If you are a Christian Business Owner and trying to make your business work you probably have double pressure. Not only do you need to figure out how to wear a ton of different hats in your business, you also probably feel like you have to be at peace and be extra nice (after all you are a Christian business owner) all of the time, so you don’t represent God in an unbecoming manner.
“I have to figure everything out and be nice too!”
Give me a break.
That is putting undo pressure on yourself, but more importantly, is the opposite of what God is wanting.
God’s Plan for Christians In Business
In X Factor fashion, below is a list “in no particular order” of God’s way for Christian business owners:
- He wants us to be totally and completely dependent on Him – not completely in control on the surface with a plastered smile on our faces.
- He wants us to stop “trying to be nice” and to stop “worrying about what we do” because it is all a gift from God, not us. We can’t have the peace that attracts people to God, without God giving it to us.
- God wants us to spend time with Him first. He wants to be our God. He doesn’t want our business to be an idol. So we need to focus on Him as our first priority.
- God wants us to be nice to others but this does not mean to let others walk all over you, not hold people accountable, or to be fake all of the time.
- If we let Him, God will work through us in our business, just like all other parts of our life. God cares about our business too.
- Salvation is by faith and grace, not Works!
- Our work provides us with endless opportunities to grow spiritually and exercise faith in the face of fear, and temptation.
My interpretation: God’s way means the pressure is off!
Our Ways Are Not God’s Way
My initial thought of “oh no, I am not really in control” vanishes quickly. I remember that the creator of the world is the one in control and laugh to myself at how silly I must look to God as I struggle to make everything happen in my own strength.
After the smile begins to fade, I realize that my struggle to maintain control, as lame as it may look to God, probably also saddens Him as it is indicative of lacking trust in His promises.
Which, in turn, joins the circular thinking that I don’t have to feel bad because “faith” is His gift too. So He probably doesn’t hate me for my slips into human-ness when I try to take back control regularly.
This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, does it?
Exactly. That is the point.
In our business, just like the rest of our life, we need to focus on Him. As we build our relationship with God, through Jesus, we will see our business transform.
- His Holy Spirit will guide us.
- As our faith grows, we will align our prayers with His will for our lives.
- Knowing His will provides us with discernment in how we spend our time at work.
- Trusting Him, provides a vessel that the Holy Spirit can work through.
- And in the tradition of James, we will show others our faith as they see our works coming from our love of God and our desire to follow Him.
It’s not that hard if we quit trying so hard to figure it all out and let God provide us wisdom from His Son and guidance from His Holy Spirit.
We just need to follow.
The pressure is off!
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Christian Business Edge
As a Christian business owner, you may want to start off the new year with some guidance to putting God first in your business. Check out our book and guide The Christian Business Edge. This is a 6 week guide to setting your business up on a foundation of your Christian values. I am going to work through it again myself with the new year beginning! Join me.
Great stuff here, Sue! It can be a delicate line we walk between being diligent and being at rest in His completed work. Thank God for His Grace and the power of His Kingdom!
I know David….we still need to do our part. I have learned the difference though in “doing my part” and “trying to get control back”. It is usually a fresh dose of stress and anxiety! Thanks for commenting! And I am with you ….thank God for His Grace.