Working while you wait: Obedience in business before the breakthrough
- Allison Jones
- Feb 13
- 3 min read
CATEGORY: Business & Stewardship
FEBRUARY THEME: Surely God Is Here (Genesis 28:10–22)
BIG QUESTION:
What does it look like to find God in the in-between—before anything changes?
Where we are in the study:
This week we’re sitting with God’s promise and presence spoken on the road (Genesis 28:13–15)—and previewing the kind of steady obedience that promise produces (Genesis 28:20–22).
PRIMARY PASSAGE (read in full here, NASB)
Genesis 28:10–22 (NASB):
There’s a particular kind of weariness that shows up in business when you’re doing “the right things” and the results are… slow.
You’re posting.
You’re serving.
You’re improving the offer.
You’re trying to stay honest.
You’re trying not to make an idol out of it.
And you’re still waiting.
If you’re in that season, Genesis 28 is not a cute story.
It’s a lifeline.
Because God doesn’t meet Jacob after the destination—He meets him before it.
While he’s still moving.
While nothing looks resolved.
While he’s still on the road.
Slow down with the passage and notice the order:
Jacob is traveling.
God initiates.
God speaks promise and presence.
Then Jacob responds—with worship, with a marker, and later with a vow that touches real life.
That order matters for working women.
Because we live with a constant temptation to believe the opposite:
“If God is with me, this would be moving faster.”
“If I’m doing the right things, I should see the right results.”
“If I’m still waiting, I must be doing something wrong.”
But Genesis 28 puts God’s presence in the middle of movement, not at the finish line.
Subject sentence (factual):
God meets Jacob on the road, promises His presence, and Jacob responds with worship and a vow.
Aim (what I want for you this week):
I want you to obey in business without using outcomes as the price of your peace.
Here’s one of the easiest traps in business: treating the in-between like wasted time.
But biblically, the in-between is often training ground.
It reveals what we trust.
It exposes what we worship.
It tests whether we obey only when obedience feels rewarding.
What might we be missing?
Sometimes God’s kindness isn’t giving you immediate traction.
Sometimes His kindness is keeping your identity from getting fused to outcomes.
Because if success comes too quickly, it can become your proof that you’re safe.
And then the business stops being stewardship and starts being salvation.
One misread to clear up:
“When God is with me, things will move faster.”
But Genesis 28 shows a different pattern: God speaks presence and promise while Jacob is still in process.
God’s with-ness is not the same thing as instant ease.
So what do we do with that—practically—when we’re working while we wait?
Here are three obedience anchors for the in-between:
Steward your craft:
Do the work in front of you with excellence, not anxiety.
Show up for the next faithful task, even when it feels small.
Steward your pace:
Choose a rhythm you can sustain so your life still looks like love.
If your “success plan” requires you to become harsh, hurried, or absent, it’s already costing too much.
Steward your heart:
Refuse to use outcomes as a scoreboard for God’s favor.
God’s presence is promised on the road, not earned by the results.
A practical reframe that has helped me:
Instead of “I need this launch to prove I’m legitimate,” try:
“I will do the next faithful step, then release the outcome.”
That isn’t passivity.
That’s obedience without obsession.
Diagnostic question:
Where am I demanding a breakthrough as the price of my peace?
5–10 minute practice (Release one outcome — 8 minutes)
1) Write one business outcome you feel pressure to control (sales, subscribers, bookings, engagement).
2) Write one obedient action you can take this week (clear CTA, follow-up email, product page cleanup, one rest day).
3) Pray this simply: “Lord, keep me faithful on the road. I trust You with the results.”
If you want a simple tool to carry this theme through February, download:
“Surely God Is Here — Prayer Guide + Memory Plan (Genesis 28:10–22)” in the Sunday newsletter, The Lampstand.
This Sunday’s Lampstand will focus on the memory chunk for the week (Genesis 28:13–15)—what God promises when you’re still in process, and how His presence steadies obedience before anything changes.
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