John Giftah is here to drop some serious wisdom on finding your purpose in life, and trust me, it’s not as complicated as we make it out to be. We kick things off by diving into the absurdity of how we often float through life, thinking we’re just doing our "thing" without really considering if it’s what we’re meant to do. John’s got a killer analogy comparing our purpose to a book that only sells in a bookstore—if you’re not in the right place, you’re just gonna rot like leftover fish. Through some hilarious and eye-opening moments, he challenges us to stop chasing the wrong dreams and start pursuing the unique path God has laid out for us. So, if you’ve ever felt lost in the shuffle, this episode’s gonna light a fire under your aspirations and get you moving toward that divine calling. Let’s roll!

Diving deep into the fascinating world of purpose, John Giftah brings a refreshing perspective that challenges our everyday notions of what it means to live meaningfully. In this episode, we explore the absurdity of how we often chase after vague ideals, only to find ourselves feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled. John makes the case that just like a bestseller needs the right shelf to shine, we too have specific spaces where we can truly excel. He humorously points out that if you plop a brilliant book in a fish market, it's just going to rot—much like our potential if we're not in the right environment. Listeners are invited to ponder their unique calling and how it aligns with their true purpose in life, emphasizing that it’s not just about doing good deeds but about being in the flow of what God has designed us for. This episode is a playful yet profound nudge to step out of mediocrity and embrace the richness of our God-given potential, reminding us that true satisfaction comes from fulfilling our unique role in the world.

Takeaways:

• Finding your purpose can be as simple as recognizing your unique strengths and passions, so don’t overthink it!
• Living your best life means aligning with your God-given purpose instead of just going with the flow and settling for mediocrity.
• Rejection is a part of the journey, but it’s not a dead end; it’s a detour to something better, trust the process!
• You gotta know who you are before you can understand your purpose; confidence in your identity is key to making an impact.
• Establishing a unique personal brand, like being the 'Scooby Doo pastor', can set you apart and connect with others in unexpected ways.
• Consistency is crucial; don’t expect instant success, just like digging a well, you gotta push through the dirt to find the water.

Links referenced in this episode:

• unveilyourpurpose
• johngifta

Hey, thank you so much for having me, Ashley.

And I'm really grateful for the work that you do.

I checked out a lot of your episodes and God bless you for what you do.

God bless you.

Well, I have been looking and reading your book, which is unveil your purpose and it really has some good points.

I don't.

It's so funny when it comes to purpose, it's like the most simplest concept, but yet we have the most hardest thing to grasp.

So when it comes to this, right, like, I always come back to this.

This is my book in case somebody's unable to see if you're checking this out on any of the podcast platforms.

But here's the thing, right, if you check this out though, this is the ultimatum, right?

Like the cornerstone of this whole thing is that, you know, a lot of times people just live by like, oh, you know what, let me just do whatever I feel like.

I just go by the flow and then just do some, you know, church stuff over the weekend and think like, you know what?

I satisfied something, I did something.

But the truth of the matter is, you know, if I kept this book in a fish market, nobody's going to buy it.

If I kept this book in an automobile service center, nobody's going to buy it.

Why?

Because this book is only going to be valued in a bookshop.

It became a number one bestseller on Amazon, but if I kept it in a fish market, it's going to just rot like the fish.

So the truth of the matter is that the same way this book has a specific market in which it will really make a huge difference, you and I have a specific market or a space of calling or area of purpose only in which when we live or walk, that's when we will be able to unleash our full potential.

That's when we'll be able to live out life to the fullest and make a great impact for God's kingdom and be a light in the darkness.

So that's the reason I wanted to really talk about this whole aspect of purpose.

And I really challenge people to pursue their God given purpose and, and that's what will actually make the difference in and through their life.

Oh my gosh.

Okay, so we're, we're going to get right into it because when I was reading, I hope you can see that.

Yes, yes, I can.

So this was a really good.

This is part of the introduction of your book.

And for those who are having trouble reading it, I will read.

And it is.

What are the odds of you stepping into an exclusive fruit and vegetable market and buying a computer or a vehicle or any high end product, it sounds foolish.

Think about it, right?

Even if you had the state of the art best in town, an astonishing product, which is one of its kind, which can even revolutionize an entire sector, I will not be able to sell if I place it in the wrong market.

I cannot keep this book in an agriculture and manure market and wonder why I can't.

Couldn't even.

Why could, why I couldn't sell copies.

Foolish to think that an aircraft part is useless because you try to sell it in a fish market and found no buyers.

And so I found this example very compelling in the sense that it is a visual of what we are doing today.

True.

Especially, you know, especially in India.

What happens is even before you are born, you know, the parents make this compulsion that, you know, if you're born as a guy, you should either become an engineer or a doctor.

If you're a girl, either become an engineer, doctor or lawyer.

Or, you know, there's this rule set that, you know, this is all you should become.

And what happens is, I'm also an aerospace engineer, okay?

I was forced into engineering and then I chose aerospace because I like aeroplanes.

But the truth of the matter is this, right?

Like, you know, we can be our best and shine only when we are where we are supposed to be.

You know, an aircraft, you know, there was an instance when I was just going through the Runway and the, the bus was faster than the aircraft, okay, I know that the aircraft can go faster, you know, at that speed, but then it was going very slow, navigating this piece to this.

So an aircraft, even though an aircraft can, you know, is the huge thing.

And everybody's like, wow, it looks so good.

At least as, as far as I'm concerned, I, I admire an aircraft like, you know, it's my crush.

I just love airplanes.

But the truth of the matter is, even though it's so good, it's so big, it can never reach its full potential on the ground.

It can only be its best in the air.

So likewise, I always challenge people that, you know, you have to be where God wants you to be.

Only then you will be able to and be the best version of yourself.

Now, simple example, right?

Even if I take this book like I gave you, the example of where you place it, I can use the same book or the same paper for a variety of reasons.

If I'm feeling very hot, I can just blow some hat towards me or sometimes just for a fun Factor.

Sometimes people just tear pages of the book and then make paperboards out of it because they're bored.

Or they can use this book to just while away their time just looking at the, you know, the COVID Or sometimes, you know, you want to just keep one over another, something just to, you know, make like a makeshift table or something.

See, you can use the same book for a variety of purposes, but the book is ultimately called for a specific purpose, and that is to.

For you to read and find out your purpose, right?

So the same way I always challenge people that, you know, the same way you can use the book to serve a multitude of purposes, but the book has a specific purpose.

You and I can serve multitude of purposes, thinking that, oh, you know, what?

I'm serving in church, I'm doing this for the God and all of these things.

But the question is not, are you just serving a purpose?

But the question is, are you serving the purpose that God has for you?

And that is where I really come from.

And I challenge people to pursue that specific purpose instead of trying to just make some meaning out of their life.

Well said.

Well said.

I want to move on to.

Because there's something that else that you said that was also in your book.

God did not create you to see if there can be a place for you in the market.

He created you because there was already a requirement for.

For you in the market.

And that sentence was well said.

But that also wants me to put.

Go back to something else that you said earlier, like, as far as boys and girls, you know, your parents thought, you know, engineering girls, you know, and another type of field.

And.

My question for that is, is that being in this.

Because parents aren't really.

I mean, for the most part, there shouldn't be bad.

There are bad parents out there.

But when parents want us to be like engineers and doctors and these particular type of professions, because in their mind, being a doctor is great.

You know, you're gonna make good money, you're gonna have a great lifestyle, you know, not.

Why not go that route?

Because I always tell people that, you know, you.

You can do anything to just get by life.

But then the ultimate satisfaction of life comes only from doing what you're called to do, right?

That's when I told you about, like, you.

You can use, you know, the book to even, you know, just blow some hair when you feel very hot.

But the problem with that is you're not letting the book serve its purpose.

You're degrading the ultimate purpose of the book, right?

On a similar Note, God has a very specific purpose for you.

And only when you do that, you will actually unleash your full potential and you will have the sense of satisfaction.

You know, a lot of times people love to quote this, right, you know, Romans 8, 28, I can, you know, what is that?

And we know that in all things God works together for good to them that love Him.

But they, they, they focus on the fact that all things work together for good.

But the truth of the matter is it doesn't just automatically work together for good.

It's going to work together for good, you know, for those them that are called according to his purpose in the sense that only when you're walking in accordance to his purpose, things are going to work in a, in together for good.

Like you can't if God is ordained for you to walk in a certain direction, but you're going in the opposite direction, things are not going to work together for good.

You know, you, you need to accept that, you know what, God has a blueprint for your life and he created you for a purpose.

That's why he said when Jesus said over and over again, you can read in the through my book, he said, you know, for this I have come into this world, for this I was born.

See, Jesus knew what was his this.

So my challenge to people is, do you know what is your this?

Because only when you do that, you will get the satisfaction which even if you are getting all the money in the world, even if you're working in a full time job where, you know, you get paid really well or you're respected and you have all this position and these pleasures, none of that will satisfy you.

Because only when you walk in your God given calling and your purpose, that is what will satisfy you.

Because sometimes, you know, people think that, you know, the money can satisfy.

Just a couple of times I've interviewed, I got the opportunity to interview even Hollywood actresses.

Even a couple of days back, I was able to interview an Emmy award winning Hollywood actress.

There was another time, these are Christian actresses on my podcast, okay, because my podcast is among the top ranking Christian podcasts in India.

And, and I even interviewed another, you know, like top ranking person and another very influential person.

And what I've seen is these people say this, you can be, you know, the top in Hollywood or you can be the most influential person with millions of views, or you can have all the money and everything, but none of that is going to translate into that satisfaction which comes in only doing the will of God.

And that's why I Challenge people.

You know, stop just chasing the fantasies of life.

Now when I talk about professional calling, right, or your purpose, people immediately think it's only about profession.

No, it's not just about profession.

It's about the lifestyle or it's about that mindset.

And it's about, you know, even now I work in a job and I'm running the ministry, even though my ultimate calling is the ministry, but it's because that's the route that God has taken me, you know, in God using the job as my source to establish my ministry.

So what I challenge people is it's not like, you know, throw off everything and then follow your dreams, follow your passion, so that, you know, you'll become a millionaire overnight or over a period of time.

That's the right, wrong approach.

You know, a lot of times I tell people, you know, Joseph didn't go to the palace to just be on a vacation.

He went to the palace to serve people and save people.

So walking in your purpose is not about you saying, you know what?

I've become very successful.

I'm becoming a doctor or millionaire or whatever.

It's about walking in your purpose to serve people, to build the kingdom of God and to save people who are dying and going to hell.

So that's the.

That's the goal.

That's the purpose or the direction or the motive that people should have while pursuing their purpose.

Well said.

You are.

You have a very successful podcast, Fuel for the Soul for a thousand episodes.

What was your journey in discovering your purpose, especially you being in India?

I find world Christianity outside of America very fascinating to me in the sense that I.

This is my opinion, completely incorrect, but because I have yet to be able to leave this pond, go across the pond, and be able to, like, immerse myself in it.

But it just seems like Christianity outside of the United States is just, wow.

Like.

Like, I just feel like you guys over there are just really just immersed just in, like, deep and.

And.

And just really praising and worshiping the Lord.

So I say that all to say what.

How.

What was your journey?

To find your purpose, to be able to do this podcast, to be able master and write books.

That's an interesting thing.

The.

The answer that I would give for what you just said, you know, you find it like, oh, my gosh, how come you guys are so deep?

I think it's not just about you guys being deep.

Even in India, there are a lot of people, most people that I. I write against, or not write against.

This book is mainly for people who have this thing that, you know, just go for a job and settle down in life.

You know, those are the nominal Christians.

I just get annoyed with nominal Christians.

The reason is because, you know, when you grow up in a Christian home or you just.

I, I think that's the same thing.

Even in, in the United States.

What I've seen is a lot of people, you know, Christianity has become a part of their culture rather than, you know, an experience, you know, to have that relationship with the Lord.

I. I've encountered or met with people who, you know, like, they, they throw in the word faith, they throw in the word ungodly.

They.

They just sing hallelujah.

But in reality, they don't have the actual experience of salvation.

And that's a really, really sad thing.

The reason being, you know, Christianity has been engraved as part of the culture.

And mind you, there are groups like that even in India.

It's not like everybody's like me.

Even for me, I had to pay a price to do the ministry.

It's not.

It didn't come to me, or it's even now.

I do that because of a lot of reasons.

There were times I've got fired from jobs for running a ministry.

Even though you're technically allowed to do what you have, you know, it's like a free time or whatever.

I got fired.

Not.

They said, you know, oh, you're converting people and all of these things, which is not the case.

I'm not doing anything.

Coming to my work and doing it.

But that's how, you know, persecution happens, right?

I got fired for running ministry.

I got, you know, oppos, opposition from family for running ministry.

I've paid a huge price for this.

And else, to be honest, like you said, how did I come in this direction?

To be honest, I was that nominal Christian, okay?

I went to church just to have chocolate cakes.

I was not interested in the things of God.

It was just like, okay, somebody else is a Hindu, somebody else is a Muslim.

I'm a Christian.

That's it.

And the one that God used to open my spiritual eyes is from America.

His name is Pastor Benny Hinn.

You might have heard of him.

He had a huge crusade in my city in Bangalore in India, which had around 7.3 million people att it.

And I was 7 years old.

And because I grew up in a denomination where people just.

Or read the Bible, memorize scriptures, you know, attend church, and that's it.

Whereas when I attended the Benny Hinn crusade and I saw people getting healed, the impact, you know, we had the, you know, the prime ministers attending, the leaders of states attending and you know, the huge impact it made people of different faiths, you know, getting healed, coming to the north a lot.

That impact made me realize the reality that, you know, we serve a God who's real, you know, unlike any other.

And that was the turning point in my life as an 11 year old kid.

And I started, you know, growing closer to God, moving in that direction.

And mind you, you, you know, like, it's not like a cup of tea, right?

You know, if you ask me, I allow to.

I've written books, but I'm not that fascinated about reading books at the same time.

I host podcasts, but I don't like listening to podcasts.

You know, I'm the kind of who's like a creator but not someone who can listen to something.

Like people ask me all the time, like, you know, oh, I was binge watching this on Netflix, I was doing this, I was doing that.

And then I'll be like, ah, you know, I, I can't watch anything.

I, for me, it's like, you know, the time you spend in watching that movie, can't I make a couple of videos?

That's how my brain thinks.

So in the natural, even for, you know, spending time with God, it was the typical stereotypical method, did not work.

You know, this is a challenge I give people all the time.

You know, you don't need to follow what works for somebody else.

You know, follow what is your unique calling, your unique way or strategy or your unique lingo with God.

Let me give an example for that.

Okay?

So I always like to give a lot of props in my speeches and episodes.

So this is, you know, a makeshift microphone that my brother made for me as a young kid.

So this microphone, what I would do is I would just, you know, imagine, I think, imagine this was the Bible.

Ever since I was young, I would take the Bible and I would act like I'm preaching and I would study the Bible.

This was my method of studying the Bible or even for praying.

You know, if you ask me to close your eyes and pray, I would sleep.

You know, the, the typical method never works.

So what I would actually do is like, I'm acting like I'm speaking in front of a crowd or praying in front of crowd and you know, start preaching and praying and you know, literally doing that.

That was a very unique approach where God not only shaped me as a preacher, he also shaped me in my walk with him to go deeper in revelations.

You know, things like, you know, I would take the scripture and I would like, you know, imagine I'm in front of a, so a huge crowd or something like that.

Like I would set up the showcase, I would set up the television and all that in a certain angle to make it look like I'm in front of a huge crowd.

I can see myself on all the glasses of the showcase and on the television and I'm acting like I'm preaching.

In that process, God prepared me as a preacher and in my direction of growing closer to God.

So that started going in deep, deep, deep to a point where I started having a lot of encounters.

There was a moment when God took me and showed me a glimpse of hell when I was 15 years old and I even met someone I who was a neighbor who had passed away prior to that.

So you know, you know, like all of these encounters that make me, me go to that place where I was like, you know, I can't wait, I can't see people going to hell.

You know, hell is not a joke.

You know, people think, you know, oh, go to hell or things like that very lightly.

But my heart is like I even on my worst enemy, I wouldn't want them to go to hell because I've seen how bad hell is.

And that started making me go deeper and deeper in my walk with God.

And I used to spend a lot of time in this presence, you know, when everyone else has been watching.

I would sit and spend time in God's presence to a point where I had a huge eight hour encounter one day and 13 years ago and the Lord said, I want you to start an international ministry.

And electricity started coming out of the Bible and God was saying, I'm anointing you to go and start.

That was a beautiful encounter that I had.

I can't even explain it, but it was so wonderful.

And by faith, I called it John Gifta International.

You can see the banner behind it's called John Gifta International.

The reason is that I wanted to take a step of faith.

You know, like how Abraham was called the father of many nations when he did not still did not have even a single child.

I called it John Gift International when I did not have a single international opportunity.

So that's what is faith all about.

I started operating in radical faith.

I've seen a lot of miracles, people getting healed and a lot of miracles like rain coming out of nowhere and things like that.

For the glory of God of course, nothing for me to boast, but God has used all of that for the enhancement of his Kingdom.

So that's what it started.

Like God asked me, I asked, like God, I don't have big connections.

I don't have big opportunities in front of me.

How do I start an international ministry?

And he asked a very simple question that he asked Moses, what is in your hand?

And I said, like Moses said, I have a stick.

I said, all I have is a phone.

And God said, use your phone.

And I started the podcast on my phone.

And people hardly listen initially.

But over time, the podcast started ranking up the charts with over a thousand episodes right now.

So I'm just grateful how, you know, something that started small started ranking up the charts from podcast to YouTube.

I have a dedicated YouTube channel which has over a million views.

And recently it got the ranking that it's among the top 3.5% YouTube channels of all out of over 3, over 150 million YouTube channels.

So YouTube and then television, and then I travel and preach as well, so to different countries.

So this is how my journey has been in a nutshell.

Wow.

Thanks for sharing.

So after.

I mean, being on the other side, I mean, with.

With your journey as far as you said you got fired.

Being on the other side, how.

How do you feel and how do people around you feel.

For me?

You mean about the struggles or you're talking about, like, about the end result?

Yeah, but because you walked in your purpose, how do you feel?

And how do those who watched you through this journey, how do they feel to see you?

I think I was going through, and, you know, I was.

I had a vision, you know, just prior to his passing, I got a vision of him coming and saying, you know, I fought the good fight of faith.

Now you go do this.

You know, like, I had.

I have a lot of visions and encounters.

I had this vision and, you know, so I was just, you know, like a prophetic word, was studying, investigated.

And then I released it over my YouTube channel and podcast yesterday.

And at that point, I was reminded of this passage in Philippians chapter 1:12 to 14, where the apostle Paul said that, you know, you know, I was imprisoned because of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And it goes on to say verse 14 is what really caught my attention.

It says that because of what happened to me, you know, it caused other people to go out and preach the gospel more boldly.

This is what it says.

Okay.

And what the point that really caught my attention was it's not that Apostle Paul's sermons made a difference, but what happened to him that made the difference.

Like what?

You know, more, More than people who followed Charlie Kirk or for that example.

Right.

Not everyone would have listened or watched to watch every of his sermons.

Or Deb, it's, it's more than what he spoke or it's more than what the Apostle Paul preached, but it's about what happened that led more people to go out and preach the gospel.

If that hadn't happened, only he would have preached the gospel.

You know what I mean?

Like the context.

Right.

So in a similar note, you know, for me, what I've seen is more than my actual sermon.

Most of the time what happens to me speaks more volumes to people.

And I've seen that because I, I post myself as real as can be.

Of course, Christine, sometimes tend to judge you, but then I post when I got laid off or when I'm sick or something.

I share about those struggles because I want people to understand that, you know, sometimes people have this idea, oh, these social media influencers, they're faking it.

Or sometimes people think the one on, on the pulpit doesn't understand what I'm going through.

But I share these struggles and I'm open about them.

And that is what a lot of times people say.

That inspires them more and that speaks more volumes to them.

Like even recently when I lost my job, what happened was, you know, I lost my job and I've been trying.

I do, I was doing my very best over that period.

But the truth of the matter is, even in the midst of that, I was, you know, like praising God, dancing and jumping to a point where some of my co workers, you know, who, who were just saying, you know, look at his life, it's such a mess, but he's still praising his God.

What is this?

You know, like, imagine the kind of like, you know, thought process they would have at that point, right?

The kind of testimony that, oh my gosh, what is it?

So that is what I believe is, speaks more volumes to people.

And that's why I like to be honest.

And I challenge people to be honest.

That way, you know, you hit a interesting point in which somebody that I know was going through, which is.

And what we don't talk about is rejection.

And rejection is part of purpose.

It's part of the plan.

Because sometimes it, it's not what he wants.

So I always go back to this, right?

If you look at First Samuel, chapter 16, it says that, of course, we talk about the aspect of how the father forgot to line up David when J prophet Samuel came to Jesse's house to select the next anoint, the next king of Israel.

But there's an aspect.

Of course, one aspect is how he was rejected or in other words, forgotten by the father.

But there's another thing that is even more powerful to this thing.

Okay, now, and I just bought it.

Barbie doll.

This is actually one of my Scooby Doo collections.

Okay.

I'm a Scooby Doo collector.

So this, I mean, this is the closest I could find that can give a resignation to this message about.

You might have known this familiar or popular show called Hannah Montana, right?

Yeah, yeah.

Like, you know, you got the best.

So when you talk about Hannah Montana, okay, just imagine this is Hannah Motena for a while.

So Hannah Montana is a popular figure.

She's Hannah Montana, the pop star.

But when she walks in as Miley Stewart, you know, the way people treat her is so different.

So there's one of the episodes where the teacher tells her, oh, Beyonce, you're not.

Or in other words, you know, don't think you're someone great, you're just an ordinary student.

Or people put her down.

But in reality, she was Hannah Montana there.

Even her, the villains, right, Ashley and Amber, they always keep making fun of Hannah when she is Miley Stewart, but they look up to Hannah Montana.

Oh man, you know, it's animal stuff like that.

So the thing is this, you know, the closest I could find to Anna Montana in the Bible is David because a few verses down it says that, that when King Saul wanted someone to play the ark for David, for him, you know, they chose David.

Now think about this.

Why would David, a king, choose an ordinary person to play the up?

They would choose the best, right?

Like if the king wanted to ask someone to play the musical instrument, it was not like he was going to choose 25,000 people.

He chose one person.

Yeah.

That means he's going to choose the best.

Like if the President of the United States or the president of India is going to choose someone to play for him, he's not going to choose some Tom Dick and hey, can you play the art or can you play the keyboard?

Can you sing some song?

He's not going to do that.

You know, he doesn't want you to go there like Mr. Bean and sing all hello.

Yeah, then that's going to sound really bad, right?

So he's going to choose the most top ranking or the best one or the One who has sold so many albums or somebody, you know, in a very respectable position.

So if that is the case, then can you imagine how talented David was in the field of music?

Yeah, if he was chosen.

So if you look at it in that context, you realize he was so talented in music, yet his father did not value David.

That actually makes so much sense.

Like how Anna Montana is so talented, but sometimes in the season of rejection, what happens is people just see her as an ordinary girl called Mali Stewart.

So you may be going through a season where people look at you and think you're just, just an ordinary girl, but what if you are actually Hannah Montana?

What if people look at you and think you're just an ordinary shepherd bird, but you are actually a world renowned, talented musician called David?

You know, so that speaks volumes to how I pursue or look at rejections.

Even now I face rejections over and over, but I face it with this knowing that, you know what?

Ultimately, God is my doorkeeper.

That one statement has been such a blessing in my life.

Like I, I always go with that, you know, God is going to open doors.

No man can chat.

I be my best, have the spirit of excellence, do my very best in whatever I do, have the spirit of, you know, integrity.

But beyond everything, it is God who is my doorkeeper.

So that gave me that sense that, you know, what if someone rejected me, if something is not working out, if I, I don't have to prove to anybody, you know, please open the door for me.

Like in a literal sense, you know, when you think about Joseph, Joseph, you know, worked so hard for Potiphar.

Potiphar has seen the hand of God.

Potiphar has seen how everything was a blessing because of Joseph.

But the problem was that when Joseph was wrongly accused by Potiphar's wife, Potiphar never stood up for Joseph.

But on the contrary, you see, when the Pharaoh wanted someone to interpret the dream for Joseph, Joseph goes for him.

Joseph goes to interpret the dream.

Now think about this.

The Pharaoh doesn't know who Joseph is.

The Pharaoh has never seen Joseph.

According to Pharaoh, he's only a convict from the prison.

But the Pharaoh believed in Joseph.

Can you think how a Pharaoh would believe a convict from a prison?

You can't make that happen.

Joseph need not say, please, Pharaoh, believe me.

That is where I believe that, you know, God will make the right people to believe you.

The right people to open doors for you, the right people to be convinced.

So that gives the sense of, you know, like peace and the rest, knowing that, you know, God is my doorkeeper.

A potiphar may not open doors for me, but God will speak and convince the Pharaoh to open the doors for me.

So that is the approach I follow.

And that actually helps to know, yes, God is in control.

Wow.

Well said.

I. I can't even follow up.

That's well said.

So this.

So just think about it this way, right?

Like, imagine the pharaoh, you know, he's putting him in charge of.

Of his kingdom, where he has to get to the place where he realizes that, what if this guy actually comes against me?

You know, he never even thinks about that piece, right?

Like, because Joseph has so much power invested in him, everyone is under him.

He can even overthrow the Pharaoh, but the Pharaoh still trusts in him.

You know, I. I'll give you a very different analogy.

So there was this.

I.

One of the Renault guests that I had on my podcast is someone called Baston of something called Mark Angel Comedy.

It's a number one comedy from Nigeria.

So in that they have this series called the Housekeeper series, where basically what happens is that, you know, this girl, you know, like, who's supposed to just do some, you know, serving, she just has to serve in the house.

She just tweaks something, you know, with an agreement, and she and this little girl called Success ends up owning the own house.

And the house owner is now going around searching for some place to stay.

So just imagine, right, Even in a fun way, if you see that is a possibility.

Like, you know, Joseph could have, you know, done that.

But that is where, you know, God made sure the Pharaoh trusts in Joseph.

So God will make sure that the right people trust you.

You know, and.

And the interesting thing is that someone within Joseph's reach or within his league or within his contacts did not help him.

But someone outside his league and outside his contacts opened the doors for him.

And that's what really makes it so beautiful that God makes things happen.

Yeah, well said.

Oh, because he can move mountains, so why not have them?

I mean, it's not like you can't do anything less.

I mean, he creates the earth in six days.

I mean, what.

There's nothing that he can't do.

This leads to.

My other question is with talking about purpose and following God's plan and rejection, because as I said, like, purpose is the most simplest concept to grasp.

But yet, as people, we really are great at following through.

What baby steps should someone take when it comes to, I don't know, not even following the purpose, but understanding the purpose, but anything.

What.

What baby steps can they take See.

The first thing I would always tell is that you need to have that heart to do it.

You know, you need to define your goal before you can actually follow through your goal, right?

So you need to have that heart to actually say, you know what?

I need to find my purpose.

I don't want to just live a mediocre life.

I want to make an impact for God's kingdom.

I want it really, really, really, you know, to shake the world for Jesus, whichever way or whichever, you know, vision level that God has given you, whatever it is.

But the other thing I would say is a lot of times people say, you know, oh, finding God's will or finding your purpose is like finding a needle in a haystack.

But to be honest, it's not.

To be honest, it's not.

You know, people have made it complicated because that's what makes them feel happy.

Like, oh, you know what I did for 40 days of fasting, and then I found God's will.

See God.

I mean, like, fasting.

You like doing fasting?

Go ahead, doing.

But the truth of the matter is, it's.

Sometimes it's right in front of you, but you find it hard to, you know, use it, right?

Like, for.

For example, you know, sometimes people say, oh, I know you're good in writing, but I. I think God's will for you is to, you know, become an engineer, even though you are bad in physics.

You know, imagine, right?

Like it's.

It's gonna.

Like, sometimes people tell me, you know, like, I became an engineer because of the situation, right?

People tell me, why don't you become a pilot?

I said, I always tell people, you know, I know it's not my thing if, if my.

If the plane is going down, my national instinct is going to just tell people, hey, guys, I'll see you in heaven.

Goodbye, and crash the plane, you know.

You know, that's because I know who I am.

Because I. I studied who I am and I know what works for me.

And so in the sense that, you know, you don't, you know, you just go by that instinct of.

First thing is, you know, a couple of things that you can look at.

One is the aspect of, you know, your desires and your passions.

What are the things that, you know, you are driven to do?

Like, for example, now I've written books, but I started out writing stories as a young kid when nobody even put a gun on my head and said, write stories because it is something I was driven to do.

I.

It's.

Writing has been my cup of tea.

Like, I. I wouldn't watch anything, but I would rather sit and write something.

So what is the passion?

Like, you know, Philippians 2:13 says that, you know that God has given us these longings and these passions and these desires so that by fulfilling them, you fulfill your purpose.

So sometimes we think, oh, desire means I should throw it away.

No, God gave you those desires for a purpose.

So use those desires to channelize and find your purpose.

Like, for example, so if my desire is to shoot, you know, that doesn't mean I should become a terrorist.

It can probably mean I should channelize and see, maybe God wants me to join the army.

You know, like, that's the way you need to channelize your desires.

Because the, you know, Bible says God will grant the desires of your heart as long as your heart is in the right position.

Where the Bible says, yes, initially your heart is evil, but when you give your life to Christ, he gives you a new heart.

So the Holy Spirit works in your heart to channelize your desires to.

So that you can use your desires to be the guidepost, to guide you towards your purpose.

So that's one thing, your desires.

The second thing is, as I told you, you know your strength.

You know, when I know that my gift is not in analytics or physics, you know, if I am going to try to struggle.

I mean, if I become a math teacher when I'm bad in math, you know, I'm going to make everyone else bad at math.

So, you know, when you know your strength, focus on your strength.

You know, it's plain sight.

You don't have to do something that you're not good at.

And there are other things, like, you know, sometimes your own childhood experiences or childhood dreams shed light into who you are called to be.

Like, one of my unique aspects, which I told you about, and you can see a Scooby Doo poster behind me.

One of the unique things about me is that I must.

I'm known as the Scooby Doo pastor.

I've set out world records based out of Scooby Doo from head to toe with only Scooby Doo items.

So I have different things, like Scooby Doo.

Here's the thing, you know, ever since I was young, I was passionated about Scooby Doo and I was passionate about Scooby Doo.

So the thing is, people say, oh, you know, throw off Scooby Doo.

You know, you're.

Grow your.

But I was thinking, you know, that's something that makes me stand out from the rest of the people.

Now people can say Oh, I have music ministry, I have sports ministry.

But how many people can say, I'm doing Scooby Doo ministry?

You know, what makes me stand out?

You know, like, so, you know, that's the thing.

I always challenge people, you know, like, you know, find what is that unique thing about you?

Because sometimes we want to just get into the mold, you know, okay, be a preacher, be a teacher.

But even as a preacher, how can I stand out?

That's when I found out, okay, being a Scooby Doo pastor is something unique to me.

Of course I'm not going to go to a crusade and, you know, you know, dress up like Scooby Doo.

You know, I know how to behave.

Like, in a crusade, you preach like a picture in a Scooby Doo setting.

You know, 13th of September is Scooby Doo's birthday, so I have a Scooby Doo themed sermon set that I'm ready with.

So, you know, it's a very unique thing.

So find out what is that unique thing that works for you and follow that.

Like, even I'll talk more about Scooby Doo as we go deep into the niche part.

But at the same time, I always tell people that, you know, when we think about, you know, the, our.

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so we need to take care of our body.

You know, typically people say, oh, go hit the gym or go for some sports and, or try out, you know, like dance or some people go into aerobics or something.

And to be honest, I'll tell you what, I tried, you know, these exercises or the gym related things or running or walking, none of that worked.

Okay.

Till a point when I, you know, I tried those exercises online, none of that worked.

To a point when I just went to a place where the other thing apart from Scooby Doo, I like, I like Titanic, okay?

I brought your Titanic.

So I was like, I'm very fascinated about Titanic.

And I just love the aspect of, you know, going in the water and all of that.

Just like, why not try swimming?

So when I went to the pool, I enrolled for the first month.

And then in my brain, I trained myself that, you know what, Imagine that you're on the Titanic and you're sinking, okay?

And you have to go towards the land.

Go swim fast.

Swim fast.

So you know what?

I started swimming, training my mind to swim as if I'm on the Titanic.

And what happened was it's been over one and a half years of being consistent at swimming that I've actually toned down and I'm more consistent in this than anybody else who just hit the gym for the sake of hitting a gym.

You know what I mean?

That's what I meant.

Like, when you find what is your thing and walk in it, you will be more effective.

You don't have to go to the gym because everyone goes to the gym.

Go find out what is your thing.

Go for that.

Like in swimming, there were times I.

It would be raining, it will be freezing cold.

But in the midst of that, I would never, ever compromise.

I was, like, consistent.

I kept doing.

Because that's what happens when you do what you're called to do.

You will have the grace to do it, and you'll be.

You will have the ability to do it consistently.

And that's what will empower you to get the results that you're hoping for.

So even when you think about how, you know, when we think about how in Genesis 24, right.

We always say about, you know that especially as Christian singles, that's one of the favorite passages.

How, you know, Rebecca was, you know, they got Rebecca for Isaac.

Here's the thing, I always tell people, we think that it's all about, oh, she was very loving and kind, that she offered to give water for all the camels.

But in reality, if you see that each camel drinks 20 gallons of water, which means that to feed all, give water to all the 20 camels, it would have taken out at least one and a half hours of rigorous hard work.

Now, imagine I asked you to get one cup of water.

You'd be like, okay, I'll do it.

And then two cups of water.

And then you'll be like, okay, I'll do it.

Then three cups of water.

And others could be one.

And then.

And then after a while, you're going to be like, I need a break.

You know?

So what made Rebecca ready for that opportunity was not just the fact that she was able to, you know, fetch water.

It was because she was habitually doing that.

Because you can't just fetch water for one and a half hours without a break.

You have to do it consistently for you to be able to do it.

So that's why I always challenge people.

You know, my podcast didn't come to the top, or, you know, I didn't get these huge opportunities or the ministry just on day one.

It's something.

You keep working on it, and eventually you start hitting the breakthrough.

Like when you dig a bow well or a well, the first thing you get is the dirt and the noise and the smell.

It looks messy.

And terrible.

But through that process, you end up getting the water.

So start.

Even if it's messy, start.

Even if it's noisy and doesn't look very impressive.

But as you keep going, you find deeper levels of your calling.

Well said.

Because at the end of the day, it's really.

God doesn't need perfection.

He just needs obedience.

Yes.

At the end of the day.

True.

Yeah, that's.

That's the thing.

Because a lot of times we think, oh, you know, I should do this.

I should be effective in the side of the world.

No, it's not.

It's.

You know, there was a moment when Jesus spoke to multitudes, but the call was, let's go to the other side where there was only one man.

So sometimes, you know, some seasons can be like, oh, you know what, I'm just called to do this, I'm just called to do that.

Like, there was a season I would be able to minister more frequently, there was an in between season when I hardly got opportunities to minister.

So, you know, like, we just go with the flow.

Like how God leads, how God opens doors is just in God's hands.

Yeah.

I don't know why that concept is so easy to understand, but it's so hard because we're just control freaks.

And one form or another.

Well said.

I. I couldn't even say it any better myself.

Final thought for the day.

Before we drop off and before I have my final thought, I just want to take the time to thank you for being here today.

Thanks for having me.

Just.

Yeah, you're welcome.

Just learning about your journey and studying and reading your book is.

Is amazing.

And I just want.

I'm trying to find the words.

Just learning your journey and seeing what you have created out of that is just amazing.

And the book, unveil your purpose.

It is a testament of what obeying God should does for you.

And I just.

Thank you.

And I just want to acknowledge all that you have done.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So my final thought for today before we leave today, is you wrote two books.

We did talk about the baby steps, but also I do want to point out another book that you wrote was who I Am.

And I think another thing too is purpose is a major part.

But sometimes with your book of who I am, sometimes people, you just need to stop and figure out who God made you to be.

Because we talked about David and yes, David was a great songwriter.

Outside of being a king and a warrior, he was a great songwriter.

And for him to know who he was and to be Able.

Because he was after God's heart, he was able to do amazing things outside of.

He did stumble quite a bit, but he did amazing things.

And knowing who you are can also help you with your purpose.

So giving you a little bit of context to that.

I struggled with identity crisis for a long time.

Oh, wow.

And to just correct you on one point, I've written for four books and co authored multiple books.

And the first book that I wrote was on identity.

That's how God turns things around.

What.

What the enemy meant for harm.

God turns it around for good.

So my thing is that, you know, so there is one episode of Scooby Doo where Scooby Doo encounters a chicken.

And what happens is that the chicken just thinks that Scooby Doo is his mom and such.

Following Scooby the way Scooby follows and starts walking Scooby the way Scooby was walking.

And then Scooby has to tell the chicken, you are a chicken and I am a dog.

And Scooby barks and says, I am Bobo.

And the chicken starts doing Bobo.

It's a funny thing.

So in a sense that, you know, you start imitating or you.

Your life goes in the direction that you think you are.

You know what I mean?

Like, if you think you are a chicken, you start walking like a chicken.

If you think you're a dog, you start walking like a dog.

In a sense, if you think you are mediocre or ordinary, you think mediocre and ordinary thoughts.

But when you know that you're a child of the king of kings and the lord of lords, when you know that you're of royalty, you walk with a different confidence.

You.

You approach things in a different way because you know who you are.

You know, when you think about any member of the royal family, even if they're not the most attractive or the most talented or the most.

You know what to say.

Someone who has a lot of accolades in their feather, but the truth is they always walk with that confidence because they know who they are.

They're of royal family line.

And today you and I need to understand that when you know who you are, you know the way you walk is going to be different.

It's not from a place of arrogance, but a place of confidence that is so much needed because we speak more about, you know, like, don't be arrogant, you know, you know, trust in God.

And in this way we try to put people down, you know, like, you know, humble yourself.

Yes, I understand there's a place for being humble, but there's also a.

A place for being confident in who God made you to be.

Now, let me just close with this analogy.

Like I said, I'm a Scooby Doo collector.

Now, let me show you some of my Scooby Doo collections.

Right?

This is a.

Especially if you're watching this.

This is a Scooby Doo flash drive.

This is a Scooby Doo.

And then there's just.

Hold on a second.

So this is a Scooby Doo, you know, like, Scuba of shades.

I know it looks so.

And then there's a Scooby Doo toothbrush, and then there is a Scooby Doo.

What do you call this?

A wallet.

So now, I mean, I do have a lot of other stuff, but then these are the things I could think I. I just brought.

So here's the thing I want you to imagine, right?

Like, it's.

All of these are the same Scooby Doo, but then you see that each of them are uniquely designed for a specific purpose, right?

The same school we do in the same way.

We are all spirited beings made in the same image of God, but we are uniquely designed for a specific purpose.

Now imagine if the toothbrush was of this size.

We can't use it at the same time.

If the flash drive was like this, it will be difficult to use it, right?

You.

You need to design.

It has the element of Scooby Doo, but then you need to have the element of its unique purpose.

So likewise, I always tell challenge people that, you know, yes, we are all having the ultimate purpose where we need to share, tell others about Jesus.

We have to proclaim his kingdom.

We have to live for righteousness and holiness.

All of that is true.

You know, pursue God and all of that.

Those are the ultimating like.

Like how, you know, be like Scooby Doo.

You have to be like Scooby Doo.

Be like who God wants you to be as a Christian.

But in that space, walk in it in a unique way.

You know, like, I.

One of the other things I'm gonna share in the end is this is actually a unique pop piece where, you know, Looney Tunes of school, tasks of Looney Tunes.

Okay?

So this is actually a task.

So this is a unique piece where it's a mashup of the tasks of Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo.

So it has the characteristics of both Looney Tunes TAs as well as Scooby Doo.

So what I tell challenge people is that, you know, like, you have this mashup between Scooby Doo and TAS There should be a mashup between you and the spirit to work out something very unique in it through your life.

You know, you cannot say this is not unique.

This is very unique because you can find the characteristics of Scooby Doo in it and you can find the characteristics of das in it.

So that's a very unique mashup that happens.

Likewise when you say, like, for example, like, I gave you the example.

Nobody thinks about, like, oh, Scooby pastor.

You know, Scooby is one thing.

Pastor is one thing.

Nobody can think or connect the dots, but that's the way a very unique.

You will make a huge difference in the.

In this world.

So that's the challenge.

I want to leave with people as well that, you know, know who you are.

Like, Scooby Doo is Scooby Doo.

Know that you are who you are, you know, made in the image of God.

At the same time, you know, find that unique purpose that God has for you, that you have been designed for a specific purpose for such a time as this and walk in it.

Then you will be effective to make a huge difference in this world.

So that's the word I want to challenge.

Wow.

Well said.

Well said.

I can't.

I think.

I think that's it.

I think show's done.

There's.

There.

There's no.

There's no more words for me to add to it.

Thank you.

Well, John Gifta, I just want to thank you again for being here today.

I appreciate and your word and also your visuals.

It's interesting because as I said, you know, purpose is a very simple concept, but, you know, really, really make a copy.

Copy.

Yes.

Complicated.

And so you really simplified for us.

So I really appreciate that today.

Thank you.

And so for those who are watching, thanks for watching.

And remember, God is love.

And God wants you to show his love to the world.

Until next time.

Later.