Break with Tradition

The Church You Know

I grew up in church, maybe you did too, maybe not. Either way, once you are in a church community you start to ‘learn’ how to be a Christian. Some messages are given very directly; others, more subtly.

Here are some of the overt messages I received: Go to church twice on Sunday and on Wednesday evenings, join a Bible study group, attend Sunday School, do outreach in the community, take mission trips, have your devotional times each morning, pray every day.

Think about your own faith traditions. What has been taught to you? Daily services, prayer rituals, volunteerism . . . Do you feel the life draining away from you as you think about it? Sorry.

For me, I remember beating myself up when I didn’t meet these imposed expectations. I took them in and made them the standard for how I needed to SERVE God. I thought I just wasn’t ‘good’ at being a Christian.

Bible over Church

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” What does freedom look like for you? For me it meant finding a way to SERVE God that aligned with my personality, aligned with what I was doing (working), and aligned with what God was asking me to do.

Many of us settle for ‘doing church’ and then wonder why we feel inauthentic and stagnate in our faith. Christian business woman, entrepreneur, working woman, YOU need to shift your mindset to see yourself as a follower of Jesus in your every moment.

Do I dare say, BREAK OUT of your traditions? Break out of the messages that are coming from your community of faith and ask God what He wants from you as you stand in the Marketplace each day.

The Bible tells us to help the poor, the orphaned, the widows and the foreigner. That is universal. But above ALL else, Jesus told us to teach others about Him. The GREAT COMMISSION (Matthew 28: 18-20) says to make disciples of those who do not know Him. Those are your poor and orphaned because they do not know God.

The Great Commission also says to start in your Jerusalem, the people you see every day. That is your workplace. You have the most contact with people who are in business with you. What can you do to show God’s goodness to them? How can you be salt and light in your business?

God is not calling you to follow a set of rules: pray before meals, go to church whenever the doors are open, volunteer in the nursery. You were meant for MORE as a Christian Business Woman. God wants you to connect your Faith & Business/Work and see the Marketplace as your primary mission field. The place where you live your Faith out loud.

Free from Church

Are you stuck in the ‘I have to’ trap of church sponsored activities? Are you afraid you won’t grow if you aren’t plugged into your church community? God is asking you to step out and be 24/7 with Him. See your church as a community of believers who are there to encourage and support what God is asking you to do through your work.

I know what you are thinking . . . “If I quit serving as a greeter, a Sunday School teacher, a nursery worker, an usher, a committee member, etc. at church someone will be upset.” It is okay. God has a specific plan for you and He wants you to cooperate with Him for your success.

I have a tool for you that I know will help you connect your Faith and Business. It is my new book, CLARIFY 12 Principles to Illuminate Your Calling to the Marketplace.