Scripture for Six Stages of a Start UpSample

Starting Out: Taking the Leap

“How did I get here?” As entrepreneurs, this is definitely the type of question we ask ourselves at the start of a venture, as well as during the middle of the process...and also at the end. Okay, so it’s something we are always asking: How in the world did I get here?

To go out on your own, to start your own venture, is a terrifyingly wonderful journey. You’re stepping into an unknown. You have an idea or a business model or a concept...but that’s it. And it’s so scary and so exciting all at the same time. But if we’re honest with ourselves, it’s mostly scary. So, we see Abram take this huge risk in moving to an unknown land, and we wonder, was he scared? Did he doubt?

The answer is almost certainly yes. But here’s where this story gets really frustrating—we don’t have that same guarantee of success. God didn’t promise to make us into a great nation. He didn’t sign a contract stating that if we took the risk in starting our own business then He’d turn our venture into a Fortune 500 company. This promise is specific to Abram.

But here’s the good news: God is still the same God (Heb 13:8). And if this story tells us anything about God’s character, it’s this: He’s with us (John 14:16; Matt. 28:20). He didn’t send Abram into a foreign land alone. He went with him to show him the way. From the very start, God was there.

The same is true for you. God never asked you to start your venture alone. He wants to walk alongside you the whole way. He wants to be your business partner, your Co-Founder, from the beginning until the end. And although you may not always have an answer to the how did I get here question, you can know that you didn’t get there alone. 

Further Thought 

• What’s your reflex response when you find yourself outside of your comfort zone?
• A lot of times as hard-charging entrepreneurs we can have the tendency to take things into our own hands and grab the wheel. How do we fight that and make sure we’re turning toward working with God in these times?
• It’s powerful to think of Abram hearing God speak to him like that. What are some ways you hear God speaking to you as he leads you on your entrepreneurial journey?