As a career-woman, business owner, manager, boss lady, entrepreneur, you are likely a go-getting, leader kind of gal. I know because I am one. We make plans, we set goals, and then we chase our dreams relentlessly.

Lovely, that is a beautiful thing about you. Your passion, drive, and take-charge personality are traits instilled in you by God. You represent a side of His personality that not everybody does. There is beauty and power in who you are. As we approach 2017 with the same go-getting determination, I want to challenge us to be willing to give up charge of our careers. Now hear me out, because our personalities still have a role to play here.

Let me explain.

Because of our go-getting, goal-setting personalities, it is easy for us to make plans, our own plans, and then become relentless when it comes to sticking to them. We want to make things happen, and we want them to happen our way.

You HAVE been created to be successful. You HAVE been created to pursue your wildest dreams. But I want to share a secret with you. The kind of success and dreams you want to accomplish can be taken to a whole new level when you allow God to be the one who leads you.

I know, I know, giving up control of our lives, of our plans, of our dreams, is no easy feat. But you have to understand something. God gave you those dreams. He planted those desires in your heart when He created you. The very things you are afraid to even dream sometimes because they seem too big were given to you by the God who says “nothing is impossible”.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. (Psalm 37:4, New Living Translation)

But with God everything is possible. (Matt. 19:26, NLT)

As women who boldly stand in the positions God has called us to, I want to challenge us to spend time before Him, on our knees, surrendering our careers, our business, our dreams, and allowing Him to take control. Here are some ways to give God your career this year.

1. Pray

It always starts with prayers. Go before the Lord in prayer. Tell Him what your dreams and plans are. Tell Him what you want to accomplish. But then let Him know that you are willing to do it His way. That you are willing to pursue what He wants you to pursue, because you trust Him.

2. Listen to Him

I think that many times when we find ourselves in prayer we forget to do the single most important thing after praying. And that is listening. Take the time to actually listen to what He has to say. Prayer is like a phone call. You call and share, but then you also listen and wait for a response. Expect a response, and then wait for it.

3. Make Obedience Your Relentless Pursuit

After God speaks to you about what He wants you to do, and how He wants you to do it, be relentless about doing that and doing it His way. This won’t always be easy. Usually what God asks us to do does not make sense, and our go-getter personality will want to kick in. We will want to believe that what we want to accomplish and how we want to accomplish it is better than what He is telling us to do. It might seem like it from our perspective, but the truth is that it isn’t. Pursing what we want our way will never fully satisfy us. He knows how to take us where we need to go, so make it your goal to constantly check yourself and make sure you are sticking to His plan, His way.

You are brave, and your bravery to follow God’s plan and to do it His way instead of the world’s way is admirable. Your diligence to follow His path will lead you to bigger and better things than you can even imagine. Give your career over to Him this year, and watch Him take you higher than you’ve ever been before.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Giving God Your Career

1. Pray

2. Listen to Him

3. Make Obedience Your Relentless Pursuit