Faith in Business - How We Focus on Serving the Lord
Discussing how the Lord works in our business, and how He can work in your life (and your project), too!
Jumping in faith and following what the Lord has called you toward is hard. Point blank period. It’s so easy to stay where you are, in the shelter of the familiar, and never take the leaps and bounds to fulfill your Godly purpose and serve the Lord. Especially when taking that step means being uncomfortable for a little while.
Starting a business in itself is not easy. There are many hurdles to overcome, forms to fill out for the government, taxes to figure out, and some investments to be made, but all of that is worth it once you understand the larger picture. Obedience to the Lord and His plan will always return a reward. It may not be in your time, or in the way you thought, but you will always receive an answer to your prayers in the way that He sees it fit.
And that is why we started Julia Grace Interiors.
We strive to serve the Lord while serving our community, in any way that may be possible. We have curated all kinds of services to be able to reach out and share the gift of beautiful design with the masses. From premade design boards on Etsy to full-service interior design for new builds, Julia Grace Interiors has and will continue to find ways to share insights in design with you. Because I truly feel that this passion of mine is what the Lord has called me to do.
We have a few verses that we operate by, but our primary verse on which we base every move we make is Hebrews 3:4, which states, “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.” While, in the literal sense, the first section of this verse applies to residential construction therefore applying to our business pretty directly, I place emphasis on the second part of the verse to apply to everything we build. Whether this be continuing to build up our business toward Him and toward our community, building relationships with local builders, artisans, or clients, or actually building houses. Everything we do (not just us, but you as well!) is an act to build on top of something else. Theoretically, any time you commit yourself to anything, you are building your skill to get better than you were yesterday. Building on your relationship with your spouse, building on your cooking skills, building on your workout routine for more strength and endurance. However, none of this is possible without God.
Another verse that we like to apply both specifically to building and indirectly is Matthew 7:24, where Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” In context, Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount, and this verse opens a short parable of two builders, one who built his house on a rock, and the other who built his house on sand. If you build your house, or your business, or your foundation of anything you set your mind to, on a rock, the storms will come, but your house will not fall. Through money struggles, literal storms, death, drama, your house will stand, because you have a strong foundation in the Lord. However, if you build your house on sand - meaning metaphorically, if you build your house on frivolous ideals, materialism, people pleasing, worldly ideals - when the storms come, your house, your business, your relationships, will crumble. A strong foundation in Christ will never fail you - but the world will. People will turn on you, but the Lord is always on your side!
I recently was scrolling through TikTok (one of my WORST vices) and I saw a video of a girl talking about her most recent Bible study plan that she was doing in Galatians. She mentioned that she struggled with being a people pleaser, and cited Galatians 1:10, where Paul writes, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” This hit me like a TON of bricks! People pleasing is the absolute enemy of the Lord, of following His plan for you. So many people will tell you, the main thing that held them back from pursuing their dreams for the longest time was worrying about what people from high school would say about them. At our grown ages! People these days, with social media screaming in our faces everyone else’s lives and how great they are, are constantly comparing themselves and we get caught in this absolutely mentally draining cycle of worrying about what others think of us while also basically wanting to be influencers. Comparison is truly the thief of joy. On this same note, I also saw someone say recently that you may be comparing where God has you to where Satan has someone else - the devil will take care of his people, too. If that isn’t a gentle slap in the face to wake you up from the cycle of comparison, I’m not sure what is! Letting go of this fear of people talking about you, and listening to the Lord speak to you, will always return a heavenly reward. Always. People are fickle - people change their minds, but the Lord will never change His mind about you. He loves you, and He has plans for you to succeed (Jeremiah 29:11 !!!!).
I could literally go on for days and days about different Bible verses and how they apply to your life and our business. A couple more of my favorites are:
Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Now, how all this applies to Julia Grace Interiors -
We pray for you before we’ve even spoken to you. I pray that my clients, wherever you are, whatever stage of life you’re in, that you find me when you’re ready, and that I can work for you in a way that pleases the Lord. That we can work together to alleviate your stresses, to create a home that you’re excited to raise your babies in, or where you’re excited to host family Christmas. Or, if you’re in a stage of singleness for now, or moving into a college apartment, whatever it may be, that we can curate a space where you can take a breath and relax. Everyone deserves a space they feel comfortable in.
At JGI, we practice slow design. Now, that does not mean that I work super slow and you won’t get your design for your space for 3 months. This means that through each stage of the design process, I pray. I pray that we have a clear vision for your needs. I pray that we formulate a plan that functions well for you. I pray that we find the correct pieces and parts that inspire you and lift you up to fulfill your purpose!
In addition to that, intention is a major part of our business model. We meet you with intention - we listen to the problem you’re trying to solve with intention - whether the problem is functional or if you just point blank don’t like your space. We pour into your project with intention, selecting only the best pieces that will last yet won’t break your bank account. We present to you with intention, letting you know the thought process behind our designs, and not just picking things out “because we said so.” I put all my trust in the Lord throughout your project, just as I put all my trust in Him when starting this venture.
Obviously, we are an openly and unapologetically a faith-based business. I understand that may dissuade some clients from choosing Julia Grace Interiors as their designer, and that is okay. But I pray that the clients that are meant for us will come to us - whether you, too, are a follower of Jesus, or maybe you’re not, but you’re curious. I’m never going to shove my beliefs toward you, but know that it is the basis of all that I do - I love each of you dearly (yes, you reading this, too!!) regardless of creed. At the end of the day, while I do love interior design and I think I’m good at it, my main concern is community - building a community on a rock, and hopefully bringing some people closer to Jesus in the process!
Like what you hear? Contact us today to get started on your forever!
