We've talked about faith. We've talked about family. Now let's talk about the thing most of us spend 50+ hours a week doing. Building.

Building businesses. Building careers. Building something we hope matters.

But here's the question most men never stop long enough to ask:

Because there's a massive difference between the two. And the fruit of each looks completely different 5, 10, 20 years down the road.

I learned this lesson the hard way.

A few years into running Soulheart, I hit a season where I was making decisions fast, saying yes to everything, and grinding with an intensity that felt productive but was actually just reckless. I wasn't asking the Lord what He wanted me to build. I was asking Him to bless what I had already decided to build. Big difference.

And the results showed it. Overcommitted. Underpaid. Stressed. Frustrated that the business wasn't producing what I thought it should. I was building. Just not under the right authority.

Then I came across a verse that stopped me in my tracks:

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. — Proverbs 16:3

Not "commit your plans to the Lord and hope He blesses them." Commit your work. The daily grind, the decisions, the direction. And then your plans get established. The order matters. God doesn't come in at the end to rubber stamp what you've already built. He wants to be at the foundation.

There's a story in Scripture that paints this picture better than anything.

In Genesis 11, the people of Babel said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves." That's a business plan without God. Build big. Build high. Make a name for ourselves.

God scattered them.

Contrast that with Solomon in 1 Kings 3. God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Ask what I shall give you." Solomon didn't ask for wealth. He didn't ask for success. He asked for wisdom to lead well.

"Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil." — 1 Kings 3:9

And because Solomon built under authority, because he submitted himself to God's wisdom before his own ambition, God gave him everything else on top of it.

That's the principle: when you build under God's authority, He adds what you couldn't build on your own.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. — Matthew 6:33

I think a lot of us as entrepreneurs and leaders have it flipped. We seek the business first and try to fit God in around the edges. Morning prayer gets replaced by morning emails. Sunday rest gets replaced by Sunday catch-up. And we wonder why we're exhausted and why the growth feels hollow even when the numbers go up.

Building under authority means a few practical things:

It means you don't chase every opportunity. You pray about which ones to pursue. It means you don't set your revenue goals based on what you want but on what God is calling you to steward. It means you treat your employees, your clients, and your vendors the way Scripture tells you to, even when it costs you. It means you hold your business with an open hand because it was never yours to begin with.

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. — Psalm 24:1

Your business is His. Your platform is His. Your influence is His. You're a steward, not an owner. And when you operate from that posture, everything changes. The pressure comes off. The anxiety loosens. You stop building out of fear and start building out of faithfulness.

One of the most Christ-like business principles I've ever learned is this: faithfulness over outcomes. You can't control results. You can control obedience. And God honors obedience in ways that don't always show up on a P&L statement but always show up in the life He's building through you.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. — Colossians 3:23-24

Read that again. You're not working for your clients. You're not working for your bank account. You're serving the Lord through your work.

That reframe changes everything.

Before you open the laptop tomorrow morning, open the Word. Before you check revenue, check your heart. Ask the Lord one simple question: "Am I building this under Your authority or my own?"

And then be honest enough to listen to the answer.

Because a business built under authority may grow slower than the world says it should, but it will stand longer, go further, and produce fruit that lasts. The kind of fruit your family, your community, and your legacy actually need.

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. — Psalm 127:1

Stop laboring in vain. Build under authority.

What does Jesus actually teach about money, stewardship, and faithfulness? Pastor Josh Howerton walks us through Luke 19:11–27, as Jesus tells the Parable of the Minas, a powerful story about responsibility, discipleship, and what it means to live ready for His return. In this teaching, we learn why a disciple is called to steward everything God has entrusted to them, how the tithe reveals who sits on the throne of our heart, and why God blesses faithfulness with greater purpose. This isn’t the prosperity gospel; it’s biblical stewardship that leads to lasting impact.

Before Dude Perfect became a household name, Larry and Diann Cotton were parents navigating backyard basketball goals, ruined roof shingles, and the question every parent asks: "What will my kids become?" In this deeply personal conversation, they share the parenting principles that helped their children build a entertainment empire without losing their souls.

Pastor Joby Martin preaches this message on how to Work Hard and Reflect Christ. Great message to watch this week as you seek to honor God through that work!

Remember, we are building lives, families, and legacies that last.

Rooting for you always,

Joshua Brown
Chief Firestarter at Soulfire