Untethered Podcast - Katie Vogel

We're all faced with really tough things in this life. Jesus never said things would be easy after we chose to follow Him - in fact, quite the opposite. He promised that in this world, we'd have trouble. But we get to take heart because He has overcome the world. And because His Spirit is living within us and His power is at work in and through us, we too can overcome. I (Katie) created Untethered Podcast to remind you that no matter what we go through, He's right in the thick of it with us. He never, ever leaves us. I believe there's also a challenging and radical truth we need to confront in our hardest moments: It's possible to experience freedom in the midst of our difficulty. And even more than that - we can still walk in our divine purpose regardless of our circumstances. I've had an eleven-year battle with anxiety and depression that has seen some really ugly, deep valleys. I hit my lowest point with anxiety in the summer of 2014 after an allergic reaction to Sudafed. My heart rate went through the roof for five days, and it was like my brain just went into total overdrive for the next 12 months. I was completely debilitated most days, feeling like I couldn't trust my own thoughts or make many decisions on my own. I was paralyzed with fear. Interestingly enough, 2014 was also the year I was hired to be the socials director for the greatest church in the world. I wrestled so much with my position in ministry that year. Who was I to be shepherding others when I felt like I could barely function myself? Surely this was only something for someone who never dealt with doubt or fear...cause all people in ministry are perfect, right? In our seasons of struggle, we tend to disqualify ourselves from walking in our calling, and all the while, God is waving His arms, trying to get our attention, shouting, "HEY! My grace is sufficient for you!" He never made perfection a pre-requisite for fulfilling our purpose. Rather, He chooses to use the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, the weak to accomplish what only the strong should be able to do. The man who denied Jesus three times (and continued to make plenty of mistakes) to establish the Church among the Jews. The man with the thorn in his side to establish the Church among the Gentiles. He takes the weak and makes them strong. He embraces us in our most fragile states and says, "I can use you." We are not disqualified. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit. No matter what we face, His grace is sufficient for us. Let's throw off everything that holds us back and run our race with confidence and perseverance, knowing that with Jesus, we lack nothing. In Him, we are untethered.