Your work there was a ministry. Think of all the good you did in addition to just leading an ethical company: employees could buy insurance (to take care of widows), employees received income that fed their children and kept them from poverty.

Yes, knowing God is the most important thing. It is the greatest commandment. But there is a second “Greatest commandment”—to love our neighbors. And I believe you were loving your neighbors all along as you built that software business.

In some ways this seems like I'm projecting my views onto you. That's not fair, but I believe this so strongly. In devaluing my own work, sometimes I have ended up devaluing my God-given gifts, burying them in the ground, so to speak.

Thanks SO MUCH for responding her personally.

As small business owners we rarely spent 40 – 50 hours a week “at work”. Most of my work was done at home. The majority of my day is spent reading the Word, non-fiction christian authors, worship and prayer. This is my focus and where the bulk of my time is spent; Seeking God and His truth.

Ministry began as a way to walk in obedience to what the Word says. As far as a “calling” anyone who has read the bible knows every child of God is called to help the; orphans, widows and poor. So this is where we began, with the Word, what we knew to be true. God was faithful and showed up in ministry teaching us more and more about who He was and how I could become a fruitful member of His Kingdom.

The value is knowing God, nothing else really matters. I have learned to know Him by; the relationship I have with Him, serving others on His behalf and walking side by side with others seeking Him and His will.

Hope this helps clarify a few things.

I Like Renee, didn't think that That was What Bob Roberts was saying either…. But, that's Neither Here nor there, just my 2 cents;) Anyway!! You totally Nailed on the head the Point I was trying to get across when i said, I wondered about what my part in “Fulfilling the Great Commission” was in my Post. Anytime I tried to Share Jesus, or anything it always Seemed awkward, Stilted and “not real”. I totally think that our first places of ministry should be our Workplaces, but, only as the Holy Spirit allows. I have Learned the hard way about trying to share my faith when the door for it isn't open.

I don't know that it had all to do with me being young for making that decision, though. I know lots of people who fear making that kind of leap or change and stick to being a cog or drone where they are for the money or status. To me, everything we do stems from what we believe about God. So in my situation I was not trusting God enough in the life decisions I was making.

Hmm. So now I better start praying about this, huh?

Rats. I mean, thanks, Bradley.

OK, some things are worse. But post regret is pretty bad.