When we talk about business, most of us have been taught to think about it in terms of growth, profit, and efficiency. We hear things like: “Build a business that runs without you,” “Make money while you sleep,” or “Hire more so you can work less.”
But here’s the problem with that kind of mindset: When business becomes all about getting more for yourself, you miss the bigger opportunity to serve.
So, as a Christian, how can you strike the balance with wisdom so you can lead your business in a God-honoring way?
In this blog post, I’ll share my heartwarming conversation with my friend, Norah Whitten from Functional Phyzio. She’s a physical therapist turned business owner, upon which she never intended to do in the first place. When she stepped into business ownership, she realized leadership wasn’t just about delegating tasks or making more money. It was about impact.
If you’re a business owner (or dreaming of becoming one), there are powerful lessons in Norah’s story – especially if you want to lead with faith and integrity.
Starting a Business Without a “Business Plan”
Norah worked for several years as a physical therapist, but she always felt called to do something more. She loved patient work, but she also loved admin work, spreadsheets, and the business side of things. From here, she faced a problem: she had no idea what to do next.
So, she prayed. A lot.
When the opportunity came to sublease space from a gym and start her own practice, she took the leap.
“I never wanted to own a business, but it’s the perfect job for me. The Lord just knew.”
She started small and figured things out as she went. Surprisingly, she loved it and found herself geeking out over marketing, sales, and business strategy – things she never thought she’d enjoy.
One key takeaway from her story is you don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. Sometimes, the best opportunities come when you follow what excites you the most, trust the process, and trust the Lord.
The Trap of Hiring for the Wrong Reasons
Early on, Norah fell into a common business mindset: hiring people so she could step back and make more money (Which isn’t all bad! But as we discussed, it can come with some negative consequences). She had been part of a business coaching group that pushed this idea. This sounds great and all, but when she actually started hiring people, she realized something felt off.
She wasn’t hiring to create good jobs – she was hiring to make her life easier. (Which again, isn’t all bad. But through doing this myself, I’ve realized there is a fine line between delegating responsibilities and deserting them.)
And that’s when difficulties started to arise.
She struggled with managing employees, building a team culture, and keeping people motivated. Instead of hiring for impact, she had hired for her convenience – and it wasn’t working as many other business owners had advertised.
“It took a lot of prayer, reflection, and therapy to realize – I actually do want to hire people, but not for myself. I want to hire so I can serve them and our patients better.”
Here’s when she realized that hiring is NOT just about delegating tasks, but creating good opportunities for jobseekers. When you focus on serving your employees instead of just using them for your own good, everything changes.
How To Lead with Faith (Without Preaching at Work)
Norah works in a secular workplace with a mix of believers and non-Christians alike. Here’s the challenge a lot of faith-driven business owners face: how do you integrate your faith into your business without making it weird or forcing it on people?
For Norah, the answer wasn’t about making her business “Christian” on paper – it was about living out Christian values in how she led. That meant: serving employees instead of just managing them, being generous with time, encouragement and support, and creating a workplace culture that values honesty, respect, and teamwork.
“Sometimes I’ve stayed late to help my team, even when I didn’t want to. But that’s what leading with service looks like.”
It also meant being open about her faith without forcing it. One day, she casually asked her admin if she wanted to do a Bible study together – and to her surprise, she said yes. For months, they met weekly to study scripture, which deepened their connection in an organic way.
“Even if I don’t make millions, if I help one person come to know Jesus, that has to be enough. That’s a success.”
She also found small ways to bring faith-based wisdom into her workplace, like sharing insights on handling workplace conflict from a faith perspective.
Facing the Fear of Sharing Your Faith at Work
If you’ve ever felt awkward about expressing your faith at work, you’re not alone.
Norah has had moments where she wondered, “Will people judge me for this?” – like the time she invited people at a business event to a morning Bible study.
“Only one person came. And I felt kind of silly. But I reminded myself—what’s the worst that can happen? Someone thinks I’m weird? That’s fine.”
She’s also had tough conversations about faith, like when a coworker once asked, “Do you think I’m going to hell?”
“I told her, ‘If you don’t believe in Jesus, then yes.’ But I also told her the good news – that she didn’t have to have that as her fate.” (which landed better than she expected)
These aren’t easy conversations, but they’re important. And sometimes, the most loving thing you can do is simply be honest.
Your Work is Worship
For many of us, worship is something we do at church or in prayer. But what if your work itself could be worship? Norah had this realization when she came across a powerful idea:
“Worship is anything that delights the Lord. When I give my patients my full attention and best effort, that’s a form of worship.”
This shift in perspective changed how she approached business. Instead of feeling guilty about spending more time at work than in prayer, she realized that doing her work well was an act of worship in itself.
Leadership Is About Who You Serve
Here’s what we can all learn from Norah’s journey:
✔ Business isn’t just about you—it’s about who you serve.
✔ Hiring isn’t about stepping back—it’s about creating opportunities.
✔ Faith in business doesn’t have to be loud—it just has to be real.
✔ Your work can be worship when you do it with the right heart.
If you’re building a business (or thinking about it), ask yourself:
How can I serve others better?
Because when service becomes the goal, everything else – growth, fulfillment, and even financial success – tends to follow… and I think this is such a beautiful thing.
Listen to the full episode to hear our full discussion.
