The world can be a truly ugly place, and it just seems to get uglier and uglier by the day.
When you’d go to the grocery store before, your checker was smiling and helpful. Happy.
And now, so many have a scowl on their face. It affects our day. And it’s hard for them, too. Think about all the things they have to deal with each day. All the things they see.
Over time, it hurts your heart and makes you hard-hearted and callous. To watch people who are rude, don’t care about anyone, oh, the things they see every day.
How can we blame them for having a scowl on their faces.
But it’s not just in person that people are getting ruder and meaner, it’s online too.
Someone wrote me the other day, “I am trying so hard to go through this world with a positive attitude with everything that is going on around me. I just can’t believe the way people act, and it seems to be getting worse each day.”
Whether you’re online or in person, there is meanness all around us. People go out of their way to send you a message that is nothing but cruel, something they have no idea what they’re talking about.
When did we, as a collective society, go from going out of our way to be KIND to someone and be nice and helping them, to, nowadays, going out of our way to be CRUEL and mean to someone?
No matter where you are or what you do, you cannot escape the cruelty of the world, but you CAN absolutely stay above it and run a godly business in an ungodly world. So, let’s discuss it. 🙂
How to Run a Godly Business in an Ungodly World
They say that in order to be a blogger, we have to do certain things like:
- Be on all social media platforms
- Focus all our attention on SEO
- Buy this or that course or we won’t make it
Don’t get me wrong, buying courses that genuinely meet your needs is good. I sell courses myself and they help people speed past a lot of the roadblocks I’ve hit along the way. They speed up your process, for sure, but so many courses are just JUNK!
Maybe they are packaged well with all the bells and whistles, but in the end, leave you not knowing much. Maybe you learned a couple jewels, not enough to justify the price.
So you try being on ALL the social media platforms all at once and fry your brain trying to keep up with the latest trends and experiments of whatever that next “guru” is telling you to do.
Being on social media is good. But trying to do it all at once will make you give up and quit and is it really the underlying REASON they want you to? Oh how it looks like a great idea on the outside, but what IF some of those so-called guru’s have a really devious master plan to take your money WHILE making you quit, thereby helping them succeed and keep their mountain of popularity?
Listen, if you think that’s not happening, think again. Satan is very clever and very subtle!
Or maybe you’ve been told you need to focus all your attention on SEO. Do this trick and that trick and we can all trick google, they very obviously say.
But can we REALLY trick google?
Can you REALLY trick the one who created the system? Don’t you think google knows the ins and outs of their own system and won’t let it be manipulated, and when it is by a lot of people, change the algorithms so that they are not manipulated anymore.
And everyone complains…oh google changed the algorithms again. I lost all my traffic.
Who’s wrong here? Google for keeping things legit? No. They are not wrong for changing an algorithm. It’s the mainstream people trying to take advantage of them.
And if all those things WERE true, you HAVE to buy THIS course or THAT course or fail, you HAVE TO focus solely on SEO, you HAVE TO be everywhere and be on all social media, then how in the world do you explain ME?????
Listen very carefully, loved one.
I do not pay for ANY sort of advertising. For my blog, for my shop, for my courses. I do not buy Facebook ads (though I did for a couple months in the past as a test). I do not pay for any ads at all.
The only social media I’m on is Pinterest. I have an old Instagram account but haven’t posted on there since 2018 at the time that I’m writing this post.
SEO is good and I don’t run away from it. I do what is necessary to rank on it, but I’m not out there doing shady stuff like stealing keywords and cutting someone else to raise myself up more an inch.
And courses, I never took any courses at all till I was blogging at least 3 years and making tens of thousands of dollars each month. The first course I DID take, way back in the day, sucked and I didn’t learn anything. When I created my own courses, I wanted them to be DIFFERENT. I wanted to give the WHOLE enchilada and teach how to become a person to be reckoned with, a leader, not telling someone how to do xyz and it’ll get you this.
The world doesn’t NEED more copycats!
We have enough of those already. It’s my intention to take you on a journey of yourself, to teach you how to run the show on your own, without buying “more coaching” like so many others force you to do.
And the truth is, you don’t NEED my courses to make it. You can learn blogging on your own. You can learn these things on your own. You won’t have the privilege of learning from someone who’s been doing this over 20+ years or speeding up the learning curve but it is absolutely possible to do it on your own. When I first learned, that’s exactly what I did. On my own, no help. So it’s not impossible. 🙂
Now, at this point, I want to state something very clearly.
None of the things I mentioned above are specifically stated in the Bible as wrong. So it becomes about your own personal conscience before the Lord. If you do not find anything wrong with stealing keywords, then by all means, do it. The Bible doesn’t say it’s wrong and, therefore, would be legalism if I tried to tell you not to do it, so I won’t.
However, I DO think there is enough in the Bible, in PRINCIPLE, to say it’s wrong.
Stealing is stealing and stealing is wrong.
Coveting is sin and coveting is wrong. Wanting what someone else has is wrong.
So there’s enough in the Bible to say that something is wrong without mentioning it exactly, however, it IS up to your conscience before the Lord and no one can make those decisions for you. It is between you and Him what you do. 🥰
I do not dislike the people that do those things, but I’m not stupid enough not to see right through it either. This leads me to the first thing we need to do to run a godly business in an ungodly world…
1) Line your heart and motivation up to the Lord
Unless our hearts are right with God, we can’t please Him. If we are living for ourselves, for fame, money, success and that’s our ONLY motivation, we can’t please God.
Why?
Because it’s not what HE considers to be the best thing. Anything that we place above God in our hearts, minds, and actions is an idol. That means, that we are cheating on God and committing spiritual adultery ON GOD!
We’re cheating on Him. And we do it every single day.
In that moment where you want something so bad and you want it more than Jesus, you’re committing spiritual adultery on God. What happened with the Israelites when Moses was on the mountain of God getting the Ten Commandments? They were worshipping a golden calf they made WHILE he was getting the laws. They were committing spiritual adultery and it makes God sad.
He is a jealous God. He does not want any other gods above him (or I also say, beside him).
He alone is God. He alone should be worshipped.
But we’re human and we fail and we all do.
We must line our lives and hearts up to God and His will and His purposes and we need to do this daily. Not out of the sole purpose to succeed (it’s okay to want to succeed, just so it’s not your primary focus), but out of a love for our great and glorious Father who redeemed us from the pit of Hell.
We owe Him our eternal gratitude.
We owe Him an unwavering allegiance.
We owe Him our lives.
Once you have your motivation and your heart in the right spot, you can then be successful because God is behind you. He WANTS us to succeed. He WANTS to use us, but so often He doesn’t because our thoughts, hearts, and actions are filled with impure motivations. Money, success, fame, fortune. Those are all things the unbelievers seek after, but for the Christian, we are to seek first the kingdom of God and THEN all these things will be added to us.
If our hearts are right and we are putting God first in our lives, seeking HIS glory, the Bible tells us straightforwardly, He WILL give us these things. When we put God in His proper place…first.
2) We don’t answer to the world
We need to remember that we do not answer to the world. They are not our boss. Yes, submit to those in authority over us (police, government, parents, teachers, etc.). I’m not saying don’t. I’m saying that collectively, we don’t answer to the world, who lies in the lap of the devil!
That means that if you’re a blogger, other bloggers are NOT your boss.
That “guru” you think so highly of, isn’t your boss, God is.
God puts people in our lives to help us, for sure, but not everyone is doing the right thing.
Put bluntly, it’s okay to buy a course or training or follow someone who is not saved for business advice, but you must be like the bereans and constantly study it out if it matches up with the Bible.
If they are telling you to do something that you feel is wrong, don’t just do it blindly thinking that “they know best” (I’m hearing Tangled’s mom singing mother knows best in my mind right now). 😂
They don’t always know what’s best but GOD, now God ALWAYS knows what’s best. We have to follow HIM and trust HIM above anyone else.
Yes, that means that if you have purchased a course by an unbeliever and you are a believer, you know more than them. They cannot see the world as it is because they are deceived themselves. It’s like the blind trying to lead the blind.
It’s not that they’re always wrong; there’s a lot of jewels that CAN be learned, but when in doubt you have to go with your gut and God’s Word over what anyone else says. Make sense?
All in all, we must be willing to go up against the grain in our businesses in order to succeed GOD’S way.
You need to understand those biblical foundations before we go any further, so, if you don’t, go through and pray about them. Ask them if it’s godly advice. Seek Him and He will show you what He wants you to do. 🙂
Next, we’re gonna dive right in and show you 20 things you can do to have more success in your business and run a God-honoring business in such a crazy, mixed-up world. You ready? 🥳
20 ways to run a godly and successful business
- Treat others how you wanna be treated. This is pretty straightforward. We want to be to everyone else how we wish they were to us. Do you want others to steal your SEO keywords? You worked hard on that post, do you want your peers to come along in the night and steal from you? If not, don’t do it to them. Luke 6:31
- Don’t gossip. Blogging is a pit of gossip at all times. There are Facebook groups where everyone can sit there and bash others in all day if they want. Reddit is a good example of that. Don’t gossip, don’t talk about others behind their backs, don’t cause or stir trouble. Don’t participate in gossip, whether online or offline. Don’t listen to it, don’t react to it when others gossip, keep your nose clean and focus on your own work. Thinking about negative stuff, will only DEtract you from kingdom work and not keep your heart where it should be – placed on God. Proverbs 20:19
- Work as unto the Lord. Work hard like the ant. The ant is an example of diligence and planning. He serves as a rebuke to the lazy person. If God were standing there in front of you right now, would you work the same as you are working now? If that means you need to work more hours to pay bills, then you must do it. We must work with our whole hearts, as unto the Lord. He controls our wealth. Ecclesiastes 9:10
- Always know we reap what we sow. If you think no one in the world SEES your work, all your hard work for the Lord, God does, and, in His timing, He will raise you up. He will give you the desires of your heart so long as He is FIRST in your heart. He loves you, He cares about you, and everything you do behind-the-scenes may not be noticed by millions, but it’s noticed by the most important being in the universe: God. He sees, He knows your hard work, and you will reap what you sow. Sow a godly blog, you’ll reap the fruits of a godly audience and godly blog. He promises it. Galatians 6:7-9
- Do not worry about others who are evil. I have seen many bloggers who do shady business fall, and I’ve seen kind-hearted bloggers rise. Do not worry if someone else seems to have what you want (that’s coveting), you just worry about YOU and what YOU’RE doing before the Lord. He will bless you for your obedience to Him (Colossians 3:23-24) He alone is responsible to judge the wicked. There will come a day where you will look for them, and they will not be there (that has happened to me many times in the course of 9 years of blogging). He has a way of working things out. Just focus on what He wants YOU to do. Psalm 37:10
- The number one goal of your business (and your life) is to glorify God in all that you do. That means, if you are a homemaker and you are washing dishes, you are glorifying God to keep your home clean and take care of your husband and children. If you are a blogger, it means that your goal is to glorify God to the watching world, not participating in things you shouldn’t. Whatever you do, wherever you are, your (and my) focus should be on pleasing and glorifying the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:31
- Don’t pretend to be rich or poor or something that you’re not. There are some who will pretend to be better than they are. Don’t be jealous of others because you don’t know if it’s actually real or not. It’s just a falsehood. Many also pretend to be poor so they can get away with things like low-income programs or to gain sympathy. Others pretend to be something they are not either with character or finances. You’re not seeing the whole picture. Proverbs 13:7
- Stay humble. Make sure you’re being humble to those around you, whether online, in person, or just around your home in front of your children. It’s always better to be humble than prideful. When you get featured or someone writes in saying how amazing you are, take it with a grain of salt and remember they can’t see the whole picture. We all sin, we all mess up, we all fail. Don’t believe your own press. You know who you are before God and that’s all that matters. 1 Peter 5:6-7
- Be yourself. Have the freedom to be who you are. Don’t shy back from who you are (2 Timothy 1:6-7) to please your audience or anyone else. Use the gifts and tools that God has given you to reach the world, serve for Him, and maintain your integrity of who you are, not selling out for anything or anyone.
- Maintain your innocence. When you’re new to blogging, it can seem exciting and perfect, but there’s an underbelly to blogging the same as everywhere else. There are fakes, there are meanies, there are jerks, and there are those who pretend to be your friend, looking for a way to stab you. It’s like that in any job you have, so constantly maintain your innocence and be righteous with yourself and with everyone around you. Don’t go looking for fights, stay out of trouble, and stay pure. Proverbs 13:22
- Be completely honest at all times. Sometimes you’ll get a message from someone and you’ll have the opportunity to lie. This comes with the territory. You must be completely honest at all times. If you try to lie, eventually, you will be found out (or you’ll quit blogging before you are found out) and you’ll lose everything. Your audience is smart, they will figure it out that you’re lying, so never lie in the first place. Anytime you have opportunity to prove things, do so. A good example of that is a simple screenshot above of the last time I posted on Instagram. The reason I did that was to prove that it WAS the last time I posted. It’s not for a picture, it’s not to break up text (though it does that too), but it is there to prove I am telling the truth. I’m legit. I’m honest. And that’s what we all want to be. Prove the things you can (unless it’s like income or something; that I feel like you should keep private as much as you are able, some you might have to share, but try to keep it more on the private side) but always be full of integrity and honest with everything you do. If you’re not, they will find out and it’ll hurt God’s testimony. Proverbs 13:11
- Don’t chase fantasies. This is basically get-rich-quick schemes. The best way to create your dreams is to work for them. I love how the NIV version puts it in Proverbs 28:19…”Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.” Work hard, don’t chase shiny.
- Be genuine. Real. Relatable. People know when you’re faking. If they follow you long enough, they will see it. Don’t fall away from the faith. Keep your stance and run with endurance, being genuine to all those you meet. The more REAL you are, showing who you are, even your sins and being honest about your struggles, the more connected you are to your audience. They won’t feel so alone in their struggles. That’s not to say you stay there in your sin though. Work HARD at changing for the better, but be honest about where you are at the moment. Come along side them, help them, serve them, love them. 2 Timothy 3:13
- Have joy in what you’ve been called to do. Sometimes constantly serving can be draining (emotionally and spiritually). Be sure you are taking time for yourself to balance things out. Have fun, do the things you enjoy, don’t overwork (Proverbs 23:4 NASB), don’t underwork (Proverbs 12:24). Serve those around you, but take time to do the things you enjoy, too, and if you can match them up, even better! For example, I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVEEEEE creating printables. When I create printables, it’s doing something I thoroughly enjoy doing, but it’s also serving my audience. They love my printables and find them useful, too. So it’s a win-win. Just make sure you are completely balanced and HAPPY! Serving others for God should never be drudgery. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
- Don’t stockpile things you cannot use or do not need when someone else is in need. A good example of this is if you run a kids resale clothing shop. Maybe there’s clothes that are not selling, even though you’ve put them on sale for only $1 each. Donate them to a local homeless shelter and give rather than continue to keep trying to sell it. Or if God puts in your path someone who needs clothes, give to them your $1 clothes. They will enjoy it, and it’s not taking away from your income. Don’t keep or hoard the things you cannot use especially if there’s a need for it with someone else. Remember that what you do in your personal life affects your business success, too. If you are stingy with your money in your personal life, you will be stingy in business and vise versa, which leads me to my next point. Proverbs 3:9-10
- Be generous. Give and serve. Use your platforms as a ministry for God’s glory even if your blog is not about God. You can do this by listening to the needs of others. Serve and meet their needs, whatever they are. If you’re a homeschooling blogger for example, you can create content that is Christian or faith-based. You can ALWAYS weave God into your work somehow and it’s a good thing if you do (if your life represents God in a good and wholesome way). Another example is if you have an SVG or Cricut blog. Create SVGs about God. Make Christian stuff on your blog. Serve the Christian community on your blog, too! 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
- Do the good works you’ve been called to do. Whatever it is that God wants you to do, you are sufficient for the task. Do it with all your heart and obey whatever He asks. Do not find shame in what you’re doing or be discouraged when the world does not always agree. Keep doing what God asked you to do and never feel like you’re not good enough to do what’s He’s called you to do. 2 Corinthians 9:8
- Don’t pay attention to your enemies. Think of the story of Nehemiah building the wall (Nehemiah 1:1-7:3). Keep on doing what God has asked you to do, despite what your enemies are doing. It is better to stand alone for the Lord than to stand with foolish people. Genesis 6:9-22; 1 Peter 3:13
- No one knows your business like you. While you can find a lot of amazing help, people that you are SO incredibly blessed to work with, no one is going to know all the ins and outs of your business like you do (and that’s okay!) and more than that, you can’t expect anyone else to die for your business and the people you serve every day like you would. John 10:1-16. You must understand that you have to work the business yourself. You can’t just hire everything out, sit back, and let everyone else do the work for you. Your audience will follow YOU. I remember one time I used the word “whilst” and got an email from an audience member saying, “Who wrote that newsletter? It wasn’t you. I’ve been following you for years and you never used the word “whilst” before.” 😂 It was actually me writing it, but a great example of this. Your audience knows you, they trust you, they will not be so quick to trust others. They trust the shepherd, the leader, the one who spends time with them.
- Never give up. Things will not always go your way, things will fail and fall down and just break, but you have to be willing to be in it for the long haul, giving your all. Never give up on your dreams and what you were put here on this earth to do! Proverbs 24:16