This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm chatting with author Lisa Whittle about her new book The Hard Good: Showing Up for God to Work in You When You Want to Shut Down. Lisa has published eight books and her wit and bold bottom-line approach have made her a sought-after Bible teacher. She is also the creator of a companion video Bible study for Jesus over Everything. A pastor’s daughter and longtime ministry leader in issues relevant to the church, Lisa is the founder of Ministry Strong and the popular Jesus over Everything podcast, which debuted in the top 25 of Christian podcasts. Her love runs deep to see people pursue Jesus for life, grow deep roots of faith, and walk strong in the midst of a world that so often seems to have gone crazy. She and her family live in North Carolina.

Key Points from Our Conversation:

• "The Hard Good" is the stuff that is hard and most spiritually transformative if we allow God to use it and the emotions/feelings that thwart us in the process of change. 

• "God anoints and appoints, but usability is up to us."

• Some things are just hard, but not spiritually transformative. The things God wants to use in our lives are often the hard things. But we can better endure the hard when we know there’s a purpose behind it.

• We tend to live ignoring our feelings or feeling controlled by them. People of faith have often struggled in this area because of the false idea that it dishonors their faith. But the creator of the universe made us with emotions and feelings, so He’s the one to help us regulate them.

• We need to have more hard conversations in the church about abuse, widows, refugees, race, etc. When the church won’t have tough conversations, the world leads the conversation and the church is left to respond when it should be leading.

• As a Christian, you are called to make disciples wherever you have influence. Encourage hard conversations in the church and pray for your leaders. If you feel your church isn't aligning with your values, it may be time to leave. 

• “Instead of silencing tough conversations, let’s silence the fear of taking them on.”

• We all fear getting into a hard conversation because we don’t know how it will turn out. If something continues to compel you after praying about it, it's probably time to address it. Praying and being in tune with the Holy Spirit is the best way to ensure a good conversation.

• Before engaging online remember that anything that offers help apart from the power of God is not helpful. It will end in disaster because it’s a human providing a solution. Take time to process and pray before posting.

Let's Get Real Practical: 

It's time to face hard conversations head-on without fear. Ask God to show you what tough conversations He’s inviting you into and use these 3 tips to engage - pray, listen to the other person, and reflect what they said for clarification.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 60: Jesus Over Everything with Lisa Whittle

Episode Sponsor:

How to Communicate Effectively with Your Spouse or Loved Ones - a one-page document with 6 easy steps to communicate your thoughts and feelings you can use in any tough conversation.

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