"Help My Unbelief" - 5 Ways You Can Encourage Your Sisters in Christ by Esmeralda Ayala
There's something critical you need to know, and I hope you receive this truth in your spirit. Ready? You, chica, are a deadly weapon. I know that may be shocking to read, and you may be wondering how, but it’s true.
Being a woman can be difficult. Being a woman in business is also difficult. But, being a woman that owns her own business AND wants to honor God through it is substantially more difficult!
As a daughter of God, you’re counter-cultural. You’re called to do things differently. You’re a radical woman. You don’t run your life or your business like the rest of the world does. Your heavenly Father is the One that gave you the gifts, skills, and talent you have to serve the people assigned to you. And you know that God has His righteous right hand over your life. He's guiding you, protecting you, and leading you in His plans.
That still doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be times where you feel discouraged, insecure, or tempted to run your business the way everyone else does, even if that means compromising your Christ-like values. So, if this happens to you, it means it happens to other fellow sisters in Christ. So what do we do? How can we help one another when it comes to being women of faith in business?
Here are 5 ways you can encourage your fellow business sisters in Christ.
1) Dive Deep
I know when we ask others how they’re doing, it’s easy for them to say “I’m good,” or “I’m blessed and highly favored.” But, If you can provide a safe space where they feel comfortable speaking with you, I want to challenge you to go deeper and ask tougher questions.
“What do you feel God is trying to teach you in the season you’re currently in? How are you REALLY doing?” As a woman in business, it can be hard to not only balance our business lives, but our spiritual, relational, physical, social, and our financial lives as well. You can be so busy all the time that you check out. But when you take the time to reflect on how you're really doing, it’s not always good.
Plus, you have a target on you. We live our lives and run our businesses to glorify God, and the enemy is stomping his feet in a fit. He’s trying everything he can to either sabotage you or distract you from the purposes God has placed in you.
This is where we can turn to our fellow sisters in Christ to vent, be open, real, and vulnerable enough to share our wins and losses. Ask your fellow sisters that come up in your spirit how they’re really doing. Ensure them that they are in a safe space where no judgment will be placed, and let them speak their truth. We all need someone to just listen from time to time. That could be you.
2) Real Talk
Talk to God and ask him to show you things that only He could know.
Listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and look for scriptures that back up your prayers. And, I don’t mean just adding them to your prayer list and then forget (Just being real; I accidentally do that sometimes).
Try writing out a prayer for your fellow sister in Christ and sending it to her. Set up a time where you two can gather together and read the prayer in faith and add whatever the Holy Spirit prompts you to add.
For where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there too. Just because we can’t gather in person like before, doesn’t mean we can’t gather. Get a Facebook or Zoom call ready and let’s get to praying. It's a powerful tool available to you.
3) Gracious Giving
Give that word of encouragement, chica. It may sound obvious, but you have no idea how much a “You’re doing a great job,” or “I see how God is using you, sis,” will matter to a fellow sister in her business. Share her work with others via word of mouth or social media.
This action communicates how valuable her work is and how much others need to know. You could also contribute to her ministry, cause, or business by donating or purchasing something. This is a great way to not only encourage her, but you both benefit from it. We’re here to love one another and lift each other closer to Christ. There’s no better way to do that than to give.
4) Testimony Time
Encourage your sister in Christ to share her testimony. Sometimes looking back is a bad thing. We read about how Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back when she shouldn’t have. But other times, looking back at the past and comparing it to where God has brought you is actually a good thing.
It reminds us of God’s faithfulness, of His perfect plans for us, and for what is yet to come. Amen to that! If she feels comfortable, ask her what challenges she's overcome in her journey. What were the lessons she learned? It just might be the boost she needs to start moving forward with the joy of the Lord.
5) Confirm with The Word
God’s word is His love letter to us. It’s a living word that when we read IT, IT reads us.
It’s where God shares His promises for us. It’s a powerful tool that can truly encourage us and lead us closer to God, the Author, and Finisher of our faith. When a fellow sister in Christ is going through some difficult times or situations, referring back to God’s promises is always a great place to go.
Here are some examples to keep in your spiritual business first aid kit.
Struggling with Doubt:
I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
There will be so many times where you won't be able to do things on your own strength. What comfort and relief it is to know that all we need is Jesus' strength to get us through the other side of any difficult situation. He will be the One to help you succeed, chica.
When Struggling with Honesty:
The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him. – Proverbs 11:1 (NIV)
I get it. It can be tempting to compare ourselves to others and then want to run our businesses the way they do. But, God has called you to a higher standard. He hates dishonesty, and as a daughter of the King of kings, you're called to please Him, not the world. Cling to Him, chica. He's got you!
When Dealing with Difficult Customers:
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. – Luke 6:27-28 (NIV)
This can be one of the most difficult things we are called to do. But, if Jesus forgave the unforgivable in us, who are we not to do the same?
Don't let other people discourage you from what God has called you to do because of their negative comments or attitudes. Continue to have a spirit of excellence and you'll soon see how your heavenly Father rewards you for your faithfulness...cause that's hard!
When I decided to launch my virtual assistant business, I was paralyzed. I’m not sure if it was fear, insecurity, laziness, procrastination, or maybe a fusion of them all. In desperation, I cried out to God to help me. I had to completely relinquish control. And who likes doing that, right? Let’s face it: if we could’ve done things with our own will, we would’ve done them already. But because I couldn’t move forward unless He moved with me, I was stuck. So I gave it to Him and when I did, amazing opportunities opened up for me.
He surrounded me with women that were after God’s heart in both their lives and their businesses. We all need that. We all need that community where we can be vulnerable and real, knowing that not only is God with us but so are our sisters in Christ.
We are called to love each other the way Christ loves us. So let’s be doers of the word and not just hearers.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24-25
Esmeralda
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Esmeralda Ayala is the owner of a virtual services business as The Curly VA, specializing in producing creative content that engages with people.
Some of her services include copywriting, blog writing, short video creation and editing, social media management, Pinterest management, and much more.
Her mission is to serve faith-based businesses by taking tasks off of their heavy loaded schedules and helping them focus on creating.
She is also an enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force. Based at Buckley Air Force base, she is currently serving the Colorado Air National Guard with over 14 years of service.
Esmeralda is passionate about apologetics, encouraging others, writing, and explaining God’s word making it applicable for everyday use. A lover of travel, she’s been to several countries and speaks English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, some Italian, and is currently teaching herself Turkish.
When she’s not writing or working on her business, you can catch her encouraging others on Instagram.
Email: thecurlyva@gmail.com
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