How do I live out my Christian calling?

[00:00:00] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Are you struggling to find true purpose in your life? Do you feel this calling to something greater, but you fear leaving your comfortable job? Have you felt that nagging feeling that you're meant for something more? That God is calling you to a completely different path. Well stay tuned as we dive into this powerful story of transformation and purpose. Today, we're going to explore how to live out your Christian calling even when it means making tough choices. This is a show you don't want to miss.

[00:00:37] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Yesterday's show, we discussed 5 tips for choosing an insurance agent or broker. If you missed it, that was chock full with some great information and the truth is everybody needs insurance. I'm going to encourage you to go take a listen to it. If you didn't already, you can find all of our episodes at askralph.com.

[00:01:00] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Today's message comes to us from Tomi. Tomi writes this. She says

[00:01:04] Ralph Estep, Jr.: "Dear Ralph, I've been listening to your show for months now, and it has truly been a blessing. But I'm facing a dilemma. I have a high paying job in finance, but I feel God calling me to ministry. I am scared to leave my secure position, but I also don't want to ignore God's voice. How can I discern if this is truly God's calling and if it is, how do I take the leap of faith? I am very scared to take what I feel is this huge leap, but it sounds like you've sort of done it yourself. So I wanted to hear your advice. I truly appreciate you and you're making an impact."

[00:01:45] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well Tomi, all I can say is I'm humbled by what you've written, and I thank you. I appreciate your heartfelt message, and it resonates absolutely resonates with me deeply. And I'm sure many listeners can relate to the same thing. So today, I'm going to tell you about a story, about a client of mine who is facing similar crossroads and I want to navigate how he went through it. But before we get too deep into that, I want to remind you just like Tomi did, send your questions in for the show. This show is all about answering your questions. That's why I call it Ask Ralph. You can send them to me by email at ralph@askralph.com or you can visit our website at askralph.com and you'll see a little microphone icon at the bottom. Just click on it and speak your truth to me, record that message, and I'll answer your question.

[00:02:37] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well, I'm so glad you're here with me today. Your presence means the world to me. I am honored that you've taken time out of your day to really discuss this important topic. So I am super excited to explore this.

[00:02:49] Ralph Estep, Jr.: As I mentioned a moment ago, I want to encourage you to visit our website. That's at askralph.com. I want you to do that so you can join our community. And while you're there, share the show. If you know somebody who needs this impact in their life or something they need to listen to, I would really encourage you to do that. But when you join our community, you're also going to get a free copy of my book. It's called Mastering your Finances.

[00:03:11] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Now, if you were to go buy this book on Amazon, it would cost you 10 bucks. But just by joining our email list, I'm going to send it to you absolutely free.

[00:03:23] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well, let's start as we always start. Grounding ourselves in scripture. The book of Jeremiah 29:11 says this. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Now in my humble opinion, that's a great place to start, isn't it?

[00:03:50] Ralph Estep, Jr.: So let's get to today's topic and that's simply, how do I live out my Christian calling? It's a simple question but it's not a simple answer. And I want to share a powerful story about my client named John because it illustrates how sometimes, following God's calling means leaving behind what seems secure and taking that step - that leap out in faith. Now John, a client of mine. He's a successful investment banker. He had it all. Now, these are his words. He had that six-figure salary. He had that corner office, that coveted city skyline. He had the respect of his colleagues. He was in the world standards, living the dream. But John, even with this material success, John felt empty inside. One day, John came to me for financial advice and as we talked, it became clear that his struggles went beyond money. I could sense this heaviness in his voice. There was weariness in his eyes, it spoke volumes. "Ralph," he said, "I'm good at what I do. I make a lot of money. But every morning, I wake up dreading going to work. I feel like I'm meant for something more, something that truly helps people. But Ralph, I'm scared to leave the security behind." And as I sat there and listened to John speak, it reminded me of my own journey. You see, as I've talked about on the show, When I first started this podcast, back in looking at it now, 2017, it was just a business show.

[00:05:28] Ralph Estep, Jr.: My goal was to help people with their finances. It was pretty simple. Pure and simple. But just like John, I felt God tugging on my heart. I felt that God was calling me to integrate my faith into my work more explicitly. And I shared this with John. I told him about my internal struggle. Listen, I was afraid.

[00:05:49] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I told him this. I say, "John, I was afraid." In my case, I was afraid of talking about faith would alienate some of my listeners, might alienate some of my clients and chase them away. I also was afraid I wasn't qualified to speak on spiritual matters. But that call kept getting stronger. The Lord was speaking to me. And as I sat there and spoke to John, he leaned forward, you could see his eyes lighting up.

[00:06:14] Ralph Estep, Jr.: There was a recognition. And he said to me, "Ralph, that's exactly how I feel." He said, "I feel called to ministry. I want to help people, not just with their money, but with their spiritual lives. But Ralph, how can I leave behind everything I've worked for?" Well, a big smile came across my face because I remembered those same feelings, myself, my own fears. And I said to him this, I said, "let me tell you what happened when I finally took the leap and transform this into a Christian business podcast." I told him about how I, you know, contrary to my fears, the audience actually grew because the truth is people are hungry for financial advice that was grounded in faith. They appreciate the honesty.

[00:07:00] Ralph Estep, Jr.: They appreciate the vulnerability that I bring and sharing my financial journey alongside solid financial wisdom. Now, of course, John thought that through and he said, "But wait a second. You didn't have to leave your whole career behind Ralph. I'm feeling called to full-time ministry. And Ralph, that's a bigger leap."

[00:07:21] Ralph Estep, Jr.: And I had to acknowledge that it's the truth. You know, I didn't walk away from my career and walk away from my job. I told him he was right. But in the end, the principle is the same. When we step out in faith, God provides. So, let me tell you what happened next. Over the next few months, John and I worked together.

[00:07:41] Ralph Estep, Jr.: We prayed together. We planned together. We prepare together. John, for his part, started volunteering at his church. He was really testing the waters of ministry. He wanted to get more online education, so he started taking online theology courses. He did that in the evenings. He kept his job. He moved slowly, but he moved surely. And you could see this passion.

[00:08:06] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It was growing stronger by the day. Well then, fast forward a little bit, came the moment of truth. It was an interesting way that this all played out. John's church was looking for a full-time financial counselor. They were looking to help their people in the congregation do a better job of stewarding their resources.

[00:08:25] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Now looking back at it now, it was pretty cool because God had set this up for John. I truly believe this because John's financial expertise and his growing passion for this ministry, it worked. Now the truth is the salary was less than half of what he was making in the investment banking world. Instead of that corner office, he had this small office in the basement, so he lost that city view. It was a far cry from what he had before, but you know what John told me? When he was taking that job, and I could see the light in his eyes

[00:09:00] Ralph Estep, Jr.: like I'd never seen before. Two years later after he took that job, John's life had been transformed. Yes. He had to downsize his lifestyle. Yeah, there were moments of doubt and fear. Hey, we all have those. But John tells me that he's never been happier or more fulfilled. And that's what it's all really about.

[00:09:21] Ralph Estep, Jr.: In fact, he said this to me recently. He said, "Ralph, I wake up every morning excited to go to work. I am using my financial knowledge to help people in my congregation make wise decisions. I'm using them to help get out of debt. I'm helping them to give generously. I'm not just managing money anymore. I am helping people see their finances as part of their spiritual lives. Ralph, this is what I was meant to do." Let me just tell you, that was amazing for me to see. I mean, this dude was on fire. And his journey, sort of like my journey. And his story, sort of like my story. And it illustrates some truths. And one of those truths is living out your Christian calling requires courage. It might mean leaving behind what's comfortable and what's secure and stepping out in faith. But we've been given these gifts.

[00:10:19] Ralph Estep, Jr.: We've been given these talents. And we've got to start to find ways to use them in service to God's kingdom. And you will find a fulfillment that there is no amount of worldly success can ever match it. So Tomi, and anyone else feeling that tug towards a new calling, I get it.

[00:10:39] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Here are some things that you can do and steps that you can take right now to start moving towards that. And first thing you've got to do is you've got to pray for guidance. You have got to spend some time in that quiet reflection. And listen, ask God to make his will clear to you. Now, I don't believe that he's going to speak to you with this loud, booming voice from the heavens. You know, Tomi, you need to do this or Ralph, you need to do that.

[00:11:04] Ralph Estep, Jr.: But in the quietness, in the stillness of that prayerful time, you may very well find that God is speaking to you. The second thing. I talk about this on the show all the time. You've got to seek wise counsel. That means talking to your trusted friends, your family members, talk to your pastor in your church, talk to other spiritual leaders about what you're feeling. Help them to harness that energy, harness that passion, and help you develop what God is showing you that he wants you to do. And just like John, number 3, I think you got to start small. I'm by no means telling you to go quit your job and go give away everything to the poor.

[00:11:45] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Now, listen, I had an aunt and uncle. They became missionaries. And they did just that, I mean, they were living a pretty successful life. They were living in Florida. My uncle had a good job. My aunt had a part-time job. They had a nice place. And all of a sudden, one day they called my mom, and they said, we've decided we're going to go volunteer.

[00:12:04] Ralph Estep, Jr.: We're going to go be missionaries. And it took them to places they would've never got to, but they heard that voice of God talking to them. They dove right in, and I'm not saying that's the right thing to do. So I'm going to advise you to start small but harness that passion. Another thing

[00:12:21] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I'm going to tell you got to do and that's number 4 and that's You got to prepare practically. If your calling is going to require you to gain new skills or knowledge, just like John, do those online courses, learn more about the Bible, learn more about faith or whatever that looks like for you.

[00:12:39] Ralph Estep, Jr.: You got to be practical about it. God will reward that practicality. And the last thing, but not the least thing. And this is the hard one. This is where the rubber meets the road. And you've got to trust the God's timing. It's so easy. You hear a message. Maybe you're hearing this thing and your like Ralph, guess what dude, you've made up my mind.

[00:13:01] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I'm going to sell it all. I'm going to, I'm going to go become a missionary. But don't rush the process. You know there are times in our life where God calls us to prepare for years before making a big move. I see that in my own life. God put me through trials. He put me through tests. He had me build up my skill set.

[00:13:20] Ralph Estep, Jr.: He had me build up this practice. And I truly believe, looking back at it now, that it was all preparing me for this next journey. And my journey is not the same as you. It's unique. It might not mean leaving your current job. It might mean being a light right where you are. It could be in the person next to you in the cubicle.

[00:13:40] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It could be in your business where you're reaching out to customers. But the key to all of this, really the key is this. Seek God's will earnestly but more importantly, be willing to follow where he leads. Think about when Jesus was calling his disciples, what did he say to them? It was a pretty simple message. Follow me. Think about that.

[00:14:04] Ralph Estep, Jr.: He had fishermen, he had tax collectors and all these other people who had other professions. They were doing other things and Jesus simply said to them, Follow me.

[00:14:15] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well, let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank You for the plans You have for each of us. We know You have given us plans to prosper not to harm us. You've given us plans to give us hope and a future. Lord, for all of us struggling to discern your calling, we ask for clarity. Give us the courage to step out in faith

[00:14:38] Ralph Estep, Jr.: when You call us to new things. Help us to trust in Your provision, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Help us to alleviate those fears. Take us away from those doubts, Lord. And may we use our talents and resources not for our own benefit but for the building of your kingdom. Because that's what You want for us. We ask all of these things in Jesus' name, Amen. Well, I hope today has reached you. You know, we explored how to live out that Christian calling.

[00:15:11] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It means making difficult choices. We talked about stepping out in faith can, it can really lead to profound, personal and spiritual growth. But remember this. I've said this a couple times now. Your calling is unique to you. It's not the same as everybody else's. So when you look around and you see other people doing this or doing that, like my aunt and uncle who went and joined the missionaries and went off to Haiti and to the Dominican Republic and they did prison ministry. All those things, that wasn't my path. That might not be your path either. But seek God's will. Be prepared to step out in faith and trust in his provision. Now tomorrow, we're going to discuss, how can I beat the finance manager at his own game?

[00:15:55] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well, that's a transition, isn't it? I know this spiritual Sunday, sometimes it's tough to transition in tomorrow's episode. But I want to talk to you about that tomorrow and it's how can I beat the finance manager's own game? It's going to be a special episode tomorrow. I'm going to talk about when I was 12 years old, I helped my mom actually navigate a sale of her first car.

[00:16:15] Ralph Estep, Jr.: And I also want to tell you about this. Tomorrow is actually my birthday and it's my 24th wedding anniversary. So that's a big thing, this to celebrate as well.

[00:16:25] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Now, listen. If you're feeling stuck in this quagmire of finances, spiritual journeys, I would love to help you. The best way for me to help you is for you to schedule an appointment with me. You could do that right at askralphpodcast.com/store. Now I charge a consultation fee. It's $150. I don't work for free because what I give is valuable. I want to work with you to help you improve your personal finances. Maybe you need help with your business finances, or maybe you need help growing your business. Whatever those things are.

[00:17:01] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I can help you. I am confident I can help you achieve your financial goals. But it all starts with you reaching out and schedule that appointment. Let's work on developing a personalized plan for you and let's do it today. Remember. My passion is to help you achieve financial success. That's my mission field. I want you to live out your dreams, and I want you to grow in your faith and do all those things together.

[00:17:25] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It is possible. I know that together we can master your finances from a Christian perspective. So as I always say, I always end the episodes with this. I want you to stay financially savvy and, on this Sunday, God bless you. And God bless you abundantly.