01 May God Called Me Out Of Fintech Startup
God asked me to help a friend so I ended up helping to start a fintech, learnt a lot and ministered/witnessed to many people along the way.
I was enjoying myself and I felt we are about to see some results as many business to business deals we were nurturing over the last year should see some fruits this year. Most of the early staff were hired and nurtured by me too and I had some bonds to the team we built. I had ownership of the big vision and I was prepared to work on it for a decade to eventual exit.
For a couple months, a few other things were happening, my spirit is quite often grieved by the culture and although I was the main guy, I wasn’t able to nurture the culture that’s pleasing to God. On the other hand, Covid-19 was just starting and I thought we were entering a period of uncertainty so it’s quite bad time to switch jobs.
Sometime between Jan to May 2020:
God was calling me out of the the fintech startup which basically was our only source of income. God had recently called wife to stay home so she stopped her work.
I didn’t know what’s next too. Was I to find a new job? start a church, non profit? so bible school? no idea!
But God posted 3 questions to me over this period.
- Was praying and God asked me, do I love my security in the income and job in a nice, exciting world of fintech, blockchain and startup, do I love my new reputation as a leader in the relatively new industry of blockchain, do I love all these worldly things more than God Himself?
- Was doing a bible study with a church uncle and as I told him God is calling me out of my job, he went front to back with the bible with me. 2 main verses stood out. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. And Abraham’s sacrific of Issac. I have always read this part as Abraham’s obedience. This time, Genesis 22:5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” speaks to me about Abraham’s faith. God is saying I have been quite obedience, it’s time to build up my faith.
- We were praying in a group with some prayer warriors and I was looking for verses and separately but together with my wife, we went back to Jeremiah 29:10-14 where Jeremiah 29:11 was one of the first anchor verses for our family. This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” The Lord was bringing us as a family back to the beginning as saying, we have experienced God and His good plans. Do we trust the ongoing plans He has for us.
God ministers to me
I was having coffee in the morning, strumming my guitar, singing praise to God and suddenly God ministered to me through a song “Come Holy Spirit” God continued to minister through the worship and finally this song came up from youtube (which I have never heard before) “Let it rain + healing rain”. Somehow I knew God is going to minister through this song the moment I saw the title.
God ministered deeply and I was crying out Abba abba.
I knew God was telling me He wants to move now. He reminded me of the same table I was at, the same thing when I walked to the toilet to tell wife God’s message. God was reminding me that what I have seen, experienced and believed from the day God ministered to me over that 3 hours, He will do the same as I follow Him.
5 May 2020
God ministered to me a few times throughout the day. During work meetings, I can’t focus at all. I lost interest in what was being discussed. After the meeting, I asked to chat with my friend.
I was really not sure how to bring up the topic of leaving but somehow God made it easy and I was also able to witness as I shared a little about how God led me to this decision.
After the chat, I felt a lot of joy from obeying God. I seem to understand more about joy now. That as we are aligned to God as as we obey Him, we share the joy of the Lord. To “settle” my joyful emotions, I strummed and praise, God ministered. Thanks be to God.
9-10 May 2020
Met two brothers and they re-affirmed my decision.
Met a church leader and he reminded that financial stability is important (later I found it’s more important to have Christ stability above financial stability)
Was invited to join a group to journey through a course about Christian enterprise by Praxis.
Cell leader prayed in his morning prayers and passed a message that “walk with Jesus and you will be ok. And He will use people around you to help you”
16 May 2020
Some back and forth discussion and persuasion. I want to leave in the best possible manner, minimize any morale issues etc. Lord makes the path straight, relationships generally ok. I actually still serve a bond with central in this startup and I was worried but the Lord made it such that everything is ok.
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