Why Christian Entrepreneurs Need Surrender More Than Strategy
Have you ever worked so hard chasing success, only to come up feeling completely empty and exhausted?
If so, you’re not alone, friend.
In this blog, I’m sharing something deeply personal, a confession, really, about the years I spent chasing worldly metrics of success, the $30,000 I invested in coaches trying to find the missing piece, and the slow, beautiful transformation that happened when I finally stopped striving and started surrendering.
This isn’t a polished success story. It’s a real, honest look at what it took for God to redirect me, and what I’ve learned about what true success actually looks like through His eyes.
The Confession I Never Planned to Make Public
I have never made six figures in my business in one year. And for a long time, I let that define me.
Worthless. Like a failure. Those are the words I used to describe myself. So I did what so many of us do, I threw money at the problem. Over the course of six years, I hired more than $30,000 worth of coaches. I was convinced that the right strategy, the right mentor, the right framework would finally unlock the success I was so desperately chasing.
But instead of finding success, I found burnout. I was missing moments with my kids. Skipping meals. Working harder and harder in my own strength. And still coming up empty.
Sound familiar?
The Turning Point Nobody Talks About
The shift didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow undoing, a gentle, persistent conviction that the path I was on wasn’t the one God had for me.
About a year and a half ago, I felt a clear tug on my heart to pivot my business toward Christian mom entrepreneurs. Losing my audience felt like a real risk. Not knowing where to find these women left me completely lost.
But during that season, I started a Bible study by Priscilla Shirer on the armor of God, and it changed everything.
What the Armor of God Taught Me About My Identity
That’s when I realized I wasn’t activating the armor the Lord had already given me. The enemy had been stirring up doubt and confusion about who I was in Christ, and lies that were never meant for me, often from coaches who didn’t share my values, had been masquerading as strategy.
That was the moment my identity in Christ became the foundation, not my income, my follower count, or my conversion rates.
Trading Worldly Metrics for Kingdom Metrics
Here’s the truth the world won’t tell you: income, popularity, accumulation, and constant striving are not God’s measures of success.
So I shut down every offer I had and rebuilt my business from the ground up, this time with God not just as a silent partner, but as the CEO. I’m just following His lead.
And you know what? Everything about my story, even the hard parts, even the “failed” years, is exactly the way God designed it. It’s all part of my testimony. And yours is too.
We are not here to win the approval of others. We are only here to serve an audience of one.
What’s Coming Next: A 3-Part Blog Series on Shifting from Striving to Surrendering
Over the next few weeks, I’m walking you through a three-part blog series that goes deep on what it actually looks like to make this shift:
Part 1 – Redefining Success: We’ll look at the four areas where the world measures success (income, popularity, accumulation, and striving) and compare them side-by-side with God’s metrics. This one will change the lens through which you see everything.
Part 2 – Actively Pursue Him: I’m sharing the one practice I do every single time I sit down for a work block, and how it completely transformed the way I show up in my business as a steward, not a CEO.
Part 3 – Releasing Control: How to loosely hold your plans, surrender your agenda, and release outcomes so you can move forward with freedom and follow where He leads.
A Note Before You Go
Thank you so much for being on this journey with me. I am so excited for what is to come.
Remember: there are two ways of operating a business.
There’s the worldly way, which is really focused on income, vanity metrics, and doing it in your own strength.
And then there’s the kingdom version of success, which is all about peace, surrender, impact, forward progress, and most importantly, partnership with God.
What Surrender Has Actually Given Me
Switching my viewpoint from worldly success to kingdom success was terrifying. Taking my foot off the gas felt like things would crumble.
And honestly, the opposite has happened. I have never worked less in my life, and I feel more peace. My income is increasing. My impact is increasing. But most importantly, my heart is changing.
And I want that for you too.
So I pray that you would obediently walk in step with the Lord, that you would allow Him to lead your life and business, and that you would do it even though you’re scared.
Because the Lord does His best work in our weakness, because He is made strong.
Come hang out with us here every week, and I cannot wait to see you in the next blog post.
Resources:
- Purpose Pages Directory – A free, vetted online directory to help you find Christian coaches and service providers you can trust.
- Follow Purpose Pages on Instagram – Find trusted Christian providers and connect with a community that gets you.
- The Purpose Gathering Live (Waitlist) – A Spirit-led day to refocus, reconnect & recharge in Downtown Gilbert, AZ. Live worship, speaker sessions, guided reflection, and intentional connection with faith-driven women in business. Grab your ticket
- Join the Faith-Fueled Fireside on July 16th at 10AM (AZ Time) – This virtual gathering is an opportunity to connect with like minded mamas who are ready to trade hustle for peace this season.
- Join the Free Purpose Gathering Community – A welcoming space for Christian mompreneurs to connect, grow, and be encouraged in both life and business.
- The Armor of God – Bible Study for Women with Video Access
- Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here.
- Please connect with me on Instagram @thepurposegathering.
