Sadie Robertson, Hillsong worship leader on how young adults can deal with change, make friends
Hillsong Young & Free singer-songwriter Aodhan King recently joined Sadie Robertson Huff on her podcast, "Whoa That's Good," to share how young adults should handle changes in adulthood and maintain their faith by saying "yes" to friendships.
Robertson, who hosted the May 25 podcast episode alongside her husband, Christian Huff, said many young adults who listen to her podcast are going into college or graduating college and moving to new places.
The "Duck Dynasty" alum said that many young adults often go through "stretching seasons." She described this time as when an individual endures a long period of facing different life events that can potentially push them to their maximum potential.
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They're also tasked with finding a new community and friends during this time. This "stretching season," Robertson noted, is often accompanied by fear for many young people.
"It's uncomfortable, and it hurts, and it's hard sometimes, but it's getting you to your maximum potential. And that's why, [for] athletes, it's before you go on a race that you're going to stand on the sidelines and you're going to really stretch it out, and it might hurt, it might be uncomfortable, but that's going to get you to your best potential," the 24-year-old explained.
"A lot of times, it's before you hit your stride that you have to stretch. And you know, of course, right when you move, it's going to take you a while to reach your stride."
King shared how he recently went through a “stretching season” as he moved to Los Angeles, California, from Sydney, Australia. The 29-year-old said the transition was smooth because he said “yes” to opportunities that stretched him.
“I've been lucky in that the church that I'm part of, Hillsong Church, has campuses around the world. And so, there’s a campus in LA. … We’ve always had this saying in Hillsong where it’s like, ‘One house with many rooms.’ And it almost feels like I've just gone down the hallway and gone to the other room and found family and community,” King said.
“I think moving and doing something that’s ‘stretching,’ like what we were talking about, it causes your faith to be on fire because … in the stretching, it's like, ‘How much further can I go? … Have I pushed past the margins beyond what's possible for me?’ And I think at that point, it's when you have to have faith.”
King said that life seasons where he has undergone a “stretching” of his character have been “amazing” because, through those experiences, he has developed a stronger faith in Jesus.
“Being able to be like, 'Alright, I actually don’t know what’s going to happen. God, provide the right people.’ And it sounds cliche, but I think when you’re in that place, God really does show up with people,” he said.
King said he didn’t migrate from Sydney with a plan for what he would do once he arrived in the states.
“It was a step of faith. I didn't know what was going to happen. When I moved here, I had no idea what was going to happen. I just moved going, ‘Alright, I trust that friendships and things will open up.’ And it has, in ways that really surprised me. There are friends in my life now that I didn't know before I moved here nine months ago.”
King encouraged podcast listeners to make a habit of saying “yes” to opportunities that could potentially lead to beneficial changes.
“For me, it's always just been like being open and trying to say ‘yes’ to things more than saying ‘no.’ And I think sometimes out of fear, people could invite you out to do things, and the easiest answer is ‘no,' because I don't really want to do that. But I think being open and saying ‘yes,’ and trusting that God's going to put the right people around you, that's always kind of been my thing, especially since moving here.”
Robertson mentioned Hebrews 11:8, where the Lord calls Abraham to go to a mysterious and unknown place to him. But, by faith, Robertson pointed out, Abraham obeyed God and went where he was instructed to go.
“[Abraham] went out to a land, not knowing where he was going, or what was going to be there when he got there. And I've always loved that because he obeyed God before he knew what was going to happen,” Robertson said.
“And I think so many times, because we are control freaks, because we are planners, we’re like, 'We’ll obey you God, when we figure out all the plans; when we figure out who our friends are going to be, what church we're going to do, what job we're going to have.’”
Robertson said it's OK for Christians to spend time planning and preparing for certain practical things during “stretching seasons.”
However, the Live Original author said there are some things that “you're just not going to fully know the answer to before you have to say ‘yes’ or before you need to say ‘yes.’”
“That's where faith comes into the picture. It's like saying ‘yes,’ before you have everything planned, and that's whenever you really get to rely on God and be like: ‘OK God, You really do provide all my needs,’” Robertson noted.
“Saying ‘no’ and not wanting to go out and make friends or do stuff or whatever. It really is easy and you can hide behind your ‘no’ all day long. But, what great things are on the other side of your ‘yes,’ right?”
For King, the adjustment from serving as a worship leader at Hillsong Church to becoming a global performer with Hillsong Young & Free was anxiety-inducing.
The artist said he struggled with pre-performance jitters and with constant worry about his future until he received advice that changed his whole perspective on fear.
“I think the biggest piece of advice I've ever received was from my dad. And it was, ‘Don't worry about things that haven't happened yet.' And for me, that was huge because I'm like such a control freak,” King shared.
“I want to know exactly what's going to happen when it's going to happen. And I worry about things that I shouldn't. … And [my dad’s advice has] kind of helped me to stay present. And enjoy now, not [over]-thinking about anything. … That's been huge for me.”
“Every time I'm worried about something, I'm just like, ‘Alright, hasn't happened yet. … Don't overthink it,” King added.
