Our faith is not one compartmentalized part of our life, filed under “Religion.” Jesus is Lord over all of a Christian’s life—even and especially our work.

And Alexandra Abraham knows something about work. The 23-year-old student and Mars Hill Church member started her own business recently, and she’s caught the eye of Forbes magazine, which just named her one of nine All-Star Student Entrepreneurs in their current issue. But rather than have the business take over her life and push God out of it, the whole experience has grown Alexandra in her faith and shown her how clearly and strongly God is working in her life and through the business.

In this Q&A, she shares her thoughts about pride, control, and the word “deserve” in light of a life with Christ.

Resurgence: What type of businesswoman would you be if you weren’t a Christian?

Alexandra Abraham: I’d be an empty one. I can’t imagine a life where I’m just working to fill my own bank account—that there isn’t any meaning, beyond my own gratification and needs. That would be awful. Waking up every morning being able to go “All right God, what do we have on the agenda for today?!” is the coolest thing in the world. I get to be a part of his mission and that’s incredibly humbling and exciting. Crazy, downright insane miracles happen to launch this company every day, and I just wish more people were able to see first hand what I get to see. And if they were, there wouldn’t be a doubt in their mind that God exists because it’s been that crazy.

Also, I think I’d be more prideful, because even if it seemed impossible that I was the result of what was happening, I think I would be more inclined to think it was born from our own labors.

RE: A lot of businesspeople see their careers as a testament to their own, often significant, achievement. What do you think your business is the result of?

AA: It’s been carefully orchestrated, down to the people I meet in a day, the timing of everything has been planned out by God. It gives me chills just thinking about it, because everything has happened at the exact, perfect moment it needed to. And you can’t take credit for timing—that’s something that’s out of our control and definitely something God’s planned since the very beginning. Do I think the people on my team and I have worked incredibly hard for this? Yes, but that doesn’t mean we deserve this incredible opportunity.

I think a lot of businesspeople love to use the word “deserve.” And probably because I’ve watched Pastor Mark [Driscoll] say it so many times, every time I hear that word, what pops into my head is his line, “No, what you deserve is hell.” (Haha.) I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse, but it definitely reminds me that what God is planning is far bigger than any one of us could have anticipated or worked for 100 years to obtain.

So, to answer your question, our business is the result of God wanting us to do something. I don’t know why us, but, I am incredibly thankful and just cannot wait to see what he’s planning—because it’s something huge, and I think the Forbes feature is a small hint to the size of this! It’s nuts!

RE: How have you grown in your own faith since you started the business? What Scriptures have been really huge for you this last year?

AA: HUGE. God took a kid who kept getting fired from restaurant jobs, for reasons I couldn’t explain (weird stuff kept happening, doors kept shutting), setting me in line to launch this company. It was very clear. And ever since then, my faith has been everything to me. And to be able to get up and do a job that is completely based upon faith is unreal—it’s the coolest thing ever.

The first Scripture that comes to mind is from Luke 12:22–34, which Pastor Mark preached out of in his “Jesus and Anxiety” sermon. It’s pretty much been the theme for this whole adventure. November 7, 2010 was when Pastor Mark gave that sermon at [Mars Hill] Ballard.* I went back in my journal to see what I wrote about it that day and in big letters I have “Life Changing Day” —and that’s exactly what it was. Everything changed that night.

RE: What’s up next for you? Where do you see yourself in 30 years?

AA: Haha, good question! I’ve got a few ideas about where he might put me next, but who knows for sure. I’d love to write a book titled Entrepreneur by Faith and go tell the world what God is doing. I have passion for speaking and a desire to go help kids realize what they are capable of. I think I will always have a special place in my heart for the starving kids of start-ups. (Haha.) Hopefully, I’ll be glorifying God in whatever’s next!

In 30 years . . . hopefully married with kids and still active in the business world in some sense. But again, whatever God’s got planned is far better than anything I could plan!

Join us this October for our 2012 Resurgence Conference, where speakers like Rick Warren, Greg Laurie, Lecrae, and others will speak about what it means to live all of our lives for Jesus. But hurry: early registration ticket pricing ends at the end of this month.

*So what’s up with the November 14, 2010 date on Mars Hill’s site? That’s when the sermon was released online, but it was indeed preached live the week before, on November 7.