Last week during our 8 day series Faith + Work = Prosperity we received this message from one of the participants in the FB Group:

Hi Michelle,

I’m excited to get busy trying to make this work but I’ve tried a lot of things in my life and none have really stuck for a long time. I always question myself…how do I know if this was just MY idea or something God has led me to?? I so just want to do his will but always struggle with whether it’s HIS will or mine!

Anyway, your Faith + Work = Prosperity series couldn’t have come at a better time for me!! Thank you!! 

So we thought we would address that very question: How do I know if this was just MY idea or something God has led me to?

We believe that finding the answer is going to look different for each person which is to be expected. However, we can all embark on the same process to discover that answer.

Here are a few questions to help you discern God’s will for your business. We like to refer to them as God signs:

1. Scripture – Is this endeavor wrapped in scripture?

2. Church teaching – Can I do this and be inline with church teaching.

3. Reasonable – Is this something I can reasonably do?

4. Providence – Do I have the appropriate situation, or circumstances (which he controls by his providence) to start this business?

5. Does this feel right – God gave us a beautiful conscience to know right from wrong.

6. Peace • Love • Joy- Is this something you will love to do, does is bring you peace, joy and love? Then pray about it.

7. Fruits – Are the fruits of the Holy Spirit surrounding your business? See this post for more info on the Fruits and how to start your business debt free.

We truly believe God will bless any endeavor that furthers His mission in this world.

” The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.” -Deuteronomy 28:12 

Also remember we all have seasons that we go through. Some journeys only last for a short time and then God leads us in another direction. Perhaps past endeavors were just the steps God needed you to take to get you to where you are now.

A little transparency into our business journey:
For a while I was wondering why God moved us to Georgia and had us go through a huge change in our life, especially when our business was booming, we had a huge group of friends and support around us + family was so close. Everything was perfect and we worked really hard to get there!

But as I look back, I can see a direct relationship between the uprooting of our life and business and my father getting cancer.  3 months after the big move + Brandon excepting the job of a Christian Camp Director my father was diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to moving to Georgia we had the ability to visit my father every few weeks, especially because we were now living closer to him and we were not fully booked with so many weddings. A year went by of chemo treatments, ambulance runs, many prayer requests and thanks to now working in Georgia we could be with my father through all of it.

After a very scary full year of treatments we finally got the news my father was in remission. Then 3 months later Brandon was laid off from the camp due to the camp needed to move in another direction to keep cost down. We were left with only our business. As soon as Brandon started working full time with the business (we are talking within weeks) we booked over 20 weddings and the business has been exploding ever since.

There is no way this is a coincidence! God’s timing is perfect with God signs all around. God still had a beautiful plan for our business, but He also had a Glorious plan for our family. He needed us to be closer to my father, to be my fathers support, his strength and to love on him. As soon as my father was better God rerouted us back to the business. There was exactly 3 months of padding on either end of our journey, God thinks of everything. We just had to trust.

So if your thinking that all your past Entrepreneur endeavors have not worked out take a look at what was working through Christ.

We hope this help you to discern your journey… many blessings!
The Horns