Faith becomes most visible not only in what we say we believe, but in how we live when life feels heavy, uncertain, or overwhelming. For Martha Nessler, CEO of She Made God Her CEO, surrender has become more than a spiritual concept. It has become a daily way of living, leading, mothering, and encouraging others.
In this feature for Living My Faith with James Fenimore, Martha shares how seasons of deep personal challenge brought her to a place of full surrender to God. Her story is a powerful reminder that faith is not about carrying everything alone. It is about trusting God enough to release what we were never meant to control.
Meet Martha Nessler of She Made God Her CEO
Martha Nessler is the CEO of She Made God Her CEO, a faith-based consulting and coaching brand that helps high-capacity women break free from performance, pressure, and self-sufficiency so they can live, lead, and thrive from their God-given identity and purpose.
Her work speaks directly to women who may be strong, capable, and driven, yet privately exhausted from trying to do it all in their own strength. Through her message, Martha points women back to a deeper truth: their identity and purpose are found in God, not in performance.
A Faith Journey Shaped by Surrender
Martha’s faith was significantly deepened during a deeply difficult season in 2022. At that time, she was walking through a divorce, a miscarriage, business and financial changes, and the transition of having relocated from New Zealand to the United States in 2020. She was also a new mother, breastfeeding her daughter, and running two businesses.
In her own words, it felt like everything was happening at once. Eventually, she came to a very honest realization: she did not know how to make everything work on her own anymore, and she was too tired to keep trying.
That moment became a turning point. Martha gave it all to God and fully surrendered.
Why Surrender Is Not Giving Up
For many people, surrender can sound like defeat. But in a life of faith, surrender is often where true strength begins. It is the moment we stop striving to control every outcome and instead invite God to lead.
Martha’s story shows that surrender is not passive. It is an active decision to trust God with the places we cannot fix, force, or fully understand.
The Scriptures That Anchor Her Faith
Two Scriptures have deeply anchored Martha since her divorce and became the foundation of her ARISE Framework:
“Arise, cry out in the night… pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.” — Lamentations 2:19
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14
For Martha, Lamentations 2:19 serves as a reminder that breakthrough begins with surrender. Esther 4:14 reminds her that God has purpose in every season and every story.
Her life verse is Exodus 14:14-15:
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still… Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move forward.”
This passage reflects a powerful tension in the faith journey: be still, trust God, and move forward when He says to move.
Living Out Faith in Daily Life
Martha describes her faith as something she lives every day, not simply something she teaches. One of the most meaningful ways she lives out her faith is through intentional obedience in ordinary moments.
Whether she encounters an Amazon driver, a cashier at Lowe’s, or someone she passes during the day, Martha seeks to be sensitive to the Lord’s prompting. If she senses God leading her to pray for someone, she stops and prays. If she feels prompted to pull the car over, she does.
This kind of daily faith is simple, personal, and deeply practical. It does not require a platform or a title. It requires a willing heart.
Faith at Home
Martha is also intentional about her daughter’s faith and education. She believes homeschooling is incredibly important and describes her greatest desire as continually pointing her daughter back to God. Having recently finished preschool and preparing for kindergarten, this season is one she sees with gratitude and excitement.
Faith in Community
After moving to Tennessee about a year and a half ago, Martha experienced the process of finding a church home. She believes God has led her family exactly where they are meant to be, and she is grateful for that direction.
A Practical Shift: Pray Now, Not Later
One of the biggest changes in Martha’s walk with the Lord has been how she responds to prayer requests. Instead of only saying, “I’ll pray for you,” she now stops and prays with the person in that moment.
This is a simple practice, but it can be deeply meaningful. It turns compassion into action. It reminds others that they are not alone. It also helps keep faith present in real conversations, real struggles, and real needs.
Advice for Anyone Struggling to Grow Spiritually
When asked what advice she would give to someone struggling to live out their faith or grow spiritually, Martha’s answer is clear: surrender.
And once you have surrendered, surrender again.
In a culture that often tells people to push through, power through, keep going, and figure everything out alone, Martha points to a different way. She believes the most powerful thing a person can do is surrender to God.
That includes surrendering problems, struggles, and even the struggle to grow spiritually. In that place of surrender, a person can say to the Creator of the universe, “I’m ready to see what You can do.”
Practical Ways to Begin Living a More Surrendered Faith
Martha’s story offers practical encouragement for anyone who wants to live their faith more intentionally. Here are a few simple ways to begin:
1. Start the Day with God
Martha prioritizes stewarding her relationship with God each morning. For readers, this may begin with prayer, Scripture, worship, stillness, or honest conversation with God before the demands of the day begin.
2. Bring God the Real Struggle
Lamentations 2:19 speaks of pouring out the heart before the presence of the Lord. Faith does not require pretending everything is fine. It invites honesty with God.
3. Respond to Promptings with Obedience
Sometimes faith is lived out through a quiet nudge to encourage someone, pray with someone, or pause long enough to notice a need. Small acts of obedience can become powerful expressions of God’s love.
4. Trade Self-Sufficiency for Trust
High-capacity people are often used to solving problems and carrying responsibility. But spiritual growth often requires releasing self-sufficiency and trusting God to lead.
5. Keep Moving Forward
Exodus 14:14-15 reminds believers that God fights for His people, but He also calls them forward. Surrender is not stagnation. It is trusting God while taking the next faithful step.
Why This Message Matters
The message behind She Made God Her CEO is timely for women who feel the pressure to perform, produce, lead, and hold everything together. Martha’s story reminds readers that God-given identity is not earned through striving. It is received through relationship with Him.
Her appearance on Living My Faith with James Fenimore highlights a message that is both deeply personal and broadly encouraging: God can meet us in the valley, give purpose to our story, and lead us into a life that reflects His presence in practical ways.
Conclusion: Let God Lead the Next Step
Martha Nessler’s journey is a powerful example of what can happen when a person stops trying to carry everything alone and begins surrendering fully to God. Through hardship, transition, motherhood, leadership, and daily obedience, she continues to point others back to the One who gives identity, purpose, and direction.
For anyone feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or unsure how to keep going, her encouragement is simple and profound: surrender to God, and then surrender again.
To learn more about Martha Nessler and the work of She Made God Her CEO, visit She Made God Her CEO. You can also explore Living My Faith with James Fenimore for more conversations about faith, purpose, and walking with God in everyday life.
