Tough Times to Learn Faith and Surrender

We welcome John M. White, a top advisor with Northwestern Mutual and former managing director, as he shares a deeply honest and compelling journey of faith, identity, and surrender.

From growing up in the Bible Belt surrounded by performance-based faith, to early career success that left him spiritually restless, John opens up about the moments that brought him to his knees—literally and spiritually. He reflects on a pivotal season of professional pressure, personal misalignment, and a lawsuit that threatened to unravel his career. But through it all, John discovered what it truly means to follow Christ: to let go, reorient his priorities, and lead from a place of humility and peace.

In this powerful episode, John discusses the cost of misplaced identity, the refining nature of trials, and the unexpected freedom that comes when we stop striving and start surrendering. His story is one of transformation—from chasing titles to choosing obedience, from building a platform to becoming a servant leader.

This is a timely reminder that our calling isn’t just about success—it’s about becoming who God created us to be.