What Does Faith Have to Offer Entrepreneurs in Times of CrisisVoorbeeld

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Fil. 4:6-7).

This is a somewhat curious text by Paul. You would expect him to say, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but if it so happens, bring your anxieties before God.’ But Paul does not encourage us to bring our anxieties to God, but our requests. What is the difference?

When I think of my anxieties, I lose perspective and hope. Anxieties press me down, create a tunnel vision and feed fear and frightening images. Requests, on the other hand, have forward dynamics, look out for possibilities, and new perspectives. A request is closely linked to our desires to realize something in the future.

Think of Michael, an entrepreneur who was anxious about the future of his business. His challenge was to find out about his desires so that he was able to put his anxiety about his company in the right perspective. Michael says, ‘As long as I saw my business as a goal and a desire in itself, the anxiety about my company led to depression and negative thoughts. The anxiety dominated and suffocated my creativity and my capacity for innovation. When I started to see my company as a tool with which I could help people, this created more space in my mind. Instead of the anxiety for my business, the following question arose: is my company still the best way to serve these people, the way I desire to serve them? This question made me think about solutions. Holding on to the company was no longer a goal in itself.’

If we as entrepreneurs are anxious about the viability of our businesses, we often pray as follows: ‘Dear Lord, I fear I might lose my company, please will You help me save it?’ If I bring my desires as requests before God, as Michael did, my prayer might become similar to this: ‘Dear Lord, You called me to serve these people with my company. I’ve noticed it doesn’t seem to work right now, but Lord, how can I continue serving these people? Please, help me to continue working out the calling that You put in my heart.’ If we pray along these lines, Paul says, ‘the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:7).

Does this solve all problems? No, it does not, but a way has been created amid the anxiety and stress we may experience. It provides peace of mind and creates space, provided that our desires are in line with God’s desires. This is why Paul wants us to strive for all that is just, pure, lovely, and commendable (Phil. 4:9). Our desires, including those for our company and our entrepreneurship, should be at this level.

Question for the day
What would your prayer sound like, if you were to pray from your desires?