Posts Tagged ‘desert experience’

My story: Failure as a Christian business man

Sunday, December 6th, 2009
Today I feel a bit down, so it’s a great opportunity to tell my story as a Christian business man.

Almost from the beginning of my calling to revival in Norway and Europe, in 2000, God told me that Christian business would be important in the revival.

In 2004 I was working as a secretary in my church, while studying business. However it did not bring enough to support our family. So I began looking for other jobs. On the side I also created a business plan for a Christian business, that would generate recources for the local church.

The birth of a Christian business

I sold myself into a company and they offered me a position. At that time my business plan had matured into a small team and full support from my pastor and the leaders of the church, and had an investor who was interested in helping us. So I rejected the job proposal.

We didn’t start with much, though. Our office was in the church, and rather than developing products, we had to sell our time as consultants to survive. But we had a fire and vision and mission from God. So we kept at it.

Going to Ukraine

Our goal was to set up an offshore software development center in Ukraine. Over 1 1/2 years I had several trips there (I live in Norway), networking and retrieving information from university tops, politicans, lawyers, software developers and friends.

As the manager I made a plan and budget for how we could launch what we called RightSourcing. It was a combination of local specialists and offshore IT developers, creating the optimal risk profile and value for money.

A real learning experience

Long story short we launched the Ukrainian office, but only with a fraction of the cash needed, because of reluctance from the board and unkept intentions. My venture into daily battle began.

I have never before learned so much in so short time. Prior to that I had never experienced so much agony and pain. But I don’t regret one second of it.

A few months into the venture, God spoke to me, and said that I had to look to other churches for support. I told this to my team. I also began to half heartely look to other churches. However having not enough experience and too much on my hands, I failed to act strongly enough.

The desert experience

A couple of months after that I felt a spiritual door close towards my church and the leaders I worked with there. We later learned that it was at that time that the leader I worked closest with fell in sin.

This is what I call the beginning of my desert experience. It’s difficult to say exactly what that is. However it involves lack of durability in the works you commit, lack of supporting the family and the sense of lack of purpose and direction.

The business involved 10 – 12 people at the most. We had managed to put together people for a new board and a new manager. And everybody agreed upon the necessity for cash. However one year after the launch in Ukraine we were too tired to fight further. It ended in bankruptcy, which ironically enough to me was one of the more easier and pleasurable business experiences I had had that year.

The death of purpose

The business was my work for God and represented my God given vision. Why let God my work for Him die? He have told me later. I will post about this tomorrow.

It is now about 9 1/2 years in preparation for revival and 3 1/2 years in this crazy desert experience. Extreme makeover… Moah, moah, moah. God is good.