About the Author

ALIZA LATTA is a writer, artist, and pastor who is a huge fan of telling stories. She creates content for Canada’s largest youth conference, Change Conference, and is a church planter in Ontario, Canada. Her artwork and writing have been featured in publications for LifeWay, Dayspring, and (in)courage. She is...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
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  1. Aliza, thank you for this! I am applying for a position right now that seems way out of my comfort zone, and I needed your beautiful encouragement this morning!

    • Lk,

      I’ll be praying for God’s discernment in this situation. If He brings it to you then He will equip you for it.

      Abba Father, Please send LK a discerning heart about this job she is applying for. Let her know if it is where you want her. Guide her steps in this process. AMEN!

      Blessings 🙂

  2. Thank you Aliza! I didn’t even know how much I needed this reminder until I read it. And I love the line in your “about the author”: “She is always searching for the goodness of God, even when she has to squint to see it.”

  3. 2 instances when I was asked to join a ministry I felt TOTALLY unequip for have become 2 of my greatest joys. No children of our own, no teaching experience AT ALL & you want me to teach 3-4th graders Sunday school?!? 18 years later I’m still scared spitless BUT GOD enables. Same experience 4 years ago being asked to be a mom in a Titus 2 ministry. “I’m not mature enough, I have no parenting skills to pass on, I c-a-n’t… The Holy Spirit says “yes, you’re right, Ruth, you can’t BUT I in you CAN!

  4. Aliza, I appreciate your courage, resilience, and statement,”It’s not up to me to save people. That’s up to Jesus. It’s up to me to love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love others in the same way.”
    As a lifelong believer, more than a few people have tried to “save me” for not being a member of their perception of me belonging to a Christian denomination which is not Christian “enough.” Like you, I live to model and be Jesus to others in action , while not assuming the responsibility to “save”
    them. Thanks for sharing what that path looks like as a fellow “passionate disciple “of Christ.

  5. Thank you for your post. Though anyone brings up a woman being a pastor I become confused. I’ve always read in the Bible that woman aren’t supposed to teach or have authority over a man. Truly just want to know your thoughts on this because I know others who are pastors who are woman and seem to have the right motives so it’s very confusing.

    • Hi MaryMargaret! Thank you for your kind response. I know this can be challenging! I believe it’s very important to keep in mind the cultural context of what was happening at the time. In 1 Timothy, for example, Paul was writing about first-century Ephesus. Throughout Scripture we see other examples of women who taught and preached to both men and women. We see this in Matthew 28:10, when Jesus commands the women to share the news with the other disciples; in John 20, when Jesus exhorts Mary to tell the other disciples about Him; and in Romans 16, when Phoebe — who was a deacon in a church near Corinth — was almost certainly asked by Paul to take his letter to different house churches in Rome, and would have almost certainly been the one to read his letter out to people (to both men and women). It’s a big topic, but I hope this helps a little. Thank you for your question!

  6. Thanks for this reminder this morning straight from the heart of God to mine. I woke discouraged with parenting teens (yup… I even was feeling as though God had the “wrong gal” for that job too!!), and with my job that I went to this morning in a long term care place where we are in full on outbreak mode again. I need to get quiet, get still and listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. Step 1 was this post. Thanks again. And blessings on your God-venture!!

  7. OMGosh Aliza! I cannot tell you how often I have read this lately. Heard this from others and seen it everywhere! Especially..
    “you’re exactly where you need to be” !!!
    I’m sooo in the waiting! I live where I never would have expected…a 1 bed apartment with a huge dog and 1 bathroom!! Both my husband and I have jobs that “came out of the blue” doing something neither of us has ever done!! And there just doesn’t seem to be a current open door to do or go or live, but where we are!?? As you reminded me today….
    “When you follow the Holy Spirit, He may take you on an adventure that you never expected, but He is a good God who will lead you on level ground. With the Holy Spirit equipping you, empowering you, leading you, and filling you afresh each day with more of Him” AMEN \0/
    Thank you Aliza

  8. I love your three statements, Aliza, that begin with “It’s up to me to . . . ” You’ve synthesized our responsibilities as disciples of Christ into manageable categories, providing good filters for the choices we have to make.

  9. Oh wow – this is exactly what Dallas Jenkins (creator, the Chosen TV series) keeps saying.. It is not up to you to feed the 5000. You just need to bring the loaves and fish

    Lord, we place our trust in You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen!

  10. Aliza,

    This is my go to statement “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” That is so true in my life. I was working part time in a hospital ICU Step down unit as clerical. Last September my co worker broke her arm & I filled in full -time. Come Mid November they had to shut the unit down do to staffing. They put me in an ICU Covid unit. Talk about being nervous. I learned to make IV lines with 4 extensions for the RNs & help out with whatever they needed. God saw fit to bless the pants off me & gave me a fulltime benefitted position in ICU. All I had to do was apply. Never in a million years would I have ever seen myself working in a hospital. Just goes to show you God knows best.

    Blessings 🙂