Controlling the Effort, Surrendering the Outcome

When I found Jesus, one of the very first things I felt led to do was look at every area of my life and ask a simple but uncomfortable question:
Where am I close to Him, and where am I far from Him?

It didn’t take long for me to realize that my business needed to be part of that conversation.

My business lives in my mind almost all day. I’m either serving clients, planning strategies, thinking about growth, or mapping out what’s next. So when I started walking more intentionally with God, it became impossible to ignore how tightly I was holding onto control in my work.

What I once called dedication, discipline, and professionalism had quietly become something else.

Control.

When Control Becomes an Idol in Business

Early in my faith journey, I watched a video where someone talked about having a “business meeting with the Lord.” I honestly didn’t know what that meant or how to do it, but something about it stayed with me.

So one morning, I sat down with my Bible and a notebook and started looking at my business through a completely different lens. Not from strategy, metrics, or projections, but from faith.

That’s when I realized something that was hard to admit.

I was proud of having one hundred percent control over my business.

I knew how to get clients.
I knew how to sell my services.
I knew exactly how many clients I wanted to work with each month and how much money I wanted to make each quarter and year.

From the outside, that looked responsible. It looked successful. It looked like stability.

But in reality, by controlling the outcome so tightly, I wasn’t leaving any space for God to work in my business at all. I wanted certainty. Predictability. Safety.

And in doing that, I was limiting my reach and impact in ways I couldn’t see at the time.

The Shift That Changed Everything

That meeting taught me one of the most important lessons of my life.

My responsibility is the effort.
God’s responsibility is the outcome.

My job is to show up. To serve well. To steward my gifts. To stay obedient. To operate from the identity He’s given me.

But the results, the growth, the timing, the opportunities, and the bigger picture were never meant to be fully in my hands.

I realized I didn’t actually have the full vision for my business. I had goals, plans, and strategies, but only God sees the full picture. He knows what my life will look like in five years. He knows where this path leads.

So in that moment, I did something I had never done before. I asked for the vision.

I told Him, assuming I know nothing, show me what You want me to focus on next.

And He gave me one word.

Speak.

Obedience Before Clarity

What’s interesting is that for years I had carried this vague picture of myself speaking on a stage. It always felt distant, like a future version of me. I had no details, no timeline, no clarity, so I ignored it.

But when I heard the word speak, I didn’t overthink it.

Within one week, I launched this podcast.

I was very honest in my first episode. I shared that I had no idea what God wanted to do with this space. I didn’t have a solid plan. I didn’t know how it would grow or what it would lead to. All I knew was that He asked me to speak, and I wanted to be obedient.

So I created a space to put in the reps. To practice. To show up consistently without needing to control the outcome.

Practicing Surrender in Real Time

I don’t have a clear monetization plan for this podcast yet. I don’t have a perfect marketing strategy. I don’t know exactly how people will find it.

But I do have full control over my effort.

I block time every Monday to outline my topic, record the episode, and follow the system I’ve built to publish it across platforms. That part is my responsibility.

And something incredible has happened over these weeks.

Each episode has given me exactly what I needed in that season. Not money. Not clients. But growth. Confidence. Clarity. Courage.

I haven’t made money from the podcast yet. I haven’t signed clients who found me through it yet. But I have practiced my message. I have practiced being uncomfortable. I have practiced surrendering my business to God.

And I now have deep peace knowing that He has a plan for this space.

Maybe this is preparation. Maybe after a year or two of consistency, I’ll be ready for something bigger He has planned. Or maybe this is exactly what He wants me to do.

I honestly don’t know.

And that’s okay.

A Reflection for You

If you’re building a faith-led business, I want to invite you into a simple reflection.

Take a moment this week and write down two columns.

What am I trying to control?
Income. Timing. Growth. Outcomes. Perception.

What is my effort?
How you show up. How you serve. How you prepare. How you steward what God has given you.

Then ask God one honest question:
Where are You asking me to release control, and where are You asking me to stay faithful in my effort?

You don’t need to change anything immediately. Just notice.

Because when you stop controlling the outcome and start trusting God with it, you create space for something far bigger than anything you could plan on your own.

If this resonated with you, know that you’re not alone in this journey. Learning to surrender is a practice, not a switch. And every step of obedience matters more than you think.