Monday, 26 April 2010
Start and Run your own business God's way!
I am not a business pro or have the magic formula but I do know that everything that God has a hand in succeeds. The business that you start and one that will succeed is within the gift that God has imparted into your life. It’s very easy to get carried away doing what everyone else is doing because you see that people have been blessed in that area, but is that what God has called you to do?
Psalm 139 15-16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Everyone has been blessed with a gift. A gift that you have been born with and guess what, that gift can never be taken away from you.
Romans 11:29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
So you have been born with the gift that is natural and will give you the breakthrough you need in every area of your life.
So how do we identify these gifts?
First you need to get on your knees in prayer and call on God to open the eyes of your heart, to give you direction, to let your gift make way for you.
Luke 11:19 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Next you need to do a soul search. What do you enjoy doing, giving a chance that you are financially secure, what will you enjoy spending your time doing? What are your interests? What sort of work will you happily do now without being paid for and that you will really enjoy?
Then speak to your partner if you have one, your parents, your siblings, your mentor and your genuine friends. What strengths do they see in you? Ask your parents what you enjoyed doing most as a child. You will be surprised that your gift has just been there staring you in the face.
There are lots of business ideas and opportunities that can be developed from the call of God on our lives. Some people are very good at talking, writing, singing, giving advice, acting, buying, selling, nursing, teaching and the list goes on. The thing is behind every single one of these gift there is a business idea. I have heard of a lady that set up a business helping busy rich people shop for their kids, themselves, their houses and their vacation. She loves shopping, she has since built good relationships with the big stores, she gets invitation to all the UK fashion shows, she gets inside information about sales and has now employed people that help to serve her clients and has also expanded to help people organise their wardrobes, ensuring colour co-ordination and seasonal clothes are always within easy reach for these people. If this was done by a Christian, imagine the opportunity to talk to influential people about Christ?
There are lots of ideas out there and most successful ones come from what people enjoy doing the most.
Its great to identify one’s gift but what separates the successful people from those not successful is what you do about your gift.
Romans 12:6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
It is easy to say oh I can do this very well or I can do that very well but you do not do anything. Every successful business needs perseverance and hard work. Every talent one has needs to be nurtured and it takes constant practice to perfect one’s art. Look at the athletes, the Olympic medallists don’t say because they have won the Olympics, they now need to do nothing. They constantly push themselves and keep practicing. I once saw a very rich celebrity who recently had a baby and had lost all the weight, in the interview she said she went to the gym twice a day because her work depends on her looks. Well we could say that is vanity but guess what she got up and did something that will help to feed her family. I told my husband the lady is so lucky to be able to afford the gym and all these personal trainers, my husband replied “actually you do not need all the money to lose the weight. You can do simple exercises at home early in the morning and before you go to bed”. I do not need all the money, what I need is discipline which is what a lot of us lack.
You need to get out there, equip your self, do a lot of research and make your gift work for you. You don’t need millions or thousands to start a successful business. Alexander McQueen (May his soul rest in peace) was discovered at his college fashion show and delivered his first designs in a black bin bag
I have also learnt from successful people that their lifestyles did not change as soon as they started their businesses, they did not spend the money before they made. They save and save and save. They deprived themselves of things they were used to just to give their business the chance to flourish. They did not immediately buy all the latest fashion items. My mother had to cut out TV from her life to give her time to focus on her business. What are the things occupying your time now that are not making a positive difference in your life? What are you spending your earnings on now that you could give up to save enough to start your business? You can cut them out now and create time to invest in your future.
In all of these one thing you must do is remember to keep calling on God, make sure he is alongside you every step of the way by constant prayer and if needed fasting.
James 5:16(New living translation) The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
God is there willing to hear you out and answer your prayer. Remember the business you are starting is within the gift that God has given to you, so if you continue to include him in all your plans you are bound to succeed.
1 John 5:14-15 (NLT) And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
You must also learn to give to the needy. There is a simple principle that if your hands are always opened, you can receive but if you close them you cannot receive it. God’s biggest calling on our lives is to show love. The bible says that if you have all the gifts in this life and do not have love, you are nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.
In everything God wants us to show love to everyone around us and to show love, you need to help the needy, you need to be selfless in your treatment of everyone around you. God calls us to love him and then to love our neighbours as ourselves. If you want your business to succeed, you need to be in the business of giving to the needy and showing love. Some of the most successful and biggest organisation in the world that do not have any Christian ethos give away lots to charities year after year and guess what just because they obey that principle, God blesses them.
Finally be honest with your self. Not everyone is born to set up a business. If everyone in the world had their own business, there will be no employees even for your own business! Your day job is your business if that is what you have been called to do. Get more information than your employer is willing to give and do your job to the best of your ability. Trust me you will be rewarded. Use the skills and knowledge you have learned at work to help your local community, your church, your child’s school and even your family members. That is your business. You do not have to earn money from using your God given gift. All I know is you will always have a sense of peace and satisfaction from using your gift.
God bless you as you ponder on these words and may he open the eyes of your heart, give you wisdom and direction as you take the next step in your life.
Psalm 139 15-16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Everyone has been blessed with a gift. A gift that you have been born with and guess what, that gift can never be taken away from you.
Romans 11:29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
So you have been born with the gift that is natural and will give you the breakthrough you need in every area of your life.
So how do we identify these gifts?
First you need to get on your knees in prayer and call on God to open the eyes of your heart, to give you direction, to let your gift make way for you.
Luke 11:19 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Next you need to do a soul search. What do you enjoy doing, giving a chance that you are financially secure, what will you enjoy spending your time doing? What are your interests? What sort of work will you happily do now without being paid for and that you will really enjoy?
Then speak to your partner if you have one, your parents, your siblings, your mentor and your genuine friends. What strengths do they see in you? Ask your parents what you enjoyed doing most as a child. You will be surprised that your gift has just been there staring you in the face.
There are lots of business ideas and opportunities that can be developed from the call of God on our lives. Some people are very good at talking, writing, singing, giving advice, acting, buying, selling, nursing, teaching and the list goes on. The thing is behind every single one of these gift there is a business idea. I have heard of a lady that set up a business helping busy rich people shop for their kids, themselves, their houses and their vacation. She loves shopping, she has since built good relationships with the big stores, she gets invitation to all the UK fashion shows, she gets inside information about sales and has now employed people that help to serve her clients and has also expanded to help people organise their wardrobes, ensuring colour co-ordination and seasonal clothes are always within easy reach for these people. If this was done by a Christian, imagine the opportunity to talk to influential people about Christ?
There are lots of ideas out there and most successful ones come from what people enjoy doing the most.
Its great to identify one’s gift but what separates the successful people from those not successful is what you do about your gift.
Romans 12:6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
It is easy to say oh I can do this very well or I can do that very well but you do not do anything. Every successful business needs perseverance and hard work. Every talent one has needs to be nurtured and it takes constant practice to perfect one’s art. Look at the athletes, the Olympic medallists don’t say because they have won the Olympics, they now need to do nothing. They constantly push themselves and keep practicing. I once saw a very rich celebrity who recently had a baby and had lost all the weight, in the interview she said she went to the gym twice a day because her work depends on her looks. Well we could say that is vanity but guess what she got up and did something that will help to feed her family. I told my husband the lady is so lucky to be able to afford the gym and all these personal trainers, my husband replied “actually you do not need all the money to lose the weight. You can do simple exercises at home early in the morning and before you go to bed”. I do not need all the money, what I need is discipline which is what a lot of us lack.
You need to get out there, equip your self, do a lot of research and make your gift work for you. You don’t need millions or thousands to start a successful business. Alexander McQueen (May his soul rest in peace) was discovered at his college fashion show and delivered his first designs in a black bin bag
I have also learnt from successful people that their lifestyles did not change as soon as they started their businesses, they did not spend the money before they made. They save and save and save. They deprived themselves of things they were used to just to give their business the chance to flourish. They did not immediately buy all the latest fashion items. My mother had to cut out TV from her life to give her time to focus on her business. What are the things occupying your time now that are not making a positive difference in your life? What are you spending your earnings on now that you could give up to save enough to start your business? You can cut them out now and create time to invest in your future.
In all of these one thing you must do is remember to keep calling on God, make sure he is alongside you every step of the way by constant prayer and if needed fasting.
James 5:16(New living translation) The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
God is there willing to hear you out and answer your prayer. Remember the business you are starting is within the gift that God has given to you, so if you continue to include him in all your plans you are bound to succeed.
1 John 5:14-15 (NLT) And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
You must also learn to give to the needy. There is a simple principle that if your hands are always opened, you can receive but if you close them you cannot receive it. God’s biggest calling on our lives is to show love. The bible says that if you have all the gifts in this life and do not have love, you are nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.
In everything God wants us to show love to everyone around us and to show love, you need to help the needy, you need to be selfless in your treatment of everyone around you. God calls us to love him and then to love our neighbours as ourselves. If you want your business to succeed, you need to be in the business of giving to the needy and showing love. Some of the most successful and biggest organisation in the world that do not have any Christian ethos give away lots to charities year after year and guess what just because they obey that principle, God blesses them.
Finally be honest with your self. Not everyone is born to set up a business. If everyone in the world had their own business, there will be no employees even for your own business! Your day job is your business if that is what you have been called to do. Get more information than your employer is willing to give and do your job to the best of your ability. Trust me you will be rewarded. Use the skills and knowledge you have learned at work to help your local community, your church, your child’s school and even your family members. That is your business. You do not have to earn money from using your God given gift. All I know is you will always have a sense of peace and satisfaction from using your gift.
God bless you as you ponder on these words and may he open the eyes of your heart, give you wisdom and direction as you take the next step in your life.
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