Called to Create

1. God Was the First Entrepreneur: Emulate His Creative Character

We are made in the image of the First Entrepreneur; thus, when we follow his call to create businesses, nonprofits, art, music, books, and other products, we are not just doing something good for the world, we are doing something God-like.

God's creative character. Before anything else, the Bible reveals God as the Creator. He brought order from chaos, something from nothing, and established a world for the good of others. This entrepreneurial spirit is not just an aspect of God; it's a foundational characteristic.

Imago Dei and co-creation. As humans made in God's image (Imago Dei), we are inherently creative beings. God calls us to be co-creators, to fill the earth and subdue it, not just to reproduce but to build civilizations and cultivate culture. This call validates the deep desire in our souls to create.

Jesus, the Carpenter. Jesus spent most of his life as a carpenter, a builder, an entrepreneur. This reveals the value God places on craftsmanship and the creation of tangible goods. Even Jesus's death and resurrection reveal the creative character of God, making us a new creation.

2. All Work Is Good: Reject the Secular/Sacred Divide

It is so freeing to realize that God has called me—with just as important a calling as that of any pastor—to create new things.

Work as worship. Work is not a punishment for sin but an inherent good, a means of worshiping God. Adam and Eve worked in the Garden of Eden before the Fall, and we will continue to serve God in heaven.

Meaning in the mundane. All work, even seemingly ordinary tasks, has meaning because God has ordained it. Even selling a pallet of paper can contribute to God's will being done on earth. The story of Casper ten Boom, the watchmaker who hid Jews from the Nazis, illustrates how God can use even the most mundane work for extraordinary purposes.

Equality of callings. There is no hierarchy of callings; the work of an entrepreneur is as valuable as that of a pastor or missionary. God calls us to use our unique passions, gifts, and opportunities to serve Him and others through our work.

3. Discerning Your Calling: Passion, Gifts, and Opportunity

The highest calling is not being a pastor but becoming all God called you to be, namely a person who glorifies God in all you do.

Beyond self-image. Discerning our calling is not about choosing a career that boosts our self-image but about how we can best serve God and others. We must shift our focus from serving ourselves to serving the One who has called us to create.

Three key questions:

• What am I passionate about?
• What gifts has God given me?
• Where do I have the greatest opportunity to love others?

Stewardship of gifts. We are called to steward our God-given gifts well, using our passions, skills, and opportunities to love and serve others. Like the servants in Jesus's parable of the talents, we are responsible for investing what God has entrusted to us.

4. Create to Reveal God's Character and Love Others

All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD.

Motives matter. God weighs our motives. We must create not to make a name for ourselves but to reveal God's character and love others. This requires displacing worldly motivations like money, power, and status with a desire to glorify God.

Revealing God's character. C.S. Lewis used his writings, particularly the Chronicles of Narnia, to reveal God's character in a way that resonated with millions. Our creations, whether overtly evangelical or not, can point to God's love, justice, and creativity.

Loving others through creation. Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water, transformed his life from a nightclub promoter to providing clean water to developing nations. Arthur Guinness created a safer alternative to gin, loving his neighbors through his product.

5. Integrate Faith Holistically: Excellence and People over Profit

The highest calling is not being a pastor but becoming all God called you to be, namely a person who glorifies God in all you do.

Beyond superficial expressions. It's not enough to simply slap a Bible verse on our packaging or add a cross to our logo. Our faith must be integrated holistically into every aspect of our business.

Striving for excellence. We should strive for excellence in everything we do, reflecting God's character as the First Entrepreneur. Chick-fil-A's commitment to quality and customer service exemplifies this principle.

Prioritizing people. We must prioritize people over profit, treating our employees, customers, and partners with love and respect. In-N-Out Burger's generous compensation and benefits for its employees demonstrate this value.

6. Trust, Hustle, and Rest: A Rhythmic Approach to Work

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart...for the Lord, not for human masters.

The tension between trust and hustle. As Christian entrepreneurs, we must manage the tension between trusting in God and working hard. We are called to both trust and hustle, recognizing that God is the ultimate source of our success.

A biblical sequence:

• Commit our work to the Lord (trust)
• Hustle, using our God-given talents
• Rest, knowing that the results are in God's hands

Sabbath rest. Practicing Sabbath rest is a disciplined way to remember that we are not the ones who keep the world running. It is an act of trust that allows us to disconnect from the demands of incessant productivity and find true rest in God.

7. Respond to Failure with Gospel-Rooted Hope

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Failure is inevitable. Some level of failure is inevitable for those who are called to create. The nature of creating new things is that it is risky.

Gospel-rooted hope. Because of the gospel, we can respond to failure with uncommon hope, transparency, and boldness. We can look to the cross and say, "It is well, it is well with my soul."

Transparency and boldness. We should be transparent about our struggles and failures, sharing the hope we have in Christ. We should also be bold, knowing that even if our ventures fail, God is working everything for our good.

8. Renew Your Mind Through Communion and Community

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Augmenting reality. We must daily put on metaphorical lenses that overlay eternal truths over our world. This requires the constant renewing of our minds.

Three key practices:

• Communion with God: Through regular study of His Word and prayer
• Communion with partners: Intimate accountability with spouses or business partners
• Communion with other believers: Especially those who share our call to create

The Inklings. The story of J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings illustrates the power of community in renewing our minds and maintaining an eternal perspective.

9. The Great Commission Applies to Entrepreneurs: Make Disciples

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Beyond geographical relocation. The Great Commission is not necessarily calling us to move to the other side of the world. It is commanding us to create disciples as we go throughout life, from wherever God has called us today.

Three key elements of discipleship:

• Love people: Building genuine relationships
• Speak the gospel: Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ
• Teach the Word: Helping others become more like Christ

The apostle Paul's model. Paul used his tentmaking business as a vehicle for creating disciples, loving people, speaking the gospel, and teaching the Word.

10. Profits are a Tool for Kingdom Building, Not Self-Glorification

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, your heart will be also.

Stewardship, not ownership. We are stewards of the wealth God has entrusted to us, not owners. This requires a radical shift in perspective, recognizing that our abundance is not for our own glory but for God's.

Three purposes of profit:

• Give profits away: Supporting churches, missions, and other kingdom-building causes
• Reinvest profits into our ventures: Improving quality, investing in employees, and expanding our reach
• Invest profits in others who are called to create: Supporting Christian entrepreneurs and their ventures

Cher Wang and Alan Barnhart. These entrepreneurs exemplify a generous spirit, giving away substantial portions of their wealth to kingdom-building causes.

11. Our Work Matters: Creating for the New Earth

Be steadfast...in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Beyond the "theology of evacuation." The Bible promises believers of Jesus Christ that we “will be with [Him] in paradise” (Luke 23:43) the moment we breathe our last breath in this life. That paradise obviously isn’t on this earth. In his exceptional book Heaven, Randy Alcorn refers to this destination as “Intermediate (or Present) Heaven.”

Building for God's kingdom. What you do in the present—by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbor as yourself—will last into God’s future.

The New Jerusalem. Our work today is not in vain. It is part of building for God's kingdom, contributing to the new heaven and new earth that He is creating. Our creations, even the simplest ones, can matter forever.

Last updated: March 7, 2025