WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:17.455 I believe that business is a calling. Just like someone can be called to the pulpit, you can be called to the marketplace, to the business world. So how do you know what area of business God is calling you to? Is it marketing? Is it sales? 00:00:17.455 --> 00:01:02.480 Is it entrepreneurship? Or is it the corporate world? Well, today, I'm gonna give you seven clues to help you find your business calling, and every one of them starts with the letter p. So stay with me through all seven because by the end of this episode, you should have a lot more clarity about what God is assigning you to do in the marketplace. Welcome to the Stewardship Coach Podcast. 00:01:02.480 --> 00:01:27.830 I'm Lee Jenkins. And whether you're financially frustrated or already extraordinarily wealthy, my mission is to help you make, manage, and multiply money God's way. If that's you, feel free to subscribe right now because that's exactly what we talk about here in every single episode. Alright. Let's get started. 00:01:28.230 --> 00:01:42.625 Seven clues to finding your business calling. Number one, passion. What energizes you? What stirs your heart? When you talk about it, you light up. 00:01:42.785 --> 00:02:05.930 When you do it, you lose track of time. What would you do for free if you could? Whatever it is, that's your passion. You see, passion is the it's the fuel that sustains your calling. I love what Jeremiah 20 verse nine says. 00:02:06.785 --> 00:02:34.030 Jeremiah the prophet says, your message is like a fire burning deep within me. Some versions say, it's like fire shut up in my bones. Then he goes on to say, I try my best to hold it in but can no longer keep it back. Look, I don't know about you, but I wake up every day excited. So I know how the prophet Jeremiah felt. 00:02:34.395 --> 00:03:09.315 And I mean, every day when my feet hits the floor in the morning, I'm on a mission. So if what you do every day drains you instead of energizing you, then that's not your calling. Let me say that again. If whatever you're doing every day drains you, if you have dread about doing it instead of it energizing you, then that's not your calling because you should have passion. Number two is proficiency. 00:03:09.555 --> 00:03:25.310 In other words, what's your skill set? What are you good at? What comes easy for you, but it's hard for others? You see, your skills, they aren't random. They're recruiting you into your calling. 00:03:25.470 --> 00:03:42.605 So don't take your skill set for granted. Hey, like a lot of you, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. We've struggled financially. My family struggled. I mean, there were times where we wondered if we had enough money to make it to the end of the month. 00:03:43.050 --> 00:04:20.890 So I learned to appreciate the value of a dollar when I was a child. Then when I got in college, I noticed that a lot of my friends were broke, and they came from money, and I didn't. And the reason they did not have money, and the reason I did, is because I managed my money better, and they did not manage what they had. So little did I know that that was a skill, that me managing money was a skill. And that skill helped catapult me into a twenty five year career in financial services. 00:04:20.890 --> 00:04:48.750 And it also helped me build wealth for people. So I didn't even know that that was something I was proficient in until I started looking at how other people manage their money, and I realized, you know what? Maybe I'm pretty good at this. That's why Proverbs twenty two twenty nine says, do you see people skilled in their work? They will work for kings, not for ordinary people. 00:04:49.245 --> 00:05:20.515 You see, what that means is that your skill will take you places if you understand how to work it, and everybody has a skill. You just gotta really be good and serious at it, and you gotta focus on that special skill that God has given you. The third thing is your personality. That means how has God wired you? You see, your personality, y'all, is is not random. 00:05:20.595 --> 00:05:42.880 Your personality is is revelation. It's not just something god threw at you. It's something god molded into your being. That's why I love Psalm one thirty nine fourteen. It says, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:05:43.125 --> 00:06:17.055 So the psalmist is saying that I am fearfully, I am wonderfully made. In other words, God, you made me special. You see, the way you think, the way you lead, the way you relate, the way you organize, the way you communicate, the way you make decisions, it's all a part of your divine blueprint. God designed you with a wiring that fits your assignment. Let me say that again. 00:06:17.055 --> 00:06:49.015 So how you are wired, how God designed your wiring, it fits your assignment here on earth. For instance, are you analytical or intuitive? Or do you thrive behind the scenes more than on the front lines? Because some people, you know, they're they're behind the scenes people, but then some people feel more comfortable out front. That's not their ego if they're called to be out front, and that's not the person who is behind the scenes. 00:06:49.015 --> 00:07:05.795 They're not being shy or bashful. It's just that that's how God wired them. How about this? Are you energized by people or recharged by solitude? You see, I'm both. 00:07:05.795 --> 00:07:23.820 I'm energized by people, but man, I gotta get recharged. I gotta be by myself some. You see, those aren't quirks. Those are clues. Your personality is a clue to your assignment. 00:07:24.380 --> 00:07:47.970 Moses, in the Old Testament, who was an extraordinary leader, Moses was quiet and reluctant. He was perfect for leading wilderness wanderers. You know, the people who wandered in the wilderness. Peter, you remember him, he was loud and he was bold. He was ideal for launching a movement. 00:07:48.210 --> 00:08:09.975 So the reason Peter was able to do what he did is because of his bold, brash personality. Nehemiah, he was organized. He was strategic. He was great for managing a rebuilding project, which he did in Jerusalem. You see, your personality is perfect for your purpose. 00:08:10.760 --> 00:08:32.025 So stop comparing yourself and your wiring to someone else's. God didn't make you like them. You know why? Because God didn't call you to be them. Now, up to this point, we've talked about what energizes you and what you're good at and how God has wired you. 00:08:32.505 --> 00:09:14.510 But this next one, you all, is powerful because many times your calling is hiding in the very things you've already been through. That brings me to number four, your past experiences. In other words, what has shaped you? I want to start off with a very powerful passage that many of us already know, and it's Romans eight twenty eight. It says, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. 00:09:15.230 --> 00:10:02.870 In other words, your past is not wasted, Even the painful stuff you've been through, even the awkward moments that have embarrassed you, I mean, the really embarrassing parts of your journey, were shaping you for something greater. And you you gotta understand that. That toxic job you had and that boss that was very unfair to you taught you how to be the right kind of leader because you said, I don't wanna be that. That failed business gave you insight for how to do it right. So the next time you launched, you knew what not to do. 00:10:03.590 --> 00:10:51.355 That season of lack, when you were broke, busted, and disgusted, You know what? It taught you how to steward your money better, so when abundance finally came, you were able to handle it. Even the abuse and the trauma that you experience, it doesn't define you because God can even redeem that. You see, one of my favorite stories is David and Goliath, and David didn't defeat Goliath on accident Because y'all, David, he had fought lions and he had fought bears before he stepped on the battlefield to fight Goliath. And so he was already ready. 00:10:51.355 --> 00:11:24.215 God had used his previous experience, and that experience, it lined up with his assignment for that special moment. Joseph, he didn't lead Egypt by chance. He had years of training in the pit and in the prison. And remember, by the time he got to the palace, he had been in the pit and in the prison. So God had used all of these experiences, and Joseph had a lot of negative experiences, but God used it all. 00:11:24.580 --> 00:11:38.900 So here's what I'm really trying to say. Your history is not your liability. It's your preparation. Let me say that again. Your history is not your liability, so stop looking at it like that. 00:11:39.125 --> 00:12:16.585 Your history is your preparation. God is preparing you for where he's taking you. So as many of you know, I spent twenty five years in the investment business. I was trained on Wall Street, worked there for a little while, and moved back to my hometown in Atlanta and had a long, very prosperous career in the investment business. And what was interesting is after almost twenty five years in the business, God started dealing with me about going into ministry full time, local church ministry. 00:12:16.585 --> 00:12:47.935 I always viewed my life as ministry, but he was saying specifically, it's time for you to lead and shepherd my people. And y'all, I remember thinking, Lord, if I had known I was gonna end up being a pastor, then why did you have me in the investment business for twenty five years? It just didn't make sense to me. It didn't make sense that I'd spent all that time in business, and then I'm gonna end up being a pastor. And I didn't see the connection of that experience helping me as a pastor. 00:12:48.335 --> 00:13:05.160 But little did I know that as a businessman, I had to do stuff like marketing. I had to do stuff like sales. I had to ask people for money, which is fundraising. I had to know how to operate a business. I had to do customer service. 00:13:05.775 --> 00:13:36.755 And guess what? Those same skills that I learned in business translated to ministry. So here I was thinking that maybe my business experience did not translate to ministry, and it translated perfectly. So ask yourself, what has life taught you that you can now use to bless others? I'm just telling y'all, God doesn't make mistakes. 00:13:36.995 --> 00:14:00.440 So don't curse your past. God knows what he's doing. That's for somebody out there. God can use the good, the bad, and the ugly to accomplish in your life what he wants you to achieve. Number five is pain. 00:14:00.680 --> 00:14:15.975 Let me say that again. Pain. What breaks your heart? You see, your pain can show you what your assignment is. You see, often our burden is a clue to our assignment. 00:14:16.730 --> 00:14:35.545 Doctor. Martin Luther King Jr, he had a burden for racial unity and equality. Moses, he had a burden for enslaved people. Nehemiah had a burden for broken walls. In fact, I love what Nehemiah one four says, and this is Nehemiah talking. 00:14:35.545 --> 00:15:26.390 He says, now when I heard these words, he was talking about the words that some of the people from his hometown, Jerusalem, came and told him about, and and they were basically talking about how Jerusalem, how the walls had been destroyed and how it was in disrepair. And and Nehemiah says, when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Did you catch that? This leader named Nehemiah sat down, wept, mourned, and fasted and prayed because of what was going on in his hometown, Jerusalem. You see, a burden is not just a good idea. 00:15:27.465 --> 00:15:43.820 A burden is what keeps you up at night. It's that, I call it that holy restlessness that you just can't shake. It's the thing that makes you sad. It's the thing that makes you glad. It's the thing that makes you mad. 00:15:44.220 --> 00:16:13.940 That's how you know you have a vision from God is because you use that pain to thrust you into your assignment. Y'all, there's a lady at our church. She's a congresswoman, and her 17 year old son got shot and killed in 2012. I mean, it was so tragic. He was in a car with some of his friends and they were at a gas station and they were playing their music loud. 00:16:14.500 --> 00:17:04.990 And this guy came to the car, they exchanged a few words, and the guy shot in the car and killed this lady's 17 year old son. He was unarmed, and he was targeted simply for playing loud music. Yet out of that unthinkable grief, I mean, I can't even imagine losing my son like that, this lady turned her pain into purpose. She became a leading voice for gun safety reform, and she ultimately, ran for, the US House of Representatives and won. And since then, she has authored and co authored several pieces of key legislation aimed at preventing gun violence and protecting innocent lives. 00:17:05.230 --> 00:17:30.065 You see, her story reminds us that even the worst moments of our lives can become fuel for what God calls us to do next. So I wanna ask you, what injustice or what problem keeps you up at night? That's a sign of your business calling. What bothers you? What makes you mad? 00:17:30.065 --> 00:17:49.405 What makes you sad? And what makes you glad? Y'all, sometimes our pain leads us right into our purpose. Number six is people affirmation. Now this one is very interesting because this one, y'all, it changed my life. 00:17:49.405 --> 00:18:22.685 In other words, what do others affirm in me? What do people who you value and value you say about you? What do people see in you that you may not even see in yourself? You see, sometimes people see the gift in you before you do. So you need to listen to what people constantly or consistently compliment you on, or maybe what they thank you for. 00:18:23.485 --> 00:18:53.285 It's usually not a coincidence, it's a confirmation. For instance, when I was a child, y'all, I was not very athletic. Like when I was six, seven, eight, nine, 10 years old, I was probably the least athletic kid in my neighborhood. They didn't pick me to play in the pickup basketball games. And then I think when I was around 10 years old, my dad we were just talking one day and my dad said, Man, you're gonna a great athlete. 00:18:53.285 --> 00:19:17.985 You're gonna be better than me. And my dad had played college football. Now, nobody else thought I was gonna be a good athlete, but my dad evidently saw something in me, and that thing stuck with me. And sure enough, I ended up being a pretty good athlete. And then I remember when I got out of football, after I played college football, in one year, I spent one year with the New York Giants, and I was ready to start my career in the financial industry. 00:19:18.625 --> 00:19:53.645 That didn't happen by accident. One of my mentors told me, I think you would be really good in financial services. And I was thinking about some other careers, and because they saw something in me, two of my mentors did, it changed the trajectory of my life. And then before I became a pastor, I've had two pastors in my life, and both of those pastors, and I was a member of their church and I was one of the leaders in the church, they both told me, Man, you're gonna end up pastoring one day. So here's what I'm saying. 00:19:54.120 --> 00:20:30.310 A lot of what I am doing right now, it was confirmed by the voices of people in my life who I greatly respected. So here's what I'm saying. Don't discard compliments and people who are important to you and people who know you and people who see your value. When they tell you you may be good at something, you need to take that to heart because I did, and it changed my life. And it is one of the ways that you can live out your calling in the business world because you need to listen to people around you. 00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:48.980 And lastly, number seven is providence. That means where is God opening or closing doors? Providence. You see, God speaks through doors. He opens some and he closes others. 00:20:49.780 --> 00:21:25.680 An open door is what I call a divine opportunity that no opposition can close. And we love open doors. And that's one of the ways we can walk in our business calling because God just opens a door. But I want you to look at First Corinthians sixteen:nine. The reason I want you to to look at this verse is because a lot of times we think that when god opens a door, then that means everything is going to be so smooth but look at what the apostle Paul said. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:22:03.245 He says, there is a wide open door for great work here, although many oppose me. So what Paul is saying is there was a great opportunity for me to do ministry, but he also was saying there is great opposition. So when God opens doors, that means new business opportunities, or it could mean new relationships. But that doesn't always mean, y'all, that everything is gonna work out perfectly. You gotta get over some obstacles, and you're gonna have to push through some things. 00:22:03.885 --> 00:22:35.465 Now let's talk about what a closed door is. A closed door is a supernatural barrier that protects you from what's not meant for you. And y'all in my business career, I have thanked the Lord for open doors, but I have probably thanked him more for closed doors. But the problem is closed doors don't always feel good, and it doesn't feel like God is in it sometimes. But that's the very thing that can catapult you into God's will from a business standpoint. 00:22:35.705 --> 00:23:06.710 For instance, you may get fired or you might have gotten laid off or you might lose a business deal, and it feels terrible because I've been there, but it was nothing but God closing the door because he had something better for you. So stop trying to revive what God is trying to release in your life. Closed doors don't mean rejection. They mean redirection. Let me say that again. 00:23:06.870 --> 00:23:35.710 Closed doors don't mean rejection. They mean redirection. And sometimes closed doors also mean protection. God is protecting you from something. Well, before I wrap up, I want to remind you to hit that subscribe button because we're gonna be talking about a lot of business principles, a lot of financial principles, and we're gonna be looking at it from God's perspective. 00:23:35.710 --> 00:23:52.685 And I'm telling you, it will change your life. So let's do a quick recap of the seven clues to finding your business calling. Ask yourself these questions. Passion. What energizes me? 00:23:53.485 --> 00:24:01.005 Proficiency. What am I good at? Personality. How has God wired me? Past experiences. 00:24:01.590 --> 00:24:10.870 What has shaped me? Pain. What burdens me? People affirmation. What do others confirm in me? 00:24:11.190 --> 00:24:28.595 And then providence. Where is God opening or closing doors in my life? Hey, I wanna pray for you. Maybe you're working, but you're not fulfilled in your work. Maybe you're making money, but you're not making an impact. 00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:51.535 Maybe you've had jobs, but you've never stepped into your God given assignment. So I wanna pray for you right now. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you don't just save us, you send us. You don't just forgive us, you assign us. 00:24:51.935 --> 00:25:17.425 So, lord, I'm asking that you will help these people to find their calling and I'm praying that you will reveal their calling to them, that you will help them uncover their assignment. So, Lord, help them to walk in what they were created and born to do. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Hey, you all. 00:25:17.425 --> 00:25:48.993 Thank you for checking out the Stewardship Coach Podcast. I hope this episode challenged you. I hope it encouraged you, and I hope it gave you some practical wisdom that you can apply right away. Now don't forget, if this content is adding value to your life, please be sure to subscribe to this channel so you don't miss what's coming next. I got a whole lot more great content on the way on faith and finances and business, so I'll see you in the next episode. 00:25:48.993 --> 00:25:49.793 God bless you.