207: The Wilderness preparation not punishment

What if the wilderness isn’t where God sent you to punish you—but where He brought you to prepare you? This week on The Purpose Effect, we’re talking about the wilderness. And I’m not talking about trees, mountains, and being physically lost. I’m talking about those seasons when life gets wild, uncomfortable, uncertain, and difficult—the places where everything you thought you could depend on starts getting stripped away. I’m walking through one of those seasons right now. In this episode, I talk openly about business struggles, anger, fear, old patterns, identity, faith, and what I’m learning as I try to stop asking “Why me, God?” and start asking “What are You preparing me for?” As I’ve studied Scripture, I’ve found a pattern: CALLING → WILDERNESS → TESTING → STRENGTHENING → SENDING The wilderness reveals. The wilderness strips away dependence on comfort. The wilderness teaches trust. The wilderness strengthens faith. And the wilderness prepares us for what comes next. Deuteronomy 8 shows us Israel learning dependence upon God in the wilderness. Matthew 4 shows us Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness before beginning His public ministry. Sometimes we’re so focused on getting OUT of the wilderness that we miss what God is trying to build IN us while we’re there. We also talk about identity. I’m a husband. I’m a father. I’m a mentor, leader, teacher, and businessman. Those things matter—but none of them are my foundation. My foundational identity is that I am a child of God and a disciple of Jesus Christ. Everything else gets built on top of that. If you’re walking through your own wilderness right now, I want to challenge you: Lean into the uncomfortable. Spend time in Scripture. Spend time in prayer. Ask God what needs to be revealed, removed, strengthened, or changed. Don’t allow today’s wilderness to define you. Let God use it to prepare you. 📖 Scripture discussed: Deuteronomy 8:2–3 Exodus 16 Matthew 4:1–11 Luke 4:1–14 Ephesians 6:10–18 If this episode speaks to you, subscribe to The Purpose Effect, share it with someone walking through their own wilderness, and join us as we learn to live with greater faith, intention, and purpose. I am changing my world. If you are changing your world, together we are changing the world. The Purpose Effect. It is a lifestyle. It is a journey. Join us. We are changing the world. #ThePurposeEffect #WildernessSeason #ChristianPodcast #FaithOverFear #TrustGod #ChristianMen #MenOfFaith #ChristianLeadership #SpiritualGrowth #PurposeDrivenLife #JesusChrist #ChildOfGod #EmbraceTheWilderness #LeanIntoTheUncomfortable Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices