#26: Could vs. Called: How to Finally Tell the Difference

Being capable of something and being called to it are not the same thing — and most of us have been living as if they are. In this episode of the novaCo Podcast, Christian mentor April Nova Scipio opens the Called to This series by unpacking the difference between your capability and your God-given assignment. If you're a Christian woman who is faithful, busy, and productive — but something in your spirit keeps saying there has to be more than this — this episode is your starting point.

April shares her own story of losing her career as a school administrator and spending 21 days fasting for direction, only to receive two words from God: Be available. Through that experience and the wisdom of Romans 12:6 NLT, she walks you through three practical discernment questions that help you identify what God actually assigned to you — not just what you're good at.

In this episode, you'll learn:
 — Why your gifts are not a permission slip for every open door
 — Three questions that reveal the difference between could and called
 — What it costs to keep living in capability instead of calling
 — How to begin shifting toward the assignment God prepared for you

This is episode one of a four-part July series on walking in your God-given assignment. New episodes drop every Monday in July.

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🔗 Connect on Instagram: @aprilnovascipio

The novaCo Podcast is hosted by April Nova Scipio — Christian mentor, author, speaker, and YouVersion Devotion Creator. New episodes every Monday.

✨ Next Step:

If you’re ready to continue this journey with support and community, join the Nova Community—a faith-filled space for women learning to live with clarity, peace, and faith-first rhythms

👉 Learn more at https://thenovacompany.org

✨ novaCircle: A Private Mentorship Community:

A faith-based mentoring membership for Christian women ready to create rhythms that grow their faith and take confident, consistent steps toward their God-given assignment. 

👉 Learn more at https://www.thenovacompany.org/novacircle

✨ novaRetreat: 3rd Annual Dream with God Retreat

A Spirit-led weekend for women ready to abide deeply, align intentionally, & courageously advance as God reveals what’s next.

👉 Learn more at https://www.thenovacompany.org/novaretreat 

Subscribe to The NovaCo Podcast and share this episode with a friend who’s stepping into a new season.

🎸 Intro music produced by Cory Valjien. https://spotify.link/Ot87eEITRDb

Transcript

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I want to share something with you right at the top of this episode. Most of us are really good at a lot of things. Like genuinely, legitimately good. We have skills, we have experience, we have a track record of showing up and getting things done. But here's the thing being good at something feels like confirmation. It feels like a sign. You might say, you know, if God gave me the ability to do it, then surely He must want me to do it. But I want to gently challenge that thinking today. Because capable and called, those are not the same thing. And today I'm unpacking how to tell the difference. Let's go. Christian mentor, author, and speaker. And I am so glad you are choosing to spend time with me today. We are kicking off our July series, Called to This. And I'm excited because this is going to be such a real, honest conversation. Because we're asking a question that I think a lot of us have been circling for a long time. What are you actually called to? Not what you could do, not what people need from you, not what you're good at, but what God specifically, intentionally, on purpose assigned to you. That's what this month is all about. This whole month we're going to be talking about this. And today we're starting at the very beginning. Because before we can talk about walking in your calling, we have to be able to recognize it. So today I'm unpacking the difference between what you could do and what you're called to. If you're brand new to the podcast, I want to just take a moment not only to welcome you to the podcast, but to welcome you to our community. We are Nova community and we are a group of women who live differently. If you want to check out all the things about Nova Community, please click on the link in the show notes of this episode. I cannot wait to connect with you and just to get to know you. Let me say a prayer before we jump into all the things today. Dear God, thank you so much for this conversation. And God, I'm asking that you give clarity and a fresh perspective, Lord, to every single person who's listening. God, I just pray that you speak clearly to her. And God, I just desire that you allow her to know the difference between could and called. We love you, we honor you, and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Okay, I am so excited about this. Here we go. I want to start with a little bit of my own story because I think that it's the best way to really get into this. So before Nova Co., before my previous company, Live Love Lead Media, I was a school administrator. And I feel like I was good at my job. I could manage people, I could solve problems, I could handle pressure and communicate and lead, like all the things. Those skills that I had were real skills. They were things that I was able to do. And for a long time, I took that as a sign from God, right? Because I can do all these things, because I feel like I'm good and successful in this position, surely this is where I belong. But here's the thing: that logic, yes, it sounds spiritual, but it has a flaw, a big one. Being equipped for something is not the same as being assigned to it. In 2019, I ended up losing that job unexpectedly. And I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. It did not feel good. It was a hundred percent a complete loss, or at least it felt it felt that way. It felt like the rug was just pulled out from underneath something that I had worked really hard to build. And when I stepped away from education because of what went down, I fasted for 21 days and just really asked God for a blueprint, for a plan, for something that I could hold on to. And on day 21, I'm thinking I'm gonna get this whole download. And the Lord gave me two words be available. I didn't get that 10-page download, I didn't get a blueprint, just two words. And what I have come to understand since then is this I wasn't removed from that job, or God didn't allow me to be removed from that job because I wasn't capable, right? Him allowing me to be removed, allowed me to see that capable, you guys, capable was never the point. And I just I'm slowing down because I want to sit in this for a second. Like I need you to hear me. There's a verse I love in Romans chapter 12, verse 6. And I need to read this in the New Living Translation. It says, His grace, or excuse me, in his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. Okay, different gifts for doing certain things well. Not all things, not every open door, certain things. I need you to get this. Your gifts are not a permission slip for every opportunity that needs your skill set. Your gifts are a compass pointing toward the specific assignment God designed them for. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. This is our really our anchor verse for the whole month. It says, For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Did y'all catch that? The good things he planned for us long ago, not the good things we choose for ourselves, not the good things other people needed from us, the things he planned specifically on purpose before we even knew what our gifts were. So here's the question I want you to sit with is what you're currently spending your energy on, the thing that fills your calendar, takes your time, drains your capacity? Is it the thing that God planned? Or is it just something you're really good at? Because those two things can look exactly the same from the outside and feel completely different on the inside. So, how do you actually tell the difference between what you could do and what you're called to? I want to give you three questions. And these three questions, it's really important that you are honest when you answer them. Not the answer that sounds right, the honest one. Okay, so question one Does this require my strength or God's leading? Does this require my strength or God's leading? Because here's the thing we know there are things that we could do, right? We could do them, and most of them we can pull off in our own power. We have the skills, we can make it happen. We might even do it well. But the things we're called to, whoo, those tend to have a dimension that is bigger than our capability. There's something about our assignment that requires us to stay close to God to actually pull it off. It stretches us beyond what we can do on our own. I want you to think about something you're currently doing. Can you do it in your own strength if you had to? Or does it require you to stay connected to God to see it through? That answer tells you a lot. Question two: Does this come with peace or just adrenaline? Oh, y'all, this one. We really have to be honest here because adrenaline feels a lot like passion. It feels like excitement, like this must be because I'm energized by it. But I want to draw a distinction today. Adrenaline fades, peace doesn't. Colossians 3:15. It says, and let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body, you are called to live in peace and always be thankful. You see, let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. Rule. Underline that, highlight it, circle it. Listen, that word rule, that word means to be the deciding factor, right? The tiebreaker, the thing that settles it. Let peace be the deciding factor. When you think about what you're spending yourself on right now, is there peace underneath it? Even on the hard days, even when it stretches you, do you feel that peace? Or does it feel frantic underneath? Like you're always running to keep up, always behind, always bracing for the next thing. The presence or absence of peace, that's not a small clue. That is a significant one. Question three: Does this align with what God has already confirmed? Here's what I have found. Our calling is it's not random, you guys. Okay. It builds on itself. God usually confirms our assignment over time through scripture, through trusted voices, through consistent themes that keep showing up in our lives. The things we're called to tend to connect to what he's already been saying. They fit into a larger story that he's been writing in us. The things we could do, sometimes they're genuinely disconnected from that story. They're good things, meaningful things, but when you trace them back to your history with God, they don't quite link up. So when there's something in front of you, before you give it your yes, ask yourself: does this connect to what God has already been speaking over my life? Does this fit the pattern of what he's been confirming? So you got three questions to sit with this week. Does it require my strength or God's leading? Does it come with peace or adrenaline? Does it align with what he's already confirmed? I promise you, if you are honest, when you answer those three questions, the difference between could and called, it starts to get a lot clearer. I want to say one more thing before we talk about just some really practical application things. Living in what you could do when you're called to something else, it has a cost. Now, I'm not saying that to bring any kind of condemnation, but I think it's important for you to hear this truth. And the truth is spreading yourself across everything you could do while the thing you're actually called to waits, that has a cost. You end up tired in a way that doesn't make sense, depleted in ways that sleep doesn't fix, carrying, you know, a low-grade feeling that something is off. Even when things are going fine, even when you're productive, even when people appreciate what you're giving, that feeling is not a malfunction. That feeling is a signal, it's your spirit telling you that capability is not the same thing as calling, and that there is something specific waiting for you that you haven't stepped into yet. If you are hearing this and you know, you just know that what you're currently spending yourself on is the could, not the called. I am telling you, it is so so so worth it on the other side of that shift that God is nudging you to make. I'm not gonna tell you that it's easy because it is not, but it is worth it every single time. So, how can we apply this in our lives? Here's what I want you to do this week. I want you to take those three questions and apply them to one specific commitment in your life. Just one. Does it require my strength or God's leading? Does it come with peace or adrenaline? Does it align with what God has already confirmed? Write down your honest answers, not what sounds right, the honest ones. You don't have to blow up your life this week, okay? That's not what I'm saying. You don't have to make any dramatic decisions. I'm just asking you to be willing to see it clearly, because awareness is always the first step toward alignment. I'm so excited about what God's doing in our hearts this month, you guys. And if you want a daily practice that helps you stay connected to God's voice as you navigate this, I want you to download the free five-daily rhythms guide that you can find in the show notes of this episode. It's it's really a resource I built specifically for women who want to hear God clearly and walk in what he's saying. So make sure you grab it. It's it's really a great thing to have for all the conversations this month, especially. Like as we're walking through this, it's a great opportunity for you to fine-tune these rhythms that are gonna help you. Now, next week, you don't want to miss it because we're gonna go even deeper. And we're asking the question, right? If we know the difference between what we could and what we're called to, like why do we keep choosing could, right? We're gonna talk about three root causes. And I don't want you to miss this. Listen, stay connected. So many great things are gonna happen this month in our hearts. I really believe that. I want to pray for us today. Before I do that, if you are looking for a community of women who are doing this exact work together, discerning their calling, building their rhythms, holding each other accountable to walking in their assignments, I want you to consider joining my mentorship community, Nova Circle. We meet weekly, we have real community, real conversation. And that link is also in the show notes of this episode. And I'll say this as well. If you've been feeling like this pull to step away from everything and genuinely just get clear on your assignment, I want you to pray about attending Nova Retreat. It's Labor Day weekend, the Friday through Sunday, September 4th through the 6th, near or I guess outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's all inclusive, it's super intimate. I'm telling you, your life will never be the same. So if God is nudging you to be a part of that, you can reserve your space with a deposit. The link is also in the show notes of this episode. So I want to pray for us. God is so good, you guys. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you so much just for this conversation that we're gonna be having over the next couple of weeks. And Lord, I pray over every single woman who listens. God, I pray that you wouldn't make the difference between could and called so clear to her. God, I pray that you would give her the courage to ask the honest questions. And Lord, I pray that whatever she's called to would just become more clear. God, give her wisdom and discernment like never before. Bless her mind and her emotions, Lord, as she navigates through these questions with you. Thank you for what you're doing in this community, Lord. It's an honor to do life with these amazing women. We love you, we honor you, and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. You guys, thanks for hanging out with me. I cannot wait to see you next week. If you haven't subscribed to the podcast, please do that so you don't miss any episodes. And we're gonna just continue to unpack all of this and let God do his thing. So looking forward to seeing you next week. I love you all with the love of Christ. This is April Nova Sipio, and this is how we live faith first rhythm always. Be blessed. Love you guys.