By: Patrice Burrell
“I’m building my business.”
How many times have I heard that exact phrase in conversation with another sister pursuing her dream of building an entrepreneurial empire? How many times have I too shared these exact words in working my plans to fulfill business passions that will also create a legacy? The answer is countless.
God has no problem with seeing us do the work of building our businesses. In fact, it is His pleasure to see us go after all of the things He has placed in our hearts to accomplish. He takes great delight when we represent the kingdom well as women in business and bring Him glory by operating with integrity and a spirit of excellence.
Scripture tells us in 3 John 1:2 (NKJV), “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Clearly, God has no issues with prosperity, including that of our businesses. In order to experience biblical prosperity, it requires us to live a life that is in balance with the truth of God’s word and His spirit at work within us. Building a successful business by God’s standard means we are also building our faith, and the two co-exist in perfect harmony.
Truthfully, everything in our world should start and end with our faith in God. If we ever find our priority shifting to business before faith, then that’s a warning sign it’s time to re-position, re-align, and re-calibrate our hearts with the heart of our Father.
We know God honors our priority to cultivate our faith because without faith as the foundation for our living, everything else we do is empty and meaningless. We also cling to his promise that when we seek Him first, all other things will be added to us (Matthew 6:33 NKJV).
As we tend to the tasks of building our faith and business in harmony, here are some tips for helping us intentionally grow both in tandem, understanding we always start with our faith.
Both Require Focus.
It has been said, “Whatever you give attention to will grow.” I know this to be true relationally and in the context of business. As much as we try to give attention to the details of our business, we should also be vigilant in giving attention to our relationship with God. If we are honest, it can be easy each day to hit the ground running with creativity and resolve that fuels our pursuit of building our businesses. The greatest pursuit of our life is to passionately know God. Nothing else can quite compare or compete to the satisfaction that comes from having a fulfilling relationship with Him. We must daily endeavor to keep the main thing the main thing. It won’t happen by accident, but it will happen when we focus first on our faith.
Both Require Fruitfulness.
Fruit is the evidence of work. There’s no way around it. Running a business is hard work, but it is also rewarding to work for yourself. Although we don’t have to ever work for God’s gift of salvation extended freely to us through Jesus, we do have to work through spiritual disciplines that help strengthen our faith. Doing the “work” of prayer, reading the Bible, and fasting are just some of the spiritual disciplines that yield fruitfulness in our spiritual life. The beautiful benefit is how these blessings spill over into every other area of our lives also.
Both Require Faithfulness.
Being faithful is not about being perfect. It is about being consistent. Just like running a business requires strategic planning, defined goals, and regular office hours, those same characteristics are needed in deciding how to grow our faith. Our relationship with God is the greatest investment of our lives for all eternity. When it’s all said and done, what we really want more than being faithful to ourselves or men is to be named faithful by God.
Both Require Flexibility.
Flexibility is the code word for grace. Sometimes even with all of our best planning, intentions, and efforts, we will still simply fall short. Life sometimes has a way of happening and circumstances can develop outside of the realm of our control. When things don’t go as we expect with regards to growing our faith and business in harmony, take a deep breath and tell yourself aloud, “Girl, give yourself some grace; it is okay!” We keep going. We keep trying. Most importantly, we trust God for the increase – naturally with our businesses and spiritually with our faith. Then, we rest knowing all is well because we belong to Him.
God’s got you sis! Keep building. Keep growing. Enjoy the journey. The best is truly yet to come.
About Patrice:
Patrice Burrell is a minister, author, and coach passionate about championing women to passionately pursue the presence of God. She aspires to inspire by sharing biblical insights that empower women to practically live out a daily lifestyle of devotion to God, as they cultivate their personal spiritual growth. Through her business Life Confessions Consulting, Patrice enjoys supporting her sisters to flourish in fulfilling God’s calling for their lives. To connect with Patrice, you may visit her website, patriceburrell.com for additional information.