Overcoming Failures as a Christian Business Owner

In Christian circles whenever we have emotional struggles during times of failure, we are told, “Just pray about it.” or “I will pray for you.”  But sometimes, those emotional issues still haunt us.  Our emotions feel real to us, even if there is no logical reason to feel them.

Yes, we can quote scripture and meditate on God’s word and they help considerably, but until we get to the root of the problem those things will always pop up like those dandelion weeds that pop up all over your yard in spring.

Focus on who you are not what you do

It is so easy to tie up who we are with what we do, but that is just a trick that the deceiver uses to keep you off your game.  If your business is cleaning pools, you are not a pool cleaner, you are a child of God.  A simple revelation about who you are can change the way you look at any circumstance.

For instance, when someone rejects your business, they are not rejecting you!  Let me say that again, when someone decides not to do business with you, they are not rejecting you.  They may need more convincing, they may have found a better offer, or they may just not like the color of your hair.  We can’t dwell on the people who don’t want to do business with us, humans are irrational people.

You are not what you do, but who you are as a child of God. Click To Tweet

Focus on what you can control

We must focus on what we can control instead of worrying about the “shoulda, coulda, woulda’s.”  Our brains can get in a loop and we start replaying all the ways we messed up.  Instead, we ought to replay the mistake the way we wanted it to go.  See, if you replay the mistakes, you are reinforcing the errors. If you replay the way it should have gone, you prepare yourself for the next encounter.

Note: Our memories are not a concrete item.  Each time you remember something, you literally change it based on your current knowledge, experience and emotional state.  A memory from the past, is in essence a modified version of reality.  I bet you have noticed this when reminiscing with family members.  They remember things a certain way, but you remember something completely different.

Focus on the root

Being self-aware is a great thing to strive for.  As an entrepreneur, you are already more aware of who you are and what you do than most people.  Yet, sometimes, emotions creep in and you are not sure why.  You must learn to notice them and take control of them before they sideline you from the work that God has created for you to do.

When you feel like you are angry or fearful, ask yourself, “Why am I feeling this right now?”  Just naming the emotion can help you determine what is causing it.

• It could be mental. If so, take a moment to pray, breathe deeply and get back to work.
• It may be physical. Evaluate when you ate last, when you last took a five minute walk or if you need to move from your current environment.  Eat, exercise or just get away to change your physical. (You can also just try a power pose!)
• It may be spiritual. If you feel something ‘in your spirit,’ take time to really pray and discern what God is trying to tell you.  Turn to scripture for advice and take time in silence to listen for God to speak.
• It may be emotional. Emotional scars are hard to overcome.  We must find what is triggering the emotion and learn to reinterpret that emotion.  You may need to talk to a counselor or pastor to discover and overcome your emotional issues.

Focus on a new perspective

When you feel overwhelmed, it is not good to have all those things going on in your brain.  Do a ‘brain dump’ and just write down (on paper) everything that is in your mind.  Your brain can not evaluate thoughts running around your head, but when you put them on paper you can see solutions.  You may realize that all those things could be overcome with a simple plan of action.

Getting things on paper is the best way to change your perspective, but also take your mind off your mind.  Take time to focus on other people, helping them and focusing on their needs.  This practice will get you out of your own head and focus on what God has created you to do, touch the lives of others.

Conclusion

Failures and struggles are not as easily overcome as just quoting a Christian phrase.  It takes work to really get your life back on track when you have been bumped off your path to success.  Afterall, we live in a ‘fallen’ world and bad things still happen.

We must remember that we have access to a higher power.  The Creator of the Universe wants to have a personal relationship with us and has sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us on our path in this world.

God did not create you to fail, even though you have failures. Click To Tweet