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Do you struggle with finding strong, healthy friendships? We often desire loyal sisters, but we shy away from the work required for us to truly know and share ourselves with others. You are wired for connection! Until we truly understand how God wired us, we cannot have deep and intimate relationships. Without real intimacy, we will experience frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty in our relationships which may limit our ability to love others and to love God well.
In this episode I am talking with my good friend, Jada Edwards, or as we sometimes call her “Jada Potata”. Jada, and I have known each other since childhood. In fact, she is one of the girls in my personal sister circle. Our relationship doesn’t exist simply because we have known each other for years, it has grown and gotten better because we have been willing to do the hard work of knowing ourselves well and then being willing to share that knowledge with each other. We’ve taken the time to understand our natural temperament – the way God made us.
Women often adjust our temperament to match our circumstances. We easily become who we need to be for our environment or our “nurtured” temperament. Those around us attempt to love and connect with us, but their attempts fail because they can only do that based on who we present to them, which is not who we truly are. There is a better way to experience real connection with others. You and I were made to desire love based on how God made us, not who we’ve become to survive. Yet as we navigate life, we become stuck in our nurtured temperament and fail to understand our own natural temperament.
Are you wondering how to know if you are stuck? You start with growing to know how you are wired. God desires for you to know who you are and how He designed you to operate in life. It reminds me of the encouragement from Psalm 139:23, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life”. David, the author of Psalms, shows all of us the path to understanding ourselves. We must seek God’s help.
When you allow God to show you who you are and then begin to operate in that space, you will experience power. It is a power you can only access through the freedom you have in knowing who you really are and not just who you’ve been trained to become. It’s the power of being real and authentic both in your life and in your relationships. My hope for you is that you will see how to connect with who you really are, so you can tap into the power that God has in store for your life.
And what does He have in store?
He wants you to experience the joy of solid, healthy, life-giving relationships with others, and, most importantly, to enjoy your relationship with Him.
Highlights from Today’s Episode
- How to know yourself and invite others in
- The freedom of knowing who you are
- Tips for understanding your natural temperament
Resources from today’s show
- Connect with Jada Edwards on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
- Listen to Jada on The Jada Edwards Podcast
- Take a look at the “Romans” Bible Study by Jada Edwards
- Check out these books suggested by Jada: “Inside Out” by Larry Crabb; “The Knowledge of the Holy” by A.W. Tozer
Click to Tweet
- “It’s important to be emotionally available without constantly emotionally erupting.” – Chrystal Hurst
- “There’s value in just knowing self.” – Jada Edwards
- “You have to know who you are in order to help people navigate you.” – Jada Edwards
Other Stuff to Check Out
- Want to check out another other posts related to this topic? Take a listen to #286 – “Getting to Know Yourself” with Nicole Staples, #228- “Knowing Your Identity” with Priscilla Shirer, and #315 – “Showing Up As Yourself” with Tabitha Brown.
- If you missed Episode 325 with Allison Fallon, click here to listen!
- Need to encourage your soul? Try listening to the playlist I put together for my mom, Lady Lois’ Worship
- Interested in supporting the content I create and enjoying bonus content? Learn about joining my Inner Circle!
- Be sure to also check out my books She’s Still There, Show Up For Your Life, The 28-Day Prayer Journey, and Kingdom Woman!
Let’s Talk!
- In what areas is your nurtured temperament driving your actions?
- What steps can you take this week to love well by loving close?
- In what way can you pursue you this week?
Connect with me…
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How to Listen to The Podcast
If you’re new to podcasts, think of them like little radio shows that you can listen to at your convenience. They are perfect to listen to and learn from as you work out, fold laundry, wash dishes or conquer the world.
1. Listen right here on the blog. Click the little play button at the beginning of this post.
2. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play! – Be sure and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Also, if you would be so kind as to leave a rating on iTunes and/or write a 2-3 sentence review there or on Stitcher? Your commentary or rating helps make the podcast more “findable” by others who might not know it exists!
3. Share today’s show – Email the link to a friend or share on social media. Just click on the sharing buttons at the bottom of this post!
You have been so great to join me on the journey here on the blog, I hope you jump right in and do the same on the podcast!
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