I was chatting with a dear friend sometime ago when he remarked; “I envy someone like you. You have gone ahead to obey God while some of us are still doing business hoping to be in ministry one day”. Well, all I could sense in his remark was nothing but guilt. So I went ahead to tell him, “Sir, don’t feel guilty. Do what it is you know that God will have you do now and be committed to it, serving the will of God. And who told you that pursuing business is lesser in weight and calling than pursuing (pulpit) ministry?”
Friend, like I asked that young man that day, I am asking you today, “Who told you that pursuing business is lesser in weight and calling than pursuing (pulpit) ministry?” That is the misconception a lot of people have about business. They see it as a lesser calling than some of us who are in the pulpit ministry full time. I have never considered my calling into full time ministry weightier and better than that of those people who are in business or any other line of career. I have only always advocated that they discover the ministry side of their career and business.
I know a young man who closed down a thriving, kingdom focused business under the deception of “I want to go into the ministry.” Today, he is nowhere to be found as far as business or ministry is concerned. He never knew that he was already fulfilling ministry via the platform of business. This is why correct teaching and pastoral guidance are important. There are a lot of people (sound Christians) today who are legitimately doing businesses or pursuing a line of career, as they feel led to, but still have some sense of guilt that they are not serving God in the ministry.
I love when pastors use the power of the pulpit on Sunday morning to release people into ministry on Monday morning; whether it would be in the class room, in the banking hall, market place and what have you. The purpose of the Church is to train men and women for ministry out there (Ephesians 4:11-12). People must be taught how to use the platform of their career and business to deploy their Graces and Calling, and never to feel guilty. God is working in every sphere of human endeavors and He needs people to undertake such tasks with Him; that is ministry.
My charge for you today is this, pursue your business as a pastor would pursue his ministry provided you have a sense of calling into it. Catch a revelation of God’s plan for that business. Don’t be in it just for money, be in it for impact and the expansion of the Kingdom. Money would be the bye product of impact and relevance. Develop the Faith and Courage to work your business from smallness to greatness. Pray intensely as a pastor would do. Live by the highest standard of character and integrity.
Pursue your career and business with a ministry mindset. Be guided by a divine plan as you cast vision, develop strategies and provide sound Kingdom leadership to see that business grow, making global, generational and eternal impact to the glory of God. Don’t forget that God is the first business man (Luke 2:49). You are not going to be wrong following His steps, leveraging business for transformational impact. You will succeed!
© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria