Do you find it difficult to believe that you have a life that could be used for good in the world? We tend to minimize the gifts and talents God gave us, wondering how we—just one individual—could ever make a difference. Nature gives us a beautiful example in the way a small, unassuming caterpillar is eventually transformed into a colorful, winged butterfly, bringing joy to others by simply being viewed. When we believe in ourselves and the unique abilities God has given us, and open ourselves up to sharing those gifts with the world, we create impact in a way that might touch lives for years to come.  

Actress and comedian Yvonne Orji was raised in a Nigerian family, and she was shaped by traditional views on family life: a hard drive for pleasing people, and a fear of failure. When her dreams of becoming a doctor didn’t pan out, Yvonne began looking at her own unique gifts and leaned into those, which led her to becoming an actor, writer, and producer. Advocate Naghmeh Panahi made headlines when her husband, Saeed, was arrested in Iran for his Christian beliefs. As a missionary herself, Naghmeh had seen many of her friends persecuted for their faith, and was determined to get her husband released—despite the abuse she faced in their marriage. Naghmeh found herself with a huge platform she had dreamed about as a child, and the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives all over the world.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Damon West

Upcoming interview: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Thank you to our sponsor: BetterHelp.com/JesusCalling

Yvonne Orji 

George Washington University medical school

DC Improv

Luke 1:45 NIV

Bamboozled by Jesus

Naghmeh Panahi

Saeed Abedini

Tahrir Alnisa Foundation

Islamic Revolutionary Guards

I Didn’t Survive

Interview Quotes:

“I was like, Could it be that God sees something in me that I don't even yet see in myself?” - Yvonne Orji 

“For the first time in my life, somebody was giving me the luxury, the privilege, of potential failure. And that's not a thing that I was accustomed to.” - Yvonne Orji 

“Like food poisoning, fear is one of those things where if you push past it, you might throw up, you might move about, it doesn't feel good in the moment, because you are not on the other side of it to see, What if God has something? But then you do it and you overcome it. And now you can't see yourself without it.” - Yvonne Orji 

“One of the most confusing things to me, or interesting things to me, was in elementary school when they asked me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Which is a normal thing that children say to each other. And I remember thinking, Wow, I've never thought about this. Growing up in war and revolution, you don't really think about growing up.” - Naghmeh Panahi  

“I got to see the plight of the persecuted church for the first time, and the fear of gathering in homes just to pray together, just to worship together, just to read the Bible together. The fear of be