The Purpose Power Podcast

Michael Ford (00:57)
Hello. This is the Purpose Power Podcast. I'm Michael Ford. And I'm Nico Ford. And we are so glad that you guys can join us today. You know, so many times we focus on perfection over purpose. Trying to make sure that we have everything in order before we actually start. And I'll tell you one thing. I get caught up in that a lot. I'm naturally a perfectionist.

And through the union of my marriage, and Nico has helped me a lot with it. Cause I'm talking about when I'm talking about being a perfectionist, I'm talking about being a perfectionist. Like OCD? Like OCD bad perfectionist. Way over the top. Yeah. Yeah. But with that being said, God never called us to walk in perfection. He calls the walking purpose. Right. And when you align with his purpose, you will find the naturally

God's perfection will come out more so than our perfection. think about it, God knows how to perfect you better than you know how to perfect yourself. And that's why it's so important to value purpose over perfection and over being perfect or over the top. Because the thing about it is, is God knows how to get you exactly where you need to be. It's just about you starting something. know, God can give you an idea.

He can give you business ideas. He can give you any type of ideas. And as people, we naturally will say, ⁓ well, I need to put all this in the road first, or I need to make sure this is put together before I present it. And God's just like, no, don't do that. Think about me. Think about what it is that I have planned for you and go do it. I think about even when we first come to Christ, right?

We, know, first you think that it's your job to clean yourself up. So you say, I'm going to wait till I go to church till I get the right outfit or I get exactly or whatever it is. And God's saying, no, no, no, no, no, come to me now because I can meet you right where you are. And he does. to that point, that reminds me of a scripture of Philippians chapter one, verse six, say he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion. Right. And

is he who began a good work, not you who began a good work. Exactly. And myself, being in that world of being, of working in perfection, sometimes it delays your purpose, but it also delays your response to God because you feel like you have everything right. exactly. that's not the case, you know.

For me, what it looks like in real life is I'm working on my book, Race 101, which is, you guys should definitely check it out. But even doing that, even working on that, I had to record it like three or four times. And I asked Nico all the time, did this sound good? I think I messed up here. And it's like, you know, I heard a study that was done. They test two groups of people.

to make a One they gave research, one had to do research and the other one just had to do it. And it found that the team that did all the research end up producing an inferior bowl because they researched so much how to do it that they never actually really got anything done. And the group that did made a thousand bowls. The bowls came out better because they learned over time.

what mistakes to correct by making a thousand bowls. So they came up with a better product, opposed to the one that had the time to research to make one. So what does that say? Let's say sometimes you got to start doing. Exactly. Then just to, you know, try to. Trying so hard to make it perfect or to make it like with no blemishes, no anything. And that is also a lot about our walk with God.

Right? No, exactly. We're not going to get it right. And God knows that. And there was really only one perfect person that walked the face of this earth and his name is Jesus. Now, am I saying that we are called to just be, you know, old, not not care or not put any thought into things? That's not what I'm saying at all. So please hear what I'm saying and what we're not saying. No, that's not what we're saying. You know, we're not saying that at all. But, you know, a lot of times we miss what God is trying to do.

because we're trying to make it so, you we're trying to outline it. We're doing all these extra steps that God never called you to do. And so what happens is you never go and do what he told you to do. It takes you so long to do it because you're just trying to make sure everything is, it just has to look like this. And God's like, no. And God's like, no. Just go do it. In factual, God used imperfect people the most.

Yes. We're talking about... All up and down the Bible. We're talking about Moses. Moses had a stuttering problem. We're talking about David. Yeah. We're about all these people in the Bible that God has used to walk in purpose and to fulfill their God-given destiny. Exactly. They weren't perfected people. No. They weren't. Not by any means. And sometimes we lose what God has for us because...

Trying to be tube affected leads into procrastination. Yeah. Oh yeah. And it's, is it? What is that saying they say all the time? Paralysis? some paralysis. I don't know. I don't know what that saying is, but it's when you're focused on something so much that you don't actually just do it. You plan, plan, plan, plan. And that's what's wrong with planning. Don't get that wrong. I'm saying nothing's wrong with planning. But in that planning, sometimes there has to be some doing too. Yeah. Okay. Because I always consider it as like,

GPS right? If God is your GPS, he only can guide you when you start moving Exactly. People like to put it to address and okay cool and they research and they Google map and they look it out But until you start moving God can't redirect you He can't get you on track because look sometimes getting going to your destination is not always a straight line And God's gonna redirect you and you might make a wrong turn and what did GPS do? It recalculates

Exactly, but you're still moving forward Exactly, and that's what I love about God. I just really do love that about God because he is not looking for That just super perfection he's not looking for that no, you know not not initially like I said I I'm not at all, know, we'll and we'll get into that a little bit more You know and as you guys begin to you know, watch the podcast and watch

You know, what we have to say, you'll understand that what we're saying, you know, like I said, it's nothing wrong with, you know, planning or different things. But when God's asking you to do something or he puts something on your heart, you can make practical steps to move forward in it. So you might not get everything done in one day, but you know, start where you are, you know, a prime example, you know, God has been calling myself and Michael both.

to write books. I know for myself, when I was diagnosed with cancer, I couldn't do much of typing or anything that I was able to do before because where the cancer was, it affected my whole right hand side, including my right hand. And I'm right handed. And I used to be able to type at a high record speed. Pretty good.

Jobs in the past were customer service jobs, so I had to use my hands to type. And so when God was saying, hey, yes, I want you to write a book, you know, ⁓ after the cancer diagnosis, I was just like, okay, God, I don't know how this is gonna even work out. What are you gonna do here? But I believed that he was still moving me in that direction. And so I had to find other ways to continue to write my book.

And you know, I was talking to Michael and I was like, well, hey, I'll wait till we get here to, you know, ⁓ start talking to illustrator or, know, put the, you know, the focus towards that. And, you know, just heard God say, no, you need to go look now. And I ended up doing that, you know, we're not in a, in a place, you know, financially where we would like to be, where we have, you know, a lot of stability where things are, you know, we might have that safe safety net that makes us feel comfortable.

But God's saying, no, use the money to start looking for the illustrator. So to make, you know, long story short, I was able to start getting that together. So it's little steps, but it's still progress. And we want progress over perfection because over time, if we allow God to do the work, he will perfect it. And he is the one ultimately that you want to perfect it because then we know it's going to be

you know exactly what God wants it to be. It's not gonna be anything that is not gonna bring glory to God. And that's ultimately what it's about. No, it's ultimately what it's about. And you said that perfectly. Because even with doing the book and you know thinking like okay, how do I read justice now with my current limitations, even my mindset being different, well your mindset being different from going through the cancer.

What does this look like now? Because I had a plan before. Exactly. And I did. But now how do I adjust now? Because sometimes when they're adjusting period, sometimes we think, well, maybe it's not meant to be. Exactly. So maybe I be doing this anymore because things have changed. to just to piggyback off what Nico was saying about far as our financial situation and things, now we're no means, struggling.

But it's not how it used to be in times past. Exactly. Right. Because I speak about, you know, in my book, Race Runner 101, as a youth, since I've been 24, 25, I haven't made less than $100,000. And in this new season with the cancer, my mindset had to shift that what does this look like going forward? Right. And it...

really affects your mindset when you go through something dramatic. Even though it wasn't me going through it, but having to watch you go through it, it affects you. And at that moment, I'll be honest with you guys, much didn't matter. So I was less focused on stability, but I was focused on time.

So if these are the last moments I wanted to get all the time, I can't possibly get in. And marriage ties into purpose as well, because I believe that marriage is a thing that God ordains and that he protects and he covers. And I think a lot of us grow in purpose. know, God given purpose is when we find the right person. Yeah. Because they bring that out. Yeah. And us being married 15 years, I can say that I've learned a lot.

being married, the ups, the downs. And I learned that I have a purpose, she has a purpose. I have a race to run, she has a race to run. Now, it might look different, but I think it looks different, but it's the same engine driving us collectively as a couple to the destination that God wants us to go.

Now we have individual roles to play and it might look different. Your journey is different than my journey. And we're running a different race, but we're running for the same purpose together for the same common good. for any of you guys out there, marriage is one of those things that...

It's a beautiful thing, but it's also work. And being in work, it's a choice. But when it works, it works really well. I can't see myself doing what God has me to do without being married to you. thanks, babe. You feel the same way. So I think...

So many people get marriage wrong because of expectations of what it is. We focus on the wedding, we focus on the ring, we focus on all the things that don't really matter when it comes to actually what it is. Like love is not a feeling. Love is a choice. Love is an action. So in an action, so God so loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son. Now in that love,

does cost a feeling. Yes. But initially love is an action. I would say continuously as you're in your relationship with your significant other, with your husband or your wife, it's definitely not going to just be that feeling. No, no, no. But I do think that in that though,

There's something that's unbelievable fulfilling when you actually do marriage God's way. And for so many of us, we lose that by what the comparison ourselves to what the world says marriage is. And we have to understand that we can't look at the world for guidance towards something that God created and ordained. So in that...

I'm not saying it's the only way, but it is an easy way to help find your purpose and walking purpose when you walk with a significant other. I just believe in that wholeheartedly.

Let's talk a little bit about purpose because sometimes we misunderstand when we talk about purpose. Most people don't ever stop to ask themselves, really, why am I here? What did God put me on this earth to do? And I think sometimes we get lost in the fact that...

It seems like it's so heavy of a question. It seems overwhelming. But if you peel back the layers, it's really quite simple.

God has put everything in you that you ever need. Now it's our job to develop that. Cultivate that. And we can somewhat see our purpose, or I would say our purpose is tied to our gifting. And our gifting is tied to our potential. And I think we can see that as in kids, we can see some young kids that...

You know they're going to be artists from a young age, you know. And you can see they start to grow up, they can draw, or what they're naturally good at. Well, that's a clue right there to what your purpose is, and what your potential will be, because you might be able to draw, but if you don't cultivate that potential and actually work on it and master your craft, you're never going to fully develop that. Exactly. So in the Christian community, sometimes we like to think God is spiritual and spooky, and we...

We like to pray like as a genie and we take out the work aspect of it. And even with your purpose, it's your purpose is something that you have to discover. Right. So that means you discovered to me, you have to look. Yeah. That means you have to work out. have to work it out. mean, sometimes you might get it wrong. Exactly. But it's a constant journey until you start looking. I think the more you look, the more God puts in your face that says, okay, you're on the right track. Here you are. Right. Here you go. And eventually

As you're that looking process, I think you officially walk into your purpose. And let me put it like this. I call it the I call it the three P's. I call it potential.

You find out what your potential is. You find out your potential, you start working on purpose. You start working on purpose, and then you start living in power. Because I think to find your purpose, you have to first discover your potential. That goes back to what I saying. It's like, find out what you're good at. Things that bring you joy. If you find that, then you've got your potential part. Now, your potential...

has to be cultivated though. Yes, absolutely. You have to still work at it. once you master your potential, then you start living your purpose. Right. Because now you know what your potential is, your gifting. Now you know what you're good at. You mastered them. And now you know how to start directing your life towards walking in your purpose. Right, right. And then when you start walking in your purpose, then you start living in power. Because power comes when you

Walk in your purpose because now you're walking in what God's created you to do but it starts with discovering your potential. Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah agreed you agree So, mean but but for that though, but but that's a that's a journey in itself though As one that you know, you don't can't take lightly but it's when you have to work on and as believers I think you know God gives us the strength to

live in those moments to give us the power to find those moments because guys are rewarded for those who digitally seek him. Right. Right. If you lack knowledge, ask him. So if you don't know where to start with how to walk in your purpose, because it's good to say, you know, the throwing a blank here, but it's good to say like to purpose or procrastination or whatever. Right. It's good to say that. But

If you don't understand your purpose, if you don't understand your potential, you never get to your purpose. Maybe we're getting off a little track here, but I think this is, I think it's important because we ask, know a lot of times, most people are afraid to ask, what is my purpose in life? Why am I here? Right? And that's the question that a lot of people ask themselves. And it's like this question that no one has an answer to.

Right. And I don't believe God puts you somewhere and gives you an impossible task that you cannot complete. Now, the task might be hard, but that just means that it just shows that you need Him. Yeah, even more. But it's not an impossible task. I think if we start, because I have found in my walk with God, that God is very practical. And I found that He is giving you practical tools. Now, over time, we're taught to over...

Analyze it and actually over complicate the things of God you find very simple. I Mean, but you know as people we have to complicate things So of course, I believe if you start with your potential That are things that you're good with that you're naturally good at things that you know bother you that you want to correct Things that you have enjoyment doing right then you cultivate that

master that. know, it's like if you're good at sports, if you're good at running and you want to be a runner, you still have things to do to be a, you know, a world athlete. mean, you know, a gold medalist. So you just don't come out the womb being a gold medalist. You have to perfect your craft. You have to do things to get to that place. Right. But it's you, but but you're working on that. Right. So once you work on that, you train, then you start saying, okay, now

I'm living to my purpose. So now things are lining up. Your life start lining up. So if you're a runner, you're to do running things. You're going to go to the Olympics. You're going to do these things. But now you start working. Now you start working to your purpose. And then you start living in power. Yeah. You agree? I do. So, you know, with that, I guess we'll start closing up here, I guess, a little bit. Yeah.

You know, can talk for hours and hours and we're trying to keep this first episode 25 minutes or so, but I can just talk about everything. I can just get into... But that's just me. I'm just naturally a talker. Let me see. What we got here in our notes? Purpose, the whole point of this message is to just let you know that if God has put something on your heart for you to do...

Don't feel like you have to have everything lined up before you started. God is not waiting. A lot of times, I'm sorry, I'll say it this way. A lot of times people say, I'm waiting on God. There are very, very, very few times that you are actually waiting on God. A lot of times God is waiting on you. He's waiting on you to take that first step of faith, step out there. And you know, don't worry about getting it wrong.

Because here's the thing is when you are genuinely following after God and doing what he's asked you to do, he's going to perfect your steps. He's going to ensure that anything you step out to do, he's gonna take care of it. He's going to perfect whatever needs to be perfected. So don't worry about that. Just worry about being obedient because with being a...

a believer, there's more to just saying, I believe in God or I'm a Christian. No, when you hear that word, you have to be willing to go do the word, go do what God has asked you to do. If you have little resources, whatever resources it is that you have, God will make sure that if he's called you to it, he's going to fund it. He's going to give you whatever it is that you need to be successful and what he's called you to do. So I know that we, you know,

Probably got a little off track while we were talking about purpose over perfection. But the main thing is, is if God has called you to do it, go do it. Even if it's at, like I said, just taking the first step. You know, if he's called you to go back to school, you know, and you might say, well, I don't have the funds for that. Well, hey, maybe start looking at different ways to fund it, you know, or just.

Hey, take the first step and fill out the application. Because you never know. I think sometimes we limit what God can do for us because we sit and we wait on what looks good to man. And we don't focus on, we don't let God do his part. Exactly. Because if God pushes on your heart to do something, delay obedience to disobedience. Yes.

God called you he's going to fund it. he's going to give you the resource. You never know what will happen Yeah, until you dare to step out there. You fill the application out go up there Yeah, I mean I can tell you so many times that Miraculous thing has happened in my life when I stepped out of the ordinary and I started believing in this short know what God could do Yeah, because I think society society put this boundary on us that

what's possible and not possible. Very true. And sometimes we do procrastinate because we do, you we try to find perfection. And I mean, I'm guilty of myself. Yeah. I mean, I'm guilty. I'm a huge perfectionist. Yes. To the fact that I overthink, I overanalyze things and I got to tell myself I just got to do. Yeah. Because I'm like, okay, it got to be like this, it got to like this. I wear so many hats, so I know how so many things work. Yeah.

So it should look like this, it should sound like this, and if it doesn't, then I'm always trying to perfect it to get it to that next level. And sometimes, you just gotta do it. You gotta do it. So we'll wrap this up unless you wanna share anything else. No, just like I said, you have a purpose. God has called you to be a doer of his word and go do it. He gives you something.

Go do it. Don't worry about it being perfect. Don't worry about everything lining out first. God will take care of that. You just do what he tells you to do. you know. look, we hope these things inspired you guys. So today the takeaway is simple. Profession isn't the goal. Obedience is. Okay. So God's not asking you for profession. He's asking you for your participation. And

is this episode will encourage you share with a friend. You never know who needs to hear, hey, I don't have to be perfect. I just need to be in my purpose. I need to be obedient. So if this helped you today, definitely share it with somebody else. Don't be afraid to take the next step in whatever God has asked you to do. And I know Michael was kind of touching a little bit on his book. I don't know if you guys caught it, but

he finally stopped being this perfected person and just went after purpose. And so he has finally finished his book, one of many that he has, and it's called Race Running 101. So I think, you know, do you want to speak more on it? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I stopped procrastinating and I released the audio book first because I

I feel like there's something about hearing something. Because the Bible says, faith comes by hearing, by hearing the word of God, but something about hearing that gets into your spirit. And Rage Run and Run and One is a book that was made from years, years of experience. it's just, it's been a lot. Just people don't tell you what's on the other side of success, right? Of being successful on a high level, what comes with that.

and feeling like you live your life for comparison for other people or people think you should like to be like, and life didn't really start for me until I started running the race that God had for me. Not what society said. I'm here. Some of my saddest moments were some of my greatest moments on paper, being successful with the world's cause successful. And I remember feeling empty inside and feeling depleted and feeling like

This is not worth it. But on paper, I was so-called living the dream. But in Race Runner 101, I dig into, I dive into how to run your God-given race. The race that God has specifically designed you for. You for, not no one else, not a comparison. And what really success is? Success is as unique as your fingerprint. It's different for everybody. Exactly. So your fingerprint are like mine and vice versa.

So success is the same way. You can't compare your race to somebody else's race. Exactly. And so many times, especially with social media, we look at everybody else's life and we compare ourselves to other people and we can't do that. It's your race to run. God gave you specific race that only you can run. in Race to Running 101, we, we, because I believe my wife helped me, inspired me as well. Cause I remember actually, I remember when I had the ideal, it was 2016.

I was on the truck. I was coming through Baltimore and I was telling my wife about it said I had a voice recorder and I recorded it and I said okay I told Niko I said look I got this book I deal and she was like can you transcribe it for me and she actually did she listened to it yeah and God bless her soul because I talk fast sometimes so so and you know over the years and it's been two thousand two thousand sixteen yeah

But it's a time. But I added to the book, put stuff into it. And I think it's a really blessing. It will help you. I think so. We'll put a link where to get that from. It's all part of the Purpose Academy. So it's a powerful tool, powerful book. I think we really bless you guys very much if you take a look and listen and be blessed by it. So next week, we're going to talk about fear and how to recognize it.

how it hides and how to overcome it. Yes. So I don't think you guys want to miss that episode. Like I said, I know we kind of probably got off and went a thousand other places, but I believe that we finally came back to the core of what this episode was about, which is your purpose over being perfected. And yeah, so I hope that you guys will stay tuned to our next episode for next week and

The purpose power podcast. Yes. So right family. We'll see you next time stay in faith and keep walking in power Keep walking in power. I mean you guys