Watching advertisements on television will always be a part of my childhood. It’s part of the entertainment of watching a new show come on cable.
You can’t skip the ad, and the ads are the only times you can get to complete something before your show comes back on.
However, I remember watching a lot of advertisements, pulled in by the urgency to get the item. The narrator would talk fast and loud, practically shouting at you that you need this item NOW.
We’ve come a long way since then. In fact, most ads are more refined. There’s still a sense of urgency that you’re doing something wrong. The way products and services are now marketed inspires a sense of guilt, a feeling of missing out, or even condemnation.
As someone who wants to break into the branding industry, I find many of the accounts I follow on Instagram generate a sense of dread—this is why you’re not growing, this is why your account is stagnant, this is why you can’t generate views and engagement.
I keep thinking to myself, “I’m doing everything they ask me to (even better), and I still don’t get any views.” Sometimes I blame it on the algorithm, sometimes on where I’m located, and sometimes I just admit that maybe I’m not consistent or dedicated enough. However, the truth is that most accounts take time to build and grow, and they generate what is called ‘authentic’ followers.
In fact, most people get their followers by first connecting with friends and family, being seen in public, or through their business and professional interactions. From there, the account grows.
I say all this to say that the guilt, the worry, the shame, the self-condemnation, and even the anxiety that surrounds all these things is the fear generated by the media … but you don’t have to buy into it.
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Guidance Through Faith, Not Fear
The Bible says:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Whenever we’re guided by God’s divine will for us, everything that we put our hands to will prosper within its time. However, the world generates a type of fear that makes you feel ‘left behind’. If you’re not married with children yet, the clock is ticking. If you still haven’t landed that dream job or started your business, it may be too late.
When it comes to things that God has called you to do or the promises that God has given to you, the anxiety of waiting becomes a burden that pushes you to rush into careless decisions that are not supported by God’s desire for you.
Waiting vs. Action
When God asks us to wait, He’s truly preparing us for our next season. Our ‘wilderness’ moment is a place of preparation, designed for us to hear God’s voice and obey His direction. When He’s ready for us to move again, the season will shift.
The first step of action relies heavily on faith in God, and understanding that this movement will bring about discomfort is what drives us closer to God.
Are our decisions guided by fear or by faith? Fear keeps us stagnant, close to what we think is safe, but it also causes us to act without clarity, often introducing more confusion and worry than it does peace of mind.
Recently, I made a very bold decision, and before that decision, I knew there was discomfort; I knew my season had changed, but I was fearful. Through quiet prayer and meditation, I trusted that this decision was the one God wanted me to make, and upon making it, I felt a burden lift from my shoulders.
To be honest, I don’t know the next steps I’ll be taking as I write this, but this is where faith triumphs fear. Faith brings peace and assurance in God, trusting in His timing and divine direction. Fear leaves you confused, worried, and uprooted.
When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, he was in prison, but he wrote comforted by God’s Spirit and the faith he had in God’s plan. He said that in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, you should make your request known to God, and the peace of God that surpasses ALL understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ.
I can attest to this peace that surpasses all understanding. It’s true—I don’t know where this peace comes from, I don’t know how I can feel so comforted and sure when I don’t even know what direction my life is going in right now—but this gives me hope that God is with me.
Actionable Steps for the Believing Entrepreneur
If you’re in a space where you feel overwhelmed by the media, especially when it comes to your career or business, be comforted in knowing that as long as you put everything you do in God’s hands, He will make a way.
The first and most important way to be empowered in your decision-making is to first ensure that all your choices are in direct obedience to God. This can be daunting, at first, especially if you don’t know whether it’s your mind or God’s voice.
However, one way you can assure that your steps are ordered by God is by positioning yourself in holiness. The nature of being set apart from the world, and joined to God’s Holy Spirit through communication and relationship, is a heart posture you must take.
Pray always. Prayers don’t have to be long and drawn out. They don’t have to be elaborate, but they must be sincere and consistent. A few words of thanksgiving, asking God to direct your steps and bring you clarity as you follow His will for you, is a prayer that will always ensure that your heart is aligned to obey.
Pray for what you want. The Bible says to let your request be made known to God. His answers will always be in your best interest, even if that answer is ‘no’.
Meditate on God’s word daily and incorporate it into everything you do. You can meditate on a Scripture verse, a Psalm, or a Bible story. Meditating on God’s Word means keeping it in your heart and at the forefront of your mind.
Lastly, in everything you do, allow the fruits of the Spirit to shine through. As humans, sometimes we tend to slip back into sinful habits: we worry, we grow impatient, we cast blame, but it’s important to allow to Holy Spirit to guide and convict you as His fruits shine through your actions.
Until Next Time…
All my life, I’ve drowned myself in constant worry—it’s a part of me that I’m learning to shed every day. As the world sells fear and anxiety, each moment I spend with God is a gentle reminder that I don’t have to buy into that fear. God’s plans for me are sure, because He is an unchanging God and His Word will not return to Him void.
You can live in the surety of God’s promises over your life. The world may sell fear, but you don’t have to buy it.
Signed,
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