Trusting God When Hard Times Fall on Your Business

When things aren’t going well at work, it is always difficult not to worry.  I think we tend to think of worrying as productive.

If I worry about it, I will think up a solution that will fix things.  If I don’t worry, if I am carefree, how will things get better?  

This scenario assumes we are in control.

Another scenario is when a business owner blames external conditions for poor business performance.  It is the economy.

How can I prosper if the entire oil and gas industry is down?  

It isn’t my fault that the housing market burst.

This scenario assumes someone else is in control – for Christians in business they may call these external factors Satan.

In either of these scenarios, we are assuming someone other than the Lord is in control.

And honestly, that may be the true source of the worry and panic.  Because anxiety is not from God.

Worry Is A Slap In The Face To Jesus

He tells us in Matthew 6:26-34 that, we are not in control, and that worry is a slap in the face to Jesus.

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

[Tweet “Jesus specifically tells us not to worry because He will provide what we need.”]

So what does it mean if we read these verses, we understand them, and yet we still worry about our business being successful in difficult times?

Are we really believing God?  In our hearts, are we believing Him?

Some signs that our trust isn’t really there:

1. When we go into overdrive, running around manically trying to make things happen.
2. When we are worrying so much that it affects our health – we are stressed, grumpy, sleeping poorly, and not feeling His peace.
3. When we give up.  Because of fear, we give up prematurely on the vision God gave us for our business and go and get a job.
4. When we do not stay the course on our plans and direction, even though we believed they came from God.

The first two are us really believing we are in control and the burden is all on us.  The second two are Satan’s favorites.  He loves to make us give up on what God has called us to.

Both vantage points are exhausting.

When things are not going well in our business, we can trust that God cares about our business and that if it is a business He has called us to, then we can trust that He will take care of our needs.

What Does Trusting God Look Like?

I am not trying to indicate that Scripture says we should sit around and just do nothing because doing something may offend God.  There is a big difference in what our doing something looks like when we are trusting God.

Let me give you a trusting God scenario:

The economy shifts and the industry you are in is struggling.  You anticipate that your business may also be impacted soon.  But you know this company you built was a calling from God.  You decide right then and there that you will:

1. Pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you through hard times.
2. Ask God to work through the skills and experience He has given you.
3. Use the wisdom and discernment that comes from our Creator to make the best decisions possible to navigate the uncertain waters.
4. Seek guidance from other wise Christian counselors – hopefully those that can help you in business, but who have a heart for God, and understand your perspective of trust.
5. Wait for the Lord.

Basically, when we are trusting God, we have been following His guidance all along.  We have been good stewards of our resources and we have worked hard to glorify Him in our work.  When things start to go wrong, we need to seek Him, do the things we know to do, and then trust that the Lord will carry us through.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 (NIV)