Episode Transcript
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Paula Behrens (00:01):
Friend, have you
ever wondered how your small
everyday actions can actuallymake an eternal difference?
Have you felt the nudge tobless someone but weren't sure
where to start, or if it wouldeven matter?
Or maybe you're carrying theweight of wanting to shine for
Christ in your family but youfeel like your light is
flickering in the middle ofbusyness and spiritual battles.
Well, you are not alone in thatfeeling.
(00:24):
We, we've all been there.
But here's the good news thelight you carry isn't your own,
it's His.
And today we're diving deepinto what it means to be a light
for Christ and how to live insuch a way that others are
touched, helped and blessedthrough your presence.
But first funny story when Ifirst began my seminary work
(00:44):
while serving two churchcongregations full-time,
everyone assumed I had my dailydevotional time perfectly
organized.
But truth be told, there weremornings I could barely find
five minutes to catch my breath,let alone dive into deep
reflection.
One day, as I rushed out thedoor with mismatched shoes, I
realized that even in my chaosthere was a lesson.
(01:06):
Embracing God's grace andself-forgiveness, I realized
that true success in mydevotional life requires
prioritizing my spiritualpractices.
Are you finding it challengingto maintain your spiritual
practices or yearning for a morepeaceful, God-aligned day?
I'm Paula, and I've been theretoo.
(01:26):
Balancing spiritual habits witha busy life can be difficult.
I longed for a deeperconnection with God, but
struggled with consistency.
Then I found the perfectapproach.
If you seek simple ways todeepen your connection with God,
this podcast is for you.
Hey friend, I know what it'slike to feel far from God, even
(01:47):
when you're doing all the rightthings.
You're showing up, you'repraying, you're reading the
Bible, but inside somethingfeels disconnected.
You wonder if you're doingenough, if God is even listening
.
You feel a little ashamed thatyour quiet time isn't what it
used to be or what you hoped itwould be.
Well, I want you to know you'renot alone and you're not
(02:12):
failing.
God isn't asking you forperfection.
He's just asking for yourpresence.
That's what the Aroma of ChristCoaching Hour is all about, no
pressure, no performance, justpresence.
Let me walk with you into aslower, spirit-led devotional
routine that will help youreconnect with the One who's
been waiting to refresh yoursoul all along.
Now's the time to say yes topeace, to say yes to presence.
(02:35):
Book your Aroma of Christcoaching hour at paulabehrens.
com/ coaching.
That's Paula BehrensB-E-H-R-E-N-S .
com/ coaching (no spaces).
All right, it's time to getstarted.
Grab your Bible, dust off yourjournal and cozy up to your
favorite beverage and let's divein.
(02:59):
When Jesus stood before hisfollowers and said you are the
light of the world, he wasn'ttalking to perfect people who
had it all figured out.
He was speaking to ordinary menand women who were still
learning what it meant to walkin faith.
These were fishermen, taxcollectors, moms, dads, laborers
, people with doubts, strugglesand messy lives.
And that's good news for us,because it means that we don't
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have to wait until our liveslook flawless to make an impact.
We can shine right where we are, in the middle of our messy
kitchens, our stretched thinschedules and our imperfect
prayers.
Being a light for Christ is notabout how loud you can speak or
how much you can accomplish.
It's about being present withpeople in such a way that they
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sense God's Love, God's Peaceand God's Truth through you.
Sometimes we imagine being alight means preaching a sermon,
leading a Bible study or doingsomething really big.
And yes, those things havetheir place.
But more often it's the littlethings that God uses, the small,
consistent choices that rippleout and touch lives in ways, we
(04:03):
may never fully see this side ofheaven.
Think about this for a moment.
When was the last time someoneblessed you with a small act of
kindness?
Maybe it was a smile at thegrocery store on a hard day.
Maybe it was a friend textingto say she was praying for you.
Maybe it was your child or yourgrandchild slipping a little,
drawing into your Bible.
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These moments are tiny flickersof light, but they have the
power to brighten up a very darkroom.
Light, by its nature, can't behidden, we know that.
Even the faintest nightlightchanges the atmosphere in a
pitch dark space.
That's what your faith doeswhen you offer it, no matter how
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small it feels.
I remember during my years as apastor, sitting with
parishioners who carried suchheavy burdens, grief, betrayal,
exhaustion, questions of worth.
Sometimes they came hoping Iwould have the big answers and,
yes, I always leaned onscripture and prayer, but do you
know, what they told memattered most?
It was the fact that I listened, that I cared enough to hold
(05:08):
space for their tears, that Ireminded them of who they were
in Christ, when they hadforgotten.
Those were small moments, quietmoments, but over and over
again, God showed me that hislight shines brightest when we
simply make room for him to workthrough us.
The truth is, the people aroundyou are carrying heavy loads,
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worries about money, fear abouttheir children's future, silent
grief they don't even have wordsfor.
You may not see it writtenacross their faces, but it's
there.
And sometimes God places youright in their path as a
reminder that they are seen,loved and not alone.
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Sometimes the most Christ-likething you can do is simply
notice someone, to pause longenough to say, I see you.
That kind of presence is rarein our rushed, distracted
culture these days, and itshines bright against the
backdrop of darkness.
So how do we do this inpractical ways?
How do we touch, help and blessothers, even when we feel like
we're running on empty?
(06:12):
Well, one way is throughencouraging words.
Proverbs 16, verse 24 says:
"Gracious words are like a (06:14):
undefined
honeycomb, sweetness to the souland health to the body".
Speaking life into someonedoesn't cost you anything, but
it can mean everything to theperson hearing it.
I can't tell you how many timesI've watched a friend's face
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soften in relief when shefinally hears, you're doing
better than you think or Godhasn't forgotten you.
Sometimes that one phrase isenough to remind her that she's
not abandoned and that God isstill working through her story.
You know, your words may be thevery tool God uses to break
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through someone's despair.
Never underestimate the healingpower of a spirit-led word
spoken at the right time.
Another way to shine brightagainst the backdrop of darkness
is through little things, actsof service.
These things don't have to bebig and they don't have to be
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elaborate.
It's things like making a mealfor someone or holding a baby so
a new mom can take a muchneeded nap, or offering a prayer
with a co-worker or simplylistening without rushing to
give advice.
All these things are ways wecan shine God's light into the
life of another, and often it'snot just the act itself but the
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heart behind it.
When people sense that you'veslowed down long enough to care
about them, they glimpseChrist's heart through you.
It's not about perfection, it'sabout presence.
I've seen this firsthand in mycoaching practice.
Women often come into sessionsweary and overwhelmed, almost
apologizing for not doing enoughin their walk with God.
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But when we walk through thePeace RESET together, a simple,
Spirit-led process of pausing,breathing, bringing thoughts
captive to Christ, and allowinghim to replace old lies with his
truth, when that happens,something shifts.
I remember one woman inparticular.
She came in carrying the heavyweight of feeling like a failure
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in her home.
But as we moved gently throughthe peace reset, using natural,
God-designed aromas to help hercalm her body and release the
negative charge attached tothose painful memories, she
began to soften.
With scripture guiding herthoughts and prayer anchoring
her heart, the truth of God'slove began to break through.
By the end of our time together, her face looked different,
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lighter, calmer, more hopeful.
She told me, I feel like I canbreathe again.
Nothing extravagant happened.
We didn't solve every lifeproblem, but God used that
intentional sacred space torelease tension, quiet the inner
noise and restore peace.
That's what being a light lookslike in real time, creating
room for God to restore what'sbroken, so his light can shine
(09:08):
more clearly through us.
Now you may wonder, why do weinclude natural aromas in the
Peace RESET?
Well, the answer goes back tohow God designed our bodies.
Our sense of smell is directlyconnected to the limbic system
of the brain, the part thatstores emotions and memories.
But here's the beautiful truth,God gave us these natural
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aromas not just for enjoyment,but also as tools for healing.
When we pair these aromas withan intentional, step-by-step
technique designed by a clinicalpsychologist, they gently help
us release the negative chargeattached to past memories or
trauma.
What once triggered fear, shameor sadness can lose its grip as
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a sense of peace takes itsplace.
In Psalm 51, verse 7, Davidprayed, Purge me with hyssop and
I will be clean.
Wash me and I will be whiterthan snow.
This verse reminds us thatGod's cleansing power reaches
every part of our being.
Through His Spirit, and eventhrough natural, God-designed
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aromas like hyssop, he gentlypurifies our hearts and helps us
let go of the pain caused byold wounds that are trying to
hold us captive.
Through the Peace RESET, womenexperience the freedom of
letting go and the joy ofreceiving God's truth in a very
tangible way.
It's a reminder that he createdour minds, bodies and spirits
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to work together in harmony andthat his design is always good.
And here's something we oftenforget.
Our light grows brighter whenwe take time to sit with the
source.
You cannot pour from an emptycup.
The closer you are to Christ inyour daily rhythms whether
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that's reading scripture in thequiet of the morning or praying
while you fold laundry orjournaling your gratitude before
bed the more naturally hislight will spill out of you.
Have you noticed how afluorescent light that's being
unplugged slowly dims until itflickers out?
That's what happens when we tryto serve others without staying
connected to Jesus.
But when we remain plugged intohis presence, we shine
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consistently, steady,dependable, and warm.
That is why I often say smallsteps, add up.
Give yourself room to breathe,make it doable today.
Maybe your small step isopening your Bible to just one
verse.
Maybe it's whispering a prayeron the school run.
Maybe it's pausing before yougo to bed to say, Lord, thank
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you for this day.
These small choices will anchoryou to the source and from that
anchor you will shine.
Friend, I know you may befeeling stretched thin.
You want to witness to yourfamily, but sometimes you feel
spiritually alone.
You want your kids to grow upknowing Jesus, but it feels like
such a heavy responsibility.
Can I remind you, you don'thave to carry this alone.
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God is faithful to work througheven the smallest seeds you
plant.
Your whispered prayers, yourpatient endurance, your daily
choice to forgive, your decisionto open the Bible, even when
you're tired, these thingsmatter.
Galatians, chapter 6, verse 9,says: Let us not grow weary in
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doing good, for at the propertime we will reap a harvest if
we do not give up.
Your consistency, even when itfeels unseen, is sowing seeds
that will one day bloom into aharvest of faith in your family
and beyond.
When you live with Christ atthe center, you become a
lighthouse without evenrealizing it.
People will be drawn to thepeace you carry, the steady
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faith you cling to, and the hopethat shines even in trials.
Think about this.
A lighthouse doesn't chase theships.
It simply shines faithfully,steadily, and ships find their
way because of its presence.
That's what your faith can doin the lives of others.
So let me leave you with areflection.
Who in your life right nowneeds a gentle touch of God's
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light through you?
What small act, maybe a note, aprayer, a listening ear could
you offer them today?
Remember, being a light isn'tabout you shining the brightest
in the room, it's about pointingothers to the One who is the
Light of the world.
If you're longing to release theweight of old hurts, calm the
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swirl of overwhelm and step intoGod's presence in a deeper way,
I'd love to invite you to aone-on-one Aroma of Christ
Coaching Hour plus Peace RESET.
During this session, we'll walkthrough a gentle, spirit-led
process that uses God's designedaromas to help release the
negative charge of past memoriesand restore your heart to
wholeness.
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You'll also walk away with asimple devotional rhythm and
printable resources that workfor your current season of life,
something that will keep youconnected to God without adding
more pressure.
Our goal is to give you bothfreedom and clarity so you can
carry God's Peace forward andshine his Light as a steady
beacon of faith in your family.
You can save your seat today bygoing to paulabehrens.
(14:15):
com/ coaching.
That's Paula BehrensB-E-H-R-E-N-S .
com/ coaching (no spaces).
Book your session now, whilethe Peace RESET is still on the
table.
Thank you for tuning in todayand remember, just like setting
biblical boundaries, it's okayto say no to things that don't
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serve you well, like that thirdpiece of cake at the church
potluck.
If you were blessed by thisepisode, be sure to share it
with a friend and leave a reviewso that we can reach even more
women like you.
Check the show notes for allthe links.
Join us next time as wecontinue to discover how to live
on purpose in Christ.
Until then, keep leaning intoHim and walking in His wisdom.
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See you next time.