us for

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the journey that might not be

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as smooth as we think, but

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it's backed by glory. And there

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ain't nothing better than that backing

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a God. Okay? So good. That

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is absolutely spot on. Thank you

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so much. It's been so fun

43:23

having you here with us. Hey,

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we really appreciate you matching your

43:27

wall to the pink couch. You

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just, you understood the assignment today.

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I think it was in my

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spirit. I know it. You heard

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from the Lord. She will go

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to all links to make this

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work exactly.