God Gave us An Example of a Successful Entrepreneur to Follow in Proverbs 31. We Can Employ Our Faith in Entrepreneurship.
You, Entrepreneur, Are Worth More than Rubies
It is possible to incorporate faith in entrepreneurship. As Christian entrepreneurs, we must employ our faith in our decisions. We have an example with the Proverbs 31 woman. Proverbs 31 begins “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than Rubies.”
Whether you are a wife or not, you are worth more than rubies. Your worth is not founded on earthly success, looks, or follower count. God values you, loves you, and holds you safe no matter your earthly status. Recognizing your worth in God’s eyes is important for answering your calling and believing that God will guide you along your journey.
Discover Your Purpose, Your Calling
The Proverbs woman worked with eager hands. She always made sure that all were provided for. As entrepreneurs today, we are called to serve whether for our clients, families, or others. The ability to serve comes from clarity and confidence in our calling, our purpose.
You’ve heard me mention my equation for identifying purpose, Values + Visions + Passions = Purpose. If you haven’t identified your calling or are struggling with clarity, I suggest you grab a pen and paper and make three lists. List your values, your visions, and your passions. Somewhere on those lists, there will be similarities, and where those similarities fall, is where you will identify your calling or purpose. Before doing this exercise, pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you, to give you the wisdom that the Proverbs 31 woman had.
An Example of Faith in Entrepreneurship
The Proverbs 31 woman is an example to follow. She revered God and because of that reverence, he gave her the abilities, skills, and tools, she needed to serve those he called her to serve. Most importantly, she used all of her talents and skills for the good of others, she didn’t keep them to herself.
This is key to the success of modern-day entrepreneurs. To use the talents and skills you’ve been given. When God places an idea in your heart, he wants you to take action to make that idea come to fruition. He doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.
Faith in Entrepreneurship Can Help You Take Action
If you have identified your purpose but are afraid to take action, afraid of making mistakes or failing, trust that you will be equipped. God will equip you with the skills and tools you need to accomplish every necessary action. Remember, if you don’t act on your calling, you are doing a disservice to yourself and to those God is calling you to serve. There are people who need you, who have a problem that only you can solve for them.
The Proverbs 31 woman worked with her hands, she invested her earnings, she cooked, cleaned, and sewed. She was a mom, a wife, an investor, a saleswoman, a manager, an educator, and a philanthropist. How can we compare ourselves to her? It seems impossible, yet we can because God provides everything we need to accomplish what he has called us to do.
Look at all you accomplish in a day. I bet you fall into every job description that the Proverbs 31 woman does.
Fear Can Hold You Back But Faith Will Move You Forward
Speaking of being a saleswoman. Most of us don’t like to sell, there is a level of fear involved in selling. Fear of rejection or fear of failure. The thought of selling brings up a lot of what-ifs. But if we have a calling and our intentions are coming from a place of service, we don’t have to sell. As you create a personal brand as the foundation of your business and focus on serving those you are called to serve, you can connect and convert without selling, at least not in a sleazy way.
The Proverbs 31 Woman sold the goods she made, clothing, food, and wine. You may or may not have a product to sell and often times it is harder to sell a service than a product. Therefore, if you are a service provider, it is important to build relationships with your audience. Educate them on what you do, how you do it, and why you do it. Your brand journey will resonate and sell for you as you build relationships.
When I say sell without selling, this is what I mean. You share your journey, your why, the what, and how of your brand and business, and build trust. Trust determines buying practices and thus the more clarity you have with your calling, the more you will be able to share your journey and story confidently. The more people see your confidence in your who, what, why, and how, the more confidence people will have in you, which means they will trust you more.
Hope Comes to Mind
A lack of confidence fuels fear, but having hope and trust in God fuels confidence.
Faith to Trust
God wants you to trust him the way you want your audience to trust you. If you let fear of selling hold you back, you won’t be able to serve. Trust that God will give you the wisdom to say what’s necessary to resonate with your audience and gain their trust.
Showing Up Authentically Matters
The beauty of the Proverbs 31 woman was never mentioned. We know she was clothed in strength and dignity, but there is no mention of her outward appearance. Why does this matter to you and me as entrepreneurs? Because if we are here to serve, what does our outward appearance matter? I’m not saying show up looking a hot mess every day. But show up as your true self and be confident in the gifts you have to share. When you provide value and come from a place of service to others, showing up authentically (without filters) will help you develop deeper connections with your audience.
Fear comes up again. What if people think I look bad, what if my clothes aren’t good enough? People won’t hire me if I’m not as pretty as so and so.
If God has placed a calling on your heart, it is important for you to show up, however, you can show up to serve. It isn’t your job to worry about what other people think of you. If people judge you for your appearance, or for showing up authentically, that is their problem. God will make sure that the people you are meant to serve will resonate with you and see the value you provide. He has a plan for you and that plan involves you showing up so that the people who need you can find you.
Speak with Wisdom
I am not saying that you have to shout your faith from the rooftops every day to incorporate your faith into your entrepreneurship journey. However, if you are a Christian entrepreneur, trusting in God to lead you and guide you is a daily exercise.
When we are running through life chasing the next thing on our to-do lists, it is hard to hear God speaking to us. This is where tapping into that feminine energy, being, comes into play.
Stop doing and simply be. Use journaling as a tool to communicate with God. Write your prayers, document the things you are grateful for, and write your goals and needs. Meditate. There are guided meditations that you can use so that it isn’t so overwhelming when you begin. It hasn’t been easy for me to sit and be. That is why journaling has helped me so much. I can write my thoughts and prayers and trust that God sees them and will answer them. Likewise, I started with guided Christian meditations that incorporated Bible verses and prayers with music. It has been amazing how peace comes over me and how I hear the Holy Spirit talking to me.
Realizing that that may sound a little crazy, but as I mentioned before, if you have an idea, that is God calling you. God asking you to do something. The Holy Spirit dropping hints for you.
We truly have to stop and listen in order to move forward. This is where wisdom comes from. The wisdom that the Proverbs 31 woman had that you have at your fingertips if you are willing to pause and accept the messages.
The strength and dignity of the Proverbs 31 woman were a result of her reverence of God, not from her own actions or abilities. The same holds true for us today.
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