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Author, Keeping the Faith (2007)
Held executive positions with
Fortune 500 corporations and not-for-profit organizations
Appeared on television and in numerous business magazine interviews, including the cover of Black Enterprise.
CBN.com – Ana Mollinedo Mims says true career success is not necessarily gained by good luck or people who are well connected. It comes from focus, determination, and most importantly, from a relationship with God.
When a person can shift their line of sight, consider whether what they are doing is what they are supposed to be doing, and blend their working life with a relationship with God, their definition of success will change. Success will be based on God's definition of success and not the world's. It won't be based on external performance or material goods but rather godly principles, such as faith, prayerfulness, humility, integrity, forgiveness stewardship, and legacy.
In the workplace if you're already a Christian, that is your mission field. Form relationships with people in the office. That way, people start trusting you and from there they will be more receptive to what you have to say about God. The Holy Spirit will use seeds that we plant wherever we are planted. There is a whole world that's dying. Sometimes we just look at our work just as something to provide us with a paycheck. However, our work isn't just about our livelihood; it's also how we go about doing our work.
The benefit of having a Spirit-Led career is that it aligns us with God. We need to understand that to be in the center of God's will is not just for Sundays when we go to church. We can minister to people in the workplace and be used for the Kingdom of God - all of the week can be used for reaching out on God's behalf.
Many times, a lot of us have a work persona vs. non-work persona. Ana says you are who you are all of the time – if you're not a Christian in the workplace, one of the most important parts of you is getting lost. It is easier to be a witness for Christ in the workplace if you form relationships.
Ana says it is also good to ignore trivial things; that stuff has no power, because it really has no bearing on the true message of a relationship with God. Also, one can only get into the conversation if one can get to that level of intimacy/have relationships – you must be interactive with others’ lives. Your life is your testimony. Build relationships. Christians have become unapproachable. Jesus was invited to functions because people liked Him and they could relate to Him.
Christians act weird with non-Christians because many Christians try to change people, but it the job of the Holy Spirit to change people and bring them to God. People will come back to the Lord, the seeds just need to be planted – God chooses when to water them.
People need to live their faith at work. Of the key principles, Ana would like to focus on three: Forgiveness, Humility, and Integrity. Forgiveness is important because it keeps the workplace from getting toxic and, more importantly, keeps you from being toxic. Forgiveness on any level cannot be obtained without God. This is one of the key principles that helps the workplace be a better place to work.
Humility is also important. At its core there is the understanding that purpose comes from God. We are able to do what we need to do because of God's guidance and putting to good use the gifts, talents, and opportunities God has given. Genuine humility is good for business. Acting out humility promotes trust, encourages wise risk taking, draws people to you and makes them want to work with you, and you feel good about God's purpose in a greater degree when you walk with a humble spirit through your working life.
Ana was raised Catholic and learned about God from her mother. The view she had of God was that He was out there and she was here. God was just about rituals and rights. She went to college and thought “What's my purpose?” At 17 years, she needed more of God and she had questions. She wondered about rituals, but no one had answers. Ana decided to have a conversation with God. She asked God to take control of her life and to walk with her through it. She went to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she felt an overwhelming sense, almost a presence deep within her chest. Even though things hadn’t outwardly changed, she knew something did. She knew it was real because she felt peace and joy. It was nothing she “knew”, but she just had a knowing. She knew she couldn't go back to the old life.
Ana says there is no mistaking Christ when He comes. She says it is no different than any other relationship – than your spouse, best friend – it's the same process with God. In relationships you talk to the other, learn their character, and spend time with them. Something in our nature wants to form religion instead of have relationship with God.
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