When my business partner  Zodwa and I established our business, our common goal was to make money.  We chased the bling and that was what initially brought us together. We wanted the kind of lifestyle where we could easily splurge on a mansion or even a luxury car without batting an eyelid. It was the kind of life that one would imagine Richard Branson, Warren Buffet or even Mark Zuckerburg lives.  We were driven , did everything by the book and despite all our efforts, we were light years away from Branson, Buffet and Zuckerburg.  Something was wrong.

The encounter

The second factor Zodwa and I had in common, was that we knew without a doubt that we were meant to be entrepreneurs. It was an inexplicable certainty that we could not explain.  We went to Church regularly, read the bible but we were the quintessential lukewarm Christians, usually only praying when we needed something and not really having a relationship with God. Without anything to lose (and everything to gain), Zodwa and myself began to immerse ourselves in the word of God and various Biblical teachings.  The more and more we sought God, the more and more we began to view ourselves as entrepreneurs and our business in a different light.  We began to develop a relationship with God as individuals and that in turn, began to influence our relationship with each other, changing our business and business dealings materially.  As much as we both still like bling, our primary focus has shifted to God.

Following the will of God

A Christian entrepreneur has the unique privilege of utilizing their business (“Christian business”) as a platform to glorify God.  A Christian business is less about what you can do and more about what God does and will be doing for your business. I found the most challenging part about being a Christian entrepreneur is the fact that you have to surrender yourself and your  business to God. God is therefore no longer compartmentalized God to certain aspects of your life.

Surrendering to God requires an obedience that is only possible with love. If you as an Christian entrepreneur are familiar with the saying “the crazy things we do for love”, and can apply that to your relationship with God, it is a pretty good indication that you are on the right track. Of course, one does not always immediately fall in love with God, it is the relationship building process that leads to falling in love with God. By building a relationship I mean that you are spending time with God in mediation and studying His word. To date, Zodwa and myself have learnt so many lessons and still have more to learn via Gods’ word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, our confidence in God’s abilities has been growing (Rom 5:2) .  We now realize that if we focus and rely on God, His principles and guidance, the blessings that follow shall exceed our expectations.

Stop chasing bling and eagerly seek God

Abraham sought and obeyed God and was blessed beyond measure (Genesis 12 – 22). There are many other examples in the Bible including Solomon who sought God first and God blessed him way beyond his own expectations (1 Kings 3: 1-15, 1 Kings 4: 29 – 34).

If you are a Christian entrepreneur chasing bling, with lukewarm tendencies toward God, I encourage you to seek God with all your heart.  Mathew 6: 33 (KJV) says:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

 You will be inspired by so much more than your own material desires and rewarded in a manner that blows your mind.   Your business will change from the “money maker” to the “blessings maker, receiver, dispenser” (Genesis 12: 2-3).  Solomon who was under the Law (the old covenant) became the wisest, richest man on earth.  Dare I say that we, as Christian entrepreneurs, under the grace covenant have an inheritance (Gal 3: 14, 29) that far exceeds Solomon.

About the Author

Gladys Chandia is a project manager and co-founder of Notable Beginnings Consulting (NBC). NBC provides business development and business linkages (FDI facilitation) services for companies that wish to penetrate new markets on the African continent. For more information email gladys@notablebeginningss.com