Keeping my faith and relationship with Jesus at the center is number 1 as my faith is very important to me. So when thinking about starting a business or even working for someone else, I think about: what does that look like or what does the Bible say about it? The Bible touches on different aspects of being an entrepreneur and I look to them for guidance.

The first one (aka the golden rule) is

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…”

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

I want to run my business the way that I would want to be treated. Serving clients, customers and employees with kindness and respect is ultimately how I would want to experience the workplace. I also want to sell products or services that I would want to buy, not just to make the most money. Embracing our strengths and loving what we do helps us to honor the gifts that we’ve been given.

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.“
Proverbs 14:23

In business, especially entrepreneurship, you can’t just talk about what you want to do or be, you have to be about it. Put in that hard work – nothing in life comes easy or free. Business owners are probably the hardest working people out there. We don’t get to clock in and clock out and be done. We are almost married to our business! But be careful, as Mark 8:36 says, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” There needs to be a balance of work and regular life. It’s so hard, especially in the beginning, but you don’t want to lose yourself. Be sure to make time for home life, your marriage or kids, your faith and any other priorities.

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:34

You can’t spend your time worrying. You’re putting in the time and energy, you’re working diligently and being smart about it all. There is a fine line of worry and trust. Trust that God gave you this gift and this vision. This is what faith in entrepreneurship looks like! You were given the heart of an entrepreneur…He will see you through that. You have to give Him the chance to do His part, as long as you are doing your part. Proverbs gives us a reminder of that.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
Proverbs 16:3

We get to choose to take the first step towards the vision and He will direct our steps. When you are in alignment with God, you can feel confident that your future is taken care of.

“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”
Deuteronomy 8:17-18

Sometimes in this busy world, we forget that we aren’t doing this alone. We can be guilty of taking all the credit for what God has blessed us with, but we have to remember, just like when we worry, that God gave us these gifts, He gave us the strength and the knowledge, as well as the abilities to be our own bosses and to start a business. We need to give Him all the praise and all the credit. That’s what it looks like, and what it means to have faith in entrepreneurship!