(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)
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Welcome back to part four of the Joy Reset series. I'm so glad you're here. Today's episode touches on something that quietly shapes everything else, the way faith moves through our lives, or, sometimes, the way we keep it from doing so.
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I'll explore how integrating your relationship with Christ into every aspect of your life can transform your daily experiences, providing strength, peace, and clarity. So, let's dive into how faith can truly be the fuel for your joy. So, if you've found yourself relegating Jesus to specific times of the day or week, I'm glad you're here, because today, we're going to fix that.
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Welcome to Goals in Grace, the podcast for accomplished women who are ready to align their ambition with faith and step into their highest potential. I'm Rev. Juliet Spencer, a certified high-performance coach and former pastor, and I'm here to help you break free from imposter syndrome, embrace gratitude, and lead with clarity, purpose, and peace. Each week, I'll share faith-filled encouragement, personal stories, and proven strategies from books like High-Performance Habit, as well as from my coaching program, The Purpose and Peace Pathway, to help you achieve success without apology.
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You'll walk away with tools to lead boldly, live intentionally, and honor the calling on your life. Let's step into our calling together. Don't forget to follow the podcast and share it with a friend who's ready to grow.
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Let me begin with sharing a story from my own life. There was a season shortly after I was asked to serve one of the largest churches in my denomination in Louisiana. It was certainly the largest congregation with the largest physical plant I had ever been asked to lead.
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While I was honored and grateful, I remember a time when things felt, well, full. Not bad, exactly. Just full.
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Full of commitments and responsibilities and decisions needing clarity yesterday. One day, at my desk with coffee in hand, staring at a to-do list longer than the book of numbers, I said to God, Lord, I don't think I have the energy for all this. I had my feet propped up on my desk, staring out the window, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of what needed to be done.
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The staff was counting on me for clarity and direction, and adding to my sense of pressure, I was the first woman in Louisiana to lead a church of that size in the United Methodist Church. In that moment, I admitted to Jesus, I don't know if I have time for you right now. It might not have been a dramatic prayer, but it sure was honest.
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But then, I felt the Spirit's reassuring whisper. Juliet, I'm already with you. Your faith isn't something separate.
It's what you live from. This wasn't the first time I needed to be reminded of something I already knew. That served as a wake-up call.
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I had allowed my relationship with God to become compartmentalized, limiting my awareness of God to set times. But faith isn't an accessory. It's a source of fuel.
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And so that day, I began to change how I approached every day. Not by finding more hours, of course, but by more intentionally integrating my faith into everything I do. When life feels chaotic, faith isn't just a task on a spiritual checklist.
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It's oxygen. It's the grounding force that brings clarity among noise and peace amidst anxiety. Faith provides a lens, not rose-colored, but one of truth and love and grace.
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And through faith, we remember that God is with us in every moment, every task, and every conversation. God's presence transforms ordinary spaces into sacred ones every single day. I've come to believe that faith isn't fragile.
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It's durable, designed to travel with us into every role and responsibility. When faith fuels our lives, joy isn't dependent on specific circumstances. Instead, joy becomes anchored in God's presence.
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A dear friend of mine, Stacey, explained it beautifully. She wondered exactly how God fit into her life and the role that her faith could play in an overflowing plate that held so many sections. One part was caring for her husband and three young boys.
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Another one was for building her own practice. And another one was for all of the activities she was involved in at church. At first, she thought that God just gave her strength for everything she had to do and helped her move from one task to the next, one category to the next.
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But then she realized it was much bigger than that. God, she said, wasn't something that showed up from time to time to help her in each of the busy sections of her life. God was the plate.
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Her faith and her relationship with Christ were the foundation upon which everything else depended. In other words, that relationship and her faith were meant to be felt and lived in all aspects of her life. I've heard people say over the years that work and faith should be separate.
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And I'm not talking about whether or not you're allowed to speak of God or matters of faith at work. Rather, what they were saying was that one shouldn't carry a relationship with Christ to work, that the two rules are separate, or rather the rules for work and the rules for faith are different, and you don't want to taint one by letting it contaminate the other. In fact, many high performers are tempted to compartmentalize life, including faith.
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We separate our lives into boxes, and while in many cases that's not a bad thing and can actually help us be more productive, when it comes to faith, it has the complete opposite effect. It's not that we don't love God or that we don't want to live with faith at the center. It's that somewhere along the way we absorbed a subtle but wrong message that said, faith is deeply personal, so keep it separate, keep it quiet, keep it contained.
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But compartmentalizing faith has a cost, both in effectiveness and in joy. Joy thrives in wholeness and alignment, strengthening when our relationship with God's allowed to flow freely, because you weren't meant to be divided from God. Your faith was never meant to be quarantined.
When faith is something that we live from and not just visit, we avoid feeling spiritually undernourished. My friend Stacy recognized that God was the foundation of our life and not just a source of strength. When we'd stop dividing our lives, we'd discover God everywhere, in meetings, traffic, parenting, at the grocery store, when we're frustrated or sad or overjoyed.
God moves for us where we allow God to be present, and when we open every door, faith becomes fuel and joy returns. As we talk about moving from a compartmentalized faith to an integrated one, I want to pause and sit with two scriptures that speak so clearly to this invitation. The first comes from Colossians chapter 3 verse 17, and whatever you do in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
I love how sweeping that is, whatever you do, not whatever you do on Sunday mornings, or whatever you do in the quiet moments before the kids wake up, not whatever you do when you feel spiritually on, nope, whatever you do, whether it's emails or difficult conversations or leadership decisions, career decisions, whatever it is, God says, do it in the name of Jesus. In other words, bring Jesus into all of it, let your faith be the lens through which you think and speak and plan and lead. This verse dismantles the illusion that some parts of our lives are spiritual and other parts are not, because when Jesus is at the center, everything becomes sacred, every moment becomes an invitation.
When Jesus is at the center, then every task is an opportunity to let God's presence inform how you show up, your tone of voice, the way you stand, your choices, the way you interact with people, and even your joy. And then Jesus' own words in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verses 4 and 5, give us an even deeper picture of what this integration looks like. Jesus says, abide in me as I abide in you.
Apart from me, you can do nothing. This isn't a command to perform, it's an invitation to stay connected, to live your life from a place of ongoing relationship with Christ. Abiding isn't an activity, it's a posture, a way of living, a way of staying rooted.
Jesus is saying, I want to live in you so that everywhere you go and everything you do, I become a part of. It's the quiet awareness throughout your day that says, Jesus, I'm not doing this alone. I don't have to carry this alone.
I don't have to decide this alone. I make my decisions and I align my behavior to one that will please you. When we compartmentalize faith from the rest of our life, we unintentionally cut ourselves off from the very source of strength and joy that we long for.
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But when we abide, when we allow Christ's presence to flow into every part of our lives, we find that work becomes lighter and decisions become clearer, and the day becomes infused with a deeper, steadier joy. Colossians chapter 3 reminds us to bring Jesus into everything we do, and John chapter 15 reminds us that Jesus is already offering his presence everywhere we go. One passage points to our posture.
The other points to God's promise. Together they form the heart of an integrated life, a life where joy isn't something we chase. It's something that flows naturally from connection.
So let's bring faith into the fabric of everyday life with these gentle, doable practices. And they are practices that I will tell you have totally transformed my life and have improved my relationship with God and my effectiveness in general. Begin every day with grounding prayer or scripture or both.
Before the world demands attention, let God touch your heart. Offer your day to God before getting out of bed. Even 60 seconds of breathing and praying or focusing on one verse can anchor you.
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Use transitions as mini, m-i-n-i, moments of connection. During your commute or between Zoom calls or even when you pull into the driveway, take what I call faith pauses. These brief pauses give you opportunities to speak with God and that, in turn, can re-center you.
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Keep scripture in places you naturally look. Place a post-it note on your desk or set a verse as your phone's lock screen. In other words, tap into God's presence by tapping into God's Word.
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Practice gratitude as worship. Move beyond just listing things for which you are grateful into genuine awareness. Start each day by asking, What can I get excited about today? And then end each day by naming and giving thanks for at least three things for which you're grateful.
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And this practice will tune your heart to notice God's presence in so many areas because you'll be looking for it. And that, in turn, fosters deeper gratitude. When I use this particular practice, I try at least two of the three, if not all three, not to be the things that I was thankful for the day before or the day before that, but genuinely to express gratitude for three things unique to that specific day.
End your day with a releasing prayer. Breathe deeply, relax your body and envision your muscles releasing tension. Repeat release as you continue to breathe.
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Or you could do what I do, which is sometimes I'll just say, God is with me in this moment and in this moment I am fine. Integration grows through rhythm, not through pressure or guilt or even a checklist. Integration grows through rhythm.
Faith offers more than comfort. It connects us to Jesus and provides direction. When you're unsure what to do, faith reminds you that God will guide you.
And when you feel alone, faith whispers that God is present. And when you're overwhelmed, faith helps you walk, echoing Christ's invitation, walk with me, let me lead. Faith strengthens resilience by rooting your life in something deeper than circumstances and something bigger than yourself.
It clarifies decisions, offering clear insights to align your choices with your values and your calling. Letting Christ guide your inner world brings profound peace. Integrated faith becomes the compass that keeps you steady, even when the path takes a sharp turn.
And it's especially important when you don't feel as though you're actually hearing from Christ. I know in my own life, when I've prayed for specific direction and I'm kind of getting crickets, then I trust the values and the insights that my faith already hold. I'm passionate about helping you integrate faith into every aspect of your life.
And the reason that I am is because I've just seen too many times what a difference it makes in the quality of somebody's life. And this is true when things are going well. It makes the beautiful moments feel even more beautiful and it makes you feel more alive.
But when life is hard, when the storms come in, when the doctor delivers bad news, or when a rift happens between you and a child or someone you love, when you get laid off from work or someone, a valued employee quits to take a better offer, whatever it is, when you are able to integrate faith into every aspect of your life, you will weather those storms with grace and purpose and even joy. So, I'm giving you some journal prompts or prayer time prompts, or maybe just to consider during your moments of morning quiet. And these will definitely be in the show notes.
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Where do I tend to compartmentalize my life and why? What would shift if I invited God into my workday as freely as I invite God into my quiet time? What would shift if I invited God into the everyday tasks with my family and friends? What habits or commitments might need to become a no, or no for now, so my life reflects the peace and joy that I long for? Can others tell that I am a person of faith no matter where I am? What would a more integrated life with God look like? What I feel more joyful and at peace if I let Jesus into all areas of my life and made my decisions in consultation with Him? Let God speak into these questions and reveal what you're ready for next. As we close, remember this, faith isn't an accessory or a separate category. It's the very fuel that allows joy to take root and stay.
You don't need more compartments when it comes to your relationship with God. You need more connection, more integration, more awareness of God's presence woven through the ordinary fabric of your day. That's where joy resets itself quietly, steadily, beautifully.
So this week, commit to one small, consistent practice that will integrate faith into your daily rhythm. I recommend choosing from a morning grounding prayer, or a midday scripture break, a gratitude pause, or a nightly release prayer. But pick one and stick with it.
Consistency is key, and then when you're ready, add another one. If you're seeking deeper support to build a life that integrates faith and purpose and high performance, that brings joy in a way that you've not yet experienced, then I would love for you to explore my purpose and peace pathway. As a certified high performance coach and pastor, I understand the importance of letting Jesus guide every aspect of our lives, spiritual, leadership, career, relationships, boundaries, goals, all of it.
A life that honors God is one that integrates God fully, and that life is filled with joy. Ready to take the next step? Feel free to check out my website RevJulietSpencer.com to learn more and start your journey today. Until next time, my friend, God bless.
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)
