When Jesus spoke about the wise man who built his house on the rock versus the foolish man who built on sand, He was teaching us about the foundations that truly matter when storms inevitably come. For Christian business owners and professionals, this parable from Matthew 7:24-27 serves as both a warning and a promise: those who hear God’s words and put them into practice will weather any storm that comes their way.
The Unchanging Foundation in a Changing World
In today’s volatile business environment, storms are not a matter of if, but when. Economic downturns, supply chain disruptions, competition, staffing challenges, and global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic have tested businesses worldwide. According to research, more than 50% of startups fail within the first five years[1], and the Great Recession saw unprecedented challenges for businesses of all sizes. Yet some businesses not only survive but thrive through these storms. What makes the difference?
The answer lies in the foundation upon which the business is built. Just as the wise man’s house stood firm because it was built on solid rock, businesses that weather storms successfully are those built on the unshakeable foundation of God’s Word and His principles. This foundation provides stability, wisdom, and peace that transcends circumstances.
Finding Peace in the Storm
The storms that rage against our businesses often mirror the storms that Jesus and His disciples faced on the Sea of Galilee. In Matthew 8:23-27, we read how “a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.” When the disciples woke Him in panic, Jesus rebuked the winds and waves, bringing complete calm. His response to their fear was telling: “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
This account reveals three crucial truths for Christian business owners facing storms:
First, Jesus is present in our storms. He didn’t abandon the disciples when the storm hit—He was right there with them. Similarly, God doesn’t abandon us when business challenges arise. His presence remains constant, even when we can’t see or feel Him working.
Second, Jesus has authority over our storms. The same Jesus who calmed the literal storm has power over the metaphorical storms in our businesses. Whether it’s financial pressure, difficult customers, or market downturns, nothing is beyond His control.
Third, our response to storms reveals our faith. The disciples’ panic showed their limited faith, but Jesus used the storm to demonstrate His power and deepen their trust. Our business storms serve the same purpose—to reveal areas where we need to trust God more fully.
This connects beautifully with Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” In the midst of business turbulence, our first response should not be frantic action but stillness before God. When we cease striving and acknowledge His sovereignty, we position ourselves to receive His wisdom and peace.
The foundation of rock represents more than just believing in God—it requires actively putting His words into practice. This means operating our businesses according to biblical principles: integrity in all dealings, treating employees with dignity, serving customers with excellence, and maintaining honesty in financial matters. When these principles become the bedrock of our operations, we create a business that can withstand any storm.
Business Strategy: Three Pillars for Storm-Resistant Businesses
Based on the parable’s wisdom and supported by research on resilient businesses, Christian entrepreneurs can build storm-resistant enterprises through three practical strategies:
1. Build Your Foundation on the Rock (God’s Word)
The foundation determines everything. Research shows that businesses with strong ethical foundations and clear values are more resilient during crises[2]. For Christian business owners, this means making God’s Word the ultimate authority in decision-making. This involves regular prayer, seeking biblical wisdom for business decisions, and refusing to compromise on godly principles even when it might seem financially advantageous.
Practical steps include: establishing a regular time for prayer and Bible study before making major business decisions, creating a mission statement that reflects biblical values, and surrounding yourself with godly advisors who will hold you accountable to these principles. Companies like Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby have demonstrated that businesses built on biblical foundations can thrive long-term while maintaining their values.
2. Be Still on the Rock (Trust and Surrender)
The second strategy involves cultivating a posture of trust and surrender. Psalm 46:10 reminds us to “be still and know that I am God.” This doesn’t mean being passive; rather, it means operating from a place of rest and trust rather than fear and anxiety. Research indicates that regions with higher levels of faith showed greater resilience during economic recessions, partly due to the peace and stability that faith provides[2].
This involves releasing control of outcomes to God while being faithful in our responsibilities. It means making decisions based on biblical principles rather than fear, maintaining generous practices even during lean times, and trusting God’s timing rather than forcing outcomes. Christian business leaders who practice this approach report lower stress levels and greater clarity in decision-making, even during challenging periods.
3. Ask God to Fight for You (Divine Intervention)
The third strategy recognizes that some battles are beyond human capability and require divine intervention. Just as Jesus calmed the storm with a word, God can intervene in our business challenges in ways we cannot accomplish through human effort alone. This doesn’t mean being passive, but rather combining faithful action with confident expectation of God’s supernatural involvement.
This includes praying specifically for business challenges, seeking God’s wisdom for strategies that seem impossible, and being open to divine connections and opportunities. Many Christian business owners report experiencing “coincidences” and unexpected breakthroughs that can only be explained as God’s intervention in their business affairs.
Weathering the Storm Through Faith
Ameka Coleman’s journey with Strands of Faith exemplifies how God carries Christian business owners through storms. In 2018, Coleman made the courageous decision to leave her lucrative career as a clinical researcher to launch her natural hair care company. Starting with minimal savings and personal credit cards, she built Strands of Faith from her kitchen into a multi-million dollar clean beauty brand[3].
The path was far from easy. Coleman had experienced significant childhood trauma that affected her self-worth and confidence for years. She struggled with crossed eyes as a child, leading to social anxiety and reluctance to speak publicly. Additionally, she faced the typical challenges of a new entrepreneur: limited resources, skeptical family members, and the uncertainty of leaving a stable career to pursue an unproven business idea[4].
However, Coleman’s foundation was built on rock. She describes how the idea for Strands of Faith “dropped into her spirit” in 2017, and she recognized it as something predestined by God. Rather than viewing her business merely as a commercial venture, she saw it as a ministry—a way to serve others and spread hope, faith, and love. Her company’s mission statement reflects this: “We sell hope, faith, and love first, products secondary”[5].
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many businesses struggled or closed entirely. Coleman’s company faced the same challenges as others: supply chain disruptions, reduced consumer spending, and operational difficulties. However, her faith-based approach proved crucial during this storm. Instead of panicking, she maintained her practice of prayer and seeking God’s guidance for major decisions. She continued to operate according to biblical principles, treating employees fairly and maintaining integrity in all business dealings[3].
The result was remarkable. During a period when many businesses were failing, Strands of Faith continued to grow. Coleman’s commitment to her faith foundation provided stability and wisdom that purely secular business strategies could not offer. Her willingness to “be still” and trust God’s timing rather than make fear-based decisions helped her navigate the uncertainty with peace and clarity.
Coleman’s story demonstrates how God uses our past struggles to prepare us for future challenges. The resilience she developed through childhood adversity became crucial entrepreneurial skills. Her early experiences with social anxiety taught her empathy for others who feel unseen or undervalued—insights that became central to her brand’s mission of empowering women with textured hair to embrace their natural beauty.
Today, Strands of Faith has received major contracts with hospitals, won significant pitch competitions, and been featured in numerous publications. Coleman has been recognized as one of her state’s top CEOs and received multiple awards for her business excellence[6]. But more importantly, she has remained faithful to her original vision of using business as a platform for ministry and encouragement.
Coleman’s testimony illustrates all three strategies in action: building on the foundation of God’s Word by making faith central to business decisions, being still on the rock by trusting God’s timing and provision rather than operating from fear, and asking God to fight by seeking divine intervention for challenges beyond human capability. Her success came not despite her faith, but because of it—proving that businesses built on biblical foundations can indeed weather any storm.
Standing Firm for Future Storms
As Christian business owners and professionals, we face an important choice: will we build our enterprises on the shifting sands of worldly wisdom, or on the solid rock of God’s eternal Word? The storms will come—economic downturns, competitive pressures, global crises, and personal challenges. But those who build their businesses on the foundation of Scripture, maintain stillness and trust in God’s sovereignty, and seek divine intervention in their challenges will find themselves standing firm when others fall.
The promise of Matthew 7:25 remains true today: “The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; yet it did not fall, because it was founded on the rock.” When we build our businesses on the rock of God’s Word, put His principles into practice, and trust Him through every storm, we create enterprises that not only survive but thrive—bringing glory to God and blessing to others in the process.
Let us commit to building businesses that stand as testimonies to God’s faithfulness, weathering every storm through the unshakeable foundation of His Word. In doing so, we discover that the storms intended to destroy us often become the very means by which God demonstrates His power and deepens our faith.
Sources
[1] Kingdom Perspectives. “The challenges facing Christian Entrepreneurs (and how to overcome them).” October 15, 2024.
[2] StatsAmerica. “Religiosity and Regional Resilience to Recession.” 2020.
[3] Kapitus. “BRB Stories: Relying on Faith and Passion for Business Success.” December 4, 2023.
[4] I Am Michelle Rena. “When Faith Meets Fierce, Meet Ameka Coleman CEO of Strands of Faith.” September 28, 2020.
[5] Sensei Communications. “Launch and Build A Multimillion Dollar CPG Business! The Journey of Ameka Coleman.” April 14, 2025.
[6] Strands of Faith. “Latest Press Coverage.” 2025.
[7] Daily Godpreneur. “Why God Lets Storms into Our Businesses (And How to Get Out!)” August 31, 2021.
[8] Convene. “Faith in Business: Overcoming Challenges Faced by Christian Business Owners.” July 29, 2023.
This article was originally published in the Faith Footprints in Marketplace Newsletter. To receive similar articles, you are invited to subscribe:
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