The Honest Work of Becoming: Belief, God & Love

I'm not here to tell you what to believe or who to believe in.

I'm just here today to finish our mini series with this mini-thesis:

• you do believe in something
• and your answers to the questions 'Who is God?' and 'What do I believe about God?' do, in fact, influence everything else.

What we believe about God shapes the life we live—regardless of what or how we believe. It’s not our words or allegiances, but our truest beliefs that are played out in how we love, how we lead, and who we become. Not just individually, but collectively- what we believe about God and the relationship we have with this entity has always shaped the unfolding story of human history.

What We Believe About God Is Writing Our Story

“A man is what he believes, and what he desires.”   Fyodor Dostoevsky

We’re living at the end of an age.

Historically, these monumental transitions mark some of the wildest plot twists in humanity. This age is no exception. The predictions and prophecies from researchers, historians, religious institutions- from all walks of knowledge in commerce, world affairs, and spirituality- they all echo a similar mysterious scenario. They all predict a fine line between an almost certain apocalyptic reset or a new golden age.

What tips the scales one way or the other?

Like every great transition, the outcome will ultimately reflect what we believe about God.

Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor and hedge fund manager-turned researcher and author, set out to understand more about the movement of money through history and, through extensive research, came to learn about the patterns in the rise and fall of governments, world powers, and civilizations. He too notes the extra-important shifts happening at the end of cycles, the biggest of which is the end of an age. Out of all the reasons for uprisings, change, and revolutions, the biggest shifts in world affairs came down to two things every time: money and the current belief in God. Despite the many wielders of world power- economics, military, nation states, politicians, and kings- the power of belief, the belief of the people, is what ultimately shifts the tides of change.

We tell ourselves there’s little we can do about the state of the world. It’s tempting to think that kind of influence lies only with politicians, billionaires, or global thought leaders. But I know for certain that is not true. Every person alive at this time carries the sacred responsibility to play their note, to be who they are here to be, to cast their precious vote of belief. This not only shapes our individual destiny, but it is always what determines the direction of our collective future.

The ruling powers of this world know this as well. They understand that it's ultimately the unified resonance of individual belief that can be the determining factor at any fork in the road. That’s why they fight so hard to shape our attention, to control the narrative, and to access our inner world. There is a great fight over what we believe that will continue to grow louder.

Because what we believe—about God, about ourselves, and about others—is the most powerful force we carry.

What We Believe About God Shapes Who We Become

“It is not enough to understand what we must do; we must also become what we are.” 

Fyodor Dostoevsky

What we believe about God isn’t just an idea—it becomes a relationship. That relationship is what shapes the entire arc of who we become. It is the third, and perhaps most important, of the three relationships that determine the story we live out.

For an over-simplified example, consider this:

If we believe God is distant, we may stay hidden. If we believe God is harsh, we may live in fear. If we believe God is good, near, loving, and active—then we begin to live in a way that's entirely different than a God who doesn't exist at all. The story we believe about Who God Is has an inextricable effect on who we become- both individually and collectively.

Becoming who we truly are is not a selfish act, nor is it a small one. In the face of the overwhelming impulse to 'do something' with our lives or to 'do something' in response to the state of the world, there is the temptation to brush off the immediacy of what we can do- like examining our beliefs and taking the responsibility to become our true selves despite the great obstacles of our times. We mistake this work as too insignificant to make any difference. It's not. It's the magical, dirty work. The real deal cannot be cheaply bought or bypassed, and thus, it becomes our most precious contribution.

This Is Honest Work

Engaging our beliefs and relationship with God is a touchy subject. We get offended easily. Dostoevsky, in his famous novel 'The Brothers Karamazov' writes, "The man who lies to himself can be more easily offended than anyone else".

In our search to understand what we believe about God, we will need the ability to be honest with our most easily offended audience: ourselves. There is no 'changing' or 'upgrading' our beliefs; there is no 'becoming our true self' without first being able to sit with all the uncomfortable truths we carry.

This is honest work, and there is no changing ourselves or changing the world without it. To aid in the gentle exploration of our beliefs around God, here are some journal prompts to get the internal conversation started.

"Above all, don't lie to yourself." Fyodor Dostoevsky

Journal Prompts:

These questions are designed to bring up emotions and even conflict inside you; don't be afraid of it, try not to judge it. Just sit with it, observe, and allow yourself to be more honest than ever before.

• When I think of God, what do I feel in my body? Where does that feeling come from?
• What did I learn about God through relationships growing up? How have those experiences shaped what I believe now?
• If I had to summarize all my beliefs (not what I 'know' but what I 'believe') into one simple statement about God, what would it be? Notice any differences between your intellectual belief and your emotional belief.
• Do I feel like God is with me, watching me, distant from me—or something else? Why do I think that is?
• If I were to believe that God delights in me, how might that change the way I show up in the world?
• What beliefs about God do I want to question? What beliefs about God will I absolutely not question? Which ones no longer feel true—or never did?
• An honest path back to God is also the honest path back to yourself. Or, the path to your true self will also be the truest path back to God. What does this mean to you? Where do you agree or disagree? What do these statements bring up in you when you sit with them?
• What do I long to believe about God, even if I’m not sure I can yet?

From Belief to Becoming: How God, Love & Identity Are Connected

Ok, this is our full circle moment. We're closing out the series with this final thought:

What we believe about God shapes our whole story; it's the foundation of the three relationships that shape who we are and who we become.

This fundamental relationship defines how we love.
How we see love shapes how we see ourselves.
And how we see ourselves shapes every relationship we have with others.

I am sorry I can say nothing more to console you, for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly performed and in the sight of all. Men will even give their lives if only the ordeal does not last long but is soon over, with all looking on and applauding as though on stage. But active love is labor and fortitude". - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Love is not just a feeling. It’s the most difficult and most rewarding path.
It’s the work. The mission. The invitation. It's what heals us and is what's worth healing for. It’s what makes us capable of becoming who we truly are—and of helping the world become what it's meant to be, too.

This is the work of the Game Changer.
Not just to think differently, but to love differently- to be who we are and do what we're created to do at this time and with these circumstances, as an act of love.
Because that’s what changes everything.

“ Love is such a priceless treasure that you can redeem the whole world by it" ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Love all of God's creation, both the whole of it and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love animals, love plants, love each thing. If you love each thing, you will perceive the mystery of God in things. Once you have perceived it, you will begin tirelessly to perceive more and more of it every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world in an entire universal love.”

- Father Zossima from 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

🌿 Ready to Go Deeper With This Work?

If this stirred something in you, we’d love to witness your process. The Collective is where these conversations continue, in real time, with real people becoming more of who they truly are:

✨ The Collective – A soul-aligned community for new travelers on this path. Try the work, meet the others, and feel what it’s like to be witnessed in your becoming. Join here →

💍 The Union – A private group for couples ready to navigate their personal and relational evolution together. Deep work. Real conversation. Shared growth. Explore the Couples Intensive →

💼 The Circle – For founders, creatives, and visionaries ready to lead from alignment—not performance. This executive cohort is where power meets purpose. Apply here →

This is sacred work. You don’t have to do it alone.