Hey!
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...
- To honor God
- It's my lifestyle
- Obedience
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!