Faith Deposits for the Unknown...
How do you feel when you have an UNKNOWN area in your business?
One that affects your finances in a big way,
One that may require you to pivot with the market significantly.
For example,
Should I make a big financial investment?
Should I hire or fire people?
Should I expand my marketing?
Should I get a certification?
Is now the time?
How much time or money should I commit?
When big decision is hanging in the air,
It can be unnerving,
It can make you anxious,
The question can keep spinning in your head.
So what is the business savvy way to handle the UNKNOWN with God?
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"
The great news is there are actually specific steps you can take to process the UNKNOWN for a big decision.
These steps are both practical, logical and spiritual.
It's all about getting you in alignment with God's will.
The solution is to BUILD Faith by SEEKING.
And each step,
Each repetition is a Faith DEPOSIT.
When small DEPOSITS add up,
They can amount to something meaningful and actionable.
As a result you go from zero faith around a question to a solid, peaceful faith built up around a question.
That's God showing up for you when you SEEK Him.
Let's break this down...
The reason the UNKNOWN bothers people is because of FEAR of the UNKNOWN.
So the solution to that is FAITH.
"Persevere in the faith, cast off all fear and keep your heart strong; God will never forsake you."
Here's what you're supposed to do whenever you have an UNKNOWN you want to address...
SEEK.
GOD.
DAILY.
With your whole heart.
And LISTEN.
Here's a real-life example:
Let's say you want to know if you should make this big purchase for your business.
It sounds good.
Looks good on paper.
But you're not sure.
It's a big decision and you just want to get it right.
There's a "promo" expires tomorrow so time is ticking.
You feel like you need to do something.
You can feel the pressure.
The BEST thing to do is NOT be rushed.
If God wants you to do it, He will provide all the provisions you need and the directions.
Don't let HUMAN time frames (such as a "promo") dictate God's timing for you.
It's better to seek and wait on God FIRST rather than allow HUMAN pressure to influence you into an action you may regret later.
Especially when you have not spent time seeking God yet.
Here's the steps you can take for anything you are UNSURE of...
4 Steps to Seeking God for Answers (Faith Deposits)
Step 1) Ask God about it.
- "God, do you want me to make that big purchase? Is that a good investment?
- Write down anything you think, sense or feel. ANYTHING.
Step 2) Ask a follow-up questions
- "God, anything else?"
- "God, what do you mean? Can you make it clear?"
- Write down anything you think, sense or feel. ANYTHING.
Writing Down TIP (Steps 1 & 2): This literally means ANYTHING you think, sense, see or hear with child-like faith. Literally write down ANY thought, idea, notion, feeling whether it makes sense or not for steps 1 and 2.
- CHILD-LIKE FAITH is key. Don't filter or qualify the thought or feeling, just write it down first and process it later. It can be a thought, memory, idea or "purple balloon", "blue lake", smell, color, light... whatever, that's great! Write it down.
- We tend to filter and modify God thoughts or answers so it's best to get it on paper as soon as you sense it. Even if it doesn't make sense. Don't judge it or over think it.
- If this is the first time doing this,
Step 3) *** Rinse & Repeat DAILY for 1 week.****
Here's a quick form to follow these steps - Download here
Listening TIP: It is best to do this when you are in a quiet space physically and mentally away from the noise of the day. I'm personally a big fan of first thing in the morning before you pick up your phone and look at email or social media. Before ANY noise enters your head. The more important it is, the more clear you want your head to be.
Step 4) Review all your answers and notice the trend of the answers at the end of the week.
What answers keep coming up?
Which ones seem legit and which ones seem like an outlier?
Which answer do you feel more faith around?
How would you rate your level faith on a scale of 1-10 for that answer?
If it's 6 or below, seek again for another week.
If it's 7, it's your call. You can sit with it for a few more days to make sure.
If it's 8+ and your feel a peace about it and your faith is built, then prayerfully move forward.
These steps are an ACTIVE way of waiting and listening to God.
That's what SEEKING is.
Whenever you "wait" on God, it's never a brainless, "go to sleep" type of waiting.
It's an ACTIVE and alert ACTION.
Here are the possible results after 1 week:
1) Still unclear. Don't have peace or clarity. Keep seeking.
2) Wait. This is the clear answer from God.
3) Take action. (Now you need to ask for specifics)
So after you do that, if you conclude and have built the FAITH that God wants you to take action and move forward...
How to Move Forward
Don't just bolt forward without God.
Get details.
Ask more questions.
Use this same SEEKING process to pull out timing and details from God.
Remember, God is a GENIUS of the universe.
It would be foolish not to tap into His knowledge.
Trust me. He's got lots to say about everything.
See what He wants to tell you about this.
You may be pleasantly surprised.
How does SEEKING get you from UNKNOWN to KNOWN?
On Day 1 of seeking, let's say your level of faith was 0.
Each day that you seek and ask God and write down your answers, you get a little FAITH DEPOSIT that raises your level of faith (let's say) .5% each time. After you ask like 10 times (just saying...), you may have a 5 out of 10 confidence.
Those numbers are just an example, but you get the concept.
The more you keep asking,
The more you keep hearing God's answer,
There will be an answer that keeps coming up,
And you will have peace around it,
And after 1 week you will have built FAITH around it.
Each day and action is like a FAITH DEPOSIT that allows you to eventually move forward in FAITH even in the UNKNOWN.
Remember Gideon?
That dude asked and tested God how many times?
Burn the sacrifice,
Wet the fleece,
Dry the fleece,
Still not sure,
Are you kidding me?
But that's us.
And God's ok with that.
He knows your heart.
If you are sincerely seeking Him,
He will never rush you.
He will be patient and gentle with you.
Take your time with God.
There's no rush.
The enemy will rush you.
God won't.
I've made tons of mistakes due to RUSHING,
Because I was impatient,
Because I felt urgency,
Because I felt behind the ball.
That was never God.
That was my desires,
My ego,
My soul,
Not God.
So I encourage you to sit with God.
WAIT on the Lord.
"SEEK first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Be more concerned about what God thinks of you than what opportunity you may be losing.
Be more concerned about what God sees in your heart than what others think of you.
As long as you are trying to be MORE concerned about what God wants and NOT what you want, you're doing great!
It may be different or uncomfortable in the beginning and that's ok.
You'll get used to it.
You'll get used to the silence,
The quiet,
The waiting,
The SEEKING.
Think of it as exercising a new muscle.
Awkward at first,
Maybe even sore,
But it's a good sore,
The kind after a good workout.
It means you're building muscle.
Keep SEEKING!
God's got you!
"Dear Heavenly Father,
Teach me how to seek You,
Teach me how to listen,
Teach me how to wait.
In this world of performance and rushing,
Free me from the lies of the enemy,
And allow me to sit in green pastures with you.
I hand you over any fear, guilt or shame around waiting,
I replace it with child-like faith, awe and wonder,
I let loose peace, joy, excellence and obedience in the Lord,
In Jesus name, Amen."
Cheers to a new way of SEEKING God in the UNKNOWN and doing business with Him! ^_^
