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How do you define business? What is categorized as ministry? Do they ever intersect? These are the two major areas in my life that seem to require the most of me. Neither area ever seems to be satisfied because there is always more to do. And honestly, for a long time, they seemed to compete. Business promotions always seemed to increase my busyness and threaten ministry obligations and it seemed that I was always hightailing it out of work to make it to something for church. So years ago when God told me that I was a Woman of Business & Ministry I had trouble wrapping my head around it. Lord how exactly will this work.

What I See Clearly

At times we convince ourselves that we have to reject aspects of ourselves to truly minister or be successful in business. God didn’t want me to choose between business and ministry. He created me to utilize both and in His mercy, He showed me how to do it. Outdated views of business and ministry made me feel like one part of me had to be put on the back burner to be successful, but my purpose was created to use ALL of me.

Just because you’ve never seen your gift used in ministry doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place for it. Allow your gift to make room for you. Don’t hold back. Use everything.

Side Note: Also when God tells you that you are something don’t waste your time trying to become it, instead look for evidence that you’re already it. This will help you lean in and become it more fully. The evidence is there but it’s not always easily seen. At least not by you. Sometimes it helps to ask people who you know truly know you if it makes sense to them. Your circle may help clear your blind spot.

The Breakdown: Order Matters

I am such a word nerd that phrasing matters a lot to me. God knows I’m wired this way so there’s usually a message in the message. Not only what He says is important to me but also how He says it.

Woman of Business and Ministry (WB&M)

This was a declaration of identity but also a roadmap.

Wom·an /ˈwo͝omən/ noun

I am a woman first. My Step One was understanding who I’ve been created to be on a singular foundational level and allowing myself to be that fully. Before the titles and the assignments get added, you have to be clear about who you are.

In my 30s I think I finally tapped into the power of my womanhood. I began truly understanding who I was and held onto the boldness to be that at any cost. You know, it is freeing to give others permission to accept or reject me, yet being secure in the knowledge that their rejection has no bearing on my worth whatsoever. They have the freedom to choose me without me being chained to their choice. I’ve found power in knowing that I’m good either way.

Both ministry and business have a way of enticing you to change who you are if you’re not careful. The pressure to produce can sometimes make you feel like you need to take on another persona to succeed. Whether it’s performing for the applause of the crowd or adopting a tough shell to play the game of business be careful of the temptation to compromise your identity. No matter how subtly you change it comes at a cost. Authenticity is your X factor. Becoming anyone else is a waste of time.

What I See Clearly

Your power doesn’t lie in the persona you create for yourself, but in the identity, God created for you. (False identities are exhausting anyway.)

Learning that has been the key to being fully myself in all of my awkward glory, regardless of the situation or circumstance. The environment doesn’t dictate my personality. I am influenced only by discernment and the Holy Spirit, everything else is fair game.

The Importance of Authenticity

I have learned that it is impossible to share light, love and to evoke change if you’re afraid to be truly be seen and allow others to experience all of the facets of you. Inauthenticity short circuits us because we are trying to execute without accessing our full power. The impact you want to create is a result of authenticity. Do not fear others discovering your flaws, be brave enough to live with your flaws out front. Thrive in connection and the power of being known and being seen for who you truly are. Don’t live life as a calloused woman withholding her heart and keeping people at arm’s length. Dive in. Be fully you. Give the world your whole self. Only hold back when motivated by discernment, never because of fear.

People will be attracted to your authenticity. It is a connection point. We are sometimes a signpost on their journey that moves them into purpose. Don’t have people searching aimlessly because you covered your identity with an altered persona. Let them find you. Seeing you succeed with your flaws and scars is a map to show them how to do it too.

Of /uhv, ov; unstressed uhv/ preposition

The presence of “of” means that the next words are meant to provide more clarity like an adjective would, but they do not define what came before it. Meaning that the following words do not define my womanhood or my identity. In fact, my womanhood defines them. So it is imperative to remember that being a businesswoman or a woman in ministry is not my identity. It is a title that reflects an assignment and instructions for how to achieve my God-given purpose. I will turn this blessing into a curse if I make it anything other than that.

Business busi·ness/ˈbiz-nəs/ noun And /ən(d)/ conjunction Ministry min·is·try /ˈmi-nə-strē/ noun

Initially, I focused on “business” and “ministry” but “and” is really the star of this phrase. The presence of and means that these two words are equal. Joint. A packaged deal. It also means that there can be no boundaries between these two areas in my life. The goal is for them to seamlessly mix, not to be regulated to there own separate corners. My journey is to make them one.

Examine your life and see how these two areas naturally intersect. For me when I took over the youth ministry at my church my first inclination was to use a lot of business strategies for communication, organization, and marketing. That was a hint I ignored that I was a WB&M but it showed me how these two areas naturally marry in my life and gave me ideas for intentionally expanding the fusion in my life. If given the chance, God has a way of evolving the intersectionality of these areas and creating something you never imagined.

The Takeaways

More than just the typical “be a servant leader” advice below are the lessons God has taught me so far. In a nutshell, it’s not so much about what you do, but why you do it. Perspective and motivation are key.

A WB&M Finds the Balance

Achieving balance requires consciousness but maintaining it takes intentionality. You have to decide that it is essential. Otherwise, you’ll treat it as an option or obligation. Neither perspective will produce lasting results. I’m not talking about putting scriptures on your office walls or doing a SWOT analysis in your next ministry meeting. For it to be more than a surface-level action you have to truly believe its necessary. To equally respect both areas you have to see how they both benefit you because the one you deem more beneficial will be the one you inherently prioritize. Your perspective can reinforce or destroy the balance.

I believe business makes ministry more effective and ministry protects the business.

My purpose in ministry has a way of focusing on what I do in business. It sets my priorities and creates the parameters for what I will and won’t do. Honestly, it protects me from doing things I’ll eventually see as a waste of time. Ministry makes business more efficient for me because it causes me to move in a focused direction.

Business catalyzes my ministry and widens my net. It opens doors for me to come in contact with more people and provides a tangible way for me to meet the needs of those I’m called to minister to. It can also open the door to acquiring wealth and further benefiting ministry. Business strategies give me tactics to operate in excellence and measure aspects of my impact. In a nutshell, business makes ministry more effective.

A Message to You

Understand which area you’re most likely to put on the back burner and create strategies to prevent that.

For me, ministry is the first area to get nixed. I naturally bring my business brain to ministry but if I’m not careful ministry has to interrupt business for me to involve it. I like the busyness of business and usually slowing down to include God into my process feels like an inconvenience. Because I know this I have to be more intentional about slowing down enough so God can always get a message to me.

A WB&M Knows Her Motivation and Her Method.

When business and ministry are seamless what you spiritually provide is just as important as the product or service you bring to the market. The most valuable commodity you can offer someone is what God’s place within you. Your heart, not your bottom line is your motivator. If compassion doesn’t move you than you are wasting your work. You have to know what you carry within you is life-changing for someone. It’s not what you do that will change this world, its who you are. Purposeful impact is the measure of success

Don’t hold too tightly to your method, it changes and evolves as your journey does. Hold to purpose and create business strategies to achieve it. Acquire skills to catalyze your excellence. It’s about impact. It’s about efficiency. Provision is attached to vision and resources are attracted to purpose. Be committed to your purpose and these things will chase you.

A Message to You

You’ve got to be honest with yourself about why you’re doing business or ministry and what fuels your chase for success. Money, influence, titles, clout- they don’t fill deficiencies they exacerbate them. It could be that you haven’t reached the levels you want because your lie can’t sustain your next level. Purify your heart and only move higher when you know you’re doing it for the right reason.

This journey has shown me the selfishness of the life I was constructing. On some level, the goal of every lesson and the motivation to acquire every skill was to have more for me. The by-product of this life was to bless others but the purpose was to benefit me, but God’s concept of being a woman of business and ministry challenged that. The purpose isn’t to fulfill all of your dreams, satisfy your desires, or boost your self-esteem. Success is often sabotaged by selfishness.

A WB&M Creates the Atmosphere for Success or Failure.

Failure is not so much an action as it is an attitude because honestly many of us fail before we even try because our mind has convinced us that success is improbable. A WB&M knows that logic isn’t the preventer of failure, faith is. Convince yourself that God is as committed to your success as you are. Now that doesn’t mean you’ll execute everything perfectly but it does mean that your faith will prevent you from failing at what truly counts- your purpose.

The truth is fear can not produce success, only faith can that’s why it’s so important to diligently acquire strategies and skills but intentional about building your relationship with God. Your faith combined with your skill is what will unlock success. Don’t handicap yourself by focusing on only one and not the other.

A WB&M Understands Her Authority is God-Given

You don’t have to prove yourself. You don’t have to result in power-plays to gain respect. You don’t have to try to prove you’re in charge just be it. I’ve always believed the people who have to prove they’re in control never truly are because if you feel the need to convince me you must not be convinced. When you know it’s true you move like it. It’s effortlessly automatic.

We’ve got to get comfortable operating in the authority God’s given us only then can we stand flat-footed in the space that was created for us and do what we’re meant to do without minimizing, exaggerating, or apologizing for who we are. You can’t pretend your way into authority. Either you have it or you don’t. the truth is we all have it, many of us just haven’t taken the time to truly understand how to use it.

All Call

Fellow WB&M‘s hear me. We are meant for more than just turning a profit. So many of us are stalling because we have resigned to keep business and ministry separate, but magic happens when they mix. It’s the secret sauce of success. Don’t be afraid to give business and ministry all of you- your mind and your spirit. God knew how He wired you when He purposed you for this so don’t hold anything back. Your business and ministry are not made to fit a mold, they are made to reflect God’s character. Give your business and ministry the freedom to be unique and different. Let it reflect all the facets of you. Strive for purpose, maintain a standard of excellence, and continue to mix business and ministry until they are seamless. Success is undeniable.

«Consider This»

What aspects of your persona (dreams, goals, skills, ideas) seem to collide? Are you committed to seeking God for their connection point?
How does business and ministry mix in your life?
Which area of your life is most likely to be pushed to the back burner? What strategies can you employ to keep the balance?
What lessons have you learned about being a WB&M?

Learning Lessons: Being a Woman of Business & Ministry

♥ 9 MIN READ-

What I See Clearly