Today I’m back to bring you part two of our Entrepreneurial Purpose series. Last time, we talked about the importance of being an entrepreneur. If you haven’t already, go check out the first part here.
Now, let’s dive into today’s topic. I want you to ask yourself right now if you’re locked in a spiritual battle with your business. Are you wearing the dark glasses?
The bottom line is that if you run a company, you’re going to encounter issues. This can involve everything from marketplace and industry changes to employee turnover, and more. But one issue that often goes overlooked in any business is what’s happening deep inside of the heart of the owner.
Beyond all the other issues you might be dealing with, things going on in your heart and mind could have a huge impact on your company. So, ask yourself: Are you depressed? Are you having feelings of despair? Is there a lot of fear in your heart about where you’re headed? Are you tired and burnt out?
All of these feelings can destroy your energy, creativity, and your ability to strategize. Feeling these things can also destroy the hope that anything you’re doing will have an impact. When this happens, you go into “survival mode.” You aren’t doing much beyond simply trying to make it through.
This goes back to the dark glasses I mentioned earlier. When you wear them, your sense of reality is off. The things going on in your heart and mind may be distorting your view of what’s actually occurring within your business. But, why do these things happen to business owners? I personally believe that business owners can get caught up in a spiritual battle without even realizing it.
Before I explain what I mean, I want to make something clear: It’s my opinion that if you’re in a “sin business” or if your business preys on people and their money, nothing I talk about in this series will do you any good. If taking advantage of people is the way you’re doing business, calamity is going to be at your door sooner than later. I don’t believe there is any real long-term way to succeed and have peace, happiness, and joy if you’re in a business that promotes a sinful lifestyle or makes a financial gain at others’ expense.
So, how can you tell if you’re locked in a spiritual battle as a business owner? There are a few signs. Do you have strong leadership skills? Are you thoughtful? On the other hand, maybe you’re feeling short-fused, unable to shake a sensation of frustration, and overwhelmed with paralyzing fear and anxiety. If any of these are the case for you as a business owner, there’s a good chance you’re locked in a spiritual battle. If you’re angry, bitter, or treat people meanly, the devil is winning and God is sad. That’s not how God wants you to be in business.
He wants you to succeed. He wants you to have a positive impact on your community by giving opportunity to your employees and their families. He wants you to inspire young entrepreneurs. He may even want you to rescue people in poverty who just can’t seem to get ahead. God might be looking at you as being the source for bringing his love and energy to the marketplace.
You need to bring God into your business. I know it might sound silly, but I can tell you this: If you humble yourself and approach the lord in prayer with contrition in your heart and ask him to help heal you and get your heart in a better place, you will be the kind of leader that he wants you to be.
That being said, there is evil in the world. We see the good and evil around us every day. This evil is God’s enemy, and the evil side of life wants you to feel defeated, despaired, and living so miserably that you’re unable to see the opportunities God has given you. If you’re working hard to run an ethical company with honor, integrity, and the right principles, you can be sure the devil is going to want to keep you from being successful. On the other side of the coin, you cannot expect good things from operating on the dark side of business. Calamity will come and the money you might make simply is not worth it.
But, if God wants your business to be a beacon of hope and you are locked in a spiritual battle, there is a way out. Oppression, disrespect, greed, and anger in your environment are all symptoms of a spiritual battle. The devil will inspire you to be lustful, to be greedy, and to be evil. He wants you to drive your life and business into a ditch. The pain you suffer will make it really difficult for you to run your company and lead it like God wants you to.
If you as an owner are working so hard to drive your company that you’ve basically abandoned your family, that’s another sign of the devil. God wants you to run a good company, but he wants you to love and care for your spouse and family too. He does not want you to run a company at the expense of those you love.
So, what does God want out of your company? First of all, He wants a godly atmosphere. The speech of the office should be healthy, instead of wrapped up in gossip and negativity. God wants you to provide opportunities and leadership, so that your employees can someday go out in the marketplace and make an impact like you have. He wants you to serve your customers and provide value in such a way that they know you have their back.
I can tell you from my 38 years of business that the people who run their companies the way I’m talking about will attract blessings. It’s basically the spiritual law of physics.
If you can overcome a spiritual battle in your business by following a godly path, success and joy will come to your life and the lives of those in your business. Invite God into your business and allow him to help you examine your heart and the heart of your business. If you know you’re doing things you shouldn’t, you can be pretty sure you’re walking down the devil’s path.
Next time, we’ll talk about how you can tap into resources to become a transformed business owner.
If you have any other questions or would like more information in the meantime, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.