I was never much of a businessman. In fact, the whole realm of business was foreign to me and with xenophobic zeal I insisted that it would remain that way.
I was conflicted. As a minister and church planting missionary it seemed less than beneficial to spread my energies and attentions across too many demanding disciplines. I felt far more comfortable being creative in public speaking and evangelism that I ever did in business. To me, business was full of folks less than happy chasing after something that would never satisfy.
Forgive me. I’m just sitting here in the confessional. I’m not saying it’s right.
Plus I was woefully insecure.
Money scared me.
So you can only imagine my horror 5 or 6 years ago, when due to circumstance I stepped out of ‘ministry’ and into the workplace.
As a graphic designer and web site builder my skills were rusty to say the least. My portfolio of work was sparse. On top of that any open doors for reasonable creative work were flooded with hundreds of applicants. Most of them 21 year old geniuses!
I knew I needed a solution that did not depend on my natural giftedness. Your creative gifts can only take you so far on their own steam.
And then I found my answer…
“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18
Papa would anoint these same hands that had healed the sick and cast out devils to create wealth! His power of grace could be applied to building a business in the same way it works to build a church.
What a revelation and a relief.
The financial future of my family did and does not depend on me alone. I have a very good business partner. The best in fact. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the hidden treasures in the oceans and well, pretty much everything that exists. That’s a great investor to have backing you as you step out. On top of that, He is my best friend, a marvellous mentor, a patient partner and my Dad.
The odds stack in my favour.
I can believe for business breakthrough in the same way as any other faith project.
If I take time to hear His counsel on how to apply my creativity to money generation I am virtually guaranteed to step forward into success – success incidentally, not in comparison to others or measured by the world, but entirely fitting with my own unique set of giftings and personality.
Roll forward five years.
Roll may may be an exaggeration. Trip and stumble and cry and hope and try and fail and fear and pray forward five years.
Believing is not as easy or unruffled as some would have you believe.
This was an entirely new realm for me, one historically I had been terrified by. It was not an easy journey buoying my heart when ideas fell flat, or bills taunted me and poked my fear of failure and inadequacy buttons.
But I kept believing. I kept coming back again and again to the knowledge that I was not alone in business, and that my success would not be based on my own limited and trembling capacity, but on God’s boundless generosity.
Deuteronomy 8:18 works.
I hit my first 17k month in August. And that was just from self published books. Other creative projects were also bubbling away in the background, obedient to 8:18. Some ideas make me money month after month years after their completion.
No compromise. No need to twist and turn and sear my own conscience in the process.
My daily business powwow takes place in the early hours of the morning. Papa is there, head of the table, Jesus, my awesome business partner sits alongside me, unashamed and proud to be related, and wow, the genius Holy Ghost is there with ideas beyond my wildest dreams, laying out blueprints for our future projects together.
It is quite a formidable board of directors actually. As the junior entrepreneurial partner in my own business enterprise I’m happy I don’t have to be something or someone I am not.
The fears that held me bound in fear for some many years, were unfounded.
Creativity can be applied to the wealth generating side of your projects just as well as the content creation.
Invite the Holy Spirit today to take the senior position in your creative business today. Arrange a board meeting for 5am tomorrow morning. He already has ideas ready to share…
He is the Best Business Partner!
