New Venture Lab: Equipping Christian Entrepreneurs

Our families and our households are often under pressure and attack from the outside world.  We are called by God to be a city on a hill, an example for all to see.  But in the early stages of building our “city”, when there are numerous vulnerabilities, we must often build with a mind to defend against attack at any time.  This situation is a recurring one for God’s people, and is most clearly demonstrated in the Bible in the story of Nehemiah and his leadership of the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the city’s walls and gates so that it could dwell in safety once again.

 

Nehemiah gives us examples of numerous qualities and actions that are required to overcome adversity in order to accomplish God’s will and to fulfill the vision that He has given to us.  First, we see passion and vision, which motivates Nehemiah’s request to the king to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls and gates that had been destroyed.  Even when there were trials and attacks on his efforts, he remained focused on his goal.  The ability to continue building with one hand while having a weapon in the other to defend against attacks is critical to continuing to progress towards our goals.  We also see his confidence in God’s strength and provision – when challenged and mocked by his enemies, he responds, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”  This is also critical to moving forward despite pressure against our efforts.  Finally, we see that he plans, organizes, and closely supervises the rebuilding effort, which was the key to their success in rebuilding the walls and gates in only 52 days!

 

Today’s Christian homeschooling fathers are working against a cultural tide that emphasizes outsourcing of education and segregation of children from their elders, so we must work diligently to develop our passion and vision, organize and plan carefully for success, and trust in God for strength, provision, and victory.  Although we will face a continual battle, our efforts to rebuild the city of God in our families upon the solid foundation of God’s Word will never lack for God’s supply.  We must continue to build with a sense of urgency to make our homes centers of intergenerational love and productivity, for that is the only context in which an entrepreneurial vision will flourish and be used by God to accomplish His purposes.

 

By Jason Matyas, U.S. Air Force pilot