Today, I'm sharing some scripture three bible verses to encourage you that have come for me in the last month or so. I thought this would be a great way to kick off January (or really, any time we as business owners are goal setting and vision casting in our business). I think these verses will be encouraging to you and they can also be really great things to pray over your business this year.
Once you’re done listening, I would even encourage you to look these up in your own Bible and read them in the context of the whole chapter (really explore them and read them in different translations and all of that good stuff!).
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“The people who know their God will display strength and take action.” - Daniel 11:32
The first piece of scripture is from Daniel 11:32 which says, “the people who know their God will display strength and take action”. This verse to me is a calling as a business owner, as a wife, as a mama, as a woman of faith to know God. The people who know their God will display strength and take action. Knowing God in the many decisions you'll have to make this year (and today), and in your personal and professional life is so important. I know for me, I want to be a businesswoman who displays strength and takes thoughtful action.
In business (and really all areas of life), how many times are you faced with decisions where you don’t know what to do? The presence of God in us can cause us to reflect his reality in our world.
Here’s a quote from Sally Clarkson (from her devotional book, “Mom Heart Moment”). I personally did it last year and am doing it again this year. Here’s what she said:
“What does it mean to display strength? We face constant challenges in which we could be discouraged or bitter or develop a victim mentality that suggests we are unfairly limited by our difficult circumstances. However, this verse in Daniel suggests that even in every circumstance when one is walking with God, strength will be available.
Taking action means taking initiative to do something, pursuing the harvest field of the lost, working diligently, and engaging resources for much-needed kingdom work. Passivity and laziness are never seen in the character of God.
Consequently, when we are in the presence of God and are in his word daily, we see that he has compassion on the poor, so we have compassion for the poor. He is holy, so we are to be holy. He forgives us so we are compelled to forgive. He is the servant leader, so we serve those around us. “
I would like to ask you a few things with this (that I'm asking myself too!).
- First, how can I be in the word of God more? Not just reading it but really looking at how Jesus acts and how can I apply what's happening in this story to my own life in a very practical way
- How can I act as a business owner this year, and again as a mother, as a wife, as a friend, in all the roles we play, but how can I really show up better?
- Knowing God is the first step of that. How can we know God better? We talk to him, and we read his word.
I love Jen Wilkins saying, “the heart cannot love what the mind does not know”. That saying always sticks with me as I think about why reading the Bible is so important (versus just praying or reading a devotional book or attending church or whatever else you could do).
I know for me, I want to be in scripture even more intentionally this year. And I'd ask yourself to do some closing questions with the scripture.
- What are ways you can display strength in your own life?
- What are ways that maybe God is calling you to take action today and in this year?
- What are some things you could do to tactically be in the word of God more this year so that God can be the guiding decision-maker for you as you take action in your business?
Read More: How to Read the Bible in a Year
John 15: 1-8
From the MSG translation, it reads
1-3 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
4 “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
5-8 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
In this scripture, Jesus is describing himself as the vine, and God as the gardener, and I don't know about you, but I've struggled at times with this scripture because I don't know anything about winemaking. I certainly love me some wine, but I do not know anything about making wine in a vineyard from grapes or anything like that.
However, something I've thought about with this scripture is flowers in a vase. Let me explain - I think it can help make this verse land more practically in a way that we see it in everyday life.
A flower, when it's cut off from its branch, is so beautiful and when we take it home, we put it in a vase, and we can temporarily enjoy it. But even when we give it fresh water, and we put that little flower powder packet that's supposed to keep it healthy, it is going to die eventually because it’s been cut off from its original source.
I think of us as humans, as Christians, and how it's like, perhaps you are thriving for a while completely cut off from Jesus (just like that flower in a vase looks gorgeous). But ultimately, when you're cut off from your source, it doesn't last.
The scripture says you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me and that when you're joined with Jesus, and he's joined with you, the harvest is sure to be abundant. I love that phrase.
This even goes back to scripture reading from Daniel we just talked about, because in this scripture in John, Jesus says, “If you make yourself at home with me, and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon”.
So as you set goals for the year (or at any time in your business) and you do these action items to get started, the thing I take from this is, “How can I ultimately stay connected to Jesus through it all and not be cut off from my source?”
Read More: 4 Encouraging Bible Verses For When Business Feels Overwhelming And Uncertain
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“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
Fun fact: this verse is actually on a lot of my templates. It’s one of my all time favorite verses so if you bought a website template from me, if you really look at the filler copy, you might see this verse.
This verse reminds me that it's God in me that allows me to accomplish things, infinitely more than I could think or ask. I think it's so interesting how we can have dreams for our lives and our businesses and we think that one thing, one vision, one of our versions of whatever it is, is the best thing and the only way.
So for example, we might think, “if only I get this client” or “if only I can hit the coveted six figures”, or “if I start running Facebook ads and this problem will go away”, or “if I hire this person, then it'll be it”. This verse reminds me that God sees things that we don't. And when you let him work in you, more is accomplished and we can bring him more glory.
As a Christian business owner, I'm trying to do so many different things in my business. I'm trying to make money for my family, I'm trying to help other people grow their businesses through my products, but I also want to bring glory to God through it all and I think this verse really hits home with that.
I also think of this as “God never wastes anything”. So when you think something you're going through in your business does not make sense, you're going through something, it's challenging, it's frustrating, it does not make sense, be action-oriented and work on it but also find quiet moments to trust God and listen in. Lean on him and ask him for wisdom. Ask him to work his mighty power within you.
This verse is actually even in my most recent business journal, if you have ever heard me talk about how I love journaling, this was the verse I wrote as the declaration over my whole business dreams journal.
No matter how small your work seems compared to other things in the world or in your life, God cares about you and God cares about your business.
To close up here, I really want to encourage you to know that God cares about you and God cares about your business. He cares about your clients, he cares about your customers, he cares about what you're doing. He cares about that stressful refund request or client situation or bad financial month. He cares about it all, and nothing is too big or small to bring to him, both good and bad.
As a Christian business owner, I'm trying to do so many different things in my business. I'm trying to make money for my family, I'm trying to help other people grow their businesses through my products, but I also want to bring glory to God through it all and I think this verse really hits home with that.
I also think of this as “God never wastes anything”. So when you think something you're going through in your business does not make sense, you're going through something, it's challenging, it's frustrating, it does not make sense, be action-oriented and work on it but also find quiet moments to trust God and listen in. Lean on him and ask him for wisdom. Ask him to work his mighty power within you.
This verse is actually even in my most recent business journal, if you have ever heard me talk about how I love journaling, this was the verse I wrote as the declaration over my whole business dreams journal.
I think praying for wisdom and discernment as you set goals and approach new projects, new visions, and new decisions in your business, is so important. Come to God with it all.
Read More: How to Read the Bible in a Year
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Scripture mentioned: Daniel 11:32, John 15:1-8, Ephesians 3:20-21
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January 16, 2024
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