Episode 91: Feeling Valued in Ministry: A Journey Toward Wholeness - Part 1

Hey, Friend!

Today’s episode is designed to remind you that your work, your heart, and your leadership matter - even when it doesn’t feel recognized. Remember, feeling valued starts with knowing your worth in Christ, and then leading from that truth in every area of your life.

This is the first in a series of episodes entitled: Feeling Valued in Ministry: A Journey Toward Wholeness.

I pray this blesses you,

Becky

Episode Transcript

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Today, you were listening to part one of a special series called "Feeling valued in

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ministry, a journey toward wholeness."
Over the next few episodes, we're going to get honest about something most women in
ministry rarely talk about.
What it means to feel unseen, underappreciated, or overlooked, and how to lead with confidence
and peace, even in those seasons.

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Whether you are leading a team, a congregation, or quietly serving behind the scenes.
Your work matters deeply to God.
So let's take this journey together.
To remember your worth, to renew your strength, and to rediscover the joy of leading from wholeness,

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not proving yourself.
Today, we're naming what so many women in ministry quietly feel.
The ache of not being valued, and finding truth and healing in the middle of it.
Want to know more?
Let's dive in to today's episode.
Hey, friend, are you a people-pleasing conflict-avoiding leader?

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Is your secret relationship with fear affecting your leadership decisions?
Do you want to learn how to build credibility and confidence, or to navigate difficult
conversations?
Do you long to manage your time without sacrificing your family or self-care?
Welcome to leadership becomes her.

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I'm Becky Burroughs, your host, and a minister in life and leadership coach with over 50 years
experience in leadership.
I firmly believe God has given you everything you need to lead well.
You have the toolbox.
You just need to learn how to use the tools.
So, get comfy or start a mindless task.

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Have you ever poured your heart into ministry and still wondered if anyone notices?
You show up, early, prepared, faithful, you give everything you have to help others grow,
connect, and experience God's love, and yet there are moments when it feels like your

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effort disappears into the background.
Maybe you lead a team that rarely says thank you.
Maybe you plan the retreat, coordinate volunteers, manage the crises, and then someone else
gets the credit.
Or maybe you're one of the few women in leadership in your church, and your presence is quietly
tolerated, more than celebrated.

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You smile, you keep serving, but inside something whispers.
Does anyone really see me?
That ache can be confusing because you love what you do.
You love God.
You feel that God has called you to this work.
You know your work has meaning, but it still hurts when it feels like no one notices your

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faithfulness.
And let's be honest, when you feel unseen long enough, discouragement starts to creep
in.
You question your calling.
You wonder if you're making a difference.
You might even think maybe someone else could do this better.
But here's the truth.
Feeling undervalued does not mean you're doing something wrong.

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It means you're human.
You're created in God's image.
You're wired for connection, for affirmation, for purpose.
You're not needy for wanting to be seen.
You're simply reflecting the relational heart of God himself.
Here's something that helped me reframe this whole struggle.

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There is a difference between feeling valued and being valued.
Truth is, you are valued inherently, permanently, because your worth comes from God.
That feeling valued depends on what's mirrored back to you by the people and the systems

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around you.
Now when the mirror is clear, when people affirm your leadership, they express gratitude
or they trust your decisions, you feel seen, encouraged, energized.
But when that mirror is cracked or a foggy, when feedback is rare or when your role is

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misunderstood, or when women's voices are not affirmed.
Your sense of value can blur.
And that's why ministry can be such a complex space for women.
Sometimes the messages are mixed.
We love your gifts, but then you also hear, "Could you stay behind the scenes?"

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Or, "You're so capable," followed by, "We're not ready for a woman in that position."
And those words may not be said outright, but they're very deeply felt.
And when affirmation doesn't come, you start to carry invisible weight.
You work harder, hoping someone will notice.

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You over-function to prove that you belong.
You silence your exhaustion because you don't want to appear ungrateful.
Does that sound familiar?
But here's what God keeps whispering.
You are already seen.
You are already known.
You are already valued.

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God doesn't just notice what you do.
He delights in who you are.
Psalms 139 says, "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Think about that.
Before you had a title, before you had a role, before your first ministry win, your value

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was already established.
So even when people overlook you, God never does.
Let's just sit with that for a moment.
Even when people overlook you, God never does.
God thank you that even when others miss it, you never do.

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Help me rest in your affirmation, not in their approval.
When you lead from a place of feeling undervalued, there's something subtle that starts to shift
inside you.
You might notice it in your tone, in your confidence, in your creativity, or even in your

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prayer life.
You stop sharing new ideas because you're not sure they'll be taken seriously.
You avoid hard conversations because you don't want to seem too emotional.
You start believing that your contributions are smaller than they really are.
But here's the thing.
When God called you, He didn't call a watered down version of you.

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He called you, bold, intuitive, creative, spirit filled you.
So part of the healing journey is learning to bring your full self again, even if others
haven't valued it yet.
And sometimes that healing happens through community, through a trusted mentor or a group

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of women who see you or a coach who reminds you who you are.
Sometimes it happens through boundaries, deciding that you're not going to measure your
worth by applause anymore.
And sometimes it happens through worship, letting God reawaken the joy of serving Him for His

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glory.
Not yours or someone else's.
When you root your sense of value in God again, you stop leading to prove yourself and you
start leading from peace.
You stop striving for approval and you start stuarting what's already been entrusted to you.

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And then something beautiful happens.
The freedom that you find in Christ begins to set others free too.
Because when a woman in ministry knows her worth, she becomes one of the most life-giving
leaders in the church.
So let me ask you this, where in your ministry life do you feel unseen right now?

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Maybe it's a relationship where appreciation is missing.
Maybe it's a part of your calling that no one celebrates, but you.
Maybe it's a quiet faithfulness.
No one ever names out loud.
Take a moment this week to bring that space before God.
Picture yourself holding it, open-handed in saying, "Lord, I give you this unseen part of

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me.
Help me remember that you notice every act of love, every sacrifice, every unseen moment.
Teach me to lead from being loved, not from needing to be liked."
Because you don't have to earn God's attention, you already have it.
You don't have to strive for his approval, you already stand in it.

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And from that place, you can keep showing up with joy, confidence, and purpose.
I hope today's episode reminded you that your work, your heart, and your leadership matter,
even when it doesn't feel recognized.
And remember, feeling valued starts with knowing your worth in Christ and then leading from

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that truth in every area of your life.
If this episode spoke to you, I would love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share
it with a fellow woman in ministry who might need this encouragement too.
Until next time, keep leading with courage, faithfulness, and joy because God sees every

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act of love and leadership.
Okay, let's do this again next week.
It is my prayer that this podcast inspired you, blessed you, or made you think.
If so, please share it with a friend, subscribe, and please leave a review.
Hey, I want to connect with you.

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Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Send me a DM or email me at [e-mail].
If you are a Christian woman who leads and you are interested in one of my Leadership Boot
camps for Women in Ministry, this is a four week workshop.
Or becoming part of a Kairos Cohort, your long group coaching.

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Send me a DM or an email for more information.
We'll talk soon.
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