REV. MATT HOGG ON HOW TO STEP INTO WHO GOD IS MAKING YOU

Life often feels like a constant balancing act between what we want, what we can do, and what God is shaping us to become. Many of us chase achievements, titles, or milestones, only to feel a lingering emptiness that tells us there’s more to our story. Reverend Matt Hogg, an ordained minister in the Church of England, offers a refreshing perspective on this journey: understanding and stepping into the person God is shaping you to be.

Matt’s journey is remarkable. After more than a decade planting and leading a church in London, he transitioned to CPAS, the Church Pastoral Aid Society, an Anglican mission agency focused on leadership development and pastoral support. “I am an ordained minister in the Church of England and planted and led a church in London for about 11 years. Then I moved on to work for an Anglican mission agency for CPAS,” he shares. At CPAS, Matt works with dioceses and clergy across the UK to cultivate leadership, team building, and resilience, skills he believes are essential not just in ministry, but in life.

Understanding Your Calling

A key message from Matt is that stepping into who God is making you begins with clarity about your primary calling. “Our primary calling isn’t a job or a title it’s following Christ. We’re called to delight in the Lord and to join what God is already doing,” he explains. Understanding this helps us navigate life’s transitions without fear, knowing that each season is part of a greater plan.

Stepping into your calling also requires patience. God’s shaping isn’t instantaneous. Matt reflects on his own leadership journey: “That season taught me about prayer, boundaries, family, calling… how to balance what God’s asking you to do with what your personal life needs. Leadership is as much about internal growth as it is about external success.”

Lessons from Leadership

From planting a church to leading the Stronger Network, Matt emphasises that the path to purpose is shaped by lessons in discipline, resilience, and relational growth.

1. Prayer and Spiritual Grounding: Remaining spiritually anchored provides clarity and strength when making challenging decisions.
2. Boundaries and Family: Protecting personal life and relationships ensures sustainable growth in any calling.
3. Learning Through Seasons: Life transitions are not disruptions—they are opportunities to align more closely with God’s purpose.

As he notes, “Transitions become moments of growth rather than disruption if we align with God’s work in our lives.”

The Stronger Network: Connecting Purpose and Action

Matt’s passion for helping others step into their calling led him to create the Stronger Network. Initially designed for young professionals, it has grown into a movement that empowers individuals to identify their gifts and apply them to their communities and workplaces.

“The Stronger Network is about helping people step into their God-given purpose. It started as a way to engage young professionals, and during the pandemic, it really grew. Now we host Stronger Conferences, exploring leadership, culture, technology, entrepreneurship, and business,” Matt explains.

The network embodies a crucial principle: “Everyone has something to learn and everyone has something to share.” Growth, he argues, happens relationally, by learning from others and by courageously stepping into spaces God is calling you to.

Practical Steps to Step Into Your God-Given Purpose

From Matt’s reflections, readers can take practical steps to align with God’s shaping:

• Reflect and Pray: Understand your strengths, desires, and areas of growth in the context of God’s plan.
• Embrace Transitions: Don’t fear change; see it as a chance to align with God’s work in your life.
• Build Relationships: Learn from mentors, peers, and those ahead of you on purpose.
• Serve and Lead: Stepping into your purpose often requires taking initiative, whether in your community, workplace, or personal life.
• Remain Patient: Growth and fulfilment are gradual, trust the timing of God’s work.

Final Thoughts

Stepping into the person God is making you is less about rushing to achievements and more about growing spiritually, relationally, and emotionally. Reverend Matt Hogg’s journey illustrates that clarity of calling, grounded faith, and intentional leadership are key ingredients in fulfilling this divine purpose.

Join the Conversation

How are you stepping into who God is shaping you to be? Share your reflections with HeartSongLive Radio via email at info@heartsonglive.co.uk. Your story could inspire others to navigate their own seasons of purpose and transformation.

“Adapted by Praise Afolabi based on an interview by Eloho Efemuai, host of Arise with Eloho”