A local CEO told me last week…”If I could just get $1.4 million dollars from the right investor, I could close this deal and move forward. I’ve talked to at least 15 capital sources, but I can’t seem to close them” Another said, “If I could just find the right sales manager, we could close a lot more clients and build the momentum I need to really honor the Lord in this business. I’ve done everything to find right the person.” Finally, another Entrepreneur said “O, Lord I just need a web professional that will help us sell our products over the internet, so I know we could grow 25-50% a year. It’s critical to our cash flow and future.”

Why do things seem so hard? What’s not right? If you were very successful in another business, it makes no sense it should not happen the same way again, right? Especially when you know that the Lord has led you to your business or ministry.

As I sit here today and write this short article, my heart is very heavy, because as a dedicated Christian Entrepreneur myself… I have struggled with the same dilemmas and issues. It’s especially important, because my mission has been to help hundreds of CEOs over the last 28 years. I have often asked an Entrepreneur, have you tried this? or done that? Or pointed him to a different direction he may have missed.

But I believe I have found the answer. Here are some facts you need to put into perspective first:

1. As a Christian we are called to be IN the world but NOT OF the world (but be of Christ’s leading and guiding).

2. It’s no longer about what you want but how the Lord plans to use you gifts/talents and passion to move this world forward.

3. As a Christian, we gave up our right to our own free will yet struggle to accomplish some of the same things the Lord allowed us to experience in life at an earlier age that gave us confidence and experience in the world. Nearly all of us use our old nature sometimes called “flesh” to accomplish great things…our way for the Lord. Rather than His way.

4. Finally, it’s twice as hard to be a Christian. God has called us to a higher standard. We are called to “walk our talk.” The word says, “broad is the road to destruction but narrow are the gates to life and few will find it.”

Especially for men, we worship the false god of accomplishment. I know first had that desire and passion.

I used to just will things to get done. But that ability to repeat that type of success is just not the same. Yet, a good friend told me not long ago that the Holy Spirit said the him “Its not always what we accomplish in the world but what the Lord accomplishes in us, that’s really important.”

Here is the answer. Paul Zink may have summarized it best when he said. “God will never take you past your last step of disobedience.” Proverbs 16:9 says “In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23 says “I know O’Lord that a man’s life is not his own, it is not for man to direct his steps.” Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Yesterday, I visited Dr. Dewey Painter, a former Navy officer and College President who founded 12 years ago, the Mission Harvest America ministry. They ship over $20 million a year worth of donated food, clothing, equipment, books, etc. free to needed cities and countries around the world. I asked how he raised money, how he found staff and decided who to give to? He said, he does not make those decisions. He prays and facilitates everything he’s led by the Spirit to do. He said the Lord sends the money by working in the hearts of people who step forward and give. “People just call and we say how can we best serve you?”  The result...Two companies donated a building and warehouse space for them to occupy nearly 20,000 square feet. They only charge for shipping and 10% for handling.

Answer:

Most of us in business, Christian or not want to play “Hop Scotch.” If the Lord calls us to a task, a business or ministry purpose, we often lay out the plan. But if the Lord has a deeper steps that also incorporates our personal growth i.e. humility, listening to His voice, maturity, character development, kindness, integrity and especially patience…we unknowingly want to leap over those steps. I only once ever remember praying for patience.

For example, if He has 20 steps for me to reach His goal, I may arrive at step 3 and feel blocked, frustration or anxiety…so logically by my “fleshly” business experience and logic… says let me raise the capital and I can skip or buy my way through this mess to get to step 18. We want to shorten our learning curve. We don’t see the long terms, like the Lord does. We want overnight success.

In my early Christian walk I was in severe battle for my soul. My wife gave this little saying that I carried and prayed over sometimes 3 times per day. It said, “Struggles are the things that God uses to prepare us for bigger and better things.” It gave meaning to my struggles and hope for my future.  But we just want to skip through the learning curves and get to the bottom line.

The Bible makes references to what I call the refining fire. Is the Lord working to allow you to experience the fire to test and even refine, or separate the false ones in you to keep and mold the gold He wants to shine in you?  I’m inspired and I hope you are too…to seek the Holy Spirit over the steps He wants me to pursue. I’ve had enough learning from the school of hard knocks and now I need to pray more deeply and daily for direction and the steps I need to accomplish His purpose in me.

Here's the kicker...the man I first mentioned at the top of this article...after nearly two years of struggle to raise the money, he and two partners came up with a new concept that did not require much outside capital.  In just one year of their new retail location they will come close to generating over $5 million is sales.  Its a super success in the midst of a recession and they are looking to expand.  Waiting on the Lord, struggling with his plan can pay off big time, personally and in business growth !