Can your faith at your place of work be the secret weapon to success?

I am a living, breathing testimony of how my faith became my secret weapon to my success!?

I dreamed of becoming a woman in business, but no one I knew owned or ran a business. ?Those who did were not always a good example. My family did not have the means for me to study, and the political climate changed drastically in my matric year. The implication was that scholarships were not easily attained.?

Faith opened the doors for me to meet the right people at the right time! This principle set the stage for my amazing life. I ended up studying in my hometown. It was practical, cost-effective and something that piqued my interest.?I would never have known that I would love it so much. Because I was so passionate about what I was doing, it was easy to give my best and go the extra mile, which put my services in high demand. My passion for beauty very soon turned into becoming anointed for beauty.?

I found that my job became my tool to get to meet women. I realised that telling them what they should not do was not appealing, but sharing how God got me through the best and worst of times had a more significant impact on the women I met.

I considered leaving the industry to become a minister. As I grew in my relationship with God, my dreams became more improbable, and for many people, too high to reach, but God showed me that with him, nothing is impossible.

Miraculously a door opened for me to partner with a more prominent company. I felt that I should not go into this new venture proclaiming my faith openly to all, but to show an example of work ethic. People will ask me why I do things differently from them when we have results.

I thought God would bring in one new account after another. I thought that he would show me what, where and when through daily dreams and visions. To be honest, it did not work that way.?

I worked very hard within the parameters of what my time allowed me. I made many mistakes, and I learned not to do anything without prayer. I have made many connections by forcing my way through a door and rushing the process, which delivered more heartache than wealth at the end of the day. The times I responded to the Holy Spirit's prompting were when I had success.?

Now I am part owner of many businesses and living my dreams. We have our ups and downs, but the reality is that we get through it all by the grace of God. We handle stress differently because we know we are co-partners with God. We take more calculated risks, most of which pay off; if it does not, we get through it.

I think the key is that we work hard. We do what needs to be done when we are at work. We do everything as if to the King, which puts us in high demand. When we do our part, God does His. He orchestrates the divine connections. He gives the impossible dreams, and when we are obedient in doing the small stuff, He does the big Stuff!!

One of these divine appointments was when I met Steinar Opheim, founder of Tent International. He introduced Tentmaking to me, and I realised I had been a tentmaker since my studies.

Now, I am one of the directors of Tent South Africa.?I asked my team to help write this article. I want to share Bonnie Turner’s story with you. I met her because both of us homeschool our children. She thought she was coming to me to see if I could connect her with some other homeschooling moms. I did not; in fact, she introduced me to more homeschooling activities than I did her. But I introduced the concept of Tentmaking and reconnected her to her love for God and her passion for her job.

This is Bonne’s story:

My journey is unlike many. I did not have a plan, nor did I study to boost my skills to set me apart in my career. But looking back, God always had a plan. Blessed with a curious mind, determination, and a never give up attitude, I navigated my way through seemingly impossible career choices. God’s hand was always present, teaching me so that I could teach others.

I was chosen to lead, to take people on a journey where they believe they are seen, heard, and acknowledged for who they are and what they bring to their role and business. I develop them into the best version of themselves by just being like Jesus in all my interactions. When it came to learning beyond my capabilities, the floodgates of Heaven would pour wisdom, knowledge and peace into me as a vessel, preparing me with all I needed to succeed. And it is in those seemingly impossible moments that I still feel the touch of the Holy Spirit.?

But the most crucial part of every day in the workplace is to keep my integrity, not to waver in my beliefs, and be bold, strong and courageous because He lives in me! I do every task in His honour, for you will be supernaturally blessed through faith and hard work.

A TEST OF FAITH

When Covid19 closed down South Africa, we all panicked. I led over 150 staff members, and we were part of a larger company of 14 underlying businesses.

For the first week, the mindset was that Big Brother would keep us safe and protect us. And then it happened... short pay, no work, no pay, work from home with no data, businesses closing down, and retrenchments. PANIC. As Managing Director, my cellphone rang late into the night, with staff asking me to help them with data or money and if their jobs were secure.

My management team was falling apart. The responsibility of keeping everyone safe and motivated fell on me and two other die-hards with big hearts.?I had never felt so powerless or so helpless.

During one evening of total uncertainty in my own leadership, I decided to broadcast a prayer to all my staff. I sent a WhatsApp message to an entire ensemble of South African cultures. This was a heartfelt message to trust me because I trust my God to lead us through this situation and that He would provide.?

He did!?

We managed to navigate through it all. We were the only company within the group that managed to avoid retrenchments, remain financially sound, and grow in an economy that was suffering. God blessed us for our unfailing commitment.?We managed to support other companies within our group, minimising hardships financially. During it all, I still had my own personal demons to fight, going through a separation that led to a divorce. 2020 was a year of testing our faith beyond our comfort!

“For I can do everything through Christ, who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NLT

Needless to say, she is now also a director at Tent South Africa!

Merrel Grootboom is a social worker who retired early to start her dream of having a business. Now, she holds art workshops to help women deal with trauma and reconnect with their God-given purpose. What Merrel learned as a social worker she carries with her into every one of her workshops. Her connections still open doors to people who will never set foot in a church.?

This is how Merrel used her faith as the secret to her success.

I have found that my faith gives me a world and life view that shapes the character of my work.?I needed my faith to avoid becoming overwhelmed by my workspace.

We work to benefit financially, affect change, and help others by bringing Jesus into our workspaces. As the Bible says, “People must see our good works and worship God”.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 states, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I have found that there are specific actions at work that glorify Christ:

1) Love people without judgement

2) Integrity - Be punctual and do not steal your employer's time by lounging around and being lazy. Do what you say you will do; your word is your honour.

3) Communication - Always be ready to show the love of the Lord, even in the absence of words.

4) Be the change you want to see by changing your workplace atmosphere. ?

We are quick to want to leave a hostile atmosphere, but as you consume the Word of God, you are transformed by it and become hopeful for a better outcome. This positivity influences everyone around you.

When you intentionally build relationships, you perform better in a team and get better results. Your title will not force your team to work as a unit. Only the relationships you foster create loyalty.

The scripture that carried me through this was:?Proverbs 3:3-5?

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favour and a good name in the sight of God and man."

All three of our stories testify that our faith in Jesus Christ is the secret to our success in our places of work.?When we do everything to the glory of God, we are the person whom God uses to change the atmosphere. God gives us good strategies to prosper our businesses and the place where we work. He gives us the wisdom and strength to accomplish our tasks and deliver results.

We are always His co-labourers in our places of work!