4 Steps to Eliminating Anxiety in Business, God’s Way

There’s a pathway out of the valley of the anxiety and stress of entrepreneurship. God used the apostle Paul to sketch a map for us in this passage from Philippians 4:4-8.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

A business owner would be hard-pressed to find a passage more practical and applicable to the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship, wouldn't you agree?

Paul lists some helpful ideas for winning the war on worry. If you want to move on from chaos into calm in your company, consider what Paul is saying.

Step 1: Celebrate God's Goodness

First, he says to celebrate God's goodness, to "rejoice in the Lord always." Mind you, he's writing this from a Roman jail with no money and the thought of execution looking likelier every day that passes. He's not just saying to rejoice in the Lord always, his point is: don’t meditate on the mess.

The more you stare at the problems facing your business, the bigger the problems get. So when you have a problem and you're powerless over the circumstances, lift up your eyes and rejoice in the Lord. Rather than giving in to the anxiety, when you start to feel it, you lift up your eyes and rejoice in the Lord. Find some way to celebrate God's goodness - to see the glass half full in any business situation - and to be grateful for it.

This is the counsel of the Psalmist that wrote: "I lift up my eyes on to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1)

Do you see this intentionally in the words, "I will lift up my eyes?" This was the decision that the Psalmist made. This is the decision we entrepreneurs need to make when powerlessness shows its face.

The apostle Peter is a testimony to this verse. You remember how when the storm struck the Sea of Galilee, he knew exactly what 10-foot waves could do to a fishing boat, and Peter cried out: “Lord if it is really you, command me to come to you in the water,” and Jesus said, “come.” Then Peter left the boat and walked towards Jesus, but when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and he began to sink. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to do the impossible. But, when he saw the wind and the waves, he turned his gaze away from Christ and he began to sink.

The next time you feel like you're sinking in your business, and maybe that's today for you, lift up your eyes, set your gaze on Christ, rejoice in the Lord, and rejoice in his sovereignty. Is God greater than your company problems? Has God faced this problem before? Does God have solutions you haven't even thought of? Has God taken you through these types of things before? Does God have a good track record? Is God strong? Is God sovereign? Is God still on the throne? Is He over everything else?

Do you see how this is done? You're rejoicing in the Lord, you’re lifting your mind away from the business problems and you’re setting your mind on the one who can solve them. Don't meditate on the mess, instead, you rejoice. That's what it means to rejoice in the Lord.

Step 2: Ask for God's Help

The Apostle says having celebrated God’s goodness first, you’ll then be ready to ask God for help. "Let your request be made known to God."

You see, fear for entrepreneurs triggers either despair or prayer, so choose wisely.

God said: "call on me on the day of trouble." (Psalm 50:15)

Jesus said: "ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door