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. 

———–

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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Comments

  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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As I watch the happenings in this world I have an As I watch the happenings in this world I have an ever-increasing ache—a yearning—to be known first and foremost by my allegiance to Jesus Christ.

As I read headlines, hot takes, opinions, debates between fellow believers—praying and seeking to learn and discern—I’m more certain than ever that being a Christian frees us from being defined by or confined to earthly labels in our stances on any given issue. We’re free to champion what God champions, to despise what God despises regardless of how it might be viewed by those around us or what political lines it might cross. We’re free to love those who differ from us, and yes, even free to love those who do us wrong. 

I have strong opinions and thoughts about certain issues—no doubt about it. I disagree with certain thoughts or opinions fellow believers hold. But what I want those brothers and sisters to know about me *first* is that I love them, not how I might disagree with them. Yes, there’s a place to discuss, to sharpen one another, to exhort and encourage, to warn and even to rebuke at times when we see fellow believers straying from Christ. But the world is supposed to know us by our love for each other, not our debates and conflicts. This should temper the “what,” “how,” and “when” of every conversation. 

Some of us are called to stand more publicly against certain evils and injustices than others. We should expect the best of those who aren’t doing or saying exactly what we’re doing or saying (*especially* if we’re defining them by their lack of words on social media. There are faithful Christians who will never say a word about current issues online, but are obeying in word and deed in their in-person spheres). That said, this should *never* be used as an excuse to neglect the actions and words that every Christ-follower must be marked by according to Scripture. And when we find ourselves hesitating to obey any of God’s commands due to another allegiance something needs to change.

Lord, may your people be defined not by causes, but by Christ; not by worldly labels, but by you alone.
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#lookingtoJesus #thegospelchangeseverything #Christcenteredwomanhood
I’ve been thinking about my little fuchsia plant I’ve been thinking about my little fuchsia plant the past few days. I snipped and propagated it from a stunning outdoor hanging plant we had a couple years ago after it scorched in the intense CO sun. After weeks of daily watching I finally saw the roots appear, and replanted it. Fuchsia is special to me, because it’s one of the plants that beautified our windowsills in Mongolia throughout our years there. I love having one in our home.

Recently, though, did a little trimming of this plant. I noticed there were a couple of overly flourishing sprigs; they were so long they were keeping the little plant from filling out. So, as much as I hated to do it, I clipped them off. To my delight, brand new leaves began appearing within days all over the plant.

Why has this been on my mind?  Because it reminded me that sometimes—in order for us to flourish—we need to clip back areas in our lives that are zapping growth. It’s often a painful decision, because they’re usually pastimes or vocations we love. But we know in order to direct time and energy toward our God-given priorities we need to do a little clipping of those gangly offshoots. Although we feel bare for a time, it doesn’t take long for the evidence of growth and life to show itself where it was much needed. 

And guess what? Those clipped offshoots are sitting in a jar in the kitchen, waiting to sprout new roots. They aren’t gone forever, just being prepped to produce life rather than zap it. Sometimes branches do need to be clipped and tossed. Other times they just need to be propagated—waiting for new roots to grow so they can grow and flourish at the right time in the right way.

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2
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#lookingtoJesus #plants #Christcenteredwomanhood #fuchsia #ponderings #lessonseverywhere
//Well, it’s all an adventure That comes with a //Well, it’s all an adventure
That comes with a breathtaking view
Walking a tightrope
With you//

The incredible @frostedphotographer took some headshots for us, and she said, “Do you want to snap a few together?” Yes, please. 😍😍😍

Forever thankful for the gift of a life adventure with this man.
//Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Su //Summer and winter and
springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their
courses above,
Join with all nature in 
manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness,
mercy, and love//
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#greatisthyfaithfulness #lookingtoJesus #springtime
“Being like Jesus” will never contradict the r “Being like Jesus” will never contradict the rest of Scripture.

Several times as of late I’ve read or heard examples of people using stories of Jesus from the gospels to back up an argument about accepting sin of some kind. They say that if His followers are going to be like Him they need to follow His example—His example by their interpretation, that is.

But the narratives told of Jesus in the Gospels will *never* contradict the specific commands Christ-followers are given in the rest of the New Testament. Jesus never justified a sin we’re commanded to repent of. A sinful attitude never laced His words, no matter how matter-of-fact His rebukes were. Jesus is the Word made flesh. He will never go against His character or commands for His people.

We can be hard-line on sin while being gentle and kind. We can show compassion without compromising truth. We can be loving while holding fast to biblical convictions. We can, and we must.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Changing Him in any way for our own gain—whether that’s for fleshly gratification or out of fear of others—is making a Jesus in our image. This is a Jesus who cannot save. 

But we have a Jesus who *can* save, who needs no re-making. May we, by His grace, be ever-conforming to Him.
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#lookingtoJesus #Christcenteredwomanhood #Christcenteredliving #truth #love #Jesusislife
“Only God Himself fully appreciates the influenc “Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.” 
-Billy Graham

I know without a doubt this is true of my mom. This side of heaven I’ll have no idea what depths her godly influence and faithfulness has had upon me as a wife, mom, and woman in any sphere. I will never forget her telling us, “I’m so thankful I get to spend my days with you.” To have the assurance we were loved and enjoyed on top of all she did for our physical needs was a priceless gift. And, as I prepared to enter into adulthood she not only mentored me, but invited me into friendship with her. There aren’t words to sum up that kind of honor.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Thank you for being willing to love and follow Jesus in whatever He’s asked of you. There is nothing greater you could’ve given to us. I love you.
“My frame was not hidden from you, when I was be “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:15-16

At the end of every baby book I make for my kids I include a picture of their ultrasound next to a picture of them at a year old. I want them to have no doubt that they have been loved dearly from the moment we found out about them, before we could see them with our own eyes. I want them to know that their lives are gifts, and always have been. I want them to know that every bit of morning sickness, every ache and pain, every labor and delivery, every sleepless night, every urgent care trip, every tear shed, every penny spent, every pursuit that’s been put on hold, every extra mess, every lingering effect on my body are beyond worth it for the privilege of being their mama. For the kiddos who were a surprise to us, I want them to know God knew infinitely better than we did the timing for another child, filling our lives with delight. I want to combat any lie that the enemy and the world that would tell them they’re an inconvenience, a hindrance, a “Plan B,” with assurances of my love and—more importantly—God’s love and perfect plan for them.

I want my children to know I wouldn’t trade them for any career, any worldly accolades, any convenience, any fortune, any temporary ease. They have been used by God as tools to reveal and root out sin, to flood my weakness with the grace of God, to increase my joy. 

On this Mother’s Day weekend, I just want to say: thank you, Lord, for the undeserved gift of my children.
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#gratefulmama #mothersday #childrenareagift #fearfullyandwonderfullymade
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