It's Time To Step Into It: Answering the Call to Live as a Son or Daughter

Have you ever known something was true about you… but struggled to actually live like it was?

You love God. You’re trying to follow Him.
But deep down, it still feels like everything depends on you.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, we move beyond simply recognizing the orphan mindset—and begin answering the question so many are quietly asking:

“Now what?”

If you’ve ever felt stuck between knowing who God says you are and actually walking in it… this conversation will meet you right there.

Because God doesn’t reveal something just to leave you there—
He reveals it to invite you into something better.

In this episode, Cecily begins unpacking what it actually looks like to step into your true identity—not someday, not when you feel ready… but right now.

You’ll be introduced to three life-altering anchors that will challenge the way you see yourself and how you show up in your everyday life:

• What it really means to belong to God (and why that changes everything)
• Why your current season matters more than you think
• The quiet but powerful way God is already working through your life

This isn’t about striving harder.
It’s about finally living from a place of truth instead of pressure.

If you’ve been wrestling with insecurity, striving, or feeling like you’re always “not quite enough”… this episode will help you begin shifting into something steadier, freer, and far more powerful than you may realize.

And by the end, you may find yourself asking a different question altogether:
“What would change if I actually believed who God says I am?”

👉 After you listen, take a moment to ask God: “Where have I been living like I’m on my own… and what would it look like to show up differently this week?” Then take one simple step in that direction.

A New Place to Go Deeper
If this conversation resonates with you, Cecily is now sharing additional reflections, teachings, and spiritual insights on Substack—a space dedicated to helping believers pursue a deeper, more vibrant walk with God.

There you’ll find both short reflections and longer teachings that expand on many of the ideas shared in the Livestream.

You can follow along here:
https://cecilylachapelle.substack.com/p/winning-the-war-against-distraction

Connect with Cecily

Podcast: The Higher Pursuit Podcast
Website: https://higherpursuitministries.com/
Substack: https://cecilylachapelle.substack.com/

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who might need this message today.

Sometimes the simplest invitation can change more than we realize.

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Every episode takes time, prayer, and financial resources—from hosting fees to equipment, editing, and beyond. Your monthly support helps cover these costs so I can continue bringing you life-giving, faith-building content.

Together, we can keep spreading the truth of God’s Word and helping believers step into the fullness of their calling. Will you join me on this journey?

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Transcript

Cecily Lachapelle (00:00.494)
you

Cecily Lachapelle (01:03.49)
Hey everyone, welcome. I'm so glad that you are here tonight with me. So here we are in mid April already in 2026. Time is flying by, it's crazy. So tell me in the chat if you are ready for tax day tomorrow. I hate to put a damper on our evening, but tell me if you're ready for tax day. I'm one of those lucky people that my husband does our taxes for us.

So kind of no stress here. But if you were with me in the last two live streams before Easter, then you know that we talked about something that seemed to really resonate with a lot of you. And that is the orphan mindset. We talked about how you can love God, you can serve Him, you can even follow Him and still feel like everything depends on you.

like your life is on your own shoulders. And we unpacked what that actually looks like in real life, feeling like you're on your own, feeling like you have to prove your worth, struggling to really believe that you are secure in God's love or in other people's love, always bracing for something to go wrong. I've also noticed people that struggle with an orphan mindset or an orphan identity as being unteachable.

not coachable because they can't bear to make a mistake or be less than perfect. And we said something really important. You can be a child of God in truth, but live like an orphan in practice. And for some of you, that was a big light bulb moment. You finally had language for what you had been feeling.

I have gotten feedback and comments and responses from people saying that absolutely pinpointed me. That is exactly where I was at. So tell me in the chat if you've ever felt that way, like a child of God in truth, but an orphan in practice. And if you missed the live streams where we discussed the orphan identity,

Cecily Lachapelle (03:26.602)
and what that looks like in our lives, then make sure to go back and listen to the episodes titled, Why You Feel Burned Out, Anxious and Insecure. And then the more recent episode, Living Confidently, Breaking Free from an Orphan Spirit, where I begin to talk about who we are in Christ and how that breaks us free from the bondage of the orphan identity. But there's a really important question that I want us to dive into in this conversation.

which is now what? Once you recognize that you were living in an orphan identity, how do you actually start living differently? What is that mindset shift that needs to happen? Because God never exposes something to us without inviting us into something better. So this live stream isn't gonna be about diagnosing the problem.

This is going to be about stepping into your God-given identity and mandate and what that looks like. Because once you start discovering in scripture and also by hearing God's voice, who God says you are as his child and in your own unique calling, you need to know how to make that shift from someone who was either shrinking back in isolation, disconnection, intimidation, fear,

to stepping out into paths of peace while resting in the Lord. You can rest even while being busy in activity. I love what Zechariah 4.6 says, it's not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord. And just this morning when I was praying about this live stream and I was praying because man, I am not teaching this.

and talking about this as someone who has arrived. Because like I said in the first live stream, I think it was the first one, I said, you the orphan spirit is an identity really more than it is a spirit. It's not a spirit you could cast out one and done. You never deal with it again. Sometimes we feel like we have dealt with an orphan spirit, but then some traumatic things happen. And all of a sudden more.

Cecily Lachapelle (05:50.541)
of that orphan identity starts creeping out of the dark places. And we realize, wow, there's still some of that left. I thought I had dealt with it, but it can either be trauma or change in our life, or it could even be going into a season of fasting. And that's a lot of times when something like that would come up in me, when I'll start fasting and feeling like,

Well, I'm fasting now. I'm going to be so holy. I'm going to have all these amazing experiences with the Lord. And that's not what happens. What happens is it's like a toxic cleanse of the soul where all of a sudden all the junk that was hiding in my soul now is losing its foothold. And when it loses its foothold, it has to come out. And so sometimes in seasons of fasting, I feel like I look more like the devil than I look like Jesus.

but it's just because this stuff is on its way out. It's not on its way in. So in this episode, I wanna give you three anchors for your identity in Christ that we're gonna touch on. I wanna tell you that you are marked, you are called, and you are sent. You are marked, you are called, and you are sent. Not someday when you feel qualified, when you feel prepared. No, right now.

You're marked, you're called, and you're sent. So let's talk about the first point, that you're marked. In this episode, or in the episode, hang on, let me get over to my, Pat Hodgkin is here. Good to see you, Pat. It's so great. So let's talk about the fact that you are marked. In the episode, why you feel burned out, anxious, and insecure, we talked about how the orphan mindset makes you feel like you're on your own.

and this truth, you are marked, completely confronts that lie directly. Because an orphan says in their heart, I have to figure this out on my own. But a child of God has the revelation that they are marked, that they belong to God, that they are a child in the family. An orphan says, I'm seen. I am protected and provided for. I am not making myself. He is making me.

Cecily Lachapelle (08:18.893)
I can't tell you how many times I've prayed that. I've prayed that as a declaration and peace washes over me when I say that and remind myself. My friends, that is ultimate freedom right there. Listen to these scriptures and receive the freedom that they carry. So Ephesians 2, 8 to 10, that says, for by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not of your own doing. It is the gift of God.

His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. So we are God's workmanship. He's responsible for us. He is taking responsibility for getting good works done through us. Philippians 2.13 from the Amplified. For it's God who is all the while effectually at work in you, energizing and creating you in the power and desire

to both will and to work for his good pleasure. So who is working in you, energizing you and creating in you the power and the desire to both will and work for his good pleasure? God is, he's doing it. An orphan feels like they have to will. They have to make themselves want to do good things for God. They have to make themselves desire to be good.

They have to make themselves do good things. But a child of God understands the closer I get to the Father, the more He's going to rub off on me. And I'm going to be in a love relationship with the Lord that makes me desire to do these things. He will press His desire into me like massaging oil onto dry skin. It will just seep into me and I will then exude the fragrance.

of who my God is. I love that. And then Philippians 312 says, press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. We are marked. We are marked for the Lord. We are purchased by the blood of Christ and we are marked eternally with God's own name. And that's not the end of the story. It's not our job.

Cecily Lachapelle (10:43.171)
to take over the sanctification process after salvation. So, so many of us do that. I know I have done that so many times where I have felt like, well, God saved me. He's done his part. Now I have to take over and do the rest. I have to make myself good. I have to make myself worthy. I have to rub off my rough edges. But no, God says in fact that He's making us, He is working in us, giving us.

the desire and the ability to do as well. We're marked as his workmanship, which makes us unique, handcrafted, and perfect in his sight.

So let me remind you of something else that's foundational for a healthy identity in Christ. When Jesus was baptized, God spoke over him. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. I love that. Notice what happened. Jesus was affirmed by God before he did anything, before the miracles, before the teaching.

before the ministry, before anybody was raised from the dead, Jesus' identity came before activity. And the same is true for each one of you if you have received the gift of new birth in Jesus Christ. But guys, we live in a world that reverses that. The world says, do something and then you'll be something. Post something and then you'll be somebody. But God says, no, I made you.

something, now live from it. So if you're in Christ, you are not trying to become a child of God. You already are one.

Cecily Lachapelle (12:39.482)
Some of you have been trying so hard and I get it because I sometimes slip back into this struggle too. The struggle to be enough, to get it right, to prove that I'm worth the breath I'm breathing, to make a mark, to feel secure. But you're striving for something that's already been established. Like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son.

You are refusing access to the amazing privilege of sonship and inheritance that's already yours by thinking and acting like a slave. That's what the older brother did, didn't he? When the father said to him, son, why are you so upset that I didn't kill the fatted calf for you? Everything I have is yours. The father was saying, you're having a problem over like a calf when

The entire flock has been yours all along. You just never asked. You never took hold of your inheritance. And then the father went on to say, and by the way, you have always been with me. It's so sad the elder brother didn't take advantage of the relationship with the father that he had access to. And that's why he acted and felt like a slave. That's why he would say to his own father, I've been slaving for you all these years.

That just shows that he had that orphan identity. So you might be asking, if I am marked, how am I marked? This sounds kind of out there, Cecily. Well, let me tell you, you have been marked by the name of God. Like what happens in an adoption. The orphan receives a new name, the name of the parent that adopted them. And so have you. And you're sealed.

by the Holy Spirit. Let's go over and look at Revelation 312. I'm just gonna find that. This one. Oh my, everything's jumping around. There we go. I will make the one who conquers to become a pillar and the sanctuary of my God. I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God and my own new name. Guys, you have been marked by God's

Cecily Lachapelle (15:07.382)
name. Then Revelation 22, 4 says, they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. I remember years ago when I read that scripture in Revelation, I thought, my goodness, I am marked with God's name right now. So that means when I walk into any situation, heaven and hell can see the marking on me. I can't see

the mark on me and you can't see it and people that might not like me can't see it. People who think I'm all that, they can't see it. But I tell you what, in the supernatural realm, they can see that I'm marked and they can see that you're marked. Everywhere you walk, you are carrying the mark of God. And let me tell you, demons are far more intimidated by that.

And we should have respect and honor for the fact that the living God, the God who hung the stars in the sky, who causes the moon and the earth to be at the exact distance they need to be so that we can have tides that keep every living thing alive, that God chose you, purchased you with the blood of Jesus, marked you with that blood, and marked you with his name.

Ephesians 1 13 says, in him, having heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. So not only are you marked with his name, marked with the blood, you're sealed with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit that hovered over the earth and brought all of creation into being. And that mark and that seal is not temporary. And it's not based, say hallelujah, on your performance.

It's not based on your feelings. It's also not based on how you performed last week. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. It's irrevocable. No failure can undo it. No insecurity can erase it. No lie can override it. You may not feel marked, but you are. And heaven knows it, and the enemy knows it. The question is, do you?

Cecily Lachapelle (17:31.482)
So tell me in the chat, have you ever known something was true but not felt it yet?

Tell me, have you ever known that something was true, but you haven't actually felt it emotionally yet? And while you are letting me know, let's look at point number two, you are called. Here's where we go deeper. Being a child of God isn't just about identity. It comes with responsibility. And I don't mean pressure, I mean purpose.

Romans 8, 19 tells us that creation is waiting, waiting for the sons and the daughters of God to be revealed. Creation is waiting for you to show up. Not for a more perfect version of you, not for a more polished version of you, for the you that is uniquely handcrafted by God, the one who made every brilliant star.

My friends, I'm going to be straight with you. We don't have time anymore for the children of God to keep wallowing in the mud of self-pity, rejection, insecurities, anxiety, and all the crud of this orphan identity. Family, the time is very short and the return of Christ could be at any time. So let me put it this way. If all of human history were one day,

We are standing at sunset. The sun is in the sky, but imagine it this way. It's the orange ball of the sun suspended just above the horizon. If you were in a seacoast beach town, this would be when everybody would be showing up at the beach with their iPhones, trying to catch the beauty and the mystery of a sunset with their cellular devices. The sky is changing colors.

Cecily Lachapelle (19:37.541)
and the sun is sinking to just above the horizon. That's where we are at in human history. The time is short. So this is not the hour to stay stuck. This is the hour to step up, to step out, and to step in to who God created you to be. There is a broken world out there in case you haven't noticed. And we are the remedy. We are the voices of justice.

and the hands of healing in the spheres of influence where we have been set.

Speaking of spheres of influence, I think Esther in the Bible is a perfect example of stepping up and stepping into who God created her to be. If you're familiar with the story, Esther was just a little Jewish teenager who won a beauty contest and became the queen of Persia. And as the queen, she had access to the king, albeit limited and restricted. But regardless,

She still had the capability to access the king that no other woman in the kingdom had. And with that access came responsibility. As soon as she learned about the evil plot to annihilate the Jews, of which she was one, but probably would have remained safe, she could have stayed comfortable, quiet, and safe. She could have said, this isn't my problem.

Or, don't know what to do about this. I mean, I am just one person. I'm just the king's wife and he hasn't even called for me. I can't go in to see him unless he calls me. She started with that excuse, but she didn't stay there. Instead, she realized I had been placed here for a reason. And because she showed up and stepped up, everything changed. Yes.

Cecily Lachapelle (21:39.407)
She was one person. Yes, she did not have political prowess. Yes, she was coming up against a very evil man, Haman, and his horrible plan. And yes, she had to step out and risk her life to go see the king when she hadn't been beckoned.

But she stepped up. And as that one person, she changed the whole trajectory for the Jewish nation. They still celebrate her today with the Feast of Purim. My friends, you are not responsible to save the world, okay? But you are responsible to show up where God has placed you and to bring the resources of heaven that had been placed in your hands so you can bring the will of heaven to earth.

So tell me in the chat, where has God placed you right now? Has he placed you in your home or work and relationships? That place matters more than you think. Who does God have you praying for and ministering to? I know my friend Deb Mattis is on this live stream and Deb had a tragedy happen in her life years ago where

She lost her daughter to suicide. And she was on one of my podcasts in 2025. And in that, she shared her experience. Guess what? She stepped up and stepped out to minister from that place of pain that is now a place of healing. And she can speak to people that I can never speak to. And so can you. There are experiences you've had.

that God has repurposed into chapters of your redemption story that speak to people in your sphere of influence that no one else can speak to. You are unique. Your experiences, the way you talk, the way you comport yourself, the way you look, all of it was created by God to connect the gospel

Cecily Lachapelle (24:00.667)
to people in your sphere of influence. Don't look down on yourself. God created you. You know, maybe you're a stay-at-home mom and you feel like I'm not influencing anybody. Well, I sure am glad that Abraham Lincoln's mother didn't feel that way. Or maybe you're in a corporate job or in a work from home role and you think, well, I mean, I'm not really influencing anybody. My colleagues aren't open to the gospel. They're more open than you think.

They're watching you. When I worked in a corporate job, I determined that my corporate work space was my ministry space. And I made sure that I was the best employee I could possibly be. And when people asked me about my faith, I was bold to tell them about my faith. And as a result, one of my colleagues gave her life back to Jesus and is now working in ministry.

Another one of my colleagues has accepted the Lord and we still meet for mentoring. Another one of my colleagues, a male colleague, saw how I started a Christian book group during our lunch hour at work and he thought, well, why don't I do that with the men? So he did it with the men and began to share his faith with men at work. So don't think that you are limited. Just ask the Lord, how do you want to empower and use

who I am, my unique calling, my unique personality, because you're coming in contact with people every day.

So wherever God has you, he's given you all you need for life and godliness so that you can bring the kingdom of God on the scene with you. So remember point number one is you are marked. Point number two is you are called. So now let's talk about point number three. You are sent. Amen. Yes, Deb says, share your testimony to help each other. Yes, that's right Deb, absolutely.

Cecily Lachapelle (26:08.195)
Even if you think you don't know a single scripture, you know what Jesus did for you. You can share that. And the Bible says we overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. That's how powerful your testimony is. Well, this is one, this point number three, that you are sent. think this point is one that the majority of Christians struggle with because a lot of us think like we all already have kind of been talking about.

If I were really walking in my calling, wouldn't it look bigger? Wouldn't I be more visible? Wouldn't I feel more impactful or need to be more impressive? But that is not how the kingdom of God works at all. All you have to do is look in Acts chapter 16 at a woman named Lydia. She was interesting. She was a business woman and

She dyed purple cloth and that at the time was made through a very specific process involving grinding these shells to get this expensive purple dye, et cetera, et cetera. So she was a woman owned business and she was down by the river. I think she was washing clothes or something with some other women when Paul and Silas came along and they preached the gospel to her. And she was the first person saved in Cappadocia.

Now she was wealthy, so she opened her home to Paul and Silas. And guess what? The Philippian church started in her home. So she was a business woman, so she used her means, her intelligence to help further the gospel. And she changed lives. She understood, I'm marked, I'm called, and now I'm sent. And there's another woman that I love, so sweet.

To Acts chapter nine, she's a woman named Tabitha. She wasn't a preacher. Nobody talked about her sermons or anything like that, but she was known for her kindness, her acts of service to the point that when she died suddenly, she had impacted so many people and they wept over the things that she had given them. She didn't live an extravagant life. She didn't have a big home or a booming business.

Cecily Lachapelle (28:31.941)
but her life impacted so many people on a felt needs basis that when she died unexpectedly, the people begged Paul to raise her from the dead and he did it. That's amazing. I have never seen a funeral where somebody said, you have got to raise this person from the dead because look at these hundreds of people saying, we can't live without her.

And then there's another one, Priscilla. She's one of my favorites. She's mentioned in Acts chapter 18 and in a few of Paul's epistles. She wasn't an out front leader like Paul or Peter. However, she loved the word and she had a gift of teaching and evangelism. She discipled leaders and she helped shape the early church. So the women that I just talked to you about, they weren't superstars. They were faithful.

You don't need a platform. You just need obedience. You don't need to go viral. You just need to be available. The orphan mindset makes you shrink back, but being sent makes you step forward. The orphan says, I'm not ready. I'm not enough. Can't somebody else do it? Somebody else would do it way better. They're more qualified. But a child of God,

who knows that they're sent just the way they are in their mind they hear, go anyway. So tell me in the chat, where could you start showing up differently this week? And how could you start showing up differently this week? Could you start looking at the people around you as your ministry field?

Well, while you're writing, I just want to connect this back to what we talked about in previous live streams. You don't overcome the orphan mindset by trying harder. You overcome it by living from a different identity. And that identity is only found through communion with the Father. Did you hear me? Your identity is only found

Cecily Lachapelle (30:55.185)
through communion with the Father. And when we're communing with our Heavenly Father, that is when we become rooted in the truth that we're marked, we're called, and we're sent.

You are not an orphan trying to survive. You are a child of the King of Kings, of the God of the universe. Hebrews 10 39 says, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith to preserve their souls. Family, children of God don't shrink back. They don't hide.

They don't live small, they show up. So as I close, I want us to take a moment to ask God to show us where we have been living on our own, when you're already marked as His.

Father God, we just ask that you would show us right now, for we have been living smaller than who you say we are. Lord, open our eyes to see ourselves as you see us, and then give us the courage to step into that. Yes. My friends, you're not trying to become something. You're learning how to live like someone you already are.

And that's how the orphan mindset loses its power. Not by fighting it, but by replacing it. Let me leave you with this. You're not leaving this moment the same. You're marked by His love. You are called into purpose. That was set forth for you before the foundations of the earth, I might add. When you were being knit together in your mother's womb, God was your architect. He had you in His heart.

Cecily Lachapelle (32:58.662)
before your parents ever had a moment. And you are also sent into your everyday life.

Let me just pray for us. Let me just seal this with prayer. Lord, we repent for an orphan identity. We repent for allowing it to speak louder than the truth of who you created us to be. We receive our identity and inheritance as children of God. What a great love you have lavished upon us that we should be called the children of God. We declare that we will be those who do not shrink

back and are destroyed by the schemes of the enemy and by our flesh. But we are those who have faith and preserve our souls. We have been marked by your name. What a great mystery that is. And therefore we will step up and step into our calling. We'll go where you send us, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Whether that's praying for a sick person in the parking lot of the grocery store,

By sharing our testimony with a colleague or leading a Bible study or fellowshipping with moms at the playground, we're going to allow you to give us our assignments and we will not back down. We decide to be people of courage who know that they are marked, they are called, and they are sent. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Well, all right, friends, thank you so much for spending this time with me on the live stream. It matters more to me than you know. I never take it lightly that you would pause your evening, lean in and have these kinds of conversations with me. And my prayer is always that something we talked about tonight doesn't just stay here, but that it actually changes how you walk out into your tomorrow. So if you want to stay connected, I would really love that.

Cecily Lachapelle (35:05.594)
You can find me over on Substack where I'm writing and sharing more and more of these kinds of thoughts in a deeper ongoing way. And you can find me at cecelylachapel.substack.com. I tell you, Substack is an amazing place to be if you have not checked it out. If you are looking for a social media platform, that's actually nice. That's Substack. I'm not kidding you. There's no drama. There is.

There are no ads. There is no bickering and slamming and all of the things that you see on Instagram and Facebook. There's also no Instagram meta algorithm. So there's that. And everybody in Substack just seems to be very encouraging and kind. So even if you don't want to contribute, you don't want to post anything. You don't want to write anything.

just reading people's notes. There's so many inspiring things to read there that I mean, I can kind of get sucked down the rabbit hole. I am really, really loving Substack and I'm really loving being a contributor there and finding people that are enjoying my content and wanting to find more of that. So it's been a really great experience for me. I also want to let you know that I'm going to be the sole speaker for the Camp Minadnock retreat. And right here, there's the QR code.

If you want to sign up for the Renew Women's Retreat at Camp Monadnock, I am the sole speaker Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night and Sunday morning. So I'm sincerely hoping that I will see your lovely faces out there. If you're a woman on this live stream right now, I want to see you. So please sign up. Let's do this together. Let's go on this journey. If you're anywhere in the New England area, I would absolutely love to see you there in person.

And I did promise that I was going to give a shout out to anyone who lets me know that they signed up for the conference. So I already got two names, Kimberly Westcott and Amanda Schennevert. I can't wait to see your smiling faces that weekend. I am so looking forward to being with you. All right, guys, thank you for being here. And remember, you're not trying to become something. You are learning how to live like someone you already are. Marked.

Cecily Lachapelle (37:31.762)
called and sent. I'll see you next time. God bless.