How has this season of change affected me as a female Christian entrepreneur?

As you might know, my husband and I recently moved to Canada for his job. It’s cold here and I’m a tired and true Californian girl. I’m also a hardcore extrovert - I thrive off of human interaction. And as an online entrepreneur, (nonvirtual) human interaction isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. 

When I was in a familiar city with friends and family, it was easy to get my daily dose of socialization. Even when I still lived at home, I have a big, loud family - so I never lacked in company. (This is a blessing I miss a lot more than I expected. Shoutout to my annoying siblings.😉)

TLDR; This has been a biiiiig change of pace for me.

Lately, I’ve been saying/thinking a lot of the following:

I’m only cranky because I’m still adjusting to the move.

I’m more depressed than I have been in years cuz I’m still adjusting - it’s hard when I don’t have friends yet. 

I’m just anxious because I don’t feel 100% comfortable in this new town yet.

When I make some friends, I’ll be happier. 

When I get my health in check, I’ll be happier. 

When I find a gym I like & can join, I’ll be happier. 

When we find a church home, I’ll be happier.

When my husband & I stop bickering, I’ll be happier.

When I get more clients, I’ll be happier. 

When my business profit increases, I’ll be happier. 

When it’s summertime, I’ll be happier.

But, God convicted me through a devotional I read last week. He does that sometimes, right?

If you wanna read the devotional, I included a pic of the page here. It’s from the book New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp.*

Btw, my sweet friend/mentor Sheri gifted me & Justin this book, and we’ve both really enjoyed it so far! You can learn more about the author and his books here.

As Christians, we’re called to act upon what is to come. What exactly is to come, though?

As a textbook enneagram 7, I immediately thought of how this applies to joy. 🤪

What is my joy dependent on?

During this season of change, my joy has been entirely dependent on worldly things like friends, money, health, or my physical location. Are my feelings of discomfort, unease, grief, or anxiety invalid? No. But my feelings are just that - a feeling. They’re not fact. 

Yes, the weather & friends & health & a growing business all matter to God. But He tells us to set our minds on things above. (Colossians 3:2)

Yes, God has called us to community. He’s promised me a friend here. He even created us to thrive within a church community!! (Proverbs 27:17, Matthew 18:20, Romans 12:4-5)

But if not - He is still good. My worldly circumstances don’t determine the character of God.

You know what does determine the character of God? The promises He makes & the way he ALWAYS fulfills them. And as I’m waiting for God to act during this season of change, I need to act upon what is to come. Which means choosing joy even when I don’t feel like it. That means running toward Jesus. Following Him is a choice, not a feeling. Jesus is bigger than my feelings & my circumstances.

So what is God promising you? What are you waiting for?

That’s between you and the Lord.

Abraham Acting Upon God’s Promises

In Romans 4 , we talk about how Abraham acted on what is to come. He acted on faith. I think it’s a great example of what we can do as Christians in moments when our faith is being tested. For some context, God promised Abraham and Sarah a son. More than that, God promises Abraham that he would be “the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18)

Image reads: Romans 4:19-21 “19. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21. fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” **

For me personally, this was SO encouraging. Abraham and Sarah waited years to get pregnant. They knew God had promised them a child, and even when it seemed like they couldn’t reproduce - they did. Not in their own timing, but in God’s timing.

How many times have I doubted God and stopped acting out of His promises simply because it didn’t follow my own timeline???

I’m sure there are many other examples of people in the Bible acting out of His promises, but this was the one that stuck out to me since it was in the devotional. If you have any other thoughts or examples, I’d love to hear them!

Now that I’m trying to live in the promise of what is to come, these are the affirmations I’m practicing to adjust my thought patterns:

I miss my community at home, but I have Jesus.

How wonderful it is to have something worth missing.

God has promised me an in-person community so I will live intentionally & joyfully while I wait.

I have an amazing support system that I can access online all the time, whenever I want. 

I am struggling with my health right now, but God is still good.

God says my body is a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) so I will exercise & eat nutritious food to take care of myself. 

God is enough for me.

It’s a challenge to practice alone time, but it’s important. Growth is never comfortable.

God equips me when He calls me. If He’s called me to be in business, He will equip me.

I will work daily to be a Proverbs 31 woman. God loves when women build profitable businesses.

If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Or if you’re looking for more community with other female, Christian entrepreneurs… same. 💕 Come hang out with me on Insta!

*Tripp, Paul David. New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional. Crossway, Good News Publishers. Wheaton, Illinois. 2014.

**Romans 4. ESV 2016. Author added bold for emphasis.