Business God's Way
I'm on the process of putting together a 90-day Business Essentials Guide to effectively starting your business, and as I was thinking about that, this came to me and I just knew I had to share it. When you think about business we think about sales, marketing, competition, developing teams, and finances. Before long it gets really overwhelming and you just want to sink in your chair and give up. Has this ever happened to you? You don't have to own a business to feel this way in your profession. The pressure of what is expected can be great. What would happen to the stress level if I were to say, your business is an assignment from God? He has perfectly placed you where He wants you to be. Would that make a difference in how you manage the stress levels? Understanding that it doesn't mean that there won't be stress. We will manage it differently because the assignment is not our own, but His. God will direct and give direction on how to complete the assignment what to say and how to say it.
Most of the time we don't consider our business as a ministry or assignment. We think we had this amazing idea and now we are making it a reality, but the truth of the matter is, that it was GOD's plan! Let's look at Hannah for a moment. She desired a baby, and yet was unable to conceive. Simple enough right we all have desires, but Hannah delighted herself in the LORD. In Psalm 37:4 it says, "delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." She chose to serve God regardless of the outcome of her prayers. she chose to trust Him through the process. So, it opened access for Him to place the desire of a child in her heart; so, He could fulfill it. However, there was timing differences between Hannah's timeline and God's. She wanted it now, but God had a plan. God saw the bigger plan he saw that while she desired a child, he needed a prophet. One that could be trusted walk-in integrity, and be what Israel needed in that season. (1Samuel 1:1-28)
Just like Hannah you have delighted yourself in the Lord so he has GIVEN YOU THIS DESIRE so he can fulfill it. TRUST HIS TIMING and PLAN! Even when you don't see the immediate results, it is HIS. If Hannah had to wait because he needed a prophet, that means that your business solves a problem for the world. He knew that Eli's sons would not be able to take over from Eli, so he gave Hannah Samuel. Hannah had to surrender her Son to God and when she became desperate enough to make that covenant and God knew she would keep it, she conceived. Have you surrendered your business to God? Have you become desperate enough in your job or business that you have said okay God, I surrender, I give you this workload and I want to really understand and know my assignment? This is the place where he will meet us and begin to reveal the mysteries to us.
Surrender is a vulnerable place and if we're honest most people don't like to feel that loss of control, or what they deem as weakness. I believe that being vulnerable puts you at an advantage. It makes you stronger. When you get to a place of surrender, you are relinquishing your strength for God's. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, "Each time he said, My Grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." (NLT). Even as the Apostle Paul writes this, I am encouraged that when I become vulnerable and surrender my business or profession to God, He steps in and gives me the strength for the assignment I am to fulfill.
I want you to ponder this thought, your business is God's solution to a problem. I'll state it one more time, your business is God's solution to a problem. Do you know what that is? You may not see it now but ask him to reveal that to you so that you might be able to understand better the purpose of why you even have this desire. If he didn't trust you with it, he wouldn't have given it to you. There are times when we only look at things as one dimensional, but the reality is it isn't because we serve a multi-dimensional God. Begin to search and ask Him what problem you are solving for others, and how do you ensure that you are representing His purpose well. You may be thinking, well how does selling a commodity solve a problem for God. God needs His people in the marketplace. He needs what I've been calling us, "Market Place Ministers". The church needs to look very different in the next season. It isn't about having people sitting in pews, it is about going back to the church in Acts where the Apostles met people right where they were. You may see your business as a way to generate income for your family, but God sees it as an opportunity for you to let your light shine.
As you being to think about all that I have said today. When you get frustrated, tired, or want to give up just remember that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Remember that old proverb that says, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9) As you being to rethink how you're doing business; we want to partner with you for success. We have several programs set up to assist you through business. Check out our upcoming Business Essentials Boot Camp, or schedule a discovery call with us to see if one on one coaching will work best for you.