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As a Christian entrepreneur, I will be the first to admit that this can be a bit hard, especially in the early stages of building a business. Since lots of small business owners have to juggle many responsibilities, it’s easy to become passive in your faith.
However, as a Christian, you can’t afford to take your focus off Jesus because he is the author and finisher of your faith, and the Bible also tells us that it’s God who gives us the power to get wealth. So you can’t keep striving or working on your business while ignoring God.
If God has taken a back seat in your life because of the demands of your business, then it’s time to make him the center of your life and business again. Here are some practical ways to do it.
1. REEVALUATE YOUR FAITH AND COMMITMENT TO GOD
“Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.” (Psalm 19:12)
There are times in my life when God seems so far away, however, when I take the time to reflect, I discover that I am the one who has moved away.
God is always there. Ever present and unchanging, so if God feels so far away or you struggle to focus on him, then start by evaluating your commitment to him and asking yourself some tough questions like the ones below.
When did I notice I was drifting away or feeling like God was far away?
Am I still committed to God and committed to pleasing him?
Am I struggling with anything spiritually?
Any chance I am living in sin that’s making it hard to focus on God?
The last question is pretty important since it’s difficult to focus on God when you are living in sin or not willing to repent. So, ask the Lord to search you while you search your heart for the truth.
Staying focused on God begins with searching your heart, confessing your sins, and renewing your commitment to the Lord.
2. HOW TO KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD: CUT OUT DISTRACTIONS
The world is so busy and noisy that it’s almost impossible to stay focused. There are so many things that can distract you and take your attention away from God.
Whether it’s trying to grow your business, politics, parenting issues, or something else, staying focused on God can be challenging. However, it is not impossible to keep your focus on God if you make it a priority and eliminate as many distractions as you can.
Instead of putting all or most of your focus on the cares of life or the affairs of this world, turn your heart and focus to God and things that are eternal.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should ignore everything that’s going on around you, it just means you shouldn’t let the affairs of this world consume your focus. You must remember to always keep God first in everything you do. Make him the center of your life no matter what.
So, how do you know if you are surrounded by too many distractions? You can know by answering the questions below.
How often do you spend time with God?
Do you often make excuses for not spending time with God?
How much time do you spend each day or week on things that have no eternal value?
Do you busy yourself more with the cares of this world or do you devote more time building the kingdom of God and living out your life for the glory of God?
Recently, I found myself distracted by all the things that are going on in the world. I lost my focus and have had to work really hard to regain it.
If you have lost your focus, it could be a result of too many distractions. If that’s the case, you need to cut them off. Turn of the television or news. Step back from culture wars. Refocus on what is truly important. Keep your focus on God, and don’t waver no matter what’s going on around you.
Pray with me.
God, I am distracted by so many things. The world is full of so much turmoil that it’s easy to take my gaze off you. Please help me to keep my eyes on you because you are the only thing that is true, constant, and stable. I put my trust in you.
3. START YOUR DAY WITH GOD
“O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” (Psalm 5:3)
If you are thinking “how do I stay focused on God?” the answer is to start your day with Him. When you start your day with God, praying and meditating on his word, it keeps you focused and reminds you that you are a steward of God. As a Christian business owner, you acknowledge the Lordship of Christ every time you go before him (especially before you begin the day’s work). Committing your business and day to him in the morning is a sign that you know you need Jesus in your life and business, and you want his wisdom and direction.
Before you get busy and overwhelmed with running your business, take a few moments to wait on the Lord. Pray and ask him for his blessing on your day. Read and meditate on his word. Fill your heart and mind with scriptures that you can draw on during the day.
The easiest way to start the day with God is to make it a part of your daily routine. For example, you can do it as soon as you wake up or after drinking a cup of coffee. Of course, you can always spend time with God throughout the day.
You can take a five-minute break just to worship and thank God for his mercy. But, I really do believe that spending time in the morning is so important, and it’s a great way to keep your focus on Jesus.
4. HOW TO STAY FOCUSED ON GOD: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH REMINDERS AND REFERENCES
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
Do you need reminders and references to think about God or to focus on him? Well, maybe not, but they can’t hurt You can keep your focus on God by surrounding yourself with reminders and references of him. For example, you can drink your coffee with a scripture-themed mug, have fridge magnets with scriptures on them, or use notepads or pens with scriptures on them.
There are lots of ways you can surround yourself with reminders and references of God. Music is also good as long as it’s not distracting.
While this may not seem all that important, it can help you focus and connect with God throughout the day. I can’t read scripture without thinking about God, can you?
You can also buy scripture-themed business tools and resources to help you keep your focus on God while working. Some ideas include:
Business planner
Calendar
Magnetic bookmarks
So, get creative and sprinkle God reminders and references all over your business.
5. INCORPORATE GOD INTO YOUR BUSINESS
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
If you search this blog, you will see that I have written a lot about building and running a business with biblical principles.
For Christians, we can’t do business like the rest of the world. If we see our businesses as ministries (a calling from God), then we must operate them with Christian business principles. And, what better way to focus on Jesus than to incorporate his word and principles into your business.
Here are some easy ways to incorporate God into your business.
Embrace Christian business values. In particular, business values like integrity, fairness, and honesty must be the foundation of your business.
Develop and demonstrate godly habits and leadership.
Treat your customers and employees fairly.
Be truthful in advertising and marketing.
Pay your debts and don’t defraud anyone.
Like I said earlier, I have written a lot about how to incorporate God and biblical principles into your business. Here are two posts you can check out if you want to learn more.
Now, let’s look at some benefits of focusing on God.
6. BENEFITS OF FOCUSING ON GOD
Focusing on God has a lot of benefits for a Christian business owner. Let’s look at a few of them
1. YOU WILL WALK IN THE LIGHT AND IN THE TRUTH
You can’t go wrong when you focus on God.
Keeping your eyes on Jesus will help you to keep walking in the truth while running your business. It’s very easy to stray because you are trying to make money in your business, but when Jesus is your ultimate goal, it’s difficult to wander off.
2. FOCUSING ON GOD HELPS YOU FOCUS ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT
When you focus on the Lord, you leave a lot of other things behind. As a business owner, you want to reduce distractions so you can concentrate on your business and build a business for the glory of God.
Focusing on God helps you do that since it streamlines your activities and helps you prioritize.
3. REDUCES STRESS
Jesus said “my yoke is easy.” In the world you will have tribulation, but in Jesus, we have peace and rest.
Running a business can be stressful especially for sole proprietors. There is a reason many entrepreneurs burn out, however, a Christian business owner who makes God her focus will enjoy a life that’s not filled with stress.
So, one benefit of focusing on God is stress reduction. Isn’t that awesome?
4. STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE COMPETITION
Do you find yourself worrying about your competitors or how slow your business is growing?
First, let me say that smart entrepreneurs always keep an eye on the competition because that is just good business practice. But as a Christian, you can’t grow if you keep worrying about the competition or how well they are doing compared to you.
God is faithful and will make all things beautiful in his time. So, keep your gaze on him while you continue to work hard.
When you put your trust in him, you are satisfied and encouraged because you know whom you have believed. A focus on God means less time to worry about the competition and more time to work on your vision.
Final thoughts on how to stay focused on God
With lots of distractions all around, it’s no wonder many Christians struggle to focus on God. However, it’s our responsibility to get rid of distractions and fix our gaze on him.
As an entrepreneur, there are lots of practical ways to keep your focus on God, and I have shared a few of them with you in this post. So, your next step is to implement them and make them a part of your life.
Anytime you find yourself losing focus on God, always take some time to reflect and find the cause, then address it, and move forward. Keep growing in faith and in the knowledge of God.
Are you a Christian entrepreneur? Do you struggle to stay focused on God?
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