I considered myself to be a person of deep faith who has endeavored to glorify God by excelling at what I do on the job as Colossians 3:23 admonishes “whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men”. However, it became apparent to me several months ago that I somewhat compartmentalized who I was and would only openly reveal particular aspects of myself, such as my faith, in certain environments. Despite my strong Christian faith, my outward expression of it has been rather muted in professional settings. I could cite my HR background as a viable excuse since HR professionals know that you’re not supposed to discuss religion and politics in the workplace, right? If I’m honest with myself, I’ve allowed FEAR to hinder me from fully expressing myself as a Black Christian woman; fear of making people uncomfortable; fear of being misunderstood; fear of rejection; fear of being vulnerable; fear of feeling shame… I’ve been reading a lot of Brene’ Brown’s work - this particular quote resonated with me:
“If we are going to find our way out of shame and back to each other, vulnerability is the path and courage is the light. To set down those lists of *what we're supposed to be* is brave. To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly.” Brene' Brown
I was challenged recently to step into a convergence of my FAITH and my WORK - of my PROFESSION and my MINISTRY. I’ve been more intentional about authentically expressing who I am as a Black Christian woman in a way that creates value. As I’ve done so, I’ve attracted amazing connections and great opportunities. I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and leaning into all that God is calling me to with conviction and with the courage to ‘do it afraid’.
I normally commit each New Year to the Lord in a time of fasting and praying during which I seek clarity and divine direction. For the past several years, I look to hear ONE WORD or phrase that will serve as my mantra for the year. During my recent 21-day Breakthrough Vision Fasting Challenge, I received my ONE WORD for this year - ALIGNMENT. Alignment with God’s purpose and plan for my career, business and ministry pursuits in this season of my life.
When I put my finite energy, focus and resources into what God has ordained for me, He releases His infinite power and favor over these endeavors. I release myself from striving to build anything that is not aligned with God’s ‘perfect’ will for this season of my life. I release myself from attaching to any work, project or activity that God hasn’t called me to no matter how ‘good’ they are. I lay down the burden of trying to do a lot of ‘good’ things so I can make space for those vital few ‘God’ things that are my divine assignment.
One particular assignment that I feel called to in this season is to help more faith-based professionals and entrepreneurs clarify the vision of their God-given purpose and to steward that vision well. I am launching a one-year Breakthrough Vision Group Coaching Mastermind program to equip those who desire to "run with the vision" (see Habakkuk 2:3) through focused action-planning and accountability. Click this link to learn more about this program or schedule a 1:1 exploratory coaching session with me to discuss how I can support you.
Regina Ross is a certified HR & Change Management Practitioner and ICF-credentialed Executive Coach who helps leaders successfully navigate organizational and personal transformations. Contact Regina at ✉reginaross@walkonpurpose.com or www.walkonpurpose.com/contact.