Deneen Troupe-Buitrago

Grow from your overflow

Know God

Promoting God through your Work

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You may know the story of the sisters Mary and Martha from the Bible (Luke 10 & John 11). If you know the story then you also immediately identify with one or the other. Each woman loved Jesus in her own way. Each woman was transformed by the experience.

Here is a quiz for you to ‘just check’ to see if you are more of a Mary or a Martha. I hope it shows you that there is a little of both inside. Read the pairs across and check the one you most identify with in that line, Mary or Martha.

Mary writes poetry Martha writes to-do lists
Mary paints canvases Martha paints the walls
Mary sings in the rain Martha sings in the choir
Mary likes chocolate Martha likes cheesecake
Mary wears jeans Martha wears heels
Mary goes to amusement parks Martha goes to museums
Mary drives a convertible Martha drives a mini-van
Mary throws a fiesta Martha throws a tea party
Mary dyes her hair fun colors Martha dyes hers to cover the gray
Mary loves tiger lilies Martha loves daisies

 

Did you see that you really do possess qualities of each woman? What I love about the story of Mary and Martha is that Jesus did not ask them to change their personalities so they could serve Him. However, He did change them.

Joanna Weaver in her book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World says, “Two completely different women undergo a transformation right before our eyes: a holy makeover. The bold one becomes meek, the mild one courageous. For it is impossible to be in the presence of Jesus and not be changed.” That is the real heart of the matter.

In my own book, CLARIFY, I chose to profile Martha. She is the woman I most identify with because her transformation included bringing Jesus into every part of her life. She learns when she needs to take time to be with Him and when she needs to get up and start moving.

Martha is a great example of how God wants us to approach our work. Everything she did was to please Jesus (even in her fussing). As she grew in relationship with Jesus she learned to please Him by pulling her attention away from ‘work first’ to ‘Him first’. That’s the lesson.

Are you meeting daily with the Boss to check in and get the plan? Are you taking longer meeting days to have strategic meetings with Him? Are you learning what it means to connect Faith & Business so you glorify God in your work?

I want to invite you to the Clarity Leadership Conference. It is for women ministry and business leaders. Sign up today (early bird special going on) and get CLARITY by Re-focusing on Who you are serving; Re-energizing your Own body, and Re-connecting to the ONE whose passion is in your soul to do the work you are doing. Take time to learn to be like Mary and Martha.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

 

4 Places You May Not be Showing up Authentically

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Everyone wants to feel accepted, right? No matter what place you are in, you want others to like you and see you as a competent woman. You want to fit into the group. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, we were made for community and therefore crave acceptance from it. BUT, are you compromising who you really are to ‘fit in’? Are you trading off a part of yourself so that others will ‘like’ you?

There are four places I think we, as women, compromise showing who we really are and it makes us feel disjointed, stifled, and fake. You may see yourself in one or in all four places bringing just a part of your whole self. And, I bet it feels like your authentic self will never emerge. God calls you to live your life in such a way that, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31NLT

Place ONE- At Work

This is the first place I see women hiding who they truly are. They are afraid to let others know they have a faith-life outside of the office. Oh, you may have integrity and work with excellence, but unless you are letting others know your WHY, you are not living completely honest with yourself and with God. Jesus warned, “But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:33

Place TWO- At Kid Activities

This place makes it easy to hide who you truly are. There is a surface level type of communication. It is easy to discuss the activity itself- soccer, dance, birthday. It is easy to get caught up in the cause of the PTA for the betterment of the school. It is easy to not voice your opinion about anything. Honesty is not required on this level and so you can become one of the crowd to fit in. But, God wants more from your interactions with those you see on a regular basis.  Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5, “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”

Place THREE- At Church

This place should be the one where you feel the most authentic BUT it is not. Many of us tend to put our best faces on when we go into worship, attend a Bible study or volunteer. You want everyone to think your life is great. The very place where meaningful relationships are supposed to take place ends up being the place where you feel the most unlike yourself. If only we all let down our facades and really cared about one another. Paul says, “Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” Philippians 2:2

Place FOUR- At Home

This place is where your role may be to serve everyone else and therefore you are left empty. Women tend to leave their needs last when it comes to family obligations. Doing all that is expected of them so that others thrive. You make sure there is food on the table and laundry is completed. You watch the movie others want to see. You never turn off being the caregiver. But God wants your attention. He wants you to fill up on Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

 

How can you be your authentic self in all these places? By being who God created you to be. He doesn’t ask you to change your personality but He does change you to be His representative here in your places. That is the way to feel authentic.

You may be trading authenticity for safety. The safety of acceptance, the safety of no conflict, the safety of . . . BUT, the Christian life is not safe. It is the greatest adventure and you are living it. Show up as the woman God has made you to be. And don’t be afraid. “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7

Believe that you can be authentically you. Believe God will help you be authentic. Stand in your places as the person you are, living a seamless life that feels REAL.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. Find your PLACE with the Calling Clarity Course. Click HERE for details about how to show up Authentically in your Calling. Sign Up ends this week. HURRY!

 

Serve God More at WORK

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So, it’s Monday, time to go to ‘Work’.  How do you feel?  Excited? Depressed? Or do you feel just plain tired?  How do you see your work?  Is it something that pays the bills OR are you passionate about what you do?  How do you think God sees your work?

Your Week to Serve

I want to give you some statistics about your week. You have 168 hours to make the most of it. Here is the breakdown (on average):

40 hours- Work

05 hours- Commute

15 hours- Meal Prep & Eating

06 hours- Domestic Duties

35 hours- Sleep

03 hours- Health (physical, mental)

2.5 hours- Bible Reading

10 hours- Kids (homework, driving, talking, etc.)

If you are a numbers person like me I have broken it down into each day too. ?

8 working + .5 commuting + 3 eating + 1.5 cleaning + 7 sleeping + .5 exercising + .5 Bible/Prayer + 2 kids = 23 hours! (You have one hour to do whatever you want!)

Are you tired? Do you see this list and think, How can I do it all? That’s where a little planning can go a looooong way to create space for doing MORE to Serve God Daily.

Look at where you spend your most waking hours, WORK. This may be in an office, factory, store, or in your own business. It is the place you are most engaged with multiple people over the course of the day and week. This is EXACTLY the place you can be the most effective for God.

Your Day to Serve

As a Christian Woman in business or in the workplace you can serve God by serving those you have direct contact with each day. He calls you to use your unique personality, strengths, gifts, and abilities to show up as you. He wants to use you in a mighty way right where you spend most of your waking hours.

Let me give you a tool to begin thinking about this. Ask God to show you 5 people in your everyday life that do not know Him. Write down their names and commit to pray for them each day. Even if it a quick prayer when you see them in passing. Next, start to grow your relationship with them inside and outside of the ‘office’. Pour into those relationships until you have the opportunity to share your story about what Jesus has done for you.

There is no pressure here. BUT, this is what we are called to do as believers in Christ (Matthew 28:19,20). It begins with kindness, interest, affection, caring, and love. For me, Priscilla’s story in the Bible shows me how she not only used her relationships with other believers to give her strength but she also gives me an example of how to reach out, mentor, and tell others about Jesus while I am at work.

The plan is not hard. I am not asking you to preach on a soap box, start a Bible Study, or wear a button to proclaim your Faith. I am asking you to SERVE God by thinking differently about your Work. Don’t make the next volunteer activity at church take you away from spending time with your kids or giving up your exercise time. Make your everyday life count for God. Use the 40 hours of ‘marketplace time’ your place to show others the goodness of God.

Is this the first time you have thought about this way of connecting your Faith & Business? Are you shocked that I would suggest not doing something at church? We have been ‘taught’ for so long that in order to do anything for God it must be through the church. I want to shake you up to think differently and get your Faith ACTIVE in your daily ‘work’ life.

Sharon’s Service

I told this story a few months ago and want to repeat it now.

Sharon came to my Christian Women’s network group one month and asked this question. “How can I serve God at my work?” I began to laugh. Why? Because she had just told me this story. . .

“There is a new woman at work and she is having a difficult time adjusting to the culture of the company. Up until this point I have been the only female in the office. I have adapted my style of communicating and functioning to reflect the male dominated atmosphere. I had not realized how flexible I was at being able to adjust my style based on the person in front of me. I have been working with her the last two weeks to coach her through email language, speaking directly, and confidence issues. She has come a long way in being able to deal with what she has called ‘male abruptness’ and has learned to match her style with the person she is speaking with.”

Why did it make me laugh when she asked the question? For me it was clear that she was serving God by being a mentor to this woman. She was sharing her expertise and giving insight to this woman. I reminded her that she does not need to be at church, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or helping the underprivileged to be serving Christ. She was showing kindness, hospitality, love, and concern for someone at work. That is enough.

It really is enough.

Your Plan to Serve

God wants you to be in relationship with HIM first. That vertical relationship needs to be fed and nurtured before anything else.

Start with spending more time with God and reading His Word.

Pray for those He puts in your mind and on your heart.

Show those people how much you care about them through your words and actions.

Then be ready to share your Story about what Jesus has done for you.

THAT’s the Plan. God wants you to have an Impact. He wants you to make Him known to specific people, the people in your marketplace. That’s how you SERVE Him MORE.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

P.S. The Clarify Book will be released this month. If you are interested in being one of my Promoters please send me your name and email address. I need your help to spread the word about the Book. Thanks!

Lessons Learned

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I closed the GFYO Business and Educational Center in November of last year. It was an 18-month lesson in trusting God. When I began, I knew for certain it was what God wanted for me. I had been meeting with my Women’s Networking Group in different locations for a while and felt His leading to have my own space.  But it failed.

I took the month of December to look at what God was asking of me now. I came through the month with these few take-a-ways. Thought you might like me to share.

What does God want from me?

First, God wants me to depend on Him. One thing He continually puts into my thoughts is, “Am I enough?”. My success means nothing unless I am in relationship with Him. I talk about this vertical relationship all the time. Connecting Faith and Business begins with Faith.

The next thing God wants from me is to transform me into the image of His Son. He teaches me through His Word, prayer, worship and more. I love spending time with Him on my Quiet Retreats and meeting with my CEO each day. If nothing else happens in my life, I trust God enough to be okay in this space.

BUT, He does call me to more. He calls me to fellowship with other believers. In real fellowship we experience authenticity, give & take, sympathy, and mercy. I love that God has given me the women in the GFYO Network Group to bring encouragement, support and learning into my life.  We share our business challenges, study God’s Word together, serve our community, and suffer together as we pray for one another. They fill up my life and make me stronger.

Lastly, I know that only by serving God in the way He has created me can I live out His purpose for me. I am taking one step at a time and trusting God for the rest. I know taking the step to open the Business and Educational Center was the right thing. So was closing it.

God wants the best for me

These outward setbacks can be discouraging. I spent most of December just trying to understand what to do next. There was much time alone, an open Bible & journal, and prayer. That’s when an idea formed that has led me through most of this year. I have been writing a book about twelve business women in the Bible.

I have been given a gift. I feel like God is downloading new insights into me about these women and it excites me to write about them so others can learn how to Connect their Faith and Business. The last few months have opened me up to be in deeper relationship with God, learn more about Him, have stronger fellowship with others, and use my gifts, talents, and abilities to do exactly what He has designed me to do.

Exchanging something good for something even better is amazing.

God wants the best for you

What is God asking of you? In what ways are you using your personality, abilities, gifts, talents, etc. to live out the business vision He has given you? What is keeping you from taking the next step to serve God through your business?

Take some time to sit with the Father and evaluate where you are. Pour out those disappointments and setbacks. I did. Listen to what He says to your heart through His Word. The Bible is alive and will speak to you in new ways.

God wants you to be fulfilled in your purpose and He is waiting to unfold it to you. Your responsibility is to take each step as He reveals the next thing He wants you to do. No fear, God is there. No excuses, God is there. No procrastinating, God is there.

If you have doubts, work on knowing God better. There is no way you can have any success in life if you do not know the Father. Allow Him to fill you up and transform you into His image. Then there is room for you to experience true fellowship with others and live out your purpose.

Connecting Faith and Business requires trust. God asks, “Do you trust Me?”. I scream, “YES” and throw myself into the work He has for me because it is what is best for me. He will give you that enthusiasm and passion too.

The Business and Educational Center needed to close so I could focus on the next thing God had for me. I was too distracted to see the next step. God’s lessons may sting but that only gives opportunity to turn to Him and pursue something even better.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

Choose Your Adventure

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Do you remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books? Those stories were exciting to read. The story was always full of suspense and the adventure intriguing. At the bottom of a certain page there would be a choice to make.  AND, those choices never seemed to be exactly what you would do. What to do next . . .

For me it was always a dilemma to make those types of choices. I wanted to choose the best adventure. Should I flip to the next page or go deeper into the book? Which would be better? Did it matter? The beauty of these books was that you could read them again and again and never have the same thing happen.

Your Christian life can be the same type of adventure. Just like those books, your choices have direct influence on how the adventure goes. Maybe you feel there are too many choices? Serving God can mean showing up for a volunteer opportunity at church. Learning about God by joining a Bible Study. Or, for more adventure, going on an overseas mission trip. What choices have you made that are making this Christian adventure exciting? Is it working for you?

God has so much more. He has created an adventure specifically for you and wants you to choose to be on the ride. The adventure is daily and runs through your entire life, not just at times when you are with ‘God’s people’ learning and serving. God’s plan includes your uniqueness shining in the world.

1 Corinthians 12:12 says that we are all part of the same body. Your function is different from everyone else’s. Your adventure is exclusive to you. AND, you get to complete the picture God has for His Church, His people, by choosing to live it.

How? By inviting God into every day.

Recently, I led a group in the study of Spiritual Gifts and how they can be applied to the workplace. Each woman in the study is a business owner and each desires to live out her own Christian life adventure. This study revealed their top Spiritual Gifts and we discussed how each was or could be applied daily through their work.

Spiritual Gifts are given when we need them. They are meant to edify the group. They can reflect natural abilities but are often surprises on the adventure. Recognizing them can be a challenge; allowing God to use them is your choice.  I wanted to see the diversity of our group and how we complemented one another.

One woman has the Faith gift. She did not know how that fit into her adventure. Faith is defined as belief that God will do things that are impossible for us apart from His intervention. She had been dealing with cancer that had reoccurred. Her attitude has always remained positive. Those in her office see her as calm, steady, and assured that everything will work out. She hadn’t seen that her Faith was sticking out all over the place as she trusted God for the results of treatment.

Another woman has the Pastoring gift. She laughed when this result came to light. At first she felt that she could not possibly have a gift she thought was reserved for Pastors. But the definition for Pastoring is caring consistently for the personal needs of others through personalized counseling and coaching. While she is not a coach, she is a listener. God has given her many opportunities to pour into other’s lives. She is a magnet for those hurting and in need of comfort.

Each has her own adventure. Within our small group we have Administration, Teaching, Connecting, and Hospitality gifts. Each woman contributes to our group in her unique way. Each gives a perspective that brings richness to our group and fulfills the needs of someone else.

You have an adventure too. Your GIFTS are for you to share. Choosing to serve God and others through your gifts brings an awareness of God to the world. You SHINE for Him.

The Christian life is an adventure. It is a daily commitment to see your world through God’s eyes. Ask Him to help you choose the right next step. God is surprising and He will sometimes give you a choice that seems different than anything you would choose. That’s when He says, “Do you trust me with your adventure?”

Your story continues. You may not be able to go back and make a different choice in the adventure, but you can move forward in your story and make choices that create the Christian adventure God has for YOU. You are right where you need to be. Ride the adventure in His strength by connecting to Him. Your choices will be easy.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. Your Personalized Faith Plan is waiting for you. Find your uniqueness and make your adventure count for God.

 

Get Out of the Trap

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Have you ever felt like your life is a puzzle but you have one piece, or a few pieces, missing? There is always someone else who is smarter, prettier, taller, nicer, tanner, kinder . . . should I go on? You know that comparison is a trap. I know it too. But I still get stuck in it, sometimes. What you need, and me too, is a plan to get out of the trap as soon as we know we are in it.

In the social media world of today we get caught in this trap on many levels. It can be a trap about our parenting style, our eating preferences, or our business choices. We are constantly able to see how everyone else is doing because it is all out there. I am exhausted just thinking about the perfect women in cyber world.

God created you perfect for what He planned for you. Your puzzle pieces have been selected exactly for you. AND, you have all your pieces! So, let’s first look at a plan to get your eyes off ‘them’ and placed on you. Better yet, on God.

God tells us in Philippians 4:8 to “. . . Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. . . “ Did you notice that there is an AND between each word? When that happens in writing it means you are adding depth, not more.

One piece of your puzzle is your expertise. Especially for your business activities. The trap is that you may see others with a degree or certificate in what you are offering, yet you have none. This was true for me when I started to call myself a coach. BUT, God.

Let’s run that thought through the verse.  What is true? I had been coaching many people about how to do their business better by helping them through their goals and action steps. What is honorable? I could give them a direction and plan for moving forward in a positive way. What is right? They were succeeding in their business through what I was teaching. What was pure? They were following God’s calling on their lives. What was lovely? I was developing lasting relationships with each person so that they were enriching my life. What was admirable? Together we were pursuing God’s calling on each of our lives and keeping one another accountable.

I became a coach without having the credentials. I had the expertise because I pursued excellence in learning how I could help others. It interested me and I learned on my own. It is something that came natural to me and I loved doing.

That is what you need to call yourself the ‘expert’. God has equipped you to do what He has called you to do. Figure it out. 🙂  You may want to study in a traditional setting, and your calling might include that. But, don’t limit yourself if you feel God tugging at your heart. Explore it fully and give yourself a thorough evaluation of your skills.

Another piece to your puzzle is your experience. This is another area where a degree is not required. The trap here is that you feel you don’t have the ‘right’ experience. BUT, God.

He has you go through things so you learn more about Him and so you can speak truth into others. Those difficult experiences are vital for you to be refined so you reflect Christ in your life. Those good things in your life are just as important to give you a way of approaching your business in a way that is authentic to you.

The worse experience in my life has become the catalyst for everything I am doing now. AND, a load of other experiences (e.g., drama, mission work, homeshooling) are filling in the unique parts of what I offer through my business.

Again, let’s put these experiences through the Philippians 4:8 filter to get out of the trap. What is true? I was diagnosed with MS while homeschooling my then six and ten-year-old daughters, going to Graduate school, and working a small business teaching Spanish. What was honorable? God was teaching me what true dependence on Him really looked like in my life so I could grow into a wise woman of faith. What was right? That I could speak into others’ lives about His goodness, His provision, His desire to want a relationship with them first and then use their businesses to bring Him glory. What was pure? That through suffering I was learning more about who I was and how God had creatively and uniquely designed me to be an equipper of others. What was lovely? That He showed me how the things I excelled at were the perfect fit for what He would have me do next in my business. What was admirable? That I learned to trust Him and was able to step into the next thing He had for me over and over again on this adventure of connecting my faith and business.

I am still surprised at how He uses the little things I have learned or experienced to bring me into a new place in my business. What He wants is obedience. He wants you to take the next step. You may have a big vision, a God-sized dream, but have you handed God each part of you for Him to use? Your experiences and your expertise work into your business in a unique way. God created you perfect for your calling. Get the clarity you need and get out of the trap.

Join my list bit.ly/PutMeOnList for more information about the Calling Clarity Course.

It begins with a day workshop where we will explore your business vision and the parts that make up you. You will be given tools as we advance together.

Then, 8 weeks of virtual meetings to check in with your assignments and to mastermind. (Assignments will be checklists, assessments, and journaling.)

The last part includes a weekend Retreat. We will put together all the things that make up YOU. You will know who you are, Whose you are, and how YOU can make a difference with your business.

You will walk away from this course knowing how you show up in your industry unlike anyone else. You will know God’s plan for you right now and show up whole, holy, and authentic in your business.

Get on ‘The List’ for even more details and information. No obligation. Click bit.ly/PutMeOnList and subscribe.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

You are Gifted to Live Out Your Purpose

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There is no one that has ever existed that is exactly like you. No one else has your combination of personality, talents, and strengths. That should make you feel special. BUT, I’ll bet you are still trying to imitate someone you admire to get ahead in your business. Ooops!

You have innate abilities, things that come easy to you. God gives you these as clues to your purpose. AND, if He has called you, if you have a pull in your heart to do something, then He has given you all you need to fulfill His calling. Believe it.

Remember, you are called by God first into relationship with Him; then He calls you to go out and tell the world about Him (Matt 28:18-19); your specific method to do that has been given to you by God through your business vision. Woo Hoo!

This vertical relationship starts with you meeting with your Boss. Getting to know Him through a daily time of Prayer and Bible Reading. Don’t neglect this first step to understanding what God says about you so you know yourself better.

I also love taking assessments about my personality and my strengths. They are a fun way to get to know yourself too. What do they reveal about what God wants you to do? How can you show up in your business uniquely you?

That’s where I come in, the synthesizer.  I can put a spotlight on you and magnify your equipping to show you how to use it for His glory. bit.ly/PutMeOnList God has equipped me to equip you; He wants YOU in the marketplace showing who He is to others through your business.

Where are you right now on your Faith & Business adventure? Which describes you?

At the beginning of my adventure  

My relationship with God is not stellar yet

 
On the uphill of my adventure  

I am going slow, not sure what the exact vision looks like yet, I have a desire, and not sure how I am wired so I show up uniquely

 
At the top of the hill of my adventure  

I am excited, I see the possibilities of what I can do with my business vision, but I must make sure, I want more clarity when it comes to how I show up in the marketplace

 
Running full speed down the slope of my adventure  

I want more of God; I want to make sure I am using all the abilities He has given me to do what He wants with my business so I give Him glory in all things

 

 

No matter where you are on the adventure my offer is for you. bit.ly/PutMeOnList It begins with a day workshop where we will explore your business vision and the parts that make up you. You will be given tools to use as we advance together.

Then, 8 weeks of virtual meetings to check in and to mastermind. You will get 8 minutes in the Hot Seat so everyone can pour into you. Assignments will be checklists, assessments, and journaling.

The last part includes a weekend Retreat. We will put together all the things that make up YOU. You will know who you are and Whose you are. There will be a time of Silence & Solitude; time for a one-on-one with me; and time for group sharing.

You will walk away from this course knowing how you can show up in your industry unlike anyone else. You will know God’s plan for you right now and show up whole, holy, and authentic in your business.

Get on ‘The List’ for even more details and information. No obligation. Click bit.ly/PutMeOnList to email me and let me know you are interested.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

8 Practical Principles to Connect Faith & Business

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Do you ever wonder why you have this idea for a business in your head? Is there a dream that you have had ruminating around inside of you for a while? Do you have vision of doing something greater? It is good.

That God-given vision along with your specific set of skills, talents, gifts, and experiences brings your uniqueness into the world. No one has ever existed just like you and God has given you a purpose, a job, to do what only you can accomplish. Let’s look at God’s design.

A Plan-

God created you to work. From the beginning, Eve was created to be a helper. And, as a helper she was mandated to work alongside Adam for the physical work of caring for the garden.  They are told to be fruitful and multiply as well as subdue and govern it. Both intellectual work and physical work have no distinction for God. There is no mention about which type of work is more important or more ‘godly’.  All work is necessary and Good.

A Perspective-

As a believer in Jesus you have your position, your business, to do something.  God calls you a living stone that He is building to offer spiritual sacrifices pleasing to Him (1 Pet 2:5).  You are chosen as a royal priest to show others the goodness of God (1 Pet 2:9). Like Esther, you are royalty in the Marketplace. God has called you to the marketplace for His specific purpose. No one else has your set of credentials to do the job He has called you to do.

A Personality-

Only you can show up as you in your business and life. God never asks you to change your personality, but He does change you. You are unique and so was Lydia. A woman with her own style!  Flamboyant, friendly and successful. And, she loved God! (Acts 16:15) A woman just like you, merging her two worlds by staying culturally relevant as she stayed positioned to share her faith.

A Prayer-

God gives supernatural gifts so you can live out His calling on your life. Rahab trusted God even when she didn’t know Him. She believed in a power more than herself and put her faith in that power.  She knew she could not control the situation she was in or rely on her own strength for survival. Look to God to do big things.  Trust God to give you exactly what you need, when you need it, to do exactly what He wants you to do to move forward and work in your business.

A Person-

Building supportive relationships is essential for your business. You are never alone. God brings specific people into your life to give you strength and encouragement to do what He has called you to do. Priscilla was that type of relationship for Paul. A friendship that was business and spiritual. By working together each day, you too build relationships with people in the office, in networking groups, and in other business dealings.  This provides an opportunity for you to connect with other believers for mutual support.

A Prudence-

Statistics say it takes ten years of focused study to become an expert in any field and building a reputation can take just as long. Huldah understood this well. She spent her entire life in the pursuit of knowledge.  Her world and today’s world are the same.  Everyone is doing their own thing and there is no moral authority. You may feel like it doesn’t matter what you do or how you act; that no one is paying attention. Know this, the things you do that go beyond the expectations of your customers, clients, colleagues and co-workers builds the reputation God wants for you.

A Promotion-

Seeing the activities of your entire life, specifically your work, to give God glory is the starting point. There is no difference between the sacred and the secular.  Martha shows us there is not.  As she led her household she had many responsibilities.  She was never asked to give that up as she followed Christ.  Her work served the kingdom and is God-given.  It was necessary work to fulfill God’s plan for her and to bring Him glory.  Jesus wanted Martha’s heart but never told her to separate her work-life from her faith-life.  He wanted her work to have purpose and meaning.  He wants that for you too.

A Provision-

God calls you to pursue excellence no matter your circumstance. You can never overlook the importance of your work by the size of your bank accounts, your popularity in the market, or by your position at the company.  God is looking at your heart, your devotion to Him, and shaping your character to be more like His.  Ruth’s story shows her doing just that, pursuing excellence, as she worked in the fields, gleaning grain to survive. She is our example of showing a good attitude and doing your best. God is giving you the power each day to get up and go do. Don’t depend on your own ability to make it happen, depend on God to make it all work out for your benefit.

The Bible is full of examples of women just like you. Did you know? God designed you for NOW. Follow that God-given dream and connect your faith and business.

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen