JOY IS A BUSINESS STRATEGY

Motivational Mondays in the Marketplace™

By Dr. Kathy L. Amos

Recently, the Lord spoke something to my heart that changed the way I looked at joy. He said, “Having My joy supersedes being happy.”

That revelation stayed with me because so much of what we call joy is actually happiness, and there is a difference.

Happiness is often connected to what is happening around us. When business is good, the clients are coming, the money is flowing, people are cooperating, and our plans are working, we are happy.

But what happens when they’re not?

What happens when you have prayed, planned, prepared, and worked, yet the results still aren’t what you expected? What happens when an opportunity falls through, someone disappoints you, the numbers don’t look good, or you encounter another unexpected challenge?

I believe the Lord is teaching us something important in the marketplace:

Joy is a business strategy.

Now, when I say joy is a business strategy, I don’t mean that we should ignore problems or pretend everything is fine when it isn’t.

Joy doesn’t eliminate our responsibility to confront difficult situations, make wise decisions, adjust our strategies, or address what isn’t working.

Joy determines how we go through those situations.

Galatians 5:22 tells us that joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. That means joy is not merely an emotion we experience when life is going our way. It is something the Holy Spirit produces within us.

Jesus said in John 15:11 that His joy could remain in us.

I love that word: remain.

If joy can remain, then circumstances don’t have to remove it.

That means I can have a challenging business day and keep my joy.

I can receive disappointing news and keep my joy.

I can discover that my original plan isn’t working, make the necessary adjustments, and keep my joy.

I can experience a setback, regroup, and keep my joy.

I can even acknowledge that I am disappointed without allowing disappointment to become the governing force of my day.

Why?

Because my business isn’t the source of my joy.

The Lord is.

Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. So when I choose joy, I am not denying the difficulty of my circumstances. I am choosing the strength I need to walk through them.

That’s why I’ve made a conscious decision:

I am going to work my business with joy.

I’m going to lead with joy.

I’m going to serve people with joy.

I’m going to work on the vision with joy.

I’m going to handle the challenges with joy.

I’m going to make the difficult decisions with joy.

And even while I’m waiting for God to change something around me, I’m going to allow Him to continue producing something within me.

As entrepreneurs and marketplace leaders, we spend a great deal of time measuring what our businesses are producing. We look at revenue, customers, growth, opportunities, impact, and results.

But this week, I want to challenge you to measure something else.

What are you producing while you build?

Your business may be producing products and services, but what is your life producing?

Are the pressures of entrepreneurship producing constant frustration, anxiety, anger, impatience, and negativity?

Or can the people around you still see evidence of the Spirit of God operating in your life?

Sometimes we can become so consumed with building what God placed in our hands that we lose the joy He placed in our hearts.

Don’t let that happen.

Your business may need work.

Your strategy may need work.

Your finances may need work.

Your team may need work.

There may even be some things that God is telling you to change completely.

Work on them—but work on them with joy.

Stop postponing your joy until everything gets better.

Stop telling yourself, I’ll be happy when the business grows. I’ll be happy when I make more money. I’ll be happy when this problem is resolved. I’ll be happy when this door finally opens.

You may be pursuing happiness when God has already given you something greater.

His joy.

This week, when something doesn’t go according to plan, stop before you surrender your joy to it.

Remind yourself:

“My circumstances may have changed, but my Source has not.”

Then pray.

Make the decision.

Handle the problem.

Adjust the strategy.

Keep building.

And keep your joy.

Because happiness may respond to what is happening, but the joy of the Lord can remain.

And that makes joy one of the most powerful strategies you can carry into the marketplace.

Dr. Kathy L. Amos is a business and ministry leader, coach, consultant, and marketplace leadership strategist. She is the Founder and CEO of Business Empowered International Chamber of Commerce and Kathy Amos Coaching & Consulting Firm, LLC. Motivational Mondays in the Marketplace™ encourages entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders to integrate faith, leadership, purpose, and impact in the marketplace.

Learn more: www.businessempoweredintl.com/kacc-firm