The Cup of Entrepreneurship
“Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Editor’s note: Read more about our Lent 2024 theme, “‘Not My Will, but Yours’: Surrendering to the Father During Lent,” here.
I’m going to say the quiet part out loud: Entrepreneurship is hard.
Sure, I can create my own schedule, be my own boss, and enjoy the freedom that comes with flexibility. But I’ve also faced (and continue to face) one of the toughest spiritual climbs of my life: embracing surrender—letting the Lord’s will be done, not mine.
Along the way, I have not always submitted all to the Lord; been obedient to His promptings; been humble and allowed Him to work through me; and known that if I accomplished anything, it was through Him, with Him, and in Him. I haven’t embraced my crosses and, thus, have made myself miserable by trying to push them away.
If my experience sounds all too familiar, keep reading—and know that most of us operate in this way, even if we don’t set out to. But, of course, there is always another way: Jesus’ way.
Watch and Pray
In the garden at Gethsemane, Jesus asked the apostles three times to watch and pray with Him. It sounds like He was praying and suffering close by (sweating blood!), yet they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
Yikes. How many times have I fallen asleep instead of watching and praying in my work or at home? Falling asleep as a Catholic woman in business can look like putting my business before God, my husband, or my children. It can look like prioritizing my will before God’s will. Falling asleep can even look like sleep walking ahead of the Lord instead of discerning the next right step with Him.
When I first began my coaching practice, I was talking with someone about strategies for connecting with potential clients. They told me, “Hope is not a strategy.” At the time, I wasn’t confident enough. I hadn’t endured enough to dig a little deeper into that discussion, so I want to tell you now: Yes, it is, and no, it isn’t. It’s both.
Our hope should always be centered in the Lord. I can’t submit this article, cross my fingers, and hope—or maybe a better word is wish or assume—that the right person reads it and reaches out to me to become a client. However, I can watch for what people want or need and then ask the Lord how to deliver it as my authentic self. I can pray that anything I put out into the world is ultimately for the glory of God. I can also pray for my clients’ needs and intentions—past, present, and future.
The Spirit Is Willing
If you’re reading this article, I know you have spirit. You have guts, you have desire, and you have motivation—but are you willing to persevere through the valleys of your work, or are you only it for the peaks?
Are you willing to have tough conversations with your husband, who maybe doesn’t see things the way you do?
Are you willing to accept failure so you can learn?
Are you willing to cheer others on while you wait your turn?
Are you willing to guard your schedule (and your mindset) to make your relationships with God and family the priority over your business?
Are you willing to trust that walking alongside the Lord, or even letting Him lead, is more important than your version of success?
The Flesh Is Weak
We can’t “lean on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6). There are so many tests in business, so many ways the enemy wants to tempt us to make ourselves into gods instead of relying on the Lord.
Maybe there are materials things you’re attached to or stuff you long for that makes it hard to delay gratification. Maybe you think that influencer is doing whatever “it” is better than you. Maybe you’re caught up in the lie that you should be further along by now. Or, maybe you tried something the Lord’s way but were disappointed with the results, so you decide your way is better and stop listening to the Lord all together.
We have to fortify ourselves with the Sacraments, absorb the Word, and make room for silence so we can hear the Lord and make the choice to listen to and trust in Him.
Surrender
The Lord gave us free will and the beautiful gift of our imagination to create our vision and make plans. He asks us to take risks for Him to serve others, but we have to detach ourselves from how it’s all going to work out. We have to “watch and pray” in the present while we wait for the fruits of our labors. We have to let go of what we can’t control—which is mostly everything—but we can go all in on asking the Holy Trinity and Our Lady for the graces to mature and enhance our attitude, effort, and skills. We can go all in on showing up each day and using our talents and gifts in the best ways we can to make a difference in the lives and experiences of our clients, customers, or team.
Yes, entrepreneurship can feel heavy at times. It may even feel like you’re waiting in a dark garden. Ultimately, though, there is the hope that Jesus had the courage to suffer and endure to make all things new, including you—your heart, your mind, your spirit, your family, your impact, your lifestyle, your business. All of it. He’s already done it for you. Now, it’s time for you to co-create with Him and do your work.
Liz Montigny is a recovering boss-babe, practicing Catholic, wife, boy mom to three - homeschooler to one, coach, and creator of a theatre ministry based on the Rosary. Part of her mission is to help you stoke that fire in your heart so you bring to life what you only dream about. Liz is offering a women’s destination retreat, Spark, in October 2024. Discover Liz’s services here.