Growing a Biblical mindset about money

Our shared dream - for you to become a young CEO - is not something that will happen overnight.

We do believe it’s possible.

We’ve seen it time and time again. And we want to let you in on a little secret: There’s a pattern.

Every time a young person becomes a CEO, meets success, and makes their dreams come true - their steps can be backtracked to the pattern. It’s subtle, hidden, and hard to see at first. But once you have that “aha” moment, you’ll never unsee it. The pattern will stick with you for life! 

For young leaders to build businesses and build hearts that honor God they need to pray honestly, plan wisely, pursue courageously, and process faithfully. 

Step 1: Pray

Timmy had a great idea for his first business - he’d done the market research, established that there is a need, and prepared as well as he thought was possible. But on day 1, despite all of that, nobody showed up. Confused and frustrated, Timmy kept on, but with each passing day his heart felt heavier and heavier. “Why is this not working out? I’ve done everything right,” he sighed in front of his laptop one late night. Timmy didn’t realize it but his grandma had walked into the room a few minutes ago. She was quietly watching him struggle in front of his screen, patiently waiting for him to notice her for a nugget of wisdom she wished to share. Slamming his laptop closed, Timmy eventually looked up and saw his grandma standing there. He blushed, embarrassed and still upset by his apparent failure. He knew his grandma would have something to say to him so he walked up to her and melted into her embrace. “What’s your wisdom, today, nana?” he asked. His grandma smiled. Then she said the words that changed Timmy’s course forever: “We don’t make plans and then ask God to bless them. We ask God what His plans are and He blesses us when we do those.”

Before we sell, build, lead, or create, we must first pray. Prayer keeps our hearts aligned with God’s will. It reminds us that we are never leading alone and that true wisdom comes from above. When young CEOs learn to pray first, they learn to listen, trust, and seek God’s direction in every decision — big or small.

Step 2: Plan

Next, we plan. Planning honors God because it shows responsibility and intention. God is a God of order, vision, and purpose. When we write down our goals, organize our ideas, and prepare our steps, we are partnering with Him to bring our dreams to life with clarity and confidence.

Some young people fall into the trap of thinking organization just isn’t their thing. The truth is that personality or natural tendencies don’t say as much about us as our Maker does. 

God says you were made in His image. He’s not a haphazard, last-minute, hasty God. That is not His character. He is careful, intentional, and precise. 

Did you know that administration is a gift from God? It’s listed among the other spiritual gifts in the New Testament. This is great news because it means you can pray and ask God to give you the ability to plan, organize, and prepare well. He can do it!

Step 3: Pursue

Then, we pursue. Faith without action is incomplete. God calls us to be brave, to step forward even when we feel unsure, and to use our gifts with boldness. Pursuing our goals teaches perseverance, resilience, and trust — knowing that even when challenges arise, God is strengthening us for what’s ahead.

So often we want to start here, but here’s the challenge:

• Instead of pursuing an idea right away, write it down
• In fact, write down all your ideas
• Commit to pausing on every idea for at least one week
• As the time goes on, you might prioritize some ideas over others
• Scratch out (eliminate) the ideas that are no longer the best
• This simple practice teaches the value of pausing before you pursue!

Step 4: Process

Finally, we process. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. Every lesson, mistake, success, and setback is part of God’s refining work. Processing teaches patience and reflection. It helps young CEOs learn from their experiences, improve their skills, and recognize how God is shaping them through every step of the journey.

Practical ways to process:

• Schedule a quarterly time of reflection on your calendar
• Page back in your diary / calendar and assess what your time went towards
• Process other facets: people, finances, systems
• Utilize some reflection questions to prompt deeper thought, like:
  - What is one new skill I can develop that fits in with what I’m already doing?
  - What was the highlight, low light, and one random thing that happened?
  - Consider your setbacks: What characteristic did this develop in you?
• Before you jump to the next thing, pause and ask God for a word/verse/vision for the next quarter: “God, what do You want to do next?” 

Recap the 4 P’s Secret Pathway to Success

The pathway to success is paved with 4 P’s:
Pray, Plan, Pursue, & Process

God’s Way is not just about business. It is about character, courage, stewardship, and learning how to walk boldly in what God has already placed inside you.

May all that you touch turn to gold!