What if your greatest purpose isn't about becoming someone new, but fully embracing who you already are? Scott Lunden takes us on a profound journey from his farming roots through urban ministry to his current role as director of the Issachar Center for Urban Leadership, revealing how our deepest calling emerges when we stop comparing ourselves to others.
"I spent a lot of time feeling inadequate and feeling like my part wasn't enough," Scott confesses, articulating a struggle many of us share. Through rich storytelling and vulnerable reflection, he unpacks how moving between rural, suburban, and urban communities transformed his understanding of success and purpose. The breakthrough came when he realized that "enough is not an amount – it's a relationship with what you have right now."
Scott's metaphor of being "arrows flying at evil" reframes how we view our individual gifts. Rather than competing with others, we're designed to complement them, each addressing specific problems with our unique abilities. "I can just be what I am," he explains, "because that helps you. But then I can enjoy who you are, which actually frees me more to be me." This perspective shifts us from self-advancement to service, creating spaces where others thrive.
Through his Called to Govern program, Scott helps leaders recognize that their positions aren't just about personal achievement but because "God made you a leader because he loves other people." He challenges us to slow down, ask deeper questions, and create space for authentic connection. As he beautifully puts it: "An apple tree doesn't have to become an apple tree, it's an apple tree, but we have to allow ourselves to be who we are."
Ready to discover your unique purpose? Connect with Scott through the links in our show notes and join us in the journey from comparison to calling, from doing to being, and from striving to thriving.