I have spoken to so many entrepreneurs who are in the midst of a discouraging season.
I write this knee-deep into the Christmas season. But, regardless of what time of year it is, we can often find ourselves in unexpected seasons of discouragement.
There is so much that weighs on us:
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Financial struggles
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Wrestling with what's next or how we're going to get there
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Problem solving an issue that feels utterly unsolvable
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The aftermath of undeniable failure
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The slow process of building something new that is taking longer than we'd hoped
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Carrying a vision or idea that nobody else shares
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Wandering in the dark with no clear path or direction
Whatever the reason, discouragement and disappointment constantly threaten us as entrepreneurs.
It can be utterly lonely to be an entrepreneur.
Sometimes even our spouse can't understand the pressures and challenges we're facing.
And, we've been taught time and again that if we're honest with other believers about our entrepreneurial journey we won't be met with understanding. We'll often be met with judgement, correction, or confusion.
I have walked through these seasons many, many times. I might even be bold enough to say this is a cyclical part of the entrepreneurial journey... kind of like that old saying: "the only constant is change."
I've also heard it said like this: "As a Christian, you're either walking out of the valley, walking through the valley, or getting ready to walk back into the valley."
Seasons of respite and rest are typically just that... they are moments that punctuate seasons of growth and change.
And discouragement can be one of the cyclical seasons for business owners. But, every time I encounter this kind of moment, I find there are two powerful antidotes that never fail to lighten my spirit and lift my faith: community and testimony.
A spirit of discouragement can be uprooted in the midst of community.
As people that are going and doing and making things happen, we tend to find ourselves isolated. Sometimes physically, especially if we're a solopreneur. But even if we work in an office with people, we can become emotionally isolated. Spiritually alone.
We're an island of one.
And, certainly, time with Jesus is an absolute foundation for our faith. Daily time spent in His presence will always be a cornerstone of any person who wants to operate in His Kingdom.
But, we were not just designed to rest in the presence of Jesus.
From the very beginning, when Adam was created, God says it is not good for him to be alone.
We were... like it or not... designed for community. We are built to be changed, grown, inspired, shaped, and built up in the context of community.
God operates in a spirit of belonging and adoption. "God sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6)
We may "love Jesus but not like His people..." but the truth is, those very people are the way that Jesus wants you to experience His love.
Hurt may happen in relationship. But relationship is also God's mechanism for healing.
When we remain in isolation, things become rooted in us that were never supposed to take root. Discouragement is among them! Alone we are far more vulnerable than we've ever been when we're in community.
We are grafted into the family of God, and it's there as we remain on the vine (abiding in Jesus and staying connected to the church) that we can be healthy and keep the wrong things from growing in our hearts and our minds.
So if you are feeling discouraged, grab lunch with someone. Ask for prayer. Be vulnerable. Look someone else in the eye and be welcomed back into belonging and hope and family.
Discouragement is defeated by the power of testimony.
In fact, Revelation 12:11 says the enemy is defeated "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of [our] testimony."
Every lie we're being told, every fear that's taking over our imagination, and every heavy burden we carry can be overturned and set right by the power of testimony.
Can I get an amen?!
Just today I was feeling discouraged. And my time with Jesus was meaningful and comforting. But, I still felt heavy burdened. I went to a regular meet-up with other entrepreneurs and was immediately encouraged by sitting in their presence.
Their shared stories of struggle, their passionate love for Jesus, their bold tales of witnessing and taking risks for the Kingdom of God.
And then one entrepreneur shared his testimony. It's one I had not heard. He shared about how God transformed his life in a matter of days, and "gave back 10-fold what he had squandered." Those were his words.
God gave back 10-fold what he himself had thrown away in sin and rejection of the Gospel. But there Jesus was, providing for Him in miraculous ways. Keeping him off the street and setting him upright for a new life of ministry and entrepreneurship.
I walked away from our meet-up having defeated discouragement. I walked away filling my imagination with what God could do. With what He might do. His promises ringing in my ears. His good plans and provision lighting up my heart.
So if you are walking around in this season with a loss of hope, ask another Christian about their testimony. Hear the words of truth and life pour over you.
Allow community and Truth to light up your imagination.
Recapture curiosity for what could be and fill your heart with the power of what God has already done in the lives of His people.