Heather Cofer

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Jesus, Eternity, and My Small Business

8 Aug
I’m so excited to share with you the first ever guest post on my blog! This was written by a dear friend of mine, Naomi Vacaro, the founder of Wholehearted Quiet Time. I know her perspective will be a challenge and encouragement (especially to those of you who are entrepreneurs), just as it is to me!

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We were driving back from a trip to Tampa. My husband and I enjoy listening to podcasts and a long car ride was the perfect excuse to catch up on our regular shows. This time we found ourselves listening to a peppy, Christian business coach try to convince us that the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 was talking about our responsibility to generate wealth. As we sped down the highway towards home, I found myself frowning. No one could question that this entrepreneur claimed to be a Christian, and her enormous amount of monetary success suggested that she had done very well in the business world. But now she was trying to persuade us that Jesus, the man who never had a place of his own to lay his head, was teaching us the importance of making money. I could have chuckled if I wasn’t so grieved by the misinterpretation. I glanced at my husband. It was clear we were thinking the same thing.

Several years before this unfortunate tune-in, I had started my first business as a wedding photographer. I learned almost immediately, that being an entrepreneur was incredibly trendy. It seemed as if everyone was starting their own business, and there was a definite awe and reverence given to those who had “made it”. The ones who had achieved peak success, like our peppy podcast host, then became educators for those of us just starting out. Their messages differed but their underlying values remained the same: Make money, increase your following, and “change the world for the better” (with no precise definition of what that would look like). The current of ideas was strong when I jumped into the river of small business, and as someone who placed my Christian identity before my business ventures, I found myself swimming upstream.

After four years of photography, I started a new business that fell into the category of Christian ministry. Someone once mentioned what a big switch it must have been for me to jump from one type of business to another. I smiled inwardly at the time, knowing that nothing had fundamentally changed. My goals remained the same. Not because I believed in making money, achieving fame, or even temporarily improving the lives of others, but because I was, and am, a Christian.

To be a Christian Entrepreneur is to be a Christian 

Some people don’t see much of a difference between being an entrepreneur who is a Christian and being one who isn’t. In fact, many entrepreneurs in western culture will be guided by similar Judeo-Christian ethics, making it difficult to tell religious persuasions apart from each other. Perseverance, generosity, community over competition, each of these cultural values easily find their ground in the teachings of Jesus. As a result, an individual, a business, or even a country as a whole can be considered “Christian” simply by adhering to these ideals. But are these standards enough to sufficiently make something or someone a Christian?

Jesus made it perfectly clear that following Him should surpass every other priority in our life, so much so that all other allegiances would look like hatred in comparison to our love for Him. (Luke 14:26) To be a follower of Christ means submitting every ambition to God’s priorities. We know this because of how Jesus both taught and lived. Jesus worked, ministered, healed, suffered, and died out of obedience to His Father and commitment to His heavenly priorities. To be a Christian is to follow Jesus. His pursuits become ours, his desires infuse into our hearts, and the reality of His Kingdom becomes our ultimate foundation for family, friends, work, play, and business. With this truth in mind, it becomes clear that a simple set of ethics is not enough to define your business as “Christian”.

In our time and culture its very easy to compartmentalize. Boundaries between work and home life are encouraged, and to allow your religious beliefs to mix with politics, social life, or a career pursuit is generally frowned upon. With this being the case, it’s easy to assume that going to church and reading the Bible belong in a different category all together than owning a business. However, those of us who have truly submitted to Jesus and have studied Scripture know that this can never be so.

Jesus is not simply a missing ingredient to our recipe of values, in fact, the very nature of the cross directly contradicts such a notion! There is no way to compartmentalize this God, and there is no limit to what He wants to claim as His own in our lives. He doesn’t ask for our mornings and leave us our afternoons. He doesn’t require our Church attendance and then forget about our Instagram accounts. He demands our every decision, every purchase, every relationship, and every business venture, not out of tyranny, but out of LOVE, because only He can take each of those things and redeem them into eternal fruit.

Simply adopting a smattering of Christian values is not enough to make your business genuinely Christian. To be a Christian entrepreneur is to fully submit your business to the priorities of Jesus, no matter what the result might be. In short, to be a Christian entrepreneur is to be a Christian.

Business on the Threshold of Eternity

The truth is that businesses will burn just like houses. None of us will stand before God with our small business in tact. The only thing that matters in that moment will be whether or not we chose to believe in and follow Jesus, and what kind of fruit grew as a result of that decision. With this in mind, my primary objective as a Christian entrepreneur is not that my business will succeed, but that God’s Kingdom will advance and that eternal fruit will result. If your goal is anything less than this, then you will be forever disappointed by whatever temporary pickings your business yields.

Every decision must be informed by the Cross because only the Cross makes any kind of eternal difference. This mindset transports us to a completely different dimension in business compared to a mere set of vague, religious values! The Cross leads us to be the kind of entrepreneurs who give freely, pray for our competition, speak boldly of our faith, and place the Kingdom of God above our own profit. We live, work, and start businesses as though we stand on the threshold of eternity. In a million years, when we are experiencing paradise with our Lord and one another, our small business ventures will seem very small indeed.

When I first became an entrepreneur, I was afraid of making my love for Jesus an obvious part of my business. In fact, I had spoken with other Christian business owners who were also afraid that admitting their allegiance to Christ could drive people away! They didn’t want it to be a “turn-off” (also a mindset that can sadly affect Church ministries). Although I can never know my friends’ motives for their decisions, I can honestly say that mine was fear of man. I wanted desperately for my business to succeed, so why would I do or say anything that could drive paying customers away? These fears revealed personal ambitions that were out of alignment with God’s priorities. Thankfully, as I pursued Jesus with my whole heart, He quickly shifted my perspective back into place.

Now I see every business venture as a tool in the Lord’s hands for the advancement of His Kingdom. This means giving generously, not for the benefit of my business but for the spread of the Gospel. Speaking boldly, knowing that my business will fade but the Word of God never will. Acting with integrity, not out of a vague sense of duty, but because I am ultimately accountable to God, and simply a steward of the time, money, and business that He has given me. If you are a Christian business owner like me, then you and I are representatives of Jesus here on earth and our businesses must follow suit.

Before we decided to follow Jesus, perhaps money, fame, security, and other measures of worldly success could have passed as our primary goals in business. But now that the name of Jesus has been stamped on our eternal identity, everything has changed and our small businesses must also bend their knee. 

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Naomi is first and foremost a wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ! She grew up as a missionary kid in Outer Mongolia until moving to Florida at the age of 18. A few years later, she graduated with a degree in graphic design and launched her own wedding photography business. She met Matthew Vacaro in 2015, got married in 2017, and currently lives in a one room, studio apartment with their dog and cat. In early 2018 she felt led to create a Bible study tool called the Quiet Time Companion, along with an online community of women who would be dedicated to encouraging each other in their daily walk with Jesus. Naomi now fills her days with developing and supporting this Wholehearted community.

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  1. Linette says

    August 8, 2019 at 10:41 am

    This is a very refreshing and true prospect of business being a Christian out reach. You are God’s servant in all you do. Thus you show forth Christ to all; give out His gospel and He will bless you when you are wholly His.
    I appreciate this blog. Thank you for sharing. I’m thankful to see that there are still those that align with God’s priorities and not their personal ambitions.

    Reply
    • Heather says

      August 8, 2019 at 3:27 pm

      Amen! I’m so glad it encouraged you!

      Reply

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This past weekend Judah and I had the immense priv This past weekend Judah and I had the immense privilege of witnessing our five-year-old daughter surrender her life to the Lord.

God has used the salvation of my children to remind me of the Gospel that will never grow old, but that too often loses its wonder in my mind’s eye. What a gift that, in a world filled with evil and upheaval, God is quietly revealing that He is at work in the lives of those most precious to me.

I’m brought back to the reality of what Christ has done on our behalf, simple enough for a child to grasp, yet so profound we’ll never understand the half of it (at least not this side of heaven).

[Read the full post from my rejoicing heart at the link in my bio💕]
I’ve been mulling on this 👆🏻. I’m sure t I’ve been mulling on this 👆🏻. I’m sure there will be a multitude of voices today, but I’m going to chance it and add a few comments to the throng.

I’ve been seeing the argument over and over by pro-abortion advocates that we cannot be truly pro-life unless we’re personally adopting every child who is in foster care, providing childcare or tuition fees for every teen mom who chooses to keep their child, or rallying for every social cause. But this is simply not true. Can we not be against human trafficking without personally going and rescuing every single victim? Can we not think sexual assault is wrong without personally investing in every person who’s experienced it? We can and must hold fast to objective truths about right and wrong according to Scripture. When God gives us opportunities to personally give of our time, resources, and energy to love and care for those who are affected by an unexpected pregnancy—whether that’s providing diapers or adopting a child—we should wholeheartedly obey. But if what God is asking of you today is to get on your knees for those babies, mamas, and daddies who are touched by an unexpected pregnancy, remember that this is no less important. God moves when His people cry out to Him in prayer.

There is also the argument floating around that Christians talk big but act little. In other words, we aren’t actually willing to step in and help the babies we’ve wanted to protect in the womb. But if you look at the statistics that’s also false. Professing Christians are far more likely to personally invest time and resources into caring for the vulnerable than the general population (take a look at Josh Howerton’s pinned thread on Twitter as a starting place). Are there those whose lives contradict their words? Of course. God has to convict all of us of hypocrisy to one degree or another. Where we’ve failed to obey we should repent. However, we shouldn’t buy the lie that *every* Christian is failing to love the vulnerable. And, we need to remember that we’re simply responsible to do what God entrusts us with today—no more, no less. 

Lord, help your people to pray faithfully, serve faithfully, and give faithfully for your glory.
I’ll never forget a number of years ago in a her I’ll never forget a number of years ago in a hermeneutics class our teacher saying, “In Ezekiel 16, do you know what sin is listed first as reasons God destroyed Sodom? Pride.”

This struck me to the core. God had been doing a significant work in my life on this very thing. I’d grown up in a Christian home, been a rule-follower, and truly did love Jesus from a young age. That said, it was hard for me to grasp the depth of my sinfulness. I didn’t have a “past” and I’d never been a trouble-maker. But in my early 20’s I began to feel an increasing desperation to know and love Jesus more. As I pressed into Him I sensed Him speaking to my heart: 

“If you want your love for me to grow you need to see what you’ve been saved from.” 

He began exposing the depth of pride and filthy self-righteousness I’d viewed as lesser evils. It was so painful, but so freeing at the same time. I knew I was no better than those who’d committed the vilest atrocities, equally in need of the blood of Christ to “cleanse [me] from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). I truly grasped the reality that not a single ounce of my own effort had contributed to my salvation. I wept over my sin and God’s mercy toward me for the first time.

So in this month that is dedicated to celebrating pride, I want to remember—remember that Jesus can transform anyone who turns to Him in repentance. Remember that Jesus “saved a wretch like me.” 
Remember that Christ gives grace to every person who humbles themselves before Him.
Remember that we are all the same at the foot of the cross.
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#lookingtoJesus #amazinggrace #pride
Our beautiful boy is 1. All the memories surround Our beautiful boy is 1. 
All the memories surrounding his birth are filling my mind and heart today.

This time last year I was in a hospital bed adjusting to the reality of our son coming a month early. I felt so weak, so weary, so unprepared to labor another child from womb to world. It looked like a C-section would be the only option after hours of unimproved heart rate dips. My midwife (whom I’d just met that day) even cried for me (how precious is that?😭). My husband and I prayed for what seemed impossible—a vaginal delivery—and in God’s mercy He chose to grant it. Although it was by far my most painful, difficult birth I was in awe that God had shown such kindness to me. I knew He saw and heard, and was glorified to answer our audacious ask. The midwife and nurse said they’d never seen a turn-around like that in all their years of practicing. 

Little buddy still needed a week in the nicu, yet the Lord revealed His gentleness at every turn—holding my tender, reeling heart in His hands. 

Then, he was home. Yet another answered prayer (they’d projected 3-4 weeks). I’ll never forget the utter joy of his siblings upon his homecoming.

God did not spare me from pain in Jack’s birth story, but instead revealed Himself faithfully and beautifully in the midst of it. When I look at Jack Lewis Cofer, I will always see a testimony of God’s lovingkindness toward me.

Happy Birthday, precious boy. You are a gift I’m unworthy, but so grateful, to steward.
Today I celebrate my dear father. To sum up what Today I celebrate my dear father.

To sum up what I’ve learned from his life would take a post much longer than the word count IG allows. But what I admire the most about him in recent years is seeing a man who consistently grows in wisdom, humility, and joy. He’s one of my favorite people in the world to have deep conversations with—encouraging me to think deeply—and pointing me back to Jesus continually. He’s lived out the declaration in Isaiah 6:8, a passage he loves: “Here I am! Send me.” No words can capture my gratitude for such a rare gift. 

I love you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day.
It’s Father’s Day. And I wholeheartedly celebr It’s Father’s Day. And I wholeheartedly celebrate the dad of our children. 
Men of integrity, faithfulness, wisdom, repentance, and holiness are few in this world. But where they are found, it is a joy to honor them. I praise God for the one found in my own home, relentlessly fighting to fix his eyes on Jesus and obey the call on his life to love, disciple, and shepherd his family.

I adore you, @judahcofer. Happy Father’s Day.
When @naomivacaro asked me about the possibility o When @naomivacaro asked me about the possibility of coming to TGCW with her (and a nearly immediate “do it” from my husband) I was thrilled. Hands down, my favorite part was the hours and hours of time with this dear friend. It was so sweet to meet *so* many Instagram faces in-person, hear lots of messages, buy books, and drink a good deal of coffee. 

Now it’s off to my husband and little people. As they say, there’s no place like home. 💕

Until next time, Indy!
Today I decided to tackle some weeding in a sorely Today I decided to tackle some weeding in a sorely neglected spot in our yard. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a little blanket of a particular weed beginning to grow, but decided to leave it to work on something else, convincing myself it could pass as nice ground-cover while I worked on “more important” projects. 

But a couple days ago I noticed it no longer passed as ground cover.😅

As I tugged at the multitude of weeds, I pondered how unassuming and rather pretty it looks when it’s small. Whimsical, white flowers bloom along it’s vine-y tendrils. But as it grows it slowly takes over everything. It wraps itself around branches and stems, making it difficult to distinguish which is which. If you take a close look at it, it’s very structure is twisted—growing to overpower and overtake.

How like sin these little weeds are—so often seeming harmless and even a delight to the eye. We let it be, thinking it can pass as part of the scenery of our lives. But it’s whole intention is to overtake. It slowly-yet-steadily wraps itself around whatever it can get ahold of, effecting every aspect of our lives. And eventually it’ll choke the life out of us.

No matter how innocent or appealing sin appears, it needs to be dealt with like these weeds: done away with. Given no room to flourish. Pulled up by the root and tossed out with the trash. The enemy of our souls wants to keep us tending these sins, or at least tolerating them. He knows that any inch we give to sin it will take a mile, keeping us from flourishing in the abundant life of Christ we’ve been given. 

Praise God for His grace that gives us the ability to say no to sin, to deal with it ruthlessly. Apart from Him we are slaves to our sin with no hope of freedom—no desire, even, for a life outside the bondage of death. What mercy, what love found in Jesus who died to free us from “the sin which clings so closely” (Hebrews 12). 

May any facade of beauty that sin might hold wither in the face of His glory.
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#lookingtoJesus #weeding #ponderings #Christcenteredwomanhood
“Lord, tether my dreams to reality.” This has “Lord, tether my dreams to reality.”

This has been a prayer I’ve continually lifted as of late.

I, as most do, have passions and interests that fall outside my family and home sphere. I have “one day” pursuits I feel quite strongly about. And the temptation can sometimes be to skimp in the “already here” and put my best efforts into those other desires (which are good things in-and-of themselves).

But here’s the reality: 

• I have one life to live. What I choose today matters.

• God’s priorities for me are worth pursuing with my whole heart, regardless of the messages the world (and sometimes my own heart) shouts at me. Why? Because He’s my Creator and only He gets to say what’s best for my life.

• My God-given priorities *today* include (but are not limited to) loving my husband and raising, training, teaching, loving, nurturing, and protecting five little people He’s entrusted to me. I alone have been granted the privilege of being called “Mommy” by these children, and “wife” of this precious man. Any other pursuits in this season must strengthen—not hinder—these callings. And, I might add, these 6 people are a dream come true.

• Some of those future dreams/pursuits are dependent on my faithfulness here and now. Why? Because every choice today is a seed planted, a stone laid. What will these say about me 20 years from now?

• I ultimately don’t want anything other than what God wants for me. He has the right and ability to change my course as He sees fit. If He chooses to allow those other dreams to come to fruition in His time and way I’ll be thrilled. But if He takes them away, blessed be His name. 

Tethered dreams have time to mature, deepen, be refined or even changed completely with age. Tethered dreams recognize that I can’t see the beginning from the end. Tethered dreams are safe with the One who can.

Lord, tether my dreams to reality.
Your reality.
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#lookingtoJesus #Christcenteredwomanhood
“The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and “The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.” - G. K. Chesterton

The moral fabric of our society is being shredded to pieces right before our eyes, and the attack on the family is right at the heart of it.

Is there anything more counter-cultural we can do than hold fast to God’s design for family—a husband and wife covenanting to one another until death, bearing and raising children for the glory of God? I doubt it. This seemingly simple stand is being showered with fiery darts. The enemy of our souls would like nothing more than for believers to cave to the pressures and lies of society.

But by God’s grace, we can hold fast to this now-radical, Christ-honoring view of husbands, wives, and children. It might feel insignificant at times. But I have a feeling this obedience in regard to God’s design family is accomplishing far more than we’ll ever know this side of eternity.
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#lookingtoJesus #family #husbandsandwives #children #childrenareagift
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