It's a new year and there are lots of new Christians who've found us so I thought this would be the perfect time to tell the "Purpose Story" behind Pure by Faith Boutique. At one point, I told my story on Instagram Live. Click here or on my picture below to watch it now or keep reading for the condensed version. I think you'll be more entertained by the video. Story time starts around the 7:50 mark. I spend the first 7 minutes welcoming the live viewers and mainly talking about lipstick :) Go straight to the 7:50 mark if you want to get right to why I started Pure by Faith.
So without further ado. I started Pure by Faith...
Honoring God
About 3 years before opening PbyF, I felt that God was telling me I'd be an entrepreneur. I was working full-time in an industry that I love and figured that I'd open a business many years down the road that will be somehow connected to the industry or a closely related industry. I thought it would be 10 to 15 years down the road. In fact, I put it out of my mind because I knew it wasn't the time but over those 3 years I would ask God every now and then while in prayer to tell me more about what kind of business I should start. One day I saw post on Facebook for a free information session about started an online boutique. It piqued my interest because I'd noticed boutiques of all sorts popping up on Instagram, but I couldn't figure out how all these people were opening stores. Needless to say, I attended and purchased the course. Several weeks went by and I wasn't sure what kind of product I'd be interested in enough to actually want to create a store. I love to shop but running a boutique is something altogether different. After thinking about it and praying about it I was sitting on my bed having a conversation with God about it and felt him say "make it about me". That was it. God is what I'm passionate enough about to create a whole store.
It's my Lifestyle
Once God told me to make it about him. I had a "why didn't I think of that" moment. It was so obviously the right focus. I wasn't sure if I wanted to connect my lifestyle to my business. Sharing to minister to others, sure, but not a business. Once I got out of my head, I began to talk out loud to God. I said "What kind of stuff should I sell. I don't think I want to sell t-shirts. Hmm...I could sell purity rings!" That was it. Jewelry honoring God's desires for us, his people, to be pure, holy and set apart as Paul explained in Romans 12:1 -- "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Obedience
Honestly, I battled within myself questioning if it was the right thing even though God told me to do it. It was my lifestyle after all. I'd been walking in sexual purity for a few years. God counseled me through the purpose of Pure by Faith over the first several months of launching the boutique by teaching me that purity is more than just abstaining from sex but it is the lifestyle we are called to in every area - our mind, body, heart, and soul should be aligned with him. God is love and he gave us Holy Spirit as our helper. Evidence that we have Holy Spirit within us is the presence of the fruits of the spirit.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." -Galatians 5:22-23.
Once God gave me the revelation that PbyF is more than just an abstinence ministry or a business promoting abstinence but a tool to promote purity, obedience and faith in every season of life I had no choice but to obey.
There it is, the story of why I started or better yet, why God gave me Pure by Faith. If you haven't already, check out our Promises of God Collection and our Set Apart Apparel Collection on PurebyFaith.com for jewelry, tees and hoodies rooted in scripture. Make sure to pin this on your Pinterest board for times that you need extra motivation or a reminder of why Christ called us to holiness. Follow our Pinterest here.
Are there certain items you'd like to see in the boutique? What do you think about our collections? Feel free to leave me your thoughts, questions or comments below.
Have a great week -- God bless you!
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Huh? What?! Excuse me? That should've been my response when someone would say that to me but I didn't want to feed into the negativity. In the years after I finished college, there were several people who said things like the statement above to me -- repeatedly. It's not that they were trying to be rude. They were offering an unsolicited opinion but I believe they actually thought they were helping. Perhaps they settled at some point in their life and thought that was the thing to do -- that it was normal to lower your standards in order to attain certain things, relationships, positions, etc. I was not accustomed to that way of living. Instead of responding, the twenty something year old me began to internalize their words. Unfortunately, I actually began to believe or buy into their opinion about my identity. I added "picky" to my invisible list of terms that describe me. I'm cringing at the thought that I allowed people to speak into my life. It wasn't until I came to Christ, years later, that I realized that -- they were wrong! Once I began seeing myself through the eyes of God, I started to understand who God says I am. This was no automatic happening. It was a process. For me, it took several years. About three years into my relationship with Christ, I participated in a prayer challenge. Although, the focus of this prayer challenge was supposed to be prayer over relationships, the speakers were coaching us through internal work. During one of the sessions, one of the speakers suggested sitting with God and asking him who he says we are. So during my prayer time one evening, I went into my prayer closet, which at the time was a corner of the den in my apartment, sat down on my pillows and I asked God straight out. I said "God, Who am I to you? I mean, like, who do you say I am?" Yes, with horrible fillers and all, I sat with my Father and simply asked. Then I sat there and as words came to my head I wrote down what I heard.
"My beloved" I wrote that down.
"More precious, than rubies" Oh that was a good one.
What else God? "Daughter"
I like that. "Holy and beloved" Ooo that's nice too
"Chosen" Okay, you really love you some me.
"Heir" Wow! That's a big deal!!
You get the point.
LOL, I can be pretty conversational with God during our quality time. I'm not sure how long I sat there that night but I had a full page when I was done. It was so simple. I only needed to ask and God told me how he sees me. Thee GOD. The God of everything - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the universe, and EVERYTHING in it! He calls me Beloved, Chosen, More precious than rubies... all of those awesome things. I couldn't stop smiling. Back then, I used to like to lay in the floor and sing to God. I think that's what I ended up doing that night. The next evening after getting off work, I went back into my prayer closet and I looked up scriptures related to what I felt like God was saying to me the night before. That experience was my first step in understanding my identity in Christ's eyes. God has taught me so much since then. As I grew in my my relationship with Christ, I learned the most endearing thing, his love is not conditional. He loves me because he created me. There is nothing I have done and nothing I can do to make him love me more or less. He loves me because I am HIS! (Ephesians 2:10; Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 5:8)
I created these FREE identity scripture cards for you. Each card has a different scripture focused on our identity in Christ according to the word of God. Just print them out on cardstock paper and use them daily to mediate on the word of God. It's also a great idea to make a few of them your memory verses! Click here to get your 9 printable identity scripture cards it delivered to your inbox right now!
After you get your FREE printable identity scripture cards, head on over to our Promises of God collection. A few of our pieces are in identity based. Check out the "Beloved Colossian 3:12 Heart Shaped Pendant" or the "Chosen 1 Peter 2:9" Pendant.
Enjoyed this entry? I'll be back next month to talk about my experience with the fasting discipline or the adventures that bought me to the realization that I have been set apart. I haven't decided which one yet. Let me know what you want to read next below! If you're shy and prefer not to leave your name just put "Kingdom Cutie" in the name slot :)
Thank you for reading! Now go and get your Identity in Christ Printable Scripture Cards.
Ursula ♥
Owner & COO
Identity in Christ Identity scriptures verses bible identity in Christ quotes verses printable
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