Keeping Faith at the Center: Insights from Elevated Faith Founder
Christians believe that our faith should permeate every aspect of our lives, or we should believe that. This includes our careers, which can often be a source of stress and worry. However, when we allow God to guide us in our work, we can find joy, purpose, and fulfillment.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview a Christian entrepreneur, Josh Gander, the Founder of the Christian apparel brand, Elevated Faith. I asked him about how God called him to start his business and how he maintains a focus on God within his organization. Here are some insights from that interview:
The Calling
Q: Having taken a look at your story, explain how God was calling you to start this business and what that was like to follow that calling?
A: The calling from God was super clear. It’s tough to explain, but spending a lot of time in prayer and in the Word made it clear to me what I was supposed to do – already being in the ecommerce space was super helpful though. I feel like there could be very similar callings that are meant to be in a very different space.
One of the key takeaways from this answer is the importance of spending time in prayer and in the Word. When we take the time to seek God’s will, we can discern the path that He has set before us. We spend time with Him to learn more about where He’s leading us. This may not always be an easy path, but when we follow it, we can trust that God will provide for us and lead us in the right direction. Josh was already in a position, placed there by God’s divine plan, that gave him previous knowledge for his next steps. God is equipping us for our paths in ways that we do not fully expect.
Faith Focused
Q: How do you maintain a focus on God within your organization/with your staff?
A: As a company, we’re constantly looking at giving back to Christian charities. To maintain a focus on God within our organization, we are very open about our faith and we even have a prayer channel where employees can submit prayer requests and pray for each other.
This answer shows that we can bring our faith into our work by creating a culture of openness and transparency. When we are open about our faith, we can create a safe space for others to share their beliefs and seek support. Of course, this looks different in a non-faith-based workplace, but it shows how important it is to cultivate faith practices, as they are necessary even in faith-based organizations. Additionally, when we give back to Christian charities, we can demonstrate our commitment to living out our faith through our work. It demonstrates to the outside world where our hearts lie as well as keep the company itself from being greedy.
Advice
Q: What advice would you give to those who are starting small faith-based businesses?
A: It’s tough to give general advice about starting a faith-based business, but definitely spend time in prayer and research the market you are interested in to make sure it’s not oversaturated.
I love this answer because of how much it blatantly combines faith and business. This answer highlights the importance of doing our due diligence when starting a business and praying for direction. While following God’s call is important, we also need to make sure that we are being wise and prudent in our decisions. By researching the market and seeking guidance from God, we can set ourselves up for success. In all things we want to succeed not for our glory, but the glory of God in Heaven and I see that in Elevated Faith.
In conclusion, as Christians, we can follow God in our careers by seeking His will, creating a culture of openness and transparency, and being wise in our decision-making. Whether we are starting a small business or working in a corporate environment, we can trust that God will guide us and provide for us as we seek to honor Him in all that we do.
If you have a small business please share with us so we can highlight you!
