Can you really do business in a godly way? Today’s society teaches that godliness and business are mutually exclusive. I disagree. If you are a godly person, it should be reflected in your business. This doesn’t mean you have to be a pushover or not make money in your business. Here are five tips to have a holy hustle.

Invite God into your business.

I know, this isn’t exactly earth-shattering. And the truth is God will be there whether you “invite” Him in or not. This step is for your benefit, not His. I make a conscious effort to invite Him in so I know He is watching everything I am doing, hearing everything I am saying, and knowing everything I am thinking. It is accountability for me.

This also means that I am continually nurturing my relationship with Him. As I spend time in His Word and get to know Him, I learn to recognize His voice when He nudges or pushes or shoves me in a specific direction. As I get to know His voice, I also learn to recognize the counterfeit voices that hinder my hustle. The enemy trying to stop me from doing what I should, fear telling me I’m not good enough, discouragement from friends and family that causes me to slow down or stop are all counterfeit voices I have learned to recognize because I recognize they are not God’s voice.

Follow through with your commitments.

The Bible tells us that our “yes” should be “yes” and our “no” should be “no” (James 5:12). Our word should be our bond. If you tell a customer you are going to do something or you tell a coworker you are going to look into something, do it! If you said you would do it, do it! Nothing will destroy trust and reputation faster than being someone no one can count on. If there is a chance you won’t be able to follow through with something, don’t commit to doing it.

If you have committed to something, and you have discovered that you can’t follow through, communicate as soon as you can with the people you have disappointed. Don’t wait and expect your commitment to be forgotten. As soon as you know you can’t follow through, communicate.

Lean in to complaints.

Many of us are afraid to follow up with customers because the customer may have a complaint. We think if we don’t open the door for communication the customer won’t think to complain. The truth is this practice will eliminate the opportunity for further business with that customer. But if we take the time to provide excellent customer service, especially when a customer is unhappy, we increase the chances of repeat business. If we will see complaints as an opportunity to serve better, we will be following the most important rule of sales: Selling is Serving.

Don’t make it personal.

If you are going to see a superhero movie with a group of friends, and you invite another friend to join you, you will not be offended when she says she doesn’t like superhero movies and prefers to stay home. Yet when she tells you she doesn’t want to try your product or she tried it and didn’t care for it, you take it personally. You are not your product, and your product isn’t for everyone. Don’t make it personal when someone doesn’t want your product. It is not directed at you as a person.

When you make it personal, you run the risk of damaging the relationship and future business with that person. Not everyone who says “no” the first time is a “no” forever. Don’t burn the bridge so she can’t change her mind at a later time.

Create an atmosphere of community not competition.

When a co-worker or team member hits a goal, meets a quota, or receives a bonus, your response should be one of genuine congratulations. When you reach that milestone, you want that response to be reciprocated, right? Creating an atmosphere of encouragement, building up, and cheering on is what we are commanded to do in Scripture.

Following these five tips has proven to give me more peace about my business and how I run it. When I invite God into my business, follow through with my commitments, lean in to customer complaints, don’t make rejection personal, and create an atmosphere of community, I find that my stress level decreases, my sense of urgency and desperation is tempered, and I’m happier with my business overall.