The Beauty of Your Own Business
A business is not just what you setup to replace a “good job”. It’s a wonderful avenue to express your gifts, to bless people and to be blessed immeasurably!
More importantly, a business is a seed that will grow into a tree capable of feeding multiple lives including your own generations to come. It is also a powerful nation saver and feeder!
To better understand that a business is first and foremost a seed of obedience, let’s explore one of God’s Secrets to Supernatural Provision.
The Secrets to Supernatural Provision
It was many years ago that the Holy Spirit drew my attention to various parts of the scriptures that had to do with supernatural provision.
The wedding ceremony in Cana
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine’… (then) His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it’. Now there were six water pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons a piece. Jesus said to them. ‘Fill the water pots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim (and) when the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew)…And he said to him (the bridegroom), ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine…You have kept the good wine until now!’ John 2:3–10 (with author’s emphasis)
The Shunammite woman
A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying ‘Your servant my husband is dead and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And he creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves’. So Elisha said to her. ‘What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?’ And she said, ‘Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.’ Then he said, ‘Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbours — empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.’ Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, ‘Bring me another vessel.’ And he said to her, ‘There us not another vessel.’ So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, ‘Go and sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest’ 2 Kings 4:1–7 (with author’s emphasis)
The Ditches of Water
So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them…But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there no prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of the Lord by him?’ So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, ‘Elisha the son of Shaphat is here who poured water on the hands of Elijah.’…And he (Elijah) said, ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘make this valley full of ditches’ For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink’ And this is a simple matter in the hands of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hands…Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water’ 2 Kings 3:9–20 (with author’s emphasis)
In each of these three miraculous accounts, God made a request for some form of container for His supernatural provision, respectively water pots for the wine, vessels for the oil and dug ditches for water.
HIS BLESSINGS DO REQUIRE ROOM! If you have been praying for supernatural blessings, you need to go get water pots, vessels and dig ditches. With respect to financial blessings, ‘room’ means companies, businesses and endeavours than God can bless, multiply and fill with financial resources.
We often, erroneously, focus more on asking for His supernatural provision and less on listening to His instruction to do this or that. God is not a “magician”. He always requires a “container” — something He can bless and multiply or an offering He will remember & make reference to.
A business, when setup in obedience and diligently supported and nurtured using His principles are powerful containers for transgenerational and national blessings.
What is a Godly Business
I would love to describe business as an art of selling excellent service to people.
The following characteristics are key:
- It is an art;
- It involves service;
- It involves excellence;
- It involves profit;
- It involves an audience or a market — people;
Let us expand on each:
It is an Art (or an Expression of a Skill): A Successful business is not trying to exploit people or hustling for gain; but the graceful wielding of a skill, excellence and mastery in service offering, trade and relationship with people. Modern business expressions that bring out this excellent mindset are popularly termed ‘service’, ‘commerce’, ‘brand-recognition’, ‘human resource’ and ‘customer service’. Godly business people are not just trying to make a living; they practice something they love doing and are good at for that matter.
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings, He will not stand before unknown men. Proverbs 22:29
They know what they have to offer (product and/or service), who to sell it to (niche market), how to sell it (sales, adverts and marketing), how to distinguish their offerings (branding) and how to maintain a good relationship with their customers (customer relationship and service).
It involves Service (to humanity): Your business involves service — always remember that you are doing a service to someone or people. You should be meeting a need. This is an ingredient of constant patronage — the goal of customer service. It should give you (and your staff) joy to satisfy a customer so that he/she LEAVES HAPPY!
It involves Excellence: Excellence is a great distinguishing factor — the way you ‘do it’, whatever it is that you do! Many people may sell food, few ensure that it is ALWAYS fresh and hot, serve it in a nicer way and maybe even bring it to you. When you ‘do it’ in a more excellent way and ‘serve’ one person, making them happy, boom, you have a great asset in business — a loyal news-spreading, mobile-advertising customer. Having a kiosk that does the same thing as others in a long line of kiosks is looking for trouble. Why should they come to yours? There must be a distinguishing factor — a unique value proposition or a unique selling point!
It involves Profit: Trading for Profit, for me, can be an exhilarating exercise. It is not usually selling for a high figure that brings the profit. Profit can be buying much lower than you are selling. The skill is how to buy low (minimize your expenditures, maximize your assets/resources) and sell at a very affordable rate. Making your products/service very affordable without compromising quality is a great way of serving the customer in an excellent manner. Automating tasks and reducing overheads are all necessary ways to maximize profit. Even if you are “non-profit”, you should not be for loss. You must return more than you are given.
It involves an Audience: Your business needs an audience — a market. Your market should have a niche — a set of people it targets, serves and that are well suited for it. The niche may be one or more age-groups, societal class, career type and so on. You should be able to define such markets and target it excellently. Your niche type helps and guides your advert/marketing plans as wells as product and service pricing.
The beauty of a Godly business
Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands that which is good, that he may have to give to him who has need. Ephesians 4:28
That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12
The following are some reasons why a business is beautiful:
- It helps you “mind your business” — meaning to focus your time and attention in building something you are uniquely skilled and called for.
- You are given freedom to manage your finances and your time. This is a huge responsibility with great rewards if you rise up to the challenge.
- An opportunity to express the good works in your hands.
- People see your good works and glorify God.
- You can properly carry out your responsibilities to people outside; family, relatives, friends and other believers.
Building your dream Business — your wealth generating enterprise:
I do hope that you have a good understanding of what a business really is.
Wealth responds to value; the value you create and make available to people. People do pay for what is of value to them, and more easily if they can afford it.
To create a valuable product and/or service, you need skill or skilful hands. You can both be gifted in wielding a God-given skill as well as in harnessing, amplifying and managing the skill in others.
While this article is more about a business as a “container” for Supernatural Provision, I will love to mention another expression of a “container” for His blessings are tithes, offerings.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And try me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessings that there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10
Tithes, offerings and gifts are basically seeds of obedience and investment into God’s Kingdom work, that will grow into a memorial to God. He forever remembers and issues returns on them. We’ll talk more about this in another article
For now, God is telling you now via His word “Son, go and fetch empty pots” and “My daughter, go and get large vessels” so I can bless and fill them with reward.
Now go start something!
God bless you for reading. If this has blessed you, be encouraged to share to as many people as you can.
