Have you ever felt like you just... don't fit?
Maybe you've been told you're too sensitive, too analytical, too emotional, too intense, or that you ask too many questions. Maybe you think too much, feel too deeply, or see things in ways that other people just don't understand. Or maybe nobody said it out loud - but you sensed it. You picked up on the subtle messages that your natural way of being was somehow wrong.
If you've ever wondered "Why can't I just have simple faith like everyone else?" or felt like the way God made you was somehow a mistake - this episode is for you.
Episode Description
If you've been hiding your true self because you thought being "different" meant being defective, you're not alone - and nothing is wrong with you. Today we're exploring one of the most isolating hidden barriers of religious trauma: the belief "I'm Different (in the wrong way)."
Through Debra's transformative story - from being shushed for her enthusiasm to discovering that "enthusiasm" literally means "God within" - we'll uncover how religious environments can label your God-given traits as flaws and teach you to suppress your spiritual intelligence.
You'll discover that what you thought were defects are actually divine faculties - spiritual intelligence designed to connect you directly to God and fulfill your unique purpose. Your sensitivity, depth, questions, and way of seeing aren't problems to fix but gifts to celebrate.
This isn't about becoming more like everyone else - it's about discovering that your differences are your divine design, and the world needs exactly what you have to offer.
In this episode, you'll discover:
→ Why feeling "different" in religious spaces often means your spiritual faculties are operating - and how to recognize your unique gifts
→ What spiritual intelligence really is - the mind faculties like intuition, perception, curiosity, imagination, and heart's desire that God installed in you at birth
→ How traits labeled as "too much" (sensitivity, analytical nature, questioning spirit, creativity) are actually evidence of your divine equipment
→ The revolutionary truth that different doesn't equal defective - it equals divine design for your specific calling
→ One simple practice to identify and honor your strongest spiritual faculty instead of hiding it
Healing Truth
You're not different in the wrong way. You're different in exactly the right way for your divine calling. What you've been told are flaws are actually spiritual faculties - divine intelligence designed to connect you with God. Your sensitivity is spiritual perception. Your analytical nature is divine wisdom. Your questions are curiosity seeking truth. The woman who celebrates her unique spiritual intelligence instead of suppressing it - she's not someone you have to become. She's who you've always been, waiting to be remembered beneath all the hiding.
Ready to go deeper?
Discover your personal healing path: Take our free Religious Trauma Assessment at ReligiousTraumaQuiz.com and uncover which of the 12 hidden barriers might be shaping your relationship with God, yourself, and others. You'll receive a personalized report plus my complete Essentials Starter Kit - including my book He Is Enough, Truth Over Tradition mini-course, live reading circles, and access to our supportive community - all completely FREE as my thank you for taking this brave step.
Transform your story completely: Join the Coming Home Journey at TheComingHomeJourney.com - a six-month guided experience to unravel religious trauma, instill God's truth, and create your new story alongside women who truly understand. In Milestone 7, dive deep into your spiritual intelligence and discover all the mind faculties God gave you to connect directly with Him.
About Debra
I'm Debra Shafer, spiritual healing coach for Christian women and founder of the Coming Home Journey. For over seven years, I've walked alongside women who love God deeply but feel exhausted by religious performance and pressure. I know this path personally - I've been shushed for my God-given enthusiasm - and I've seen what happens when women finally celebrate their differences instead of suppressing them: they discover they were always exactly who God intended them to be.
Listener Love
If this episode helped you see that being different isn't being defective, would you share it with someone who needs this freedom? And a quick review on Apple Podcasts helps more women discover that their sensitivity, depth, and questions are spiritual intelligence, not flaws.
This isn't surface-level faith advice. It's soul-level restoration for Christian women healing from reli
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