In this episode of Capture The Chaos: Grow Your Newborn & Family Photography Business we’re talking about being obedient to God’s plan for your business.
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Let’s talk about being obedient to God. Again, I did not want to do this podcast. It was a topic that I know God put on my heart for one reason. It’s one I’ve been fighting and it keeps popping back up in my head. As usual, the irony is not lost on me. Of course I am supposed to do a podcast on obedience and when I have not been obedient myself. So, this first sits with me and it reminds me to be a doer and not to keep my relationship with Christ to myself. James 1:22 says, “be doers of the word and not hears only deceiving yourself.”
God Has a Purpose for You
You know it’s funny that I fight these podcast topics that are exactly what I’m living. When really, I think that’s what makes them so relatable. Chances are if I’m experiencing a struggle, then so are you. And instead of preaching it to you, I’m living it with you. And I think that’s pretty cool.
Will you shoot me a DM on Instagram if you’re feeling called to do something and you’re struggling to be obedient? God calls us to use our strengths. Romans 8:28 says, “and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. And for those who are called according to his purpose, when you’re obedient to God, he leads you to your calling.” I kind of have this image in my head of what this is like. You know that scene in Harry Potter where he picks up a bunch of different wands? And then he picks up a V wand and the wind is blowing and music is playing and the moment is right? But instead of Ollivander, it’s God, and instead of wizards, it’s us and instead of a wand, it’s our calling; our purpose.
And that’s how I feel when you know that you’ve heard exactly what God has asked you to do. This is God’s plan and God’s map for us.
Hustle Culture is Not God’s Plan
Romans 12:2 says, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing, you may discern what is the will of God. What is good, acceptable and perfect. Don’t listen to what the world tells you to focus on.”
So it’s easy to get caught up in what the world’s version of success looks like. Sometimes we think that if we just hustle a little harder like the industry leaders in photography, we’ll fund success. If we post reels every single day for 30 days, we’ll find success. If we do this, if we do that, if we, if we, if we…listen, hustle culture is not God’s plan, that is the world’s way. God wants us to slow down and to rest, to take time and listen and reflect. Sometimes God is going to say slow down and sometimes he’s gonna say, go for it.
God’s Timing is Always Perfect
His timing is perfect. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it. I’ve built a pretty good business for myself. But as of late I’ve been putting God first and wow, just, wow, I’m fulfilled. I wake up every day excited about work because of where I’m headed and who I get to work with. I mean, I can’t say wow enough, but what if I would have done this sooner?
I’m a really stubborn person and that’s a big reason why it took me years and years and years to actually become a successful photographer. You don’t wanna know how long it took me to start shooting in manual, to switch to raw, to actually believe that presets could enhance my image and make editing quicker and so many more ridiculous things that I should have been doing sooner.
What if I had humbled myself sooner and gave in to these tactics?
What if I had humbled myself sooner and let God become the CEO of my business?
Now, I don’t like to play the what if game really. I believe we all take a path and that path builds us into the people we are. I wouldn’t be who I am today and I wouldn’t be able to share these experiences if I didn’t take this path to get here. There was probably a straight path and a squiggly path and Jesus has been walking beside me, silently shaking his head, smiling as he watched me stumble and get back up, just waiting for me to ask for help. God has a plan and it is a good one.
God Always Provides A Roadmap
Proverbs 16:3 says, “commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Yes, you’ll be scared. You’re still going to stumble. You’ll have to call out to God to right your path again and again. And when you call out to God, he will give you a roadmap and it’s our job to be obedient to what he asks of us. I’ll leave you with one more verse to reflect on this week.
Dueteronomy 31:6 says, “be strong and of good courage. Do not fear nor be afraid of them for the Lord, your God He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Wow. That’s really beautiful. I would love to hear if there is something that God is just pulling at your heart strings to do, and if you’re just struggling to discern exactly what that is, if you wanna reach out and chat with me on Instagram or email, I would love to talk to you.
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