Staying the Course in Business: Part 7 – Humility While Waiting
Updated: Feb 13, 2021
My pride and selfishness get me in a lot of trouble, especially when it comes to waiting on God in my business. As time passes by, still not having achieved the successes I desire, my pride creeps in to whisper lies in my ear like “you deserve so much more than this, you should have more fame and fortune by now, what are you waiting for?”
And I know I’m not alone. In fact, because of my line of work, I’ve spoken with so many Christian entrepreneurs who share similar and sometimes deeper strongholds than I’ve personally ever felt.
We entrepreneurs suffer from:
The desire of being praised
The desire of being honored
The desire of being preferred
The desire of being consulted
The desire of being approved
The desire for comfort and ease
The fear of being humiliated
The fear of being criticized
The fear of being passed over
The fear of being forgotten
The fear of being lonely
The fear of being hurt
The fear of suffering
It’s our pride, coupled with one or more of these thoughts that hold us Godpreneurs back from doing the very things that God wants us to do WHILE we wait, so that later on, we can be lifted higher.
The Bible says
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 NIV
The Bible reminds us, entrepreneurs, to humble ourselves because God wants to lift us up in due time. In God’s economy, one must proceed the other.
Jesus is God’s own son, yet He arrived as a humble servant.
For Godpreneurs like me and you, humility is not thinking you and your business are less, it is never forgetting the fact that it is Jesus who made you and your ventures MORE.
So, how do you become more like Jesus in the marketplace? How do you develop a spirit of humility during your waiting season?
For me, I became more humble as I developed my habit of reading the Bible every morning. This habit began to form a relationship between me and Jesus. That relationship opened up my ears to the holy spirit’s small voice and opened the eyes of my soul to see God for who He really wanted me to see Him as.
As I drew closer to God, the desires and fears I shared earlier began to transform as I let God take control of them. I began to take a more humble approach to prospects, clients, vendors, contractors, employees, and the marketplace as a whole.
That my employees are loved more than me
That others are chosen before me
That my team may be praised and I unnoticed
That my heart be like Jesus
That I am strengthened by the spirit
That I am taught Jesus’s ways
For God to help me put my self-importance aside
To learn the kind of cooperation with others in a way it shows Christ’s light
Any Godpreneur who walks intimately with Him will not think more highly of himself or his business than he should. To assume Jesus’s ability to wait, while still showing gentleness and grace, all we need to do is be in a relationship with him day in and day out.
To be humble in business doesn’t mean we have to be weak. God has given us all we need to live confidently as inheritors of His riches. The proud businessman will never truly lift up God’s name in praise. Yet He raises the humble Godpreneur to new heights.