I was running a restaurant in New Orleans and each night nearing the closing hour one of the owners, or a manager or two, would sit down with a glass of wine, or two, while the staff was closing down. They always asked me to join them.
Now I was a new Christian, but it was the idea of loafing while everyone else worked, that bothered me more than the wine.
I guess I was a fish out of water. I somehow was hired as the General Manager without any restaurant experience. Tell me God wasn’t some how connected.
Maybe He thought this was just the learning experience I needed. A new Christian in a very secular industry. It was a great initiation.
I was on my knees praying for help daily. I didn’t know if God cared about my business life or if it was okay to pray about business.
It was prayer or face the 6’4″ gnarly Head Chef all by myself when I told him the special wasn’t working and to take it off the menu.
I chose prayer.
But, I wondered. I wondered if I was doing it wrong.
Not the restaurant thing.
The Christian thing.
Seriously…I wanted to know if God cared about my business. Was I breaking some prayer rule to pray about work?
Then I Switched to A Christian Business
Within a couple of years I was able to make some major transitions and become a Christian business coach and a Christian mental health counselor. I was making sure that the King of the Universe was the center of my business.
But my questions were still the same. Did God care about my business? Was it okay to pray about it?
I Studied the Bible to Find the Answers
As a new Christian I was studying the bible voraciously. Okay, I admit at first I was trying to figure out if I had to give up all forms of cussing to follow Christ.
What a joke! That was the least of what Christ wanted from me.
I had to hold on tight to God’s Word. It was my lifeline to Jesus.
I learned that the bible has a lot to say about business just as Brad Harmon recently shared in his guest post What Does the Bible Say About My Business?
Looking At God and Our Business from Many Different Angles
Over the past couple of years, as these questions have plagued me, I explored them from several angles:
- Am I doing my part to include God in my business? (You know the who goes first thing.)
- Does God Care about my Business?
- Is their a correlation: Is Success Greater if We Include God? (The rest of the world doesn’t seem to think so.)
Every angle and path lead to the same conclusion; a resounding YES!
I have found that even though my studies and my prayers and my stepping out in faith have brought me to the undeniable conclusion that God cares about all facets of our lives, I still need a reminder from time to time.
Past Posts on the Subject of God in Our Business
Maybe you do too. Here are a few posts where I explored these angles. Reviewing them gave me that reminder. I hope it works for you too. I hope they reconnect you, as they reconnected me, to the Truth that:
God Absolutely Cares About My Business
…because it is a part of my life. He cares about ALL parts of our lives!
Am I Really Following God in My Business?
Exploring the Correlation of Our Relationship with God to Our Business Health
How to Tell if Your Vision is a God Vision?
Applying a Panoramic God View to My Business
A Simple Plan to Reflect God in Your Business
And last but not least,
Does God Care About Our Business?
He Is Still Our Greatest Point of Difference!
Why is it so hard to believe that He not only cares about our business, but that He is also our greatest point of difference?
Is it because the rest of the world mocks the possibility?
Is it because we are afraid to embrace the truth?
Are we worried we may be using God for our own gain?
Or do our egos refuse to let go and give away the glory?
Christ told us to pick up our cross and follow Him. We are to give up our lives and follow Him. A 24/7 commitment. Therefore, I have to conclude that God would inevitably include “following Him” in our businesses too!
Have you ever struggled with this? Do you have a different thought process that brought you to the conclusion that God is interested in our business life?
Please share your comments here as you reflect on the difference God makes in your business. Also, this is a great summary post to share with other Christians in business. Tell them we would love for them to join us!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
He absolutely cares and thank you for reminding us of that. Too often, we separate our work, our family and our faith into neat compartments.
he can handle it all! Now, we just need to do it…
I have been trying to open two businesses for the last year. I have waited on God to tell me if it is His will for me to do so, and it seems as if he is saying absolutely nothing. I am so afraid that I have not moved to do anything else toward opening either business. My uncle just recently came to me and sasid that he wantd to invest in my bussinesses and took me to the bank to withdraw money and gave it to me. I was so excited. However I still think God has not spoken to me as to if I am to move forward or not.
Hi Tami, Obviously I do not know the background on the businesses, but when I am uncertain, in addition to constantly praying, I just take steps forward. I trust that if it is not God’s will, and only He knows if I am really seeking it, then He will close the door. You must truly want God’s will since you are waiting to hear from Him. Think about taking steps forward, continuing to pray, and asking God to close the doors if this isn’t His plan. I will pray for you too!