God is the Master-Key

Jesus in his preaching told the people to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who attack you…’ Matthew 5.

Reputation and good standing are very important in our business [and in life] yet there are times in the course of business where we face untruths or comments about our business that make a significant impact and also unsettle our inner peace.

Somewhere inside us a door closes and locks and we can find ourselves moving to a defensive stance. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to respond to such challenges with God’s ways when we want to react with a more worldly response to an attack. This is perfectly normal and part of our human condition!

Yet, God calls us on a Monday as loudly as he calls us on a Sunday. He is the master-key to unlock the door of defence when it springs up from the daily grind of business.

Leaning into His wisdom can be difficult when we find ourselves in helpless ‘fight mode’. If and when this happens ‘pause’ as difficult as this may be, then visualise taking the master-key and with purposeful intention slowly unlock the lock, watch how it takes a few seconds to place the key, then begin to turn it, another few seconds until the noise of the internal workings click together so that it is unlocked.

Now, to open the door – pause first, remove the key slowly and gently move the door ajar and allow the light to embrace you from behind the door. Filling up with the wisdom the master-key unlocked takes the edge of our immediate defensive stance.

This ‘pause & visualisation’ puts the much needed distance between our humanness to react and how we ought to respond. It invites us to call on another way, one that will weaken the attack and diffuse its potency because it comes from a deeper place of forgiveness and love. This does not mean that to respond in this way is weak, an enlightened response broadens the subject matter raised and diminishes its original strength.

Today, we do business in a world where more and more of life is lived in the digital space and people feel empowered behind a screen to speak about businesses and people with little regard to anything other than their point of view or they take your information and directly use it as their own. This can and does cause harm and distress for the business owner/professional.  

It is important to try to ‘just pause’ and detach, even if it is in a face to face situation. Take in what has been said/written and at the same time invite God into the situation – really feel Father God’s presence – now you have power over your feelings and how you respond.

This takes practice and is not easy to master on the first attempt or even second attempt, what this blog hopes to offer is a way to approach attacks when they come to you or your business – either in the public or private arena.

Also, I invite you to recall the human experience of Jesus and how he dealt with words of attack and lies about him – he did not store up revenge, or immediately retaliate or hold on to ill feelings. He forgave his enemies – this can be hard for us to do, really hard!

It will take prayer and building up spiritual muscle to be ready to face the times when direct challenges and attacks come our way. More so today than ever before how we show up in business is who we are in our everyday life.

As Christian Women in Business, God is just as much part of our business life as He is part of every other aspect of our life. Leaning into this wisdom is your unfair advantage when your humanness shows up.

He is our CEO, guide, advisor, and comforter; in Psalm 138:8 we read, ‘Your love is everlasting’.

God the master-key opens our many doors with love, including those we close up in defence. With the strength of His love we can express ourselves with control, manage anger, frustration and disappointment towards those who would cause us and our business harm. At the same time maintaining the authentic reputation we have and are building into the future – it is the currency of modern business.