#08 Engaging with the Holy Spirit | Finding Peace & Guidance in Motherhood

Join Karla Monterrosa, former full-time working mom turned stay-at-home mom, author, speaker, and certified coach, as she shares a heartfelt teaching on the Holy Spirit—our helper, comforter, and guide. In this episode, Karla explores how God gently leads us through life’s seasons and how learning to engage with the Holy Spirit brings peace, wisdom, and purpose to daily motherhood and marriage.

You’ll hear about:

• Karla’s personal journey of sensing God’s leading to step away from her career to focus on her family
• The biblical foundation of the Trinity and the role of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives
• When and why we receive the Holy Spirit and how He works within us
• How the Holy Spirit guides, teaches, intercedes, and produces fruit in our lives
• Practical ways to engage with the Holy Spirit through faith, prayer, obedience, and community
• Encouragement for those sensing a call toward a new season or more present life at home
• The peace and freedom found in trusting God’s Spirit amid challenges and change

Whether you’re new to faith or walking closely with God, this teaching offers clarity and hope about God’s presence and power available to you every day.

Transcript

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Welcome back to the Discovering Home Podcast. I'm your host, Carla B. Monterrosa, a former full-time working mom turned stay-at-home mom, author, speaker, and certified coach. Today I want to talk to you about engaging with the Holy Spirit. As believers, we have access to God's wisdom for our daily lives. I'm excited to share a teaching on Him today because I remember a time when seeking God's leading for my life seemed like an unattainable goal. But it's really much simpler than you may think. If you've been following the show, you already know that I began my career in city government. I worked for 17 years in different roles within community workforce and economic development, which is just a fancy way of saying that I managed programs designed to improve the lives of women, youth, families, and even small business owners. The experiences, opportunities, and relationships I gained through my career were a blessing for many years. Like many modern women, I did all the things we're told will lead to a successful, happy life. I went to school, pursued a career, and waited to get married. I met my husband while I was in college, but for various reasons, which I won't go into today, we didn't get married until I was 28. We had our first daughter when I was 29 and our second at 31. From the moment my first daughter was born, I started dreaming of a life where I could be home with my children. But that was a massive shift. One neither my husband nor I had ever considered or discussed. And when I finally told him I wanted to make a change, he didn't think we could afford it. We hadn't structured our lives in a way that would allow us to live on his income alone. So I kept working. It became a painful process of trying to do it all well, to succeed at work and at home and feeling like I was falling short in both. I simply couldn't silence a desire in my heart to be home. Looking back, I can now see that that longing was a gentle tug from the Holy Spirit, God's way of leading me toward change. But at the time I didn't understand it, so I kept pushing. I pursued more education, took on more responsibility, and achieved more at work, all while ignoring the restlessness in my soul. I told myself that if I accomplished more, I'd eventually earn enough flexibility to focus on my family. But that's just not how it works. The more I achieved, the less time I had for my family, and the more discontent I became. By the time I finally decided to leave, I had been working for 17 years. The decade between becoming a mom and leaving my career at City Hall was a difficult and exhausting period. I was married with two young daughters and balancing their needs with the demands of my full-time job was overwhelming. I was drained physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My work was negatively impacting my faith, marriage, and my motherhood. It could have all been so much smoother if I had looked for and listened to God's leading earlier. Had I sought his wisdom much earlier, I could have grown to enjoy that season, had greater peace while working toward the change I deeply desired. If you're in a career that's demanding all of you and you're thinking of making a change, I want to tell you that the tension you feel could be God redirecting you. Prioritize your relationship with him through prayer, reading the Bible, and taking steps in faith. He will guide you into greater peace no matter where you are in your journey today. As Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6 say, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight. In 2017, my husband and I finally decided it was time to make a change. I quit my job to focus on my family. That shift was hard. I had always worked. Growing up as an immigrant in Los Angeles, I was taught to take advantage of every opportunity and to be independent, so I'd never have to rely on anyone else. So naturally, that meant working hard and building a career. I never imagined that I might someday want something different. Honestly, I never even considered that I could have it any other way. But when we came to that crossroads, I knew deep down that it was God, gently but firmly leading us toward a new season of faith and family at home. As I shared in the very first episode of this show, the circumstances around my decision to step away from my career were to ideal. My work life had become toxic. I'd been striving and struggling to succeed there and at home, and it simply wasn't working. Sometimes God whispers, other times, he closes doors. The Holy Spirit had been nudging me gently for years. I didn't listen, and eventually it did feel as though a door had closed on that season, and I wasn't succeeding at my place of work anymore. Let me share how that unfolded. My desire to be home started when my first daughter was born. I was commuting two hours in each direction, from our home to downtown LA, and very pregnant with my second daughter when I first told my husband I wanted to be home. But as I shared at the time, he didn't think we could afford it, so I kept at it. Eventually I applied for a position closer to home and was blessed to get it. I thought that would surely solve my problems. It was only 20 minutes away from home and I'd have the flexibility to step away on lunch breaks, to tend to doctor's appointments or school activities because I'd be close. So I'd be able to be a lot more involved in my children's lives during my working hours. At least that's what I thought initially. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The extra time off the road was quickly filled by extra responsibilities, and I continued to have no time for my family. Most nights I arrived home late, exhausted, and stressed. It was affecting our entire family dynamic. Desperate for some relief, I began to pray for God to make a way for us. I didn't know what I needed at the time, but I knew that God in his infinite wisdom did, so I asked him for help. I share all this to say the Holy Spirit was always with me, leading me to that moment, though I didn't yet know it. But when I finally started to engage with him and be honest with myself about my inability to build the life I wanted on my own, he revealed himself to me like never before. To understand how God moves within our lives, it's important that we understand the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. So I'm going to share today some basics about him to encourage you to grow in your walk and relationship with God. I'll cover who and what is the Holy Spirit, where he resides, when we receive him, and why, and how you too can engage with him for peace and direction in your life as a wife and mom. My prayer is that this teaching will help you be more aware of his presence and work in your life and give you the confidence to recognize and trust his leading. First, who is the Holy Spirit? To answer this question, we must first understand that God is three persons and one God. He is what we call a Trinitarian God. The word Trinity refers to the Christian doctrine that God exists as three distinct persons as one divine God: God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is fully and equally God, sharing the same divine nature. Yet they are distinct in their roles and relationships. The Father is the creator and source of all things. The Son, Jesus Christ, is our Lord and Savior who became human to redeem mankind. The Holy Spirit is the helper, comforter, and guide who dwells within believers. So the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the Trinity. Although the word Trinity isn't written in the Bible, there is evidence throughout the Bible that our God exists in three persons. In Genesis chapter 1, verse 26, it says, Then God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness. His use of the words us and our implies that there was more than one person involved in creation. In Matthew chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, the word also says that when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and the Spirit of God, descending like a dove, came to rest on Jesus. And the voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. At that moment, all three members of the Trinity were present, performing three distinct activities. God the Father was speaking, God the Son, Jesus, was being baptized, and God, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, was resting on the Son. In Matthew 28, verse 19, when Jesus sent his disciples out to do their work, he commanded them, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In saying this, Jesus affirms that there are three distinct persons in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The chapter of the Bible I want us to focus on today as we study the Holy Spirit is in the book of John, chapter 14. In the first section of this chapter, written by the Apostle John, Jesus tells us who he is and gives us so much information about himself and the Holy Spirit. And because it's important to read the Bible within its context, I want to read the chapter to you today. Jesus' words saying, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may also be. And you know the way to where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? And Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. At the start of this chapter, Jesus is comforting his disciples before the crucifixion. He tells them he is going to prepare a place for them and will return to take them with him. But let's continue reading the chapter. In verse 8, Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. And Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his work. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly I say to you, Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these he will do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. So he tells them that they know the way to where he is going, and when asked by Thomas, how can they know the way, he goes on to tell them who he is, saying he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can go to the Father except through him. Jesus alone is our way to the Father in heaven. He died on the cross and is the only way to salvation and eternal life. In verse 7, Jesus goes on to identify his relationship to the Father, saying that if you know Jesus, then you know the Father, and the disciples know him, the Father, and have seen him, because he is walking among them. Beginning in verse 15, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, to be with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas, not Judas Isariot, said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me, does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while I'm still with you, but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I, and now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. He calls him the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not know him. But you know him, he tells the disciples. This is key in knowing where we stand in our relationship with God. If we are truly followers of Christ and love him, that love leads us to a growing desire to obey him. We don't obey him because we want something from him. We love him because he loved us first and gave himself for us. When we accept him, he gives us his spirit, who then dwells within us, leading us to obey him more as we mature in our faith. The Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force out there in the universe orchestrating things from afar. He is a divine person, a being sent to comfort, guide, and empower believers to do his will. He is our advocate, counselor, and helper in every part of life. As we saw in verse 17, when Jesus said to his disciples, You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. He lives within every believer, making our bodies the temple of God. The world cannot receive him because it neither sees him nor knows him, but believers do because we experience his presence personally and relationally daily. When do believers receive the Holy Spirit? We receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of our conversion, when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. Acts chapter 2, verse 38 confirms this. The word says, And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, he takes residence within us and begins his transforming work. Why is the Holy Spirit given to us? Because Jesus promised him to us as our helper and teacher. In John 14, verse 26, he said, But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. The Spirit helps us understand truth, recall God's word, and live in obedience. He comforts us in trials, convicts us when we sin, and produces fruit in our lives. In John chapter 16, verses 13 and 14, it says, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. So the Spirit speaks, hears, guides, and glorifies Christ, showing a personal presence within us, empowering us in our divine mission as followers of Christ. In John chapter 15, verse 26, it says that he is our helper, counselor, and advocate. But when the helper comes, it says, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. In Romans 8, verses 26 and 27, likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. So in our time of need, know that the Spirit, who is within us and knows all things and sees all things because he is God, knows what we need and intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. He also empowers and guides us. In Acts chapter 1, verse 8, it says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. His Spirit empowers believers to fulfill God's mission on earth, producing fruit within the believer. Galatians 5, verses 22 through 25 says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. The Spirit transforms our character and leads us into godly living. So how can we engage with the Holy Spirit? Engaging with the Holy Spirit begins with faith, recognizing his presence and inviting his leading. We engage with him through prayer, speaking and listening to God through obedience. The word says that those who love him keep his commands. Obedience is a key part of how we engage with God, not because we want something from him, as I said before, but as a result of his love for us, we desire to do his will. We aren't working for salvation or to get something from God as though he were some magical genie. Our obedience is the fruit of his work in us. And what we feed grows, right? So we can increase our desire for God by reading scripture, listening to it, and obeying his word. The more we yield to him, the more his presence shapes our thoughts, attitudes, and daily decisions. The Holy Spirit is God Himself living within every believer as our helper, teacher, and comforter. He is the Spirit of truth, sent by the Father through Jesus to dwell with us forever. We receive him when we believe, and as we walk in faith, prayer, and obedience, he empowers us to live out the will of God with peace and purpose. So here I want to share a personal testimony about how I have seen the Spirit of God show up in my life throughout. I have been aware of God's presence in my life since I was very young. I won't go into the details of my childhood today, but I experienced some deeply painful and traumatic events that shaped my life and influenced how I saw the world moving forward. I never felt truly alone, even in my darkest days. During the years when I rebelled against God, following my own sinful desires, I could still sense him with me, watching over me, comforting me, and calling me back to himself. I always knew he was near. When I left my career in city government, I finally had the space in my mind and the time in my day to devote myself fully to him. All those years of feeling restless and sensing God nudging me toward change were preparing me for something greater than I ever imagined. God gave me my children and my love for them was so great that I had to make room for them in my life. It was a scary decision. We hadn't figured out exactly how it would work, but we trusted that God would not forsake us. He had led us to that moment, and we believed he would continue to provide for us every step of the way. I missed my children and wanted more time with them. That desire I can see now was a gift from God, leading me into a deeper faith. When I quit my job, I made time to seek him, to study his word, and to ask for his will for my life. And as I did, he indeed revealed himself to me more and more. He always intended to use that season to deepen my faith and trust in him. If you're considering making a change to being more present at home, I want to encourage you with this scripture from Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus said, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you? O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That's Matthew chapter six verses twenty five through thirty-four, in case you want to go and look it up and print it and stick it to your mirror and read it every day that you feel worried. Today I'm so grateful for the abundant peace and purpose that fill my life. The Holy Spirit continues to guide, teach, comfort, and help, just as Jesus promised he would. Friend, before we close, I want to share the most important message you will ever hear. The good news of the gospel. Jesus did not come to condemn you, he came to save you through himself. The one true God, the creator of heaven and earth, made us to worship him and display his glory. From the beginning, he knew that the people he created would choose to go their own way and sin against him. But even then, he provided a way for us to be made holy and pure. Because as a perfect holy God, he cannot be in relationship with something that is sinful. As sinners, we deserve eternal separation from God. We have all sinned against him and against others, and we need to be cleansed of that sin in order to have a relationship with him. But because of his mercy and love, God created a path for our forgiveness, a way to be brought into right standing with our holy and gracious God. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, came down to earth in the form of a child. He lived a sinless life, yet died the death of a sinner, so that you and I could be forgiven. On the cross he took our punishment, paying the price for our sins once and for all. Then three days later he rose again victorious over sin and death. And he is alive today calling you to himself and offering you the free gift of salvation. Jesus said, as we read, that he alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him. He offers forgiveness, a personal relationship with him, peace on this earth, and eternal salvation. If you're listening to this message and have never accepted the gift of forgiveness that Jesus offers, or maybe you've been walking with God for some time but hadn't fully understood the gospel, I want you to know this. The fact that you're here right now is not a coincidence. Jesus is seeking you out. The word says that as believers, we should speak as though God Himself is speaking through us. Because when He saves us, He fills us with His Spirit, and the fruit of His Spirit is a growing desire to do His will. It's not by mistake or coincidence that I find myself on this journey of sharing my faith and what he has done in my life. It's so good, it's so wonderful, it's so peaceful, even though it's hard at times, but it's so beautiful that I have to share it with others. You are listening to this message because God wanted you to hear it. Maybe because you've never surrendered your life to him, or maybe you do believe, but you've been longing to know how to go deeper, to engage with him daily and live out your faith in peace and freedom. As you lean into God, study his word and obey it, you will grow and mature in your faith. If you're new to all of this, engaging with the Holy Spirit begins with faith and in prayer. You can bow your head right now wherever you are and turn your heart to him. Ask him to forgive you, ask him to save you, ask him to fill you with his spirit. He is merciful, generous, and faithful to respond. In Luke 11, verses 9 through 13, Jesus said, And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion. If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? Talk to him, open your Bible, and ask him to reveal himself to you. He is faithful, he will answer and guide you into a life filled with his peace, presence, and purpose. If you've already believed and surrendered your heart to Jesus, the next important step is to find a local church where the Bible is taught and where you can grow in community with other believers. We were never meant to walk this journey alone. He himself lives in community and always has. Remember, he is three persons and one God. And as his creation made in his image, we are also designed to live in community. God works in and through his people, and one of the most beautiful ways we can engage with him is by being in relationship within a spiritual family, the church. It's within community that God reveals areas where we need his grace to change. This also happens in our marriage. Nothing exposes our ugly side like being in an intimate relationship with others. When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and truly surrender to his leadership in your life, he gives you his spirit to guide and help you. The Holy Spirit will gently reveal the areas of your life that need to be surrendered to him. Not to condemn you, but to bring you into greater freedom. Maybe you're carrying something from your past that continues to hurt you in the present. Maybe there are habits or choices you know are harming you or your family, but you don't have the strength to change. Maybe you're wrestling with guilt and shame over things you've done or things that were done to you. What you need, my friend, is the peace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. In John 14, 27, Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. So often people hesitate to come to Jesus because they're afraid they won't be able to change. But here's the truth: the Holy Spirit himself will guide you, reveal truth to you, and produce the change in you. As you send him leading you and choose to respond in obedience, you are engaging with the Holy Spirit, and he is making you holy step by step, day by day, until the day of our final redemption. We will never reach perfection while we walk this earth. But our relationship with God is demonstrated by a transformed heart and life, one that reflects his love, peace, and grace. You'll still experience challenges, but you'll never walk through them alone. Friend, I want to leave you with this encouragement. The Holy Spirit isn't distant or hard to find. You can engage with God's Spirit in the ordinary moments of motherhood and marriage. As you fold laundry, cook dinner, help your children with schoolwork, or sit quietly with a cup of coffee and your Bible open. He is present in your joys and your sorrows, in the laughter of your children and even in the chaos of your busy days. When you invite him into your daily life, he brings peace to your mind, wisdom to your decisions, and strengthens your heart for the challenges of today. You don't have to figure everything out on your own. You just need to stay close to him one day at a time. And if you sense that God may be calling you home, maybe to a slower pace, to focus on your family, or to step into a new season that feels uncertain, I want to remind you that you can trust him to take care of your needs. It may not look like what you expected, but it will always be good because he is good. If today's message spoke to your heart, I'd love to read your feedback. Leave me a review to share how this message encouraged you today. To enjoy more of the resources I have created from moms, visit my website at carlaborosa.com. I also want to invite you to take my free quiz. This fun one-minute quiz will help you discern if God may be calling you into a new season of motherhood. And if you're ready for more personal guidance on your journey toward greater peace, presence, and purpose at home, I'd love to walk with you through coaching. You can learn more about my one-on-one coaching program at Carlabmonterosa.com slash work with me. It's a beautiful next step if you're seeking clarity, confidence, and encouragement for your next faithful step. And lastly, if you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show so you don't miss future messages of encouragement and biblical wisdom. And share it with a friend who might need this reminder. Your engagement helps give Discovering Home greater visibility. And you never know how God might use your act of sharing to touch another woman's life. Thank you for spending this time with me. Remember, home is holy work, and motherhood is a ministry worthy of your time, energy, and talents. Until next time, may the peace of Christ fill your heart and your home. God bless you.