Anointed for business

Ola Aroyehun argues that you need something above and beyond yourself to run your business God’s way

The word anointing has difference connotations depending on our culture, background, temperament or church upbringing. Some have even shyed away from the concept. Nevertheless, the secret of every Christian’s success and usefulness should be the anointing. The anointing is what brings our constant struggle to an end and enables us to enter a realm of sweatless accomplishment. It also brings us to the end of frustration. It refreshes and takes away stress. R.T. Kendall in his book The Anointing writes “If you or I are operating at a level that brings fatigue and leads to what is known as burn-out, then something is wrong; we moved outside our anointing at some stage”

Anointing will make us outstanding in business. To be in the place in the 21^st Century, where there is a financial paradigm shift and Godly takeover in the business and financial arena will require nothing less than the anointing. That’s why the Prophet Zechariah said ‘it’s not by power nor by might but by the Spirit of the Lord (Zech. 4;6). God wants to do great things among us as Christian business people that hard work and dedication alone cannot produce. We need the anointing of God.

What is anointing?

The anointing can be defined as the divine empowerment of God for a particular accomplishment or purpose. It enables us to do things that we cannot do in the natural. To be anointed by God is not only to be chosen, but also to be empowered by Him for the task or position to which He has called us. The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to do extraordinary things.

The underlying meaning of the word ‘anoint’ is to pour out, smear all over or rub into. In the Old Testament, someone who was anointed by God for a special service or task had oil poured or smeared on them. The word ‘anointing’ is translated from the Greek word Chrsma which refers to the application of oil or ointment. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

For a purpose

When the anointing comes upon an individual, it is for a special purpose. In Isaiah 61:1 we read “The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor, He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord”.

We must start by believing that God wants to take us to this level. Perhaps you only have a small business at the moment or are busy looking after somebody else’s; the principles are still the same. You can do greater things because of the anointing. When Jesus was anointed, He went about doing good and healing the sick (Matt. 3:16-17). There is a supernatural manifestation that flows out of the anointing that we receive. God wants us to have great businesses.

Manifestations

‘The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of Counsel and of might; The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord’. (Isaiah 11:2). When we are anointed by the Spirit, we will exhibit these qualities in varying levels and degrees as and when we need this for no business can afford to be without these ingredients. Here is a typical story of the anointing in practice. A man was selling a product for which there was great demand. Market research had indicated that this was the case. Yet, year after year, he remained in this line of business and incurred more debt. Frustration began to set in.

He did not give up but reasoned that if Jesus could return in the power of the Spirit after 40 days’ fast, so could he. The Lord gave specific instructions for things that should be done and opened up a door so that all debts were cleared. In the same year, the company started to make massive profits. How did this happen? Through the Spirit of counsel and instruction. This story is just one of many similar testimonies.

“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him (1 John 2:27). The anointing will teach us all things

“His delight is in the fear of the LORD And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the sight of His eyes” (Isa. 11:3). The Lord promises to give us sound judgement at all times. This means that we become supernaturally smart. We will have great insights that will give us great results.

Obtaining and sustaining

1. We should not grieve the Holy Spirit. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice” (Eph. 4:32). These are specific ways in which the Holy Spirit can be grieved. We need to get to a place in our lives when we are immediately conscious of sin and that we have grieved Him. This sensitivity can be developed only over a period of time. We need to make sure that we enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him.

2.      We need to seek a fresh anointing every day. If our irrevocable anointing (Rom. 11:29) is not replenished by a fresh touch from God, we are depending on yesterday’s anointing. We need continuous intimacy with God. We need to learn that the anointing can leave without our knowing it.
I recently commissioned a piece of work from someone I had known for a few years. I was certain of their ability and high quality of work. However, when the report was written, the work could be described at best as substandard. What happened? Simply, this person had not updated their skills for the past few years and was still living in yesterday’s glory. Let’s not treat the anointing like that. The anointing has to be fresh. Yesterday’s anointing is for yesterday, it belongs to the past.

3. We need to seek and ask for the anointing. Scriptures encourages us to ask. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened’ (Luke 11:9-10). Also, ‘If anyone thirsts, let Him come to me and drink, he who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living waters’ (John 7:37-38). God wants us to come and seek Him. We must come to a place where we see ourselves as helpless without the anointing. R.T. Kendall writes ‘I would be afraid to seek God for more anointing and then not seek His face daily with all my heart’

There is a price to pay for the anointing and this may involve fasting. Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit after fasting for 40 days. If we want to run our businesses supernaturally, we need to pay the price.

4. ‘Turn at my rebuke, Surely I will pour out my Spirit on you, I will make my words known to you. (Prov. 1:23). We need to repent quickly and not try to justify ourselves when the Lord has cause to rebuke us.

5. We need to stay in the place of thankfulness and praise. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. To declare your loving kindness in the morning and your faithfulness at night, But my horn will be exalted like a wild ox, I have been anointed with fresh oil

6. Finally, we need to stay in the Word of God. Meditate upon the Word and you will encounter the anointing of God. One word from God can turn your business around. You cannot afford to live without the word.

A sense of destiny

Culled from Issue 9 of ‘The Christian Business Magazine’.

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