284-From Striving to Stewarding: Financial Breakthrough Through Identity

For more details to speak from the overflow of your identity to your own podcast, click here

What if your financial frustration isn’t about the numbers—but about how you see yourself?

In this powerful episode, we dive deep into the connection between Kingdom identity and financial stewardship. When you know who you are in Christ, it transforms how you handle what’s in your hands—money, time, opportunities, and influence.

✅ No more striving to prove yourself
 ✅ No more fear around provision
 ✅ No more cycles of lack rooted in unworthiness

This is about stepping into alignment, not just abundance.

Whether you're believing for breakthrough or learning to steward what you already have, this episode will realign your perspective and reignite your faith.

#ChristianPodcast

Stuck No More Voice Assessment & Webinar Click here
Instagram https://instagram.com/theresacroft
Facebook https://Facebook.com/theresamcroft
YouTube https://YouTube.com/@theresacroft
More Podcast Episodes on Apple and Spotify

Transcript

Kingdom Economy and Obedience

Speaker 1 0:00

Kingdom economy. Obedience is the currency. His promises aren't guaranteed return, but they often require us to step out when it does not make sense. So, obedience to what God's called you to do. Have you ever thought about that? Hey, thanks for listening to this Tech no More Voices podcast, where faith-driven women rediscover their identity in Christ and release a voice that transforms the world. I'm Teresa Croft, passionate to help you get unstuck from your identity and then to release that powerful voice in a podcast. Yeah, equipping you to create a podcast from the overflow of your identity alongside two simple tools. So glad you are listening today. Be sure to check the show notes for the Stuck no More Voices Academy Definitely a place where you can shore up your identity and have that voice of revival speaking out to the world. Check the link in the show notes. So welcome back to the Stuck no More Voices podcast, where we help you find your voice, share your voice and speak your voice from the overflow of your relationship with God in a podcast, maybe in your social posts or even on stage, and we do this also by incorporating simple AI tools.

Speaker 1 1:20

So today we're going to talk about kingdom economy. So we're diving in the truth today. That's been really stirring on my heart, especially in the last few days, a reminder that the kingdom economy looks nothing like the world's economy, and they both can feel exciting and a little scary. Throughout this episode, I want you to remember what I've always believed is that faith is the currency of heaven. There's some other things that are currency of heaven, but remember that one. So, listen, if you've been obeying quietly, investing in yourself or simply trusting God when the outcome still feels unclear, this episode is just for you. Sometimes, what God calls you to do doesn't make sense to the people around you, especially it won't look profitable or productive. But when you're walking by faith, your steps carry eternal weight, even when no one else sees them. And if those around you don't really get your willingness to invest in yourself, well, this is for you. Keep your pearls close to your heart. When it comes to sharing that, listen. I realize that sharing with those closest to you is where you get the worst criticism and doubt.

Speaker 1 2:40

I realize that I had this time where I would invest and I would do it in hiding. This is back when I was married and my mom would be my pharaoh. She'd be providing and I was studying. I was doing almost every course that came around, but especially ones that were focused on video. Then I realized something done in deceit is not kingdom. So I would openly ask or tell my husband, years ago now, what I wanted to invest in. There was this one speaking academy that I really, really knew was, for me, a great guy that was leading it, and so I put together a little booklet all about it how reputable they are, what they're going to teach. You know all the vetting so he could read it and make up his mind. I gave it to him and he threw it on the couch and he said all they want is your money.

Investing in Yourself is Kingdom

Speaker 1 3:40

That's a pain that hurt me. I remember going on from there and anything I wanted to do. I knew that was probably what I was going to get. I didn't want to go into secret, but I remember I would just get so much pain in my body when I'd see other women speaking on stage or doing things that had to do with their voice, because that was such my heart and I'd almost get like sick to my stomach because I knew I could never do that. Well, he passed away three years ago and I don't have to worry about disease, I just have to worry about following what God's telling me to do. So I share the pain of all that to share. So I share the pain of all that to share.

Speaker 1 4:29

It's kingdom, to invest in yourself. Sometimes you just don't realize it's kingdom. So let's take some time and see if I can't encourage you to understand some kingdom finances. It won't be the complete overlook at it. I've got a great friend, michelle Tasco, that could do that for you. But I'm just taking it from the perspective of investing in yourself. Maybe the Stuck no More Voices Academy or maybe you're looking at some other ones.

Speaker 1 4:52

Let's start here. The world teaches us that value is based on money, visibility, success and applause. I never want to be called an influencer, because most influencers aren't really making any money. Some are, but that's the way the world looks. But kingdom economy is based on faith, obedience and intimacy with the Father. God's ways are a little upside down, or maybe they're right side up, depending on how you see it. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 7, says we walk by faith, not by sight. That means we're not moved by what we see or don't see. We are moved by what God has spoken deep to our hearts. We are moved by our relationship with God. We're in that secret place. He can download so many great strategies. Some of my best strategies, I really believe, came from the secret place.

Speaker 1 5:50

I was a little religious early on in my life and I was like I'm having my quiet time, no one can disturb me, and a thought would come in like a good thought and I'd push no, no, I'm having my quiet time. And another thought would come in and I'll never forget it. Bill Johnson of Bethel Reading said if you're having your time with your father and an idea comes, don't you think God's speaking to you because you're having your time with him. So I've learned to write things down. Sometimes it'll be a podcast idea. That's where I talk. It comes from your overflow relationship with God. But I don't want you to think all your episodes, all your time with God, is for episodes. There's a big difference. But I don't want you to think all your episodes, all your time with God, is for episodes. There's a big difference. But I can tell you some of the great episodes that get on my heart do come from my time with God. If you go to the link, I show you exactly how that happened one day. It's just this little eight minute video where you see me. You see me find it and we'll even worship it through. Go to the, go to chat gpt and actually shoot the podcast. So that's what's going to be a part in the stuck no more voices academy.

Faith as Heaven's Currency

Speaker 1 6:57

But that's not all so. So, kingdom economy obedience is the currency. Okay, his promises aren't guaranteed return, but they often require us to step out when it does not make sense. So, obedience to what God's called you to do have you ever thought about that? You just think, oh, it's just the desire of my heart. No, yeah, it is. But are you going to obediently walk out the desire of your heart? That's economy. That's take steps. In kingdom's economy, obedience is also the currency. I said faith is the currency of heaven, but wow, right up there in God's kingdom, obedience is the currency.

Speaker 1 7:38

When God prompts you to invest in rest, in healing, maybe in a course or a program launching something new. It may not make sense on paper. I can tell you, in the past couple of years I've invested heavily in two particular programs. Heavily, and in my mind they might not have panned out the way I wanted, but I love this.

Speaker 1 8:03

I got this voice text. I want to share it with you, from michelle tufford. She's founder of the mastermind no More Dry Ground. She said this to me in a voice note as she realized I was going in this direction. She says I know that even those other investments maybe didn't pan out the way you would have wanted them to, but she said that is still using those that, even in kingdom. But she said that is still using those that even in kingdom.

Speaker 1 8:28

Kingdom economy looks different, right? So even though maybe it feels like it was backwards, what you receive from that is not, and God can make up for what you feel like was lost. Like in one program. I really feel like I was lost and so I just wanted you to know that your heart is to be walking in the will of God. And I see you doing that. And that really, really was exciting because I can look at my investments in the past now and I can look at this investment I have going on that it's kingdom. So it's not like, oh my gosh, my money's running out. No, it's kingdom, god will provide. He has provided. So you think of that.

Speaker 1 9:13

Whatever the price tag is, don't go for the free. A lot of times you won't commit to it, invest, invest. So listen, it may not be instant profit, so listen, it may not be instant profit, but in heaven's accounting, you're sowing something of eternal significance. Like just an example, I'll use michelle. I've invested in her. No more dry ground, mastermind. We meet twice a week and it's been a great place for community. It's a great place to test out your ideas. It has an amazing return on that very, really reasonable investment Michelle offers. So I can't put a dollar amount. There have been some meetings. I'm like you can put a dollar amount to that.

Speaker 1 10:02

God sees the unseen. He sees every silent prayer You're learning, you're yearning, every quiet sacrifice. That's how his economy flows. He's not looking at your likes or your metrics. He's looking at your heart. We can get so caught up in oh, that had a lot of likes or that didn't have a lot of likes and start, you know, thinking it's about you or even about your finances. No, no, no, no, no. It's a great metric to look at sometimes, but that's not what God's economy is about. All right, so let's look at another verse. We're talking about maybe investing in your healing. Romans 12, verse 1,. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship your body, your mind, your calling it's all His and caring for it is a kingdom act.

Speaker 1 10:56

I have invested in my mind since my husband passed away. I'm going on three years meeting with someone who's with the neuropsycho program at Dr Caroline Leaf. She's also an amazing business coach. Her name's Alana Van Deventer and let me tell you there have been so many critical meetings with her. It used to be every week, now it's every other week because she realizes okay, teresa, go with it. But there are some times when I sit down with her, okay, across the camera, and I'll want to talk marketing and marketing. And then there's other times I'll look at her, I'm like I don't want to talk marketing. I got to tell you what I'm struggling with being able to rewire, to renew from. For me it was 26 years of not feeling like I was good enough in a very traumatic, abusive relationship, but then coming out of that and starting to experience healing. There still are some side effects that I have to work through, just my own mind, my own body. After surgery of two cancer surgeries realizing, okay, my body still needs time and let's make sure the mind is leading the way.

Speaker 1 12:10

It's an investment. It might not look profitable in the world's eyes when you invest like that, but listen, you are planting seeds for a new tree. You are planting seeds for a garden of your heart and soul that heaven recognizes. So here's when it gets really good. Faith gives you eyes to see value before it's visible. Think about that. Faith gives you eyes to see value before it's visible. You might be showing up right now for people who never say thank you. You might be building something that hasn't taken off yet. You might be healing in a way no one understands, but faith says God is working. Even if I don't see it, faith sees a harvest in a seed.

Speaker 1 13:04

I remember I was this was a long time ago I was in some program and the guy was a kingdom leader and he blew me away. He said doing ads is investing, that's kingdom. Doing ads is kingdom. I had done them for a client in 2012, 2013,. But that ad thing was just like it's and it's like okay, I mean, what did he? He said investing in ads is kingdom. I believe that if you don't just throw money at it like a windmill and hope it multiplies, you do. You do investing, maybe in an ad strategy. You invest so you can have a return. Just there's an unseen harvest growing, even when it looks like nothing is happening. As you stay faithful to God, as you stay your ear open to listen and obey, as you put your faith as a currency of heaven, something's happening Sometimes.

Finding Your Voice in God's Economy

Speaker 1 14:11

Maybe you just need to be reminded that you're tired. Maybe you've been hustling. Hustle just depletes your energy and your creativity, and oftentimes I think hustle means I'm not trusting God. That doesn't mean I sit around in my pajamas all day. I go to work with a plan, but I'm not hustling. I was a big hustler back in the day, and I was very criticized by my husband. I hustled so hard by 3 pm I had to take a nap. I mean, I was just, especially if he was not there. Now I may take a nap just because my body needs a nap, but it's not because I've been hustling. I know how to invest in a good nap. I don't nap as much, though, which is really interesting.

Speaker 1 14:48

So what step I'm going to end this with? Ask this heart to heart with you. What step is God asking you to take that maybe doesn't make sense right now. He's calling you maybe to rest, maybe to write, maybe to create your podcast, and this lady named Teresa Croft has a podcast like none other Because she's going to teach you how to do it from the overflow of your relationship with God, with two simple tools that are going to not make it take all day. It's going to be very quick. I love these tools.

Speaker 1 15:25

I get so excited and I want to teach you because I really believe one of my deep desires is to help Christian women, kingdom women, truly find their voice, especially if they feel voiceless in the past, to find their voice, to share their voice and to speak their voice. And to me, one of the best ways because you can do it at home is on a podcast. Now, I love speaking on stage. I love to encourage those to speak on stage, but you got to get all dressed up. You got a plane, you got to drive. This is the start. Before you may be hunger for the stage because you know you got a message. Well, you got a message. You may hunger and you know it's deep in your spirit and you want to get it out. What if you could do that simply, easily and have the freedom to really express yourself? Because you're learning how to do that, not from any striving, but from the overflow of relationship with God. Combine some tools that really help you do it in a quicker way Investing We'll tell you more.

Speaker 1 16:27

Check the link. We'll tell you more about how you can invest in the Kingdom Program Stick no More Voices Academy. So I want to thank you for tuning in today. You know talking about money and kingdom economy could maybe make me squirm, but it doesn't anymore, because I truly understand. I've been blessed by gifts to help me pay my groceries as I've gone through cancer and two surgeries. I've also been blessed to invest in others. I've been blessed to cook meals for my kids. That's God's kingdom economy. I don't get a dollar for it, but I know it's an investment and it's a restoration happening. I'm living with my kids now, so there's different ways of really looking at God's economy.

Speaker 1 17:16

But when it's all said and done, I know you need some money in the hand. I know we need money to live, need money to give, and I want that for you. I want you to be able to use your podcast, use your Christian business, use something to go ahead and make a sustainable income so you can be that answer to prayer, so you can carry on with your call is, and it takes money, but God will provide the money. I believe that. What did I say? A couple episodes. What God orders he pays for One of my favorite things. So listen. I want to thank you for tuning in.

Speaker 1 17:51

If this message stirred your heart and spirit or reminded you that your hidden obedience matters, would you share this episode with a friend? And if you're ready to invest more deeply in your identity, healing and voice, join me in the Stuck no More Voices Academy. Check the link in the show notes. Listen. You are seen, you are known and you are wildly loved. You are known, chosen, worthy, loved enough. That's my plaque over there. You are enough. Heaven's economy always multiplies when it's surrendered.

Closing Thoughts and Invitation

Speaker 1 18:27

Hey, thanks for listening to this edition of the Stuck no More Voices podcast. Hey, would you do me a favor and share it with a friend? Better yet, would you write a review on Apple? It only takes a few minutes. I read every review and I'm so deeply encouraged by that. Minutes. I read every review and I'm so deeply encouraged by that. Plus, it gets this podcast out to more listeners. So listen, it's time for you to speak your voice. Check out the link in the show notes and we'll get you going with the Stuck no More Voices Academy. All right, if you want to get in touch with me, the easiest way right now is on Instagram at Teresa Croft. Until then, I'll talk to you in the next episode of the Stuck no More Voices podcast.