Things have not gone as I expected with my freelance business. Actually, I didn’t really think of it as a business when I started. I was just looking for a way to work from home and have more flexibility in my work hours. Freelance writing, I found, could provide that.

I’d been a bookkeeper for more than 20 years, and it took me about 11 months of pursuing this new income avenue to reach my goal of replacing the income from my office job. In February 2011, I entered the world of self-employment full time. It was a dream come true.

“My ways are not your ways,” God tells us in Scripture. While I was reveling in my ability to work from my couch and concerned only with making sure my income remained stable, God was writing out his business plan for us. I was soon to find that God’s plans didn’t revolve solely around me. (Shocker, isn’t it?)

My little lump of clay

I went into freelance writing having never met anyone who made a living from their writing. Most of the writers I connected with considered it something they enjoyed, but had earned very little, if anything, from their writing skills. And most of these writers had more skill and more experience than I did at writing.

My foray into freelancing writing began as a whim, really. “What could it hurt to try?” I thought. Now here I was giving writing work to many of the same writers I admired, ones who had taught me so much. Don’t underestimate God. He can do a whole lot with a simple lump of clay.

Kingdom profits

It’s been six years since I left the “cubicle world,” as we freelancers call it. It’s been an incredible journey as I have seen God’s business plans revealed and realized. Here are just some of the things he’s done through my business:

1. One sister restored into relationship with all her siblings after years of little contact.
2. Same sister making her full-time living doing something she enjoys—writing.
3. Multiple writers inspired to launch their own full-time or part-time writing careers.
4. Giving work instead of a handout to those struggling to make ends meet, strengthening their self-respect.
5. Providing an income opportunity to a family member, meeting their needs for flexible work hours while their child was going through chemo.

I have never seen God as my business partner. It’s more like he is the CEO and I am just the business manager. I just need to keep in step with each new twist and turn he throws my way.

Do I ever try and take the reins? Yep. But, when you join God in what he is doing, instead of just inviting him to bless what you are doing—WOW! The miracles never stop.

God’s place for you in his business

Maybe you aren’t a business owner and have no desire to be one. Not everyone should be. But this message is just as pertinent to you. Whether you work a job at a factory, can’t work due to a disability, are retired, or are the head chauffeur for a busy bunch of munchkins—God is at work in your circumstances and the lives of people around you.

Look for evidence of his hand in the situations you encounter and the people with whom you connect. Ask him to reveal his plans for the segment of the Kingdom where he has you serving. He isn’t likely to give you the full 5-year plan (at least, he never does with me). But he will guide you a few steps at a time. Eventually, you’ll look back and realize you climbed to the top of a mountain without even knowing it.

Has God ever surprised you in how he has used your business or your interactions at work to further the Kingdom? Has he arranged divine appointments that led to unexpected provision for your family or someone else’s family? Share your stories in the comments.

Kathleen Krueger is a full-time freelance writer, poet, and speaker. She and her husband enjoy traveling together, especially when it involves visiting any of their eight grandchildren. She is known for her passion for prayer and as an encourager to many. Her website can be found at KathleenKrueger.com