If you scour the internet, you’ll find tons of articles, videos, and books about how to make it in the 21st century as an entrepreneur. Whether you’re a small business owner or an independent contractor, some recurring characteristics have been accepted as being a part of the fabric of the entrepreneurial world. Some of these characteristics of business owners are supported by scripture, but not all of them.

If you accept the culture as defined, you will undoubtedly find yourself at odds with Biblical principles. So how do you set yourself apart as Christian Business owners?

1. Goals-Focused Vs. God-Focused

Having goals is a critical part of business building. Having targets is a great way to measure your growth, profitability, and scalability. KPIs do exactly that. Being able to measure performance is an exercise of wisdom. So, what exactly are we saying? While our goals are important for measurability, they should never take center stage in our lives. Taking a “by any means necessary” approach can land us on the wrong side of the Word, as what may be viewed as necessary to the rest of the world may require you to adjust just how faithful you are to your pre-established values. Focusing on God will help us to accomplish His will for us in our lives, which should be our ultimate goal.

This will sound ridiculous to someone outside of faith, as there’s a misconception that God is not as concerned with our businesses as we are and that He does not want us to be successful here on earth. On the contrary! God wants His people to not just be successful; He wants us to be the standards for success.

“For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.” Deuteronomy 7:6

2. Self Confidence and Reliance Vs. God Confidence and Reliance

Being an entrepreneur comes with its fair share of unpredictability and risk-taking, but so does being a Christian. Remember Abraham and Isaac? There’s no way Abraham could have seen God’s request to sacrifice Isaac coming (frankly, nobody could have seen that coming). After all, didn’t God himself promise Isaac to Abraham in his old age? Wasn’t Isaac a miracle baby for a purpose? Didn’t God tell you to start your business? Isn’t He the one who planted the vision in your heart? Didn’t He say He would bless it?

This is where faith, confidence, trust, and reliance on God come into play. When the market turns, and everything around you seems to be flying off the walls, just like Abraham, you can rest in the comfort of the ever-changing nature and honesty of God. If God told you He would bless you, if He really told you to pursue your business and you’ve been faithful in the conduct of your business, then even when the tide turns, and it looks as though everything is about to crumble, rejoice, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6

Imagine the power of your testimony in the business place, when despite the uncertainty, you remain calm and confident, not in yourself, but in God. Imagine how magnetic that kind of faith can be to someone whose soul is already searching for God. Your success makes God look amazing; the way you go through business challenges paints a picture of God.

What kind of picture do you want to paint with your business?