Setting The Stage

In order to properly set the stage for all that has transpired, I want to go back a few years. It was in 2003 when God first got my attention with the idea of operating our business from an eternal perspective.  It had never crossed my mind before, but this idea penetrated and captured my heart at that moment.  I was hooked!

Since that time, I have attempted to operate our family business in a way that honors God and points others to Him (adding silhouettes!).  Since 2011, I have documented here many of the bumps and bruises we have experienced along the way, but I have had the opportunity to share some incredible victories as well!  God has done much work in and through our business over these last 15 years.

A New Desire

Over the most recent few years, a desire has begun to grow inside of me.  This desire is to show other business owners and leaders how to do the same thing in their businesses.  This blog has been part of that journey, but the desire has grown beyond even this medium.

During this time, I have found myself searching out and volunteering for speaking and teaching engagements.  I have started writing short ebooks.  I have seized opportunities to coach and mentor other business leaders, both younger and older.  Whenever I had the chance to speak into the life of another business leader, I took it!

From Adding To Multiplying

My passion has moved from “adding silhouettes” (souls impacted for eternity) to multiplying them.  God has put this fire in me and I have done everything I could find to do that would quench this desire.  If left unchecked, I would have been fine with continuing on this same path for years to come.

God had different plans.

I received a call back in October.  A friend on the other end of the call asked if I would be willing to listen to an opportunity he felt God was leading him to share with me.  In case you missed my last post, it was that experience that has caused me to always listen to discern if God is speaking.  I told my friend I would hear him out.

The short version of this opportunity is that my friend was working with a non-profit ministry that was looking for a CEO.  The ministry is called His Way At Work and its mission is to inspire and help business owners put God at the center of their workplace and care for people as He does – all to create eternal value!  The more I listened to him describe the mission, the more excited I got.

The Decision Process

Over the following months, my wife and I fasted and prayed like never before.  Our prayer was that God would make it more than clear to us that He was in this.  For us to be willing to sell everything, leave our extended families, and walk away from the family business, we had to remove ALL doubts.  If not, we wanted no part of it.

At each step in the process, God went overboard and showed us that He was driving.  He could not have been more convincing without sending Gabriel to tell us!  At some point later, I may describe all that happened, but for now, just know God overcame our doubts.  He convinced us He was leading us to leave the comforts of our current lives to follow Him on this new path.

New Future

We said “Yes” to the offer to come on board with His Way At Work and we are now in the process of moving our family to Spartanburg, South Carolina where the ministry is headquartered.

It is now the beginning of February and I have been on the job for two weeks!  I am still transitioning out of my position with the family auto business, so I have not yet been able to fully engage in the work.  Even so, I am loving all that I am seeing!  This new role is definitely a good fit for me and I am excited to charge into it with all of my energy!

What About The Blog?

There is one question that I want to address before I close.  What will happen to Christian Faith At Work – will it continue?

The answer…I am not sure!  In some way, I plan to integrate this blog into my efforts at His Way At Work.  I just do not yet have clarity on how that will look.  If you have any thoughts or ideas on this, I welcome your feedback!  I will stay in touch and keep you updated on what is transpiring.

Thank you for your support!

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He proceeded to tell me that he truly believed God had called me to make the changes I made. He agreed with my determination to persevere despite the tough conditions. But then he told me that he thought I was missing a key ingredient. He told me that it appeared I had stopped listening to God.

Stopped Listening?

At first, I stiffened. There was no way I had stopped listening! I was so sure he was wrong about this that I almost stopped listening to him!

Yet he pointed out examples of my refusal to listen to other godly people. He showed me how I was clearly taking God’s initial instructions and executing them, but at the same time I was not listening for further instructions. I was assuming God would never change my path.

Examples From Scripture

To make it easier for me to understand, he reminded me of a couple of examples from Scripture. First, he reminded me of the time Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. This was clearly God’s will for them to do this. They had started on the right path. However, on the return trip, it took them several days before they realized He was not with them. Instead, He was still at the temple talking with the teachers (Luke 2:41-50).

The next example Julio gave was the story of Abraham and his son Isaac. After waiting for many years to have their own son, Abraham and Sarah were blessed with Isaac. When Isaac was a young boy, God told Abraham to take him to the top of the mountain and offer him as a burnt offering! Abraham proceeded to do as God told him. He took the right path.

However, at the very moment that he was about to slaughter Isaac, the Angel of the Lord stopped him. Though God had told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, it turned out it was only a test of Abraham’s commitment to God (Genesis 22:1-19).

My Situation

Julio took these two examples and applied them to my situation. He explained again that he agreed that I was originally on the right path – that God had called me to do what I was doing. At the same time, he felt I was proceeding almost blindly in that original direction. It was possible, he said, that Jesus was no longer “with me on the trip” or that God had been trying to get my attention for a direction change. Either way, Julio showed me that I was not listening carefully enough to know it if either case were true.

I sat there absorbing his words. I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right. I was so set on carrying out my orders that I was not prepared for a change in direction. My journey had become more about my determination to be obedient than actually being in God’s will. I had turned it into an effort to prove my strength of resolve.

My Reaction

The first thing I did was to go to my Dad and apologize. I explained that I was not yet changing direction, but that I had recognized my stubbornness. I committed to him that I would be open to listening for God to speak, either directly to me or through the counsel of other wise and godly men.

Then I committed to a renewed attitude in prayer. I began praying that God would show me the right path. If I was still on the right path, I asked for strength to continue. If I had left the right path, I asked for guidance to get back to it. My posture in prayer effectively went from an aggressive three-point stance to prostrate and face-down. I was determined to listen to that still, small voice.

The Right Path!

The cool thing? I was still on the right path! I am more certain of that now, because I started listening. The more I listened, the more God confirmed that I was headed in the right direction. Although I knew it was God that started me on that path, I had clearly lost connection with Him and had taken over the wheel.

Thanks to Pastor Julio, I was back in the passenger seat and loving it! The struggle on the path did not go away immediately, but much of the stress did.

Has this ever happened to you?

Did you get back on the right path or are you still driving?

What are you going to do about it?

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Focused On The Goal

Most business owners and leaders are in their positions due largely to their personality type. We are most often driven and ambitious to some degree. We like to push the envelope and often want to try out new ideas. We are not usually afraid of bucking the trend at least a little.

When we are applying these qualities to integrating our Christian faith into our businesses, we have the advantage. Often, the Christian walk is a difficult one, especially when done in the business world. So, our strong personalities serve us well and keep us focused on the goal.

Not The Right Path?

But what if we are not on the right path? What if we started on the right path, but God wants us to stop or change directions? Because of our ability to focus and eliminate distractions, we can miss Him speaking to us. In that case, we need a wake-up call.

A Friendly Introduction

Roughly twelve years ago, a friend introduced me to a preacher from New York named Julio. At the time, it had been a long, hard year since I had turned our business upside down as a result of God’s leading.

The path was the most difficult I had ever experienced and I was struggling. At the same time, I had a core-level commitment to continue regardless of the circumstances. I was laser-focused on seeing it through. I had no doubt I was on the right path.

However, I was so focused that I was not willing to listen to outside input. I knew what God had called me to do and I was going to do it. Truly, I was not concerned with the consequences as long as I accomplished what God wanted. While this can be a good mindset in some ways, in other ways it can be dangerous.

My Wake Up Call!

Enter Pastor Julio. He and I talked (more me, less him) for more than an hour about all that had transpired over the past 12 months. He listened intently and probed lightly to better understand what I was saying. At the end of the one-sided conversation, he asked if he could make an observation. I told him I was all ears!

He proceeded to tell me that he truly believed God had called me to make the changes I made. He agreed with my determination to persevere despite the tough conditions. But then he told me that he thought I was missing a key ingredient. He told me that it appeared I had…

To Be Continued…Tuesday!

Have you been in a similar situation?

What do you think Pastor Julio told me?

Based on what you have read so far, would you have any advice for me?

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Tragedy strikes without warning and the average person is usually at a loss as to how to respond.  As Christian business leaders, we cannot afford to be average.  Whether we like it or not, everyone will be looking to us for direction and support.  Our workplace response can have huge ripple effects – both good and bad.  Therefore it is critical we respond in a way that has a positive impact.

Below, I have listed seven areas in which you need to be prepared to act in the event of tragedy at your business.  Of course, “employee tragedy” is a huge topic, so I have attempted to make this a general list.

1. Preparation

What is your plan for an emergency?  Who does what?  Who calls whom (911, chaplain, family, other)?  These are all questions you need to answer for your business.  Consider creating a team of employees to address basic plans for the most likely emergencies. Make sure this plan is communicated to every employee once completed and is an ongoing part of new employee orientation.

2. Prayer

While it may be obvious to some, it may not occur to others in the heat of the moment. Group prayer can be a huge comfort to everyone involved in a tragedy.  It should be permitted, even encouraged, throughout the various stages of the situation.  [When we were going through the death of our sales manager, I gathered everyone nearby to another part of the showroom for prayer.  While the paramedics were doing everything in their power to save him, we were 30 feet away and I was doing everything in my power to keep my emotions together and lead in prayer.  My voice was cracking and faltering, but it was a powerful moment.  This had a huge impact on the employees present.]

3. Leadership

As the leader, you should take charge of the situation…making sure the plan is being followed, the employees are informed, and people are praying.  Other leadership needs to know who else is to step into that role if you are not there.  A critical part of this is informing the employees about what is going on as soon as is reasonably possible.  When they are kept in the dark, imaginations run wild and fear gains strength.

4. Chaplain

The chaplain is an indispensable asset in these situations.  We use Corporate Chaplains of America.  A chaplain is trained in so many areas that are useful in tragic circumstances – counseling & comforting employees and/or family members, applying Scripture, etc.  I cannot adequately describe the incredible strength our chaplain brings to our organization on normal days, but he is absolutely priceless in a tragedy.

5. Compassion

Show compassion!  Employees will be in shock and need attention, support, and time to cope.  A stern, “Get back to work” has no place in a Christian business. Depending on the severity of the situation, this shock could take weeks to pass.  Be patient.

6. Family assistance

Tread carefully here.  While it is easy and natural to consider an employee tragedy as “your” tragedy, it is the family members involved that are at the center of it.  Be sensitive to their needs.  Do your best to set your grief aside and serve them first.  In addition to assistance at the time of the tragedy, depending on the situation, many families will need significant assistance going forward.  [The other dealership I mentioned earlier went the distance and hired a financial advisor for the family, paid off their cars and credit cards, and covered tuition for their children for the remainder of the school year!]

7. Closure

Many times, most employees are unable to go to a funeral due to business hours, so it is a great idea to hold a simple memorial service a week or two later, at the business during business hours, to allow all employees the chance to say a few words, meet the family, and get closure. [Our chaplain led the ones we have done and, in each case, the family was present and appreciative of the opportunity. Depending on the situation, it can also be a great opportunity to present the gospel!]

Have you experienced tragedy in your business?  How did you respond?

Would you go back and change anything if you could?

How far does our responsibility go as Christian business leaders?

I regularly get the privilege of welcoming new employees into our company. As part of our orientation and new hire training process, I go over our company history (three generations!) along with a deep dive of our company’s mission, vision, and core values statements.

In an effort to help you think through your own mission, vision, and values, I wanted to share these components with you. I do not expect anyone to take a look at our mission, vision, and core values and immediately decide to copy them because they are so good! However, I do think someone reading this may get some ideas for their own company statements.

Because I have already covered in previous posts the benefits to creating these statements of mission, vision, and core values, I will not review those here. Instead, I will simply communicate and explain these statements for our company.

Mission Statement

The Mike Patton Auto Family seeks to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community.

We believe that God owns this business and we are simply His stewards of it for a season. We want to make sure that all we do in and through the business honors Him. By the same token, we do not want to do anything that will dishonor Him.

We believe that we are here, and that this business exists, for the purpose of impacting people for eternity. We believe that this is our ultimate goal.

Vision Statement

Moving people.

This statement is short, but is full of meaning. First, it obviously references transportation, reflecting the automobile business we have chosen. But it goes much deeper than that.

We want to take employees, customers, and those in the community and we want to “move” them from their current position (or circumstances) to a better place. Regardless of where they are in life (financially, professionally, emotionally, etc.), we want to move them to an improved situation. Regardless of how they interact with us, we want them to be better off having done so.

If you are interested in following my process to create your own mission, vision, and core values, then check out my new ebook – Why Does Your Business Exist?

Now Available on Amazon!!!

Click Here For Ebook!

Core Values

Integrity
We do what is right even when no one is watching.

This core value comes first for a reason. Without integrity, we will not have the impact that we desire. We take this very seriously. We will extend grace when it comes to mistakes and errors, giving people a chance to grow and improve in their jobs. We are not as tolerant of violations in this area. We need to know we can trust our coworkers without question.

Excellence
We are constantly redefining our goals, expectations, boundaries, and potential.

Our team’s talents and performance vary from person to person. That is normal. We simply believe that regardless of your talent or performance today, you should want to be better tomorrow. We want teammates that are constantly striving to learn and grow, improving every day!

Employee Development
We strive to create an atmosphere that inspires and enables people to reach their full potential.

As a company, we want to meet our employees where they are as they strive for excellence. Our goal is to provide the resources and inspiration required to “move” them forward on their path. Sometimes this means they advance within our company and sometimes it means they move on to other opportunities. Either way, we want to help!

Spiritual Growth
We provide the opportunity for all to know God and make Him known.

No one who works in our company is required to believe what we believe. However, we make it clear early on that God is the owner of our company. Therefore, all that we do centers around Him. This includes many efforts to sow seeds of faith all around through various efforts. We will not force anyone to believe, but they will certainly have opportunities to hear.

Community Impact
We use our talents and treasures to make a difference in those who need it most.

We believe we are part of the community in which we work and therefore have the responsibility to give back to that community. Whether through benevolence or sponsorships, community service or fundraising, we are going to take the time and energy to give to those who need it.

Your Mission, Vision, And Core Values

Hopefully, you have found this helpful as an example of a good set of mission, vision, and core values statements. If you only gleaned one idea from this, I consider it worthwhile.

If you want to take this further and develop your company’s own set of mission, vision, and values statements, you should check out my ebook – Why Does Your Business Exist? A Christian Business Guide to Creating your Mission, Vision, and Values Statements.

It is now available on Amazon! I believe you will find this ebook to be a solid, step-by-step guide to help your team craft meaningful mission, vision, and values statements to use in guiding your company.

Is your company engaged in a strong mission, vision, and core values?

If not, are you ready to revisit this with your leadership?

Do you see the benefits from having a strong mission, vision, and core values?

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College Test

I once read about a college student that was struggling in a particular class. The end of the semester was approaching and that meant he would have to do well on the final exam if he hoped to make the grade he needed.

In a surprising twist, the professor explained that she would allow a “cheat sheet” to be used when taking the final exam. The professor explained that she would allow them to include all of the information they could fit on one 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet of paper. They could access this information during the test.

Confusing Behavior

When the day of the test arrived, the students were sharing the creative ways they crammed enormous amounts of information onto their sheets of paper. The struggling student did not participate. In fact, he sat quietly in his seat with a blank sheet of paper!

The other students could not understand why he had passed on the opportunity to fill his cheat sheet. They knew he was struggling in the class and would need all the help he could get.

Cheating Perfected

Finally the test was distributed and the class settled down. At this point, the struggling student went to the door of the class and opened it as if he was leaving. Instead, he motioned to whoever was standing out in the hall, inviting them in. Everyone instantly recognized the professor’s TA (Teaching Assistant) entering the classroom.

To the astonishment of the other students, and the professor, the struggling student then took out his blank sheet of paper and laid it on the floor. He again motioned to the TA and took his seat. As he did this, the TA walked over and stood on the blank sheet on the floor.

Surprise Strategy!

When the professor asked the student what was going on, he simply explained that he was exercising his right to access all of the information he could fit on a single sheet of paper. He planned to ask the TA for help with his test!

Of course, this caused a huge uproar among the other students! They cried out that he was cheating. They said, “That’s not fair!” Clearly, they thought the professor would stop this nonsense.

However, after considering her earlier instructions and noting that the TA indeed fit on the single sheet of paper, the professor granted the student permission to proceed with his plan!

Your Thoughts?

What are your thoughts at this point? Do you wish you had access to this same type of information as you face the various tests during your business day? Or do you think that simply would not work in the business world?

The truth is that we have this very access. Unfortunately, we often do not realize it or we forget about it. Even worse, at times we use it and then turn right around and ignore it during the next test!

God Has All The Answers!

God created business. He knows all there is to know about our particular business. He knows the applicants we are interviewing. He knows the future we will face and how we need to prepare for it. There is not a question we can ask that He cannot answer.

So why is it that we do not call Him into our tests? Why do we ignore Him as we struggle to pass tests that He could breeze through? What would possess us to continue facing tests without using every resource available to us?

Reasons?

If we are honest, some would say that they are not sure God really cares about our business. Yet I do not understand how He could feel that way when He goes as far as to count the number of hairs on our heads and even give every star a name. It seems to me God is concerned about every detail in His universe. That includes our business!

Others may admit they do not know how to ask Him these questions. Or maybe asking is not the problem, but discerning the answer gives them trouble. I struggle with this issue as well. Fortunately, the more we read and study His Word, pray, and seek Him, the clearer His voice becomes to us.

Draw Closer To Him

When I am closest to Him, I find it easier to know His answers to my questions. When I stray from Him, it is impossible for me to hear what He is saying. Funny, it is always my movement away, never His.

Regardless of your own reasons, I encourage you to give this a try. Start seeking Him on your every decision. Whenever you face a test, force yourself to remember to approach God for the answers. I promise you He is faithful to provide.

Have you tried to take tests on your own?

Why is it so easy to ignore God for answers?

How do you plan to change this?

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I am going to take a stab and say that you would believe me if I told you that this business idea will work.  I think you would look at our history together and accept as truth my assessment of the opportunity.  I don’t think that is too much of a stretch.

However, I will also bet that your decision to invest your entire life savings with me would be a more difficult choice.  While you might believe that the business idea is a good one, I am betting it would take a lot of evidence to convince you to let go of your life savings.  Am I right?

Beliefs vs. Convictions

The problem with this whole scenario is that it is played out every day in our lives.  Most of us have beliefs of some kind.  As someone who is reading this content, you likely have many beliefs regarding God.  If asked, you would probably share your beliefs and how you arrived at them.  If pressed, you might even be able to defend them with logic.

Unfortunately, these beliefs are too often not deeply held enough to cause action in the face of danger or threat of loss.  Too many Christians these days can discuss their beliefs, but rarely go so far as to call them convictions.  This is reflected in our general lack of willingness to suffer for the beliefs.

Let’s look at an example in Scripture.  In Daniel 3:1-30, we see a very clear example of this idea of beliefs versus convictions.  In this story, Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar built a golden statue which stood 90 feet tall.  He then made it law that whenever the music played for everyone to hear, the people of his kingdom were required to fall down and worship the statue.  This law also applied to the Jews that had been taken to Babylon from Israel.  The punishment for breaking this law was to be thrown into the fiery furnace.

Actions Born of Conviction

Very quickly, some members of the king’s staff approached him and accused three Jews of breaking this new law.  These three Jews, known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, had refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue.  They are brought before the king and told again that they must bow before the statue or face certain death.

Again they refused.  Here is their response:

If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.

Daniel 3:17-18

While most all of the Jews brought to Babylon from Israel could be described as believing in God, it is fairly clear that their beliefs were not strong enough to drive their actions.  In fact, in verse 7 we see it is probable that the rest of them bowed down to the statue.  The three Jews mentioned above were singled out because they refused to comply.  What is the difference?

It is my belief, based on their response to the king, that these three men held convictions that caused them to act boldly.  They did not just believe in God.  They were CONVINCED that God could save them if it was His will.  They were also CONVINCED that even if He chose not to save them, they were still to be obedient in refusing to bow down to another god.

In applying this story to our lives and businesses, I understand that we are unlikely to face a choice between life and death in this country (at least not in the immediate future).  But that actually makes our actions (or lack of) even more disturbing!

Aligning Actions with Beliefs

Why is it that as Christians in business, we still make decisions on a daily basis that seemingly contradict our professed beliefs?  Why do we say we believe the Bible and what it says about eternal rewards while at the same time focusing all of our attention on the rewards we can gather today?  Why are we willing to sacrifice our beliefs regarding eternity for our comfort and leisure today?

We need to commit ourselves to whatever it takes to transform our beliefs into convictions.  We need to spend more time in communication with God so that we are more firmly convinced of His promises to us.  We need to be willing to step up and follow the example Scripture gives us for taking actions based on our convictions.

Take a personal inventory over the next few days.  Begin identifying decisions you are making that do not fully align with your beliefs.  Don’t ignore the small ones just because they do not seem significant enough to have much impact.  It is those very decisions that lead us down a path to the bigger ones.  In this case, I urge you to sweat the small stuff!

Let’s begin doing our part to live out our convictions in the marketplace every day.  Let’s set ourselves apart from the norm and lead by example.  Show the world your convictions and see what God will do.  He is faithful!

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If you have been in business very long, you have most likely heard that the purpose of business is to increase, or maximize, shareholder value.  This idea has been around a long time, stemming from comments by world-famous economist Milton Friedman in a New York Times article in September 1970.  In this article, Friedman argued against any “social responsibility” on the part of businesses, other than increasing its profits.

Another Perspective

I will begin by saying that I cannot compete with Friedman’s deep understanding of economics.  However, I do believe that the Bible is the authority on the matter. And based on what I have read there, I am convinced that God has a different purpose for our businesses.  I believe Milton Friedman was dangerously wrong.

Before I go any further, please know that I DO understand that profit is necessary to a business.  It cannot operate for very long without it.  There is nothing wrong with profit and there is no need to apologize for it or hide the pursuit of it.  Nothing I will say from this point should be taken to mean that profit is the problem.

Instead, I simply want us to be clear on exactly why our business exists.  And based on what I see in the Bible, the answer is NOT simply to maximize profit for the shareholders.  Let’s take a look at a couple of passages from the Bible and see what we can determine regarding a purpose.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”  You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:13-15

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

I am convinced that we can discern from these passages that God does not see maximizing profit as the purpose of our businesses.  If this is true, then what is His purpose?  Why did he create business in the first place?  What purpose does it serve in His overall plan?

God’s Purpose for Business

The more I dig into this whole idea, the more I am convinced that He sees business as a tool, a part of His overall purposes.  To find out what these are, we have to look no further than the Greatest Commandment and the Great Commission:

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:35-40

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

If we read these two passages in the context of determining God’s overall purposes, I would say it is clear that He wants us to love Him, love others, and point everyone to Him.  To the extent that business can be used by us as a tool to do just that, we are to do it.  There is no greater purpose!

If this is true, then it is a serious mistake to operate a business for any other purpose.  No, I do not believe that God will ZAP anyone running a business with profit as their main objective.  At the same time, I believe that we will all look back at the end of our lives and see our missed opportunities to serve God.  We will see the chances we had to impact eternity.  It will be a tragedy for us to see how we could have run our businesses for eternal returns rather than temporary profit.

I would encourage you to pray about this on your own.  Pray God would open your heart and reveal to you His purposes for your business.  Pray He would give you clarity around what it means and how you are to carry it out.  Pray He would then give you boldness to act.

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In my last post, I had you think of a time when you were at your lowest; when your doubts were overwhelming.  I told you to feel the emotions of that particular time and then answer the question, “Who are you doubting?”

I proposed that there were only two possible answers to that question.  Either you were doubting yourself or you were doubting God.  That last post addressed what to do if you were doubting yourself.  Now I want to speak to those who determined that they were doubting God.

Before I go any further, I want to confess.  I lied.

The Real Answer

There are not two answers to the original question, “Who are you doubting?”  The truth is that there is only one answer.  It may appear to you that you are doubting yourself.  If so, you are not alone in this perception.  In fact, the idea of doubting God might even mortify you.  That is not uncommon.

However, no matter how you slice it, you are actually doubting God.  No matter what you believe about yourself, the root of that belief is a doubt in God.

Think you are too sinful?  You are doubting His forgiveness.

Think you are too weak?  You are doubting His strength in you.

Think you are not skilled enough?  You are doubting His promise to equip you.

Think you are not _____ enough?  You are doubting a promise of God.

The True Nature of Doubt

The truth is that God created you and has promised to complete the good work He started in you (Phil. 1:3-6).  If this is true, and I believe it is, then any form of doubting yourself is actually doubting God can do what He said He will do.  Do you see that?

So…if we can agree that any doubt in ourselves is actually doubting God, then we ALL need to know how to stop doubting God!  While this initially may be a scary thought, at least we know we are not alone, right?  We are all in this boat together!

I believe there are likely many strategies or ideas regarding how we can stop doubting God.  I do not claim to have all of the answers here.  If this was an easy problem to solve, then there would not be so many of us doubting Him, would there?

Fortunately, I have four actions that I believe can dramatically help us when our doubts overwhelm us.  These actions are not difficult to understand.  They are not even difficult to execute.  At the same time, they will not naturally come to mind when the doubts set in.  We must be intentional to revisit these actions whenever we see the signs that the doubts are returning.

Action #1 – Recognize the Source

There is an enemy and he is determined to destroy you and your witness.  He is bent on rendering you useless in God’s story.  He is the father of lies and is also known as the accuser.  One of his favorite weapons against you is doubt (Gen. 3:1-7).

If you can recognize early on in the “doubt cycle” that you are being attacked by an enemy, you are more likely to repulse it.  Just knowing that the thoughts or feelings are not legitimate, but are the weapons of an enemy, can be enough to keep them at bay.

Action #2 – Look at the Past

One of the best predictors of future behavior is past behavior.  When you begin to doubt whether God will get you through or overcome whatever you are facing, you need to stop and look in the rear-view mirror.

Look to your past and remember the times He has already been there for you.  Look to your salvation.  Look to His faithfulness to you over the years.  You can also look to the Bible for almost endless examples of His faithfulness to His children.  Whether you look to your past or His past, you will find He has ALWAYS done what He said He would do.  He has proven this time and again.

Action #3 – Trust His Promises

Not only is the Bible full of examples of His faithfulness, but it is also full of His promises.  We are often victims of doubt because we are too ignorant of His promises in Scripture.  If we are serious about fighting off our doubts, then we must learn and meditate on His promises.

Take time to search the Bible for God’s promises relating to your doubts.  Mark those that are especially helpful so you can find them later.  Even better, memorize them so that you can recall them immediately upon the first signs of returning doubt!

Action #4 – Pray For Help

Just like the father I mentioned in my last post, we must ask God to help our unbelief!  We should pray that He would lead us in the above actions as we seek to battle against these doubts.  We should pray that He would put others in our lives that can speak to these doubts as a result of their own experience with Him.

God has promised to be there for our needs.  Fighting doubt can be a very pressing need and He wants us to come to Him for that help.  He also wants us to take advantage of the other resources He has provided us in His Word and in the experiences of fellow believers.

You are fully capable of fighting these doubts.  You are a child of God and He is faithful to strengthen you against them.  Trust Him.

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Have you ever had doubts?

Do you ever wonder if you are as ______ (fill in the blank) as God desires or expects you to be?

I want you to take a minute to think about these doubts.  Think about a time when you have been at your lowest and your doubt was overwhelming.  Put yourself there in that moment. Now that you have the emotions and feelings from that time flowing through your mind, I want you to answer one question:

Who are you doubting?

Do you know?  Are you doubting yourself or God?  Are you wondering if YOU are too weak, slow, ineffective, etc.?  Or are you actually doubting God?

I really believe this is the crux of the matter.  For the most part, there are only two options.  Either you are doubting yourself or you are doubting God.  It is my belief that either choice is possible, depending on the circumstances.  I also believe we can address both of these possibilities!

Responding to Doubt

First, and more likely, you are doubting yourself.  At least that seems to be your focus.  You look around at your work, your family, your friendships, etc. and you doubt whether you are able to do what needs to be done.  Maybe you doubt you have what it takes or maybe you think the opposition is too strong.  Whatever the case, this kind of doubt is focused on you and your (apparent) lack of skill, strength, charisma, etc.

To respond to this kind of doubt, I will appear to talk out of both sides of my mouth.  Just bear with me for a moment and you will understand.

On one hand, you were created BY God and IN His image (Gen. 1:26-27, 31).  Let that sink in for a moment.  You are the handiwork of the very same Creator that crafted the Grand Canyon, the beaches of St. John, and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).  When it comes to design and function, you are an incredible creation.  Accept it!

When you begin to doubt your abilities or value in God’s eyes, you must stop right there.  You are loved by this very same Creator and His love for you is immeasurable.  Dig back into His Word and remind yourself of this truth.  Your doubts are not coming from Him!

Renewing Confidence

On the other hand, Scripture is clear that we are weak and unable to do anything on our own.  Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).  God is our source of power.  Without that source, we are powerless.

Sure, man can accomplish much on this earth without God.  Unfortunately, these accomplishments are temporary and unfulfilling.  Nothing we create without God will last or fulfill us.  Nothing will satisfy us unless it comes from Him.

So when you start doubting yourself, in a sense you are right to do so if you are assessing your strength or skill without God.  The opposite is true if you look at your potential with God as your source…anything is possible!

I hope this response makes sense to those of you who find yourselves doubting your own abilities, effectiveness, strength, etc.  If this is you, I encourage you to remind yourself of your Creator and His incredible design.  Also, return to the position where you are fully depending on His strength as your source.  Your confidence should return.

When Your Doubt Isn’t Self-Doubt

As I mentioned above, there are two answers to the question, “Who are you doubting?”  I hope I have given you food for thought regarding those who are doubting yourself.  For those who realize you are actually doubting God, I will address that in my next post!

In the meantime, I encourage you to pray about this.  Pray that God will reveal to you the details of your doubt.  Pray He will give you clarity about the cause(s) of your doubt.  Pray for Him to open your heart and mind to what you need to hear.  Dig into this time with Him.  He is faithful to answer.