In the final episode of the August series “Moving with Intention: Purposeful Steps into What’s Next,” Dr. Marlene Greenleaf shifts the focus from future goals to the ongoing transformation of the listener’s character. She opens by reviewing the month’s themes—stepping without a full map, moving at the pace of peace, aligning preparation with opportunity, and finding courage in unfamiliar places—then pivots to the central idea that growth often occurs quietly and can be missed when we only look at destination‑oriented milestones. Using Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) as the scriptural anchor, she emphasizes confidence that God, who began a good work in each person, will continue that work until Christ’s return. Greenleaf explains that impatience and self‑judgment arise when we compare our unfinished process to a finished product, urging listeners to extend the same grace to themselves that God extends to them. She outlines how becoming often requires releasing former versions of self—habits of seeking approval, avoiding difficult conversations, earning rest, or carrying burdens alone—and replacing them with healthier, faith‑aligned responses. The episode culminates in a series of empowerment prompts encouraging listeners to reflect on unnoticed growth, identify old identities to release, recognize areas of self‑imposed pressure, and consciously ask, “Who am I becoming?” rather than “Am I there yet?” The closing reinforces that intentional steps, pauses, challenges, and unfamiliar rooms all shape the person God is forming, and that trusting the ongoing work of God is essential for living boldly in one’s power.
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Well, hello, my valued listeners, and welcome back to another episode of Living in Your Power. I'm your host, Dr. Marlene Greenleaf, and as always, you know, I am truly grateful that you have chosen to spend this time with me today. Now, as we come to the final episode in our August series, Moving with Intention: Purposeful Steps into What's Next, I want to take a moment to look back before we look ahead. Now, this month we've talked about taking the next step without needing the whole map. We've learned to move at the pace of peace. We've reflected on what happens when preparation meets opportunity. And last week we talked about finding courage when the next step takes us somewhere unfamiliar. But today, today I want to shift our attention away from where we're going and towards who we're becoming along the way. Because sometimes, sometimes we're so focused on reaching the destination that we don't recognize the transformation taking place within us. So today's episode, the fifth And final episode in our August series. It's titled Trust What You're Becoming. So let's dive in. Have you ever looked back at something you once struggled with and realized, hmm, that doesn't really affect me the way it used to? Maybe you responded differently to a situation that once would have overwhelmed you. Maybe you finally said no without spending 3 days feeling guilty about it. I've had those episodes. I've had those moments. And maybe you walked into a room that once would have intimidated you and realized, shoot, I belong here. Maybe you stopped explaining yourself, stopped chasing approval, stopped questioning every decision. Or maybe you simply found yourself responding with more peace. Than you would have a year ago. That, that's growth. And sometimes we miss it because growth doesn't always announce itself. Yeah. There isn't always a big moment. There isn't always applause. And sometimes growth quietly shows up in the way you respond, the way you think, the way you recover. The way you set a boundary, the way you trust yourself, the way you trust God. And because we're usually looking towards what still needs work, we can easily overlook how far we've already come because we see the unfinished areas while God sees the entire process. So our scripture today comes from Philippians 1:6. The New King Version reads, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Now I love the phrase Being confident of this very thing. Confident. Not uncertain. Not anxious. Not wondering whether God forgot what he started. But confident. And what are we confident about? That the one who began the work will continue the work. Now that's important. Because sometimes we become impatient with ourselves. I mean, we think we should be further along. We think we should have overcome that by now, or we think we should have all the answers. We look at areas where we're still growing and interpret them as evidence that we're failing. But scripture gives us another perspective. It says the work is still being performed. You are still becoming. You are still learning. You are still being shaped. And that means you don't have to judge an unfinished process as though it were the final product. So think about that. You would never look at a foundation being poured and criticize it because it doesn't look like the finished building, would you? I mean, because you understand that it's under construction. And perhaps we need to extend that same grace to ourselves because God isn't finished with us. And neither are you. Now, there's another side to becoming that we don't always talk about. Sometimes becoming who we're called to be means releasing who we used to be. Not because that version of us is bad. Because that version may be May have been necessary at this time because she survived something. She learned something. She protected herself. She, she did the best she could with what she knew at the time. But there comes a point when the strategies that carried us through one season cannot lead us through the next. Maybe the old version of you needed everyone's approval. But the person you're becoming doesn't. Maybe the old version of you avoided difficult conversations. The person you're becoming understands that healthy relationships require honesty. Maybe the old version of you believed rest had to be earned. The person you're becoming understands that rest is part of stewardship. And maybe the old version of you thought strength meant carrying everything alone. But the person you're becoming understands that strength also means knowing when to release. When to receive, when to ask, and when to trust. Growth doesn't require us to hate who we were. It asks us instead to honor who we were while giving ourselves permission to become someone new. And sometimes, dear listeners, that feels uncomfortable. Because even when the old version no longer fits, it's still familiar. But I want you to remember what we talked about last week. Remember how we said unfamiliar doesn't mean unprepared? Because sometimes unfamiliar simply means you're meeting a version of yourself you haven't fully known before. So let's return back to today's scripture, the part that says, he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it. What if you really believed that? I mean, truly believed that? What if you trusted that God was still working in the places you haven't figured out yet? I believe that. What if you stopped demanding perfection from a process that is still unfolding? And what if instead of constantly asking, am I there yet, you began asking, who am I becoming as I go? That's a very different question because Am I there yet? keeps our eyes on the destination, but who am I becoming invites us to pay attention to the journey. So here's your empowerment prompt for this week. So as we close August, I want you to take some time to reflect on these. Where have I grown in ways I haven't acknowledged? What do I handle differently today than I did a year ago? What old version of myself am I being invited to release? Where am I being too hard on myself because the work isn't finished? And what qualities are becoming stronger in me through this season? Who am I becoming as I continue to walk with God? And here's one more. If I trusted that God was still working in me, what pressure could I release today? I want you to sit with this one because you don't have to force your becoming. You participate in it. You remain faithful. You remain teachable. You remain open. You take the next step and you trust God with transformation. So I'm going to repeat those for you one more time. I want you to take some time to reflect on these. Where have I grown in ways I haven't acknowledged? What What do I handle differently today than I did a year ago? What old version of myself am I being invited to release? Where am I being too hard on myself because the work isn't finished? What qualities are becoming stronger in me through this season? Who am I becoming? As I continue to walk with God? And if I trusted that God was still working with me, what pressure could I release today? So in closing, dear listeners, as we close this August journey, I want you to remember You are not only moving towards something, you are becoming someone. Every intentional step is shaping you. Every pause is teaching you. Every challenge is revealing something. Every unfamiliar room is stretching your capacity. Every opportunity is inviting you to grow, and every season is adding something to the person you're becoming. So don't rush the process. Don't dismiss your progress because there's still work to do, and don't compare your becoming to someone else's because God is still working. Your story is still unfolding. And there is grace for every part of the journey. So trust the work, trust the growth, trust the lessons, trust the process, and most importantly, most importantly, trust the God who began the work in you. I want to thank you again for joining me throughout our August series. Moving with intention, purposeful steps into what's next. And I hope this month has reminded you that purposeful movement isn't about rushing towards a destination. It is instead— it's about walking with faith, moving with peace, preparing faithfully. Stepping courageously and allowing yourself to become along the way. So as you move into what's next, don't worry about having the whole map, dear listeners. Just stay connected to the one who directs your path and keep taking the next intentional step. So until next time, I want you to continue to live boldly in your power today. And if it gets tough, just breathe. You still got the strength to rise. So until next time, I want you to keep moving with intention. Move with peace. Prepare faithfully. Step courageously into your becoming. Continue to live in your power.
