Making decisions in entrepreneurship can often feel like navigating a maze without a map. As a Christian entrepreneur, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture while running a business.
For those of us seeking to integrate our faith into all our business endeavors, discerning God’s will is of most importance. But how can you be sure you’re walking in alignment with God’s plan for your business? Here are six crucial questions to help you evaluate whether you’re discerning God’s will for your business adventure.
1. Am I saved?
Before delving into the specifics of your business decisions, ensuring your spiritual foundation is secure is vital. Being “saved” refers to accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Have you had an experience with Jesus where you recognized your sin against God? You then repented of it, accepted His gift of forgiveness, believed that Jesus died so you could be reconciled to God, and made Him the Lord of your life.
This foundational step lays the groundwork for all other inquiries into discerning God’s will for your business.
2. Am I Spirit-filled?
Once you’ve accepted Christ, the next step is to invite the Holy Spirit to guide and empower you. If you have accepted Jesus into your life, then you have also received the Holy Spirit.
Being Spirit-filled means the Holy Spirit dwells within you. That voice of discernment in your head, the conviction not to do something, and the internal guidance of wisdom empower you.
In the context of business, being Spirit-filled means seeking divine guidance in decision-making. You rely on spiritual discernment rather than solely on human understanding.
Here is Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to help you in John 14:25-26:
I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
3. Am I sanctified?
Sanctification is the ongoing process of being set apart for God’s purposes and becoming more like Christ in character and conduct. As an entrepreneur, you must realize God is using your business to do just that.
What does it look like in the business world? It means conducting yourself with integrity, honesty, and righteousness. It involves aligning your business practices with biblical principles and striving for excellence in all your activities.
2 Peter 1:3-8 instructs us how sanctification helps us . . .
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Am I saturated?
To be saturated is to fully immerse yourself in God’s Word and presence. This involves regular daily prayer and meditation on Scripture throughout your day. Seek intimacy with God by going to Him first to think through and pray through business and life decisions.
By saturating yourself in God’s truth, you cultivate a mindset that aligns with His will. This allows you to discern God’s will and make decisions that honor Him in every aspect of your business. I like to say that if you are so filled up with God, He can’t help but stick out all over the place in your life. That’s being saturated.
5. Am I sold out?
Being sold out for God means surrendering your business ambitions, goals, and desires to His will completely. It’s about prioritizing His agenda over your own. Being willing to follow wherever He leads, even if it means sacrificing personal gain or comfort. This level of commitment requires faith and trust in God’s plan. Believe that His ways are higher and His purposes are greater than yours.
The Bible tells us these words from Jesus in Mark 8:34-35:
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.
Matthew 16:24-25 and Luke 9:23-24 say almost the exact same thing. (It must be important to know if the three gospels tell us the same thing.)
Are you discerning God’s will yet?
How are you doing with the first five questions? Are you saying YES to being saved, spirit-filled, sanctified, saturated, and sold out?
Guess what? Saying YES to each of these questions means you ARE in and discerning God’s will.
It is not about waiting to ‘hear from God’ or ‘looking for a sign’. It is about being obedient to Him. We can know this by answering YES to all the questions we have already examined.
If you still are unsure if you are discerning God’s will, I would LOVE to have a Clarity Conversation with you. Let’s chat to see if your business is really God’s calling for you.
6. Am I a saint?
The Bible calls you a saint as a follower of Christ because you are set apart for God’s service and dedicated to fulfilling His purposes. In business, this means viewing your work as a form of worship, using your resources and influence to advance God’s kingdom agenda, and striving to be a light in the marketplace.
It involves treating team members, customers, and competitors with love, compassion, and respect, reflecting the character of Christ in all your interactions.
Know you are in God’s Will
Discerning God’s will for your business requires more than just good intentions or strategic planning; it requires a heart surrendered to God. Be committed to aligning every aspect of your business with His purposes.
As long as you do your best to follow God, learn more about Him through bible study, follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in prayer, and grow in your faith by being obedient, you are in God’s Will.
Use these six questions regularly to seek His guidance. Then, confidently navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship, knowing that you are walking in His will for your business.
Still not sure you’re in God’s Will for your business? Make an appointment for a Clarity Call. Let’s see what God is doing in your life to align you with His Will.
Be filled to overflowing,
DeneenTB
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