Are you going through a difficult time in your life, wherein you lose your sense of purpose and identity? Sometimes, we may feel like we have lost control of some aspects of our lives, be it in our careers or relationships. As overwhelming as these situations may be, don’t despair. These are chances for us to fully put our trust in the Lord and learn to listen to God’s voice. 

In this episode, we talk to Cherlyn Decker, an author, inspirational speaker, and faith coach. She graciously shares her journey filled with trials and challenges. Along the way, she realized that God provides her with opportunities and blessings to transform and flourish. Now, she is with us to share her experiences in her deep relationship with God. 

Listen to the episode to learn how to listen to God’s voice, so you will never get lost in your life’s journey.

3 Reasons to Listen:

1. Discover how you can find strength and courage when you rest in God in times of tribulations. 
2. Find out why independence is fear. 
3. Understand how to tune into God’s voice and trust His providence. 

Resources

• Subscribe to our website to get resources from our guests and receive updates on our latest giveaways and episodes.
• Check out our previous Seek Go Create episodes: 
• Embracing and Overcoming Challenges in Life with Christopher Greco
• Check out Tim’s debut novel entitled Coach: A Story of Success Redefined!
• Graham Cooke — Brilliant Perspectives
• Connect with Cherlyn: website
• Get a free declaration to begin your breakthrough and check out Cherlyn’s book here!
• Episode Details

Episode Highlights[04:08] What Cherlyn Does and What Leadership Means to Her 

• She helps leaders and entrepreneurs experience and lead from God’s voice, so they can show up for those they are called to serve.
• For Cherlyn, leaders help other people achieve their best. They recognize what’s hampering others from moving forward. 

[06:05] The Pivotal Moment in Cherlyn’s Journey

• A phone call and the words: ‘I’m sorry, your position has been eliminated’ changed Cherlyn’s life forever. 
• She had always known in her mind that God was her provider. When she lost her income, she had to let God show her that. 
• Even before she got laid off, she was unhappy. She heard a voice inside her to go look for herself elsewhere.
• However, she was sure that it was not God’s voice speaking to her then.

[12:10] Learning to Listen to God’s Voice

• Just like how we know if we ran a red light, we know when we are being disobedient to God. 
• In these situations, we have to trust God to shine a light on our paths and correct our disobedience.
• One person in the Bible who always listened to God’s voice was David. Even though he was mighty, he always asked the Lord’s guidance on when to engage with his enemies. 
• Whenever we ask for guidance, He may say yes, no, or nothing at all. When we don’t receive a response, we simply have to wait until we hear God’s voice. 
• When Cherlyn does not hear God’s voice, she continues to walk in peace towards where He led her before until He tells her to stop. 

[15:30] Cherlyn’s Christian Background

• Cherlyn grew up in a Christian household. This environment served as the foundation for her faith in God. 
• However, that did not mean that she led a life without difficulties. Like what Paul tells us in his Epistles, we are to expect trials. 
• But when we look to God in times of tribulation, we can find His goodness and peace. 
• Even though Cherlyn does not like going through trials, these strengthened and sharpened her. They also solidified her faith. 
• As a teenager, the relationships she had with her peers in their church were unhealthy. Luckily, she was able to find a different church youth group with whom she could bond. 

[21:14] Cherlyn’s Realizations

• The word of God is our weapon. While their church taught her to study the scriptures, she didn’t understand how to use it as her sword of truth back then.
• However, her denomination gave her building blocks and allowed her to have a good relationship with the Holy Spirit, who is the best teacher there is.
• God’s voice led her to the tools she needed to equip herself in the world.
• Looking back, Cherlyn now sees how God used the good, bad, and ugly in her life to transform her. 

[24:16] “Our past is not meant to be punishment. Our past is meant to point us to what God wants to teach us so that we can make changes and do things the way He wants us to do them moving forward.” - Click Here to Tweet This[29:08] God’s Providence

• Cherlyn had to learn how to let go of something when God asks because He has something greater planned. 
• We, as 21st century Christians, have a distorted view of what blessings look like from God. 
• We have to trust that everything God provides is good, and if there’s something that does not come from Him, we need to question it.

[34:01] Learning to Trust God

• Independence is fear of letting God take charge. 
• In the areas where God had not given her stewardship, Cherlyn was bringing chaos. 
• Cherlyn had to learn that true independence comes from tapping into God, her source.

[35:31] “What the Lord has shown me is that my independence was fear, fear of what it could look like to be fully dependent on God.” - Click Here to Tweet This

• He may send us a storm to see if our foundation is built on our solid faith. That’s what happened to Cherlyn when she lost her job.

[40:14] “When the storm comes, you can tell what the house is built on... There's still going to be thunder and lightning. But it's built on a solid foundation. And I think at the end of the day, God lets that stuff happen to say, ‘Okay, let's test this foundation here.’” - Click Here to Tweet This[41:15] Parenting as a Christian

• Cherlyn fights her own battles and passes these victories down to her children as their inheritance. 
• However, she believes in the value of testing, because this process brings forth perseverance and character.
• Her prayer is for God to put her children in the refiner’s fire in her house, so that she may walk alongside in their journey.
• When we are looking for a breakthrough, our best weapon is to find someone who's overcome it. However, most of us don’t like being vulnerable. 

[43:45] “When we are looking for [a] breakthrough, our best weapon is to find someone who's overcome it.” - Click Here to Tweet This

• Cherlyn’s family did not go through challenges by themselves. God sent specific people to help them through their difficulties.

[46:25] On Writing Her Book

• According to Cherlyn, writing her book is an act of obedience.
• Not everybody can hire a coach to help them through life’s difficulties. She wrote about how God helped her and how He can do it for others as well.
• At first, Cherlyn’s people-pleasing self feared baring parts of her life she had never even told her family and friends.
• However, the Lord redefined this trait of hers. God’s voice made her realize that she only needed to perform for an audience of one. 

[51:16] Takeaways from Cherlyn’s Book

• All His sheep can hear God's voice. We just need to tune in our hearts to listen to the Lord. 
• Our identity does not come from what we do or who we think we are. It comes from who the Father says we are.

[01:02:27] “When you know who God says you are, nobody else’s opinion can change it because it doesn’t matter.” - Click Here to Tweet This

• If you don’t know who you are, open the Word of God and let Him speak to you. 
• Tune in to the full episode to learn how to recognize God’s voice and how He speaks with you!

[01:06:26] Seek, Go, or Create?

• For Cherlyn, the word that resonates most with her has to be seek. 
• If she’s not seeking God’s voice first, she’s doing things for the wrong reasons.

Enjoy the Podcast?

Seek Go Create is for anyone seeking excellence, moving towards success, or creating something new. We share topics, stories, and conversations that allow us to rethink how we live, work, and lead.

If you were inspired and educated by this episode, feel free to subscribe to us on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify so that you never miss another episode. Also, share this episode or what you’ve learned today on your favorite social media platform.

Love to give us 5 stars? If you do, we’d love a review from you. By doing this, you can help us reach more people who want to redefine success in their lives.

Connect with the SeekGoCreate Network! For updates and more episodes, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

To growing and becoming all we are created to be,

Tim

Mentioned in this episode:

Stop Reacting, Start Leading: Free 30-Minute Coaching Call

Are you leading with strategy or just reacting to the daily chaos? If you're feeling stuck, constantly putting out fires, and struggling to focus on the big picture, it’s time to take control. I’m offering a FREE 30-minute coaching call to help you shift from reactive to proactive leadership with clear, actionable strategies. Whether you’re facing new challenges or just need a reset, this call will give you clarity and direction. Book your free coaching call now by clicking the link in the show notes or visiting TimWinders.com/coaching.

Book Coaching Call