Episode 19 – Melissa Sharp, The Joy-filled Runner

Jacob Paul: Welcome to the Truth in Love podcast with your host, Kimberly Faith. The Truth in Love podcast seeks to present God’s timeless truth through the lens of his remarkable love.

Kimberly Faith: Welcome back to the Truth in Love podcast, and I am delighted today to welcome my dear friend, Melissa Sharp, the joy filled runner. Welcome, Melissa.

Melissa Sharp: Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here. 

Kimberly Faith: Well, I’m excited to hear your story and for all all of our listeners to hear your story. First of all, you are, well, let me ask. How would you describe yourself to everybody? How would you introduce yourself?

Melissa Sharp: Oh my goodness. I would describe myself as a lot of people, just a ball of energy, and, someone who’s totally on fire for Christ and just, you know, just just filled with joy over over the goodness of God in my life. You know? Not that I haven’t had trials, but even, you know, James, consider it pure joy when you encounter trials of various kinds because you know that the that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And I have had so many trials, and I’ve seen what they’ve done that I can’t help but wake up and just just be joyful every day because I know God’s gonna do something great.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. And and I I was giggling to myself as you were saying that because

Melissa Sharp: I said, okay. You’re an ultra runner, which means what? Which means that I run distances over this standard 26.2 mile marathon.

Kimberly Faith: So I’m thinking about trials. It’s not like you just have you been through a lot of trials, but you kind of enter into trials. I can’t imagine running over 26 miles. What what tell tell our listeners a little bit about what that looks like from the standpoint of just people like me who could barely run

Melissa Sharp: 2 miles. So so so typically in your ultras, you have the 50 k, the 50 mile, and the 100 mile. And, of course, there’s 200 and stuff out there, but typically Have you done all 3 of those? I’ve done I’ve done I’m I’m training for my 10th 100 miler, and then I’ve done oh my goodness. I I I can’t even count the 50 milers and and and the 50 k’s I’ve done.

But, the 100 mile is definitely it’s a, it’s it’s a beast to, just to say the least. And the reason that I got into it quite honestly is because, you know, I’ve been running so many marathons, and I was running with a ministry and we were we that we would travel to different places around the United States and we would be at the expos. It’s kinda like so an expo would be like to a fisherman, it’d be like the, the gun and knife show or hunter be your gun and knife show. Runners would pick up their bibs, their race bibs, and they would go through like this little line where they would have things to purchase like socks and stickers. Like the

Kimberly Faith: army 10 miler. Yeah.

Melissa Sharp: Yeah. And and so we would be there and and be able to, to to witness there, to be where people are, to bring the message to the gospel. I mean, bring bring bring the gospel to the race course. And so typically, I would, ask wherever I went if we could do the pre race devotionals. We’d set up a time where the runners could come and did this for several years.

And I just, I just felt the Lord calling me saying, Melissa, you know, you’ve done a lot of these now. And, you know, if if you’re gonna fulfill the great commission, I have bigger things for you. Wow. Because if you’re gonna go to all the ends of the earth, I I have made you able to run. And you’ve had enough trials under your belt now that you’re gonna enjoy this pain.

Kimberly Faith: When you say that, of course, I’m really glad God didn’t call

Melissa Sharp: me or call a 100 miles. I can say that.

Kimberly Faith: I can say, no, God. You’ve had to carry me. But I I think about the quote from Eric Liddell. You know? Yes.

Yes. And when he said when he runs, he feels that that he’s I I’m not paraphrasing it. The glory of God or having, like, a glorifying God. Yes. It sounds like you have a very similar experience.

Absolutely. It it

Melissa Sharp: it is. It’s it’s hard to, it’s hard to explain, but, you know, I you know, there’s a lot of, Paul alludes to running the race a lot in in scripture. And there’s certain things that you get out of running once you reach that certain the point of of where you’re not feeling the pain anymore. And that’s where a lot of people stop because, you know, I’m also a certified running coach, and I’m a certified certified wellness coach. So when I teach people, I have to tell them, listen.

You’re going to have pain, but there comes a time when that pain is gone, and then you add some more distance. And then you add more and more and more. And and that’s the

Kimberly Faith: thing that analogy for the Christian life.

Melissa Sharp: For the Christian life. You you don’t like if I’m gonna train people for a 5 k. Right? I’m not they’re not gonna run a 5 k overnight. They’re gonna they’re they’re they’re gonna start off, and I start off at different segments.

I write my own programs. But say they start off by by doing a run walk of 15 minutes. Mhmm. The next week, we increase it. The next week, we increase it.

So their body body is gradually getting adapted. But at each one of these adaptations, there comes a little bit more pain. Right. But once they adapt to that pain, we add more pain and more pain. And, eventually, when you get especially when you get into the longer distances, and I know this is hard to explain, but your body, like like Paul would probably allude to, is that when you focus on Christ and you know that you’re doing it for an ultimate finish line, that it’s not just for a buckle, it’s for his glory Right.

So that you can lay those buckles at his feet, You’re able to take the pain, and you can make it your body feel that it’s pleasure. Yeah. Like, the lines are Mhmm. Are so Plurred. Intricately.

Yeah. Like, the pain feels good.

Kimberly Faith: Well, you know, I’m so glad you brought that up because I just wrote a, series devotional series on, the the blessings of affliction basically. Absolutely. And, you know, if you think about the greatest stories on earth are always are not the stories where your life is happily happily ever after all the time. It’s the stories where you’ve struggled. It’s the stories where you’ve experienced pain.

It’s the stories where you have gone through some stuff. Yes. And we know that in our spiritual life, Satan prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking who may may devour.

Melissa Sharp: Mhmm.

Kimberly Faith: And, you know, we’re told to put on the whole armor of God. That’s right. And so when we’re constantly doing that, we’re preparing for the trouble. You know, trouble, earlier today, I was just talking to a friend of mine who’s getting ready to have some pretty, significant surgery. May have cancer a lot worse.

She’s not sure. And, so I was praying with her, and I said, look. I said, you know, here is your opportunity. You’re gonna go to that hospital. You’re gonna give people the gospel tracts, and you’re gonna be this light.

Like, the only light in the in the dark cave. Yes. Because you have, if anybody, you have the right to not be light from the standpoint of you’re suffering. Mhmm. But here, you are the one suffering, and you’re gonna be the light to those who aren’t suffering.

Mhmm. What a great light that is.

Melissa Sharp: Absolutely. Isn’t that

Kimberly Faith: what you’re gonna talk about?

Melissa Sharp: Yes. Yes. And and and, you know, if you think about I I love that you said that because, you know, I’ve had my my top of the mountain experience because, you know, I’ve been blessed before I delved into ultra running. I’ve been to Boston three times. I’ve, you know, I’ve I’ve The Boston marathon.

Yeah. The Boston marathon, which for those listeners out there, it’s, you know, you have to qualify for Boston. So you have to run run a marathon in a certain amount of time depending on your gender and your age. Right? So to get to Boston, only less than 10% of runners will ever run Boston.

So, therefore, it gives you a better platform because people are looking at you and they expect you as, quote, unquote, an elite runner that you’re gonna be have some some part of maybe some narcissism or some, you know, like, I did this myself. Right. So when God gives you that and you turn it around and you say to God be the glory over and over again. Credibility. Yes.

Kimberly Faith: You have credibility with a whole group of people Yes. That I couldn’t have credibility with.

Melissa Sharp: Mhmm. Yes.

Kimberly Faith: And and and that’s I I’m so glad you said that because that kind of takes us in the direction I want this podcast to go in any podcast, really. And it’s how we bring Jesus to the street. It’s how we bring him to our profession. That’s right. And and so, what you were saying about having basically, you have this credibility where it could be narcissism.

But instead, you have you’re living out the the first of the attitudes of Christ, which is being poor in spirit.

Melissa Sharp: That’s right. And you’re giving the glory back to God. That’s right. That’s right. So I’ve I I will share this with you.

My first two Bostons, they went off without a hitch. Right? And on my 3rd Boston marathon, I I got injured 6 6 weeks before, and I I came down with peroneal tendonitis. So if you know anything about tendonitis, it takes 6 weeks to heal. However, you lose all endurance in 3 weeks.

So here’s your quandary. Right? Already had my ticket, already qualified, already paid my entry fees, so I’ve got a $1,000 invested already. Right? By God’s grace, a nonbeliever told told me about aqua running.

I was in the pool for 2 3 hours almost every single day to mimic my training for Boston because one of my friends who was also a marathoner, she said, Melissa, you could do this training. It is gonna hurt. So you have to ask yourself, are you willing to endure the pain? Because you’re gonna come out with lots of of perseverance and endurance. However, you will have done no pounding for 6 weeks.

So your muscles are gonna are gonna cramp up. You’re gonna she she said before you embark on this, ask yourself, are you willing to go through the pain? Mhmm. And I said, yes. I am.

So 2 and 3 hour sessions, sometimes 4, because I had to throw in, the the the 20 miler. So I had to kinda estimate. So I have an Aqua Jogger belt doing all this in the pool. So, mentally, I’m looking at the cement wall for 3 and 4 hours at a time and just praying and praying and having Christian music on. And that’s what got me mentally ready just to delve into ultra running because God eventually put me into that.

But God also now my aqua running, I’ve been teaching it almost 10 years, and it is it’s a ministry in itself.

Kimberly Faith: I think I need to go do that.

Melissa Sharp: Oh, well, but I got to Boston, and I qualified with a 338. That means I qualified, I I I ran the marathon in 3 hours and 38 minutes. I finished in 5 hours and 42 minutes, and it took every ounce of my energy to finish. Right? But this is where it gets good because we’re talking about the lady in the hospital about being that light.

Right? And so, you know, Paul alluded to before Jesus got ahold of him that he was kicking against the goat Mhmm. That he was rejecting Jesus and all that. But when we give our lives to God, every part of it, even we look at we look at the trials and things that I went through. Rather than I question it first, I’m like, lord, I don’t understand this.

I’m in a running ministry. I lead a running ministry. Why am I injured? And I and I realized because once I crossed the finish line and I was able to share my story, I had so many people tell me, you know, Melissa, you made me think more about Christ by the way you handled, you know, this this adversity because and like I said, it’s easy to praise Christ when you’re on the podium. When you’re on the podium and things are going good, oh, glory to God.

But when they’re not going good, are you still gonna praise him? And that’s when people are really, really, really watching him. That’s when they really wanna know, are you really a believer?

Kimberly Faith: Well, you know, what you said about, about how you respond in the trouble, I I think that we have to if we’re discipling people, we have to that one of the big keys in discipleship is to say the battle will come, the pain will

Melissa Sharp: come.

Kimberly Faith: Absolutely. You have to be ready because, you know, I I a lot of people in my office and they’ve got big trouble, big problems, you know, and and they’re like, you know, where’s God? And I’m thinking, wait a minute. Hold it. Time out.

You’re gonna have trouble whether you’re following God or not following God.

Melissa Sharp: That’s right.

Kimberly Faith: Wouldn’t you rather do it with him?

Melissa Sharp: Mhmm.

Kimberly Faith: And they’re like, well, you know, I I can’t see him. I can’t and that’s when you start teaching them who he is. Mhmm. Because when we understand who God is, we understand he’s faithful. Because he can’t be God and not be faithful.

Melissa Sharp: That’s right.

Kimberly Faith: I mean, that’s his nature. That’s exactly right. And and so what you’re expressing is his faithfulness in action for you Yes. To give glory back to him. Yes.

That’s so beautiful, Melissa. It is

Melissa Sharp: so beautiful. Well and and I think, Kim, I was reading in, Psalm 13 the other day. And, you know, we we look at at King David as just this this man of God. Right? But we know from the Psalms that David probably suffered from depression.

You know, David went through a lot. In in Psalm 13, 4 different times, he asked the lord, how long? How long? Lord, are you listening to me? Lord, do you know what I’m going through?

Do you know that my days are filled with sorrow? Right? And I think so many believers are out there and they’re saying the same thing. And that’s this. That’s the deal with an ultra marathon.

You know, when I first started getting into marathons, we didn’t have these GPS watches. Right? I had to wait for the mile markers, and you had to kinda if you wanted to qualify for Boston, you had to do it on your little time next, and you had to do the math in your head. Right? And sometimes I would go to races, and they wouldn’t have the mile markers.

Right? So without the GPS and the mile markers, I’d be, Lord, how long is this gonna last? Right. What mile am I at? And it was harder.

But when you know that there’s a finish line, when you know that God is faithful Mhmm. And that he’s gonna pull you out of that fire in due time Right. Then you can go through any trial. Because even if you feel that God isn’t there and you say how long, that you know that there is an end to it because God is always faithful. And at the proper time, Romans 828 tells us that God works all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

And those good things, for those listeners out there, we need to remember this is together. It’s the good, the bad, the ugly, the downright ugly, and those things that you wish would stay in the closet, those things that make you wanna vomit, things you may have done, things you may have said, things you may have seen that you’re so shameful over. But God takes them, and he makes them into beautiful things. I always use the analogy, Kim, of a of an apple pie. Right?

Mhmm. So here we are together. The good things we have are our flour, our lemon, our salt, our sugar, our apples. The flour is those bad times that they’re awful. The salt disgusting by itself.

Right? Right. And then the sugar. The sugar’s when we’re raising our kids, when we’re young, when our marriages are good, when we’re winning races, but those don’t last. Once again, God takes all the things, puts it together, and in due time, comes out with this piping hot beautiful apple pie that’s the aroma is pleasing to eyes and Right.

That’s God. He’s so faithful at the right time.

Kimberly Faith: He is, and he you know, one of the the things I was I was relating to this this friend of mine is, look, you know, you have a a small window of time That’s right. To to glorify God. And and he time means something to him. Mhmm. You know, he he’s already on the other side of your your surgery.

He’s already there. That’s right. And if you know that he is faithful, then you can 100% trust him with all joy. That’s right. And it’s it’s unbelievable, but we, you know, we you’ve spent a lot of time getting to know who God is.

Yes. And so when you face the opposition, you face the trials, you’re facing it from more of God’s perspective than than just the world’s perspective. Just what the world culture tells us is I can’t do this. But God says I can’t you can do all things

Melissa Sharp: for me. Yes. That’s right.

Kimberly Faith: And it’s and it’s all about taking the burden off of ourselves and putting it on God. But if we don’t know God, we don’t trust him That’s right. Then we won’t put a burden on him because he’s not real to us. And I think there’s many Christians as non Christians who live like atheists. Yes.

Because and I’ve been there where I go through my life, shouldering all my own burdens as if God doesn’t exist. And I’m struggling and straggling and, you know, and just trying to keep above water. And I mean, God, I just see him. He’s on what dude, what

Melissa Sharp: are you doing? Yeah. Why are you doing this?

Kimberly Faith: Why? Do you not believe that I’m I’m I exist, that I’m faithful, that I’m true, that I will give you comfort, that I will give you strength. And it’s like, wow. You know, I am living like an atheist.

Melissa Sharp: You know, I love that you say that because, you know, when Paul Paul was talking about how when when on the road to Damascus when Jesus got a hold of him. Right? Right. That, he said that that that the Lord said to him, Paul, it is hard to kick against the goat. Mhmm.

And we look at that. And what Paul a goad for those people out there, it was a farm implement and it had a sharp, tip on it.

Kimberly Faith: King James version goes with a prick. A prick.

Melissa Sharp: And the style master would be behind the oxen and he would he would gently prop

Kimberly Faith: up Poke them in the butt.

Melissa Sharp: Go. Pop pop poke them in the butt to go straight. But he many many times you’d have an an oxen that was very very stubborn like Paul was. And they would have to be just bloodied up just to go. But but here we have Jesus on the road.

And rather than saying to Paul, rather than saying, Paul, you’ve been such a fool. What is wrong with you? Stop. Right. He asked compassion.

He said, Paul, it is hard to kick against the goal. And it’s like he says that to us, and that’s why he says, you know, bring your burdens to me. Lay them at my feet. You know, why are you carrying this, child?

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Melissa Sharp: I am your god. Do you not know that I I own the cattle on a 1000 hills. I have shoulders barely you can ever think of.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Melissa Sharp: Give your worries to me. Let me take care of it. It’s like, you

Kimberly Faith: know, when your kids were 2 trying to carry that 15 pound bag of flour in or something. Yes. And it’s like, just give that to me. Yeah.

Melissa Sharp: Just I got this. Ask. Mhmm.

Kimberly Faith: You know, and some big struggle bus you’re riding right now. Well, it reminds me of what you’re saying kinda reminds me too of, you know, we’re talking about living our life in every aspect for God’s glory. And I just wanna read I know this is one of your favorite verses and it’s one of mine, but it says in first Corinthians 1031 to 33, therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. And, you know, he it’s like how do we live every aspect of our life instead of instead of compartmentalizing Jesus? Okay.

We’re gonna we’re gonna act like Christians when we’re at church. Right? But I think what I see now we’ve been friends for a while, and I we’re and I what I see in your life is not just your running, but you really have taken Jesus to every aspect and your relationship with him to every aspect of your life. And what impresses me the most, and I’d like for you to talk about this a little bit, is that it’s not you’re not just, banging people over the head with God’s word. That’s not your approach.

But what I see, is that you have the fruit of the spirit pouring out of your life in your job. It pours out of your life in your running. It pours out of your life in your mothering. It pours out of your life in the way you you serve in your church. And the fruit of the spirit gives you the credibility to give the truth.

Yeah. You know? Love, joy, and peace, we just start with those first three. Right? And, I’d like for you to talk about how you have done that in these different venues because I know you have a job.

Mhmm. And I’d like for you to talk about that, and then you have children, and you have a church ministry. Yes. And maybe there’s stuff I haven’t even thought about. Yeah.

So would you talk about that briefly?

Melissa Sharp: Yeah. So, I I I do. I I definitely have a lot of lot of irons in the fire because I do a online daily devotional for athletes Monday through Friday. Then we do runner’s church, which is we we go we go to different races and we do, we do devotionals before. We do we we pass out shirts and, of course, the missions field is everywhere we go Right.

Whether I’m on the race course or I’m or whatever I’m doing. And I just have to remember at the end of the day, my philosophy is, first of all, Matthew 633. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added. So first and foremost, like Paul said, you know, physical training has some value, but godliness has training for training both now and for and for eternally for eternally. Right.

And so I have to remember when I wake up, I remind myself first and foremost, I I am a servant of the most high God, and it’s up to him to direct my steps. You know, Proverbs 16:9 tells us that in a man’s heart, he plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps. And so I asked the Lord each and every day, I put in the work. I get into the word. I read out the old testament I like that.

You put

Kimberly Faith: God to work. No.

Melissa Sharp: I put in the work. Oh, I thought you said

Kimberly Faith: you put work. Well, I like the thought that that you’re putting God to work because that’s one of my prayers

Melissa Sharp: right now. Well, I guess that is. That is doing it all.

Kimberly Faith: My prayers right now is, god, I’m gonna do what you’ve told me to now. Get to work because you need and and make sure I’m paying attention. Yeah. Sorry. I just have to

Melissa Sharp: move my steps. That is true. Because when we get to work, then he gets to work through us.

Kimberly Faith: Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. And we don’t and to take it away from him puts him on the sidelines. That’s right.

You know, we’re just talking about go ahead.

Melissa Sharp: Sorry. Because we want at the end of the day, we want people to see Jesus in us.

Kimberly Faith: That’s right.

Melissa Sharp: We want them to see Jesus and not us. Right. And I think that when we have that philosophy like you and I have talked about many, many different times, we are a servant of the most high God, and that is everywhere. We’re also an evangelist. We are called to fill a great commission, go and make disciples of all nations, and that means wherever we go, we are an evangelist.

You know, my my daughter Hope used to laugh because we will go into Walmart wherever we go. And she’d always say, oh my goodness. When my mom starts talking about running, I pull up a chair. And if she starts talking about Jesus, I am going to the sporting goods and I’m getting a tent because I’m just gonna camp out because I know she’s gonna be in there for a while. But everywhere we go, we have to look at those as occasions, of ministry Ministry of church.

And to evangelize or to be the hands and feet of Jesus because I’ve

Kimberly Faith: gone just a private sim.

Melissa Sharp: Or just a private sim. Zani, that you say that because bring it back to my daughter. We have because when she was growing up, I tried to explain the gospel to her in easier ways to understand. We have what we call Sprite moments. And one time, she was homesick.

I was a stay at home mom doing full time ministry. And, she said, oh gosh. I just don’t feel good. Can we go get some Sprite? I have so, honey, we have Sprite here.

She goes, no. I want it really cold, you know, in that little bottle. So I’m like, okay. Get in the car. I’m like, why aren’t we going to the gas station?

So we get there and we get there and there’s this gentleman and he is struggling to get out of the car. And I could see that he was in a lot of pain. And right about that time, his wife comes out and she goes, are you okay? And he’s like, oh my back. And I said, oh my gosh.

So I had Sprite in hand. I’m coming out of the stories. I was like, are you okay, sir? And she’s like, he’s just really in a lot of pain. He just had back surgery, and we’re going down these roads.

And anyway, I said, gosh. Can I pray with you guys? Can I pray over you guys? Mhmm. And so here’s Hope.

She’s a little girl sitting in the car, and I prayed over them. And she said, thank you so much. Oh, thank you. Thank you. You know?

So I get back in the car and I said, well, and now I see why we had to go to the gas station. And she goes, why? And I explained it that that the Lord will set up these divine meetings. Right. And once you once you look for God’s hand and in in everything, you’ll see God’s hand in everything.

So No. Once you start just gotta be open.

Kimberly Faith: Once you start viewing the world through his perspective Yes. You know, through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, then you see people for who he sees them. And most of the time, that is the person who needs him. That’s right. You know?

And then you’re starting, like suddenly the person who is holding up the line because they can’t walk very well because they’re maybe in pain, you look at them as an inconvenience for your schedule. It’s like, oh, can I pray over you? Yeah. Right? And then you you just never know.

You never know. So you never know

Melissa Sharp: what people planted. And you never know what people are going through. Right. And that’s the deal with a servant. A servant never goes off the clock.

Yeah. You know, you may go to your job for a grandfather, but we just like being a mother, you’re always on the clock, and so you always have to be ready for the mission that God’s you always have to be ready. And the only way you are going to be ready because I hear so many Christians say, I wish the Lord would use me the way he’s using you. Then you get into your word every day and you seek God and you tell him just like Paul said, use me. Well, and it’s a lot of times, you

Kimberly Faith: know, you’d mentioned this earlier about, just being people who accomplish certain things as runners maybe, tending to be more narcissistic about running or that Prideful. Reason to be more prideful. That maybe it’s narcissistic. Narcissistic is wrong word. Yeah.

Prideful. Prideful. But if you think about, you know, what you were describing Paul kicking against the prince, well, pride makes God resist us.

Melissa Sharp: That’s right.

Kimberly Faith: So when we are humble because we realize that everything that we have comes from God.

Melissa Sharp: Everything. Even the breath.

Kimberly Faith: Even the fact that we’re sitting

Melissa Sharp: here in

Kimberly Faith: this room doing a a podcast.

Melissa Sharp: All of our abilities. These little legs could get nowhere without the Lord.

Kimberly Faith: Exactly. And this little pea brain could get nowhere practicing lawfulness. Without the Lord

Melissa Sharp: is just not possible.

Kimberly Faith: It’s not possible, but that mentality, that attitude of Christ, which is what Jesus taught us maybe attitudes, is so pivotal because then we’re open to all these opportunities that we would not have ever seen. It’s like we have our night vision goggles on. That’s right. Oh, that’s an opportunity. You know?

Mhmm. That’s not a person who’s just, peddling along in Walmart grocery line. That’s a person who’s in pain. That’s right. And I can I can give them a it’s funny you say this?

I was getting gas, about a month ago, and and there was a man who was bent over his his truck in the other gas, line, and I think I told the story before, but I’m gonna tell you. And the lord just said, you need to go over and see if he’s okay. You know? And I went over and just see if he’s okay. And he was he was like, oh, yeah.

Thank you. And he was just so touched that that somebody even came to us, you know. And I I gave him one of my tracks, and I said, well, I I just wanna give you my story about how Jesus saved me, and and I’m glad that you’re okay. And so I went back and said, well, you have a nice day. And I went back over, and I kid you not.

The man came over and said, can I just give you a hug? Mhmm. And I and I think, why aren’t we grasping those opportunities everywhere we are? Because we’re we’re talking about, you know, Jesus going everywhere we go. Right?

That’s right. And and so you’re describing that at this man that you prayed over. Right? So so what what about your job? What about how do you bring Jesus to

Melissa Sharp: your job? Oh my gosh, Scott. First of all, I I had to say and I say this all the time, I have the best job in the world. I love the job because we always joke that my calling we don’t know who my calling in my career, and they’re they’re they’re so divinely intertwined. What do

Kimberly Faith: you do?

Melissa Sharp: I am the I’m the wellness coordinator at our local health department, and I love it because that that position evolved. That’s that’s a whole story for a whole another podcast. But I truly like Esther because this was a position I I I will I will go to my grave saying that the Lord designed for me, that he set up for me. I truly believe that. And so there’s so many different things.

I get to go into schools, and I get to teach programs to the kids to help them run. And so while I’m there, I just plant seeds. You know, we look at the book of Esther or was this talking about Esther, and it’s, that and Song of Solomon are the only books where where God’s name is not specifically mentioned. However, God’s at work throughout the whole book. Right.

So for those people out there that say, well, you may be able to say the name of Jesus at your job, but I can’t. That’s okay because you don’t need to because you could still be the hands and feet of Jesus throughout what you do. And the fruit of the spirit Yeah. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control.

Kimberly Faith: And and who and who can argue against that? No. Nobody. Right? No.

You can say, oh, don’t love me anymore. I don’t want your joy.

Melissa Sharp: Oh, I have I have had people do that to me. Like, back off. Like, you are just you’re over the top. I can’t take it. Can’t take it.

Can’t take it.

Kimberly Faith: Oh my gosh.

Melissa Sharp: But it’s it’s these opportunities. And when and when we look at our job, knowing that it’s the platform that that that God has given us Right. Wherever you are, you you’re there at the right time. You know, Esther 414, like Mordecai told Esther, he said, how do you know that you’ve not come to this position for such a time as this? And we have to look at our jobs as missions field.

So I get to go into schools. I teach programs. I teach couch to 5 k programs, and I’ll get people come in. It’s as simple as this because especially women, they have this concept. They have they may have been abused.

They may have been talked down to. And so they’re thinking their thought is, if I can just lose £20, I’m gonna just solve all my problems, and things are just gonna be fantastic. Right? So like Paul, we meet them where the meet them where they’re at. Right?

We go through these couch to 5 k programs, and, I just clearly let them know I’m a believer, and I don’t I I I saw it very, very lightly. But then I asked the Lord to prepare their hearts. I asked them to soften their hearts. And if it’s later on something that someone wants to have a conversation with me, which I have had, I finished it up, then they’ll say, I’ve had people come back and say, Melissa, thank you for that. You know?

And can I can can can you tell me a little bit more? What other ways can I get healthy in my life? And I’ll say, listen. Exercise is like putting a band aid on a jugular blade. You gotta fix the core problem.

And at the end of the day, Jesus is the only one that can fix everything that’s going on inside of us.

Kimberly Faith: That’s so good.

Melissa Sharp: And so I look for those opportunities. Now I I may only get one every couple classes, and that’s okay too because That’s one that’s

Kimberly Faith: one thing. See some day eternity. Right?

Melissa Sharp: It’s it’s none of the work is in vain. Yeah. And besides that, if I plant certain seeds in there and I’m the 5th one, you know, they say, what does it take 15 times for someone they say to hear about Jesus? I think there’s been a statistic Yeah. And there’s a song.

So what if I’m somewhere in this chain? What if I’m number 7? What if I’m number 12? But the point is we’re all called no matter where we are, we are called to be evangelists. We are called to, to fulfill to do our part in fulfilling the right commission to go and make disciples of all nations, and that starts with What what you getting the hands and feet of Jesus.

Kimberly Faith: You’re describing is discipleship. You’re teaching people an aspect of you’re discipling people in the the health industry. Right? Mhmm. And that is a platform for a spiritual discipleship ministry.

Yes. And because, you know, it’s just like the legal field of in or when I teach beyond, the people that I disciple don’t have a profession of faith. But they come in there and they and they’re like, I want what you have. Yes. And I said, what is that?

And they said, well, it’s peace or it’s joy. Mhmm. Or mostly it’s peace. Peace. Because anxiety is the opposite of peace, I think.

Mhmm. You know? And this is the most anxiety ridden culture we’ve I’ve ever seen.

Melissa Sharp: Oh my goodness.

Kimberly Faith: Yes. And when people see peace that is despite the circumstances Yes. You know, they’re like, where do you get that from? Yes. And and I’m like, well, it’s not a magic cure, but it’s called Jesus.

That’s right. And he will transform you, but it is a process because you spent 40 years thinking the way that the enemy wants you to think. And it’s not it’s kinda like, you know, from the couch to the 5 k. Mhmm. That doesn’t happen in a day.

No. That happens in a as a process. That’s right. And spiritual growth is a process. That’s right.

So what you’re doing in your job is laying the foundation with the fruit of the spirit to also carry the truth.

Melissa Sharp: That’s yes.

Kimberly Faith: You know? And that’s that’s I think that’s such an important message for so many people to grasp that no matter what you do, you know, if you work in a in a government facility, you’re you don’t have to leave your fruit of your

Melissa Sharp: spirit behind. And it should be so so in so so in you. You know you know the

Kimberly Faith: So evidence.

Melissa Sharp: So so evident. You know, Jesus says if you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit apart from me. You can do nothing. Right. And that abiding doesn’t end when you shut your door.

Kimberly Faith: That’s right.

Melissa Sharp: You abide in Jesus 247, and we are his servants 247. And it’s Kim, I don’t know about you, but being a servant of Jesus is exciting. Yes. It is. It is so because you never know you think you’re gonna go into Walmart.

Right? And you’re just gonna go grab some milk. You may come out 3 hours later having witnessed baptized with someone in the bathroom. I you never know what’s gonna happen.

Kimberly Faith: Well, you know, it’s and it doesn’t matter really either where, you know, people say, well, I work from home. You know what? When I’m talking to a a cool a a computer person in in Ohio, I’m gonna say, hey. How was your day? How are you doing?

You know? And you know what? Because I have a website, if they they really wanna know who I am because of the joy that’s coming through the telephone line, they can look it up.

Melissa Sharp: And people can tell when you’re smiling on their phone. That’s right. I know Karen Bass says that. They they can tell. Well, I used to put

Kimberly Faith: a mirror in front of one of my staff person’s phone because she didn’t realize how she sounded on the phone. I said I want you to smile at your sound in the mirror

Melissa Sharp: every time you answer the phone.

Kimberly Faith: And it changed. She says oh, I can see what you’re saying. Yeah. It’s true.

Melissa Sharp: It’s absolutely true.

Kimberly Faith: What about, so you know, you’re you’re you kinda talked about your job and and you’re you’re run you’re running. What just to kinda wrap things up, what would you say I guess you’re you’re you’re also a mom. Yes. How many children do you have? 2.

Okay. And so do you do you do you feel like your, your relationship with Christ and the the things you’re describing, the fruit of the spirit, has had a impact on your children.

Melissa Sharp: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. They they they know that, that that Jesus has always come on first. And, you know, I just pray I pray for my children each and every day.

I love them, and they are so special. You know, and I have, they’re both just beyond, oh, gosh. I’ve just been so blessed to be a mom. Being a mom has been one one of my biggest joys. I love it.

Kimberly Faith: Didn’t being a mom make you understand better what your heavenly father is like? Oh, absolutely. I mean, you think about all this you put up with as a mom. Yes. And then you think, god, I I don’t even put up with a fraction of what you put up for me.

Melissa Sharp: Yes. Yes. And and and and by all for all intents and purposes, you know, our heavenly father, you know, had every right to smite us. I mean, the the bible is very clear. The wages of sin is death and but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.

And he gives us this gift of eternal life and yet we fail him over and over. Even on my best day, I fail over and over and over. It makes you grateful

Kimberly Faith: for first John where it says, if if we confess our sins, he

Melissa Sharp: will be grateful for Yes. To forgive us. Our sins. You know, I when my first 50 miler this is so funny. This has been more than a decade ago.

I remember being out there, and, I was a very fast runner at that time. You know, I’ve gotten slower as I’ve gotten older. But, and I remember just I mean, I was just spot on just, you know, just pedal to the metal. And something happened at my old 33, and the wheels just fell off. And it was a very hot day, and people had abandoned their aid stations.

And I was wanting water and food. Anyway, long story short, I was out there. And I remember saying to the lord, okay. That’s it. I have not sinned in about 30 seconds.

Just take me now. Take me right now. But it’s like but I meant it because I’m like, lord, if you don’t take me now, the next 30 seconds, I I can’t say that I won’t sin because my thoughts are just not you know what I’m saying? Yeah. They’re not happy thoughts.

I’m not feeling like crazy. Take me. Take me.

Kimberly Faith: You know, God, I think sometimes in my prayer life, I just giggle when I talk to God. Just, you know, I’m not there on my back deck just, why are you letting this happen right now? You know, what is going on? Where are you? And I just I’m I’m just like, SMH.

God is just, like, up there just shaking his head. Like, well, you know, you’re gonna catch up with me one of these days, you know. But I think it’s so it’s kinda like our 2 year old. You just you’re like, oh, look at that little fit that that that little 2 year old’s throwing because she can’t have something that’s the electrical cord that’s gonna shock her.

Melissa Sharp: Right? Well,

Kimberly Faith: Melissa, I wanna wrap up and I wanna ask you, what is the one thing that when you’re gone someday, like, we’re all gonna be gone, right, that you wanna want people to remember you by?

Melissa Sharp: Oh, I want people to remember me that I love the Lord with all of my heart and that my main ambition is life my main ambition in my life was to know him and to make his great name known. And I wanna be known as someone who, no matter what, never backed down, never compromised, and was always willing to share the gospel with somebody. That’s what I wanna be known, and I don’t care if I die without a penny to my name. Because as Paul said, you know, I know what it’s like to have a little, and I know what it’s like to have a lot, but I know the secret of contentment. And that’s I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and I want people when I die, to have said that woman lived on fire for Jesus Christ.

She loved him so much. And I also I I always tell people I want to be so worn out when I get into heaven because I prayed the prayer over and over, use me, use me, use me, that I get into heaven, I Tokyo drift in, and I said, thank you. I am tired.

Kimberly Faith: Tokyo drift. See, I describe it a little differently. I play softball and volleyball. I wanna slide in, like, dirt covered in dirt,

Melissa Sharp: blood, and everything else. Perfect. I’ve never used you. My last breath is so tired.

Kimberly Faith: So well, I appreciate you, joining, this podcast. And, you know, I when I think of your life, I think that you’re accomplishing the goal, the the the thing that you want people to remember you by. I think you’re 100% accomplishing that, and I’m so blessed to be your friend and and to know you. And and when I think about you, I think about Colossians 3/23. It says, and whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.

Amen. That’s a verse that in my mind represents your life. And, so thank you again. Thank you. You’ve been listening to the Truth in Love podcast and, with our guest today, Melissa Sharp.

And I’m so glad that you joined us, and I pray that your life is blessed.

Jacob Paul: You’ve been listening to the Truth in Love podcast with your host, Kimberly Faith. To discover more answers to the big questions in life, visit us atgofaithstrong.com.