"Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high."
I just want to write this particular post in the way that it came to me and not focusing on trying to polish it up or style it in any particular way because I am more concerned with getting out the message that is upon my heart right now. In this new millennial era that we are living in, it is super easy to feel the urge and the pressure to start a business or "be a boss" or to create generational wealth through a hustle, rise & grind mentality. While all of things are important and serve a great purpose at times in our life, they all often make me ponder. The question that comes to mind when I hear this or see so many of my fellow counterparts taking the business plunge is, "what is your motive?"
When I ask someone this question, more times than not I hear something like this: "I want to be successful" or "I want to have a good life" or " I want to retire in 5-10 years so that when I am 40 I won't have to work." These are great answers and it's better to have a strong work ethic than a lazy one but for me, these answers aren't good enough. What I mean is that all of these answers put 'self' at the forefront - I know what you're thinking, what's wrong with that? Well, if you are thinking that, the next question I'd like to ask is, where does this leave the Most High YAH and His people? For those of us who subscribe to a life-long relationship with the Creator, you will know that the most important thing to Him is relationship with you and your relationship with His people, your people. While He most certainly wants His people to have a blessed life (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), He wants us to have it through Him - through our obedience to His Laws and Commandments and through Him being our God (Elohim) and we His people (see Matthew 6:33 KJV). If we are not careful, we can allow Satan to influence us to always be busy with everything else while missing the bigger picture at hand.
Let me explain the title. For me, I have definitely felt the pressure and urge to create a business so that I can create generational wealth and retire in 10 years or less etc. etc., but I have fell more in love with doing my work or assignment in life and never having to retire from that. I believe that the Most High created everyone with a purpose and an assignment to complete while on Earth and that purpose is your "work." We have been conditioned to believe that our jobs are our work, when that is actually our labor. Think about it, if you do a job that you don't love, every second you give to it is out of labor. Labor is defined as - work, especially hard physical work. Does that sound like something you do because you love it? Because you have a passion for it? No! Oftentimes people will labor for something for years to achieve some sort of material wealth or success all while never completing or even worst never finding their purpose! Your "work" is always life-long and for the em-betterment of those around you, not for money, houses, cars or fame. The word work is defined as - activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Now, compare this definition to that of labor and find out which one you are actually doing.
My prayer is to find and complete my mission, my work, my assignment. My passion is community development as it relates particularly to the African American community, starting with the youth and then eventually reaching their homes and families. I currently volunteer with an organization that allows me to spend time with a youth in their program as much as I can and be a positive influence and role model in their young little lives. With a passion like this, a millennial would naturally think, "start a non-profit" and while that idea has definitely crossed my mind and may even be something that I end up doing one day, I feel that I am currently most effective at leading through my serving rather than owning. My motivation for success isn't based on making a dollar and reaching the top of the ladder in 5 years. My motivation is where am I/where can I be most effective at reaching those who need me? For me, that is volunteering with organizations that have the same assignment or "work" as I do and serving with them. You can create a business but without help or workers, employees, volunteers you are nothing more than a business plan and a dream.
As your business grows, you will quickly realize that someone has to be the boss and someone has to be the servant. Servant doesn't mean slave, it means a person who performs duties for others or even better, a devoted and helpful follower or supporter. God (Elohim) takes great pleasure in the heart of a servant. Isaiah 52:13 KJV says; "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high." The great King David himself was called a servant of the Most High countless times in the Word (see 2 Kings 19:34, 2 Chronicles 6:17 & 42 KJV.) So you see, there is great honor in serving and assisting. Being the boss certainly has it's many great perks; however, there is something invaluable that comes with serving. In my eyes, in order to become a great leader, you must first be a great follower.
For those of you like me, I would simply say to pray to the Most High for Him to order your steps in His Word. He will lead you in the way that you should go as long as you keep your motivation as being pleasing before Him and not pleasing flesh for quick and instant gratification. For those of you who may still have the strong entrepreneurial bug upon you, I say go for it! But let your motivation always be to "work" and not to "labor".
Shalom & Blessings
Joanna