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!

Photo by AndreyPopov / iStock

What About You?

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you probably read my posts about making this your best year ever. I went step-by-step through my own goal-setting process in an effort to help you achieve similar results to what I have experienced through this process. If you took my advice, the odds are you are still going strong with your goals for this year.

If you did not read these posts (or ignored the advice!), then it is NOT too late for you! Just because it is mid February does not mean you have to wait until next year to set some meaningful goals. I have heard many times that the best time to plant an oak tree was 10 years ago. The second best time is now!

If you are interested in breaking out of the 80 percent and starting now with your meaningful goals, then I strongly suggest you take a look at my posts that detailed my own process. If you will follow a process similar to mine, I believe you will see significant results. Feel free to tweak it a little as you need to, but I will strongly recommend you make absolutely sure you include two critical components of this process – no matter what!

Determine Key Motivations

The first component is to determine a list of Key Motivations – very specific reasons WHY each individual goal is important to you. Here is an example of one of my goals for this year and the related list of WHY’s:

Goal

I will average spending 6 hours per month intentionally teaching & mentoring others for eternal impact (total of 72 hours).

Key Motivations

• #1 – I believe God has given me wisdom and insights that I feel can help others in living out their God-given purposes.
• I get a rush from teaching others what God has shared with me!
• I learn more from the preparation than I realize at times.
• I need the learning that teaching affords me and holds me accountable to.
• I believe it is the responsibility of a leader to give back to others.
• I want to lead by example.

Messy Middle?

When you have a list of Key Motivations like this, you are strengthened against what Michael Hyatt calls the “messy middle.” This is that time in the process of achieving your goals when you get frustrated, discouraged, or otherwise lose your steam. Have you ever experienced that?

When it happens, you then refer back to these Key Motivations and remind yourself why you set the goal in the first place. Referring back to these goals should give you the injection of energy you need to return to the fight!

Accountability Partners

The second component that I strongly recommend is Step #6 in my process – Find Accountability Partners. Regardless of how strong you think you are, I promise there will be times you are tempted to give up or take a break. These times can be deadly to a set of goals unless you have built-in accountability from like-minded partners.

To maximize this component, you need to set a regular time to meet with these partners and discuss your goals. The best scenario is when they have also gone through this process and have goals of their own. You all should meet, discuss your wins, and exchange ideas about how to deal with the challenges or obstacles you each are facing. I cannot adequately describe the value this adds to your overall goals process.

Break Out of the 80 Percent!

Here’s the deal – whether you are just now starting your goal-setting process for the year OR looking to tweak it and get it back on track, these components must be included. If you will do this, I guarantee you will break out of the 80 percent and see results you have never seen before. I have personally seen the benefits of these components and will never go without them again.

Are you part of the 80 percent? Why do you think?

What next action are you ready to take with your goals?

What is the biggest challenge you face in achieving your goals?

photo by Will Wilson

Missing The Adventure?

Well, I believe there are two main reasons that you might not be experiencing the adventure that God has in mind for you. There may be others, but I think these two reasons will cover the majority of cases. See if you agree.

Clear Purpose Required

The first reason I believe for not living God’s adventure is that you do not yet know or understand your purpose. I am not referring to your specific calling or the career(s) God has prepared for you. I am referring to your overall purpose as a believer in (and disciple of) Jesus. I am referring to your purpose as described throughout the New Testament.

Folks, you cannot read the Bible (see verses at the bottom of this post) and come away with a conviction that He has called you to live a quiet, safe life as a private Christian who goes to church on Sundays and lives a different life during the week. You cannot logically determine that God desires a part-time relationship with you on your terms or at your convenience.

His Purpose For You

No, He wants it all! In fact, He has paid for it all. As a result, your purpose is now to live according to His purpose for you. You are no longer your own; you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). These may not be the velvet-glove words you want to hear, but I promise you they are the truth.

What if you understand this truth and you are committed to living out your life according to His purposes for you, but you are pretty sure you are not living the adventure He has in mind for you? If this is the case, there is likely only one other reason.

Distracted From Purpose?

If you “get it” as I have described it above, but you are not currently living the adventure, then it is most likely because you are distracted from your purpose. Stop and take a look around at your circumstances. Think about your priorities. Consider your most recent concerns or fears.

If you fall into this category, then you will likely begin to see the distractions that have taken you off the adventure path. You will probably begin to identify distractions in multiples. You might even be shocked at the number or size of these distractions.

Priority Shift

Maybe your business goals have become your main priority, stealing your heart instead of remaining a means to an end. It could be that your fitness goals have turned into vanity goals rather than driving you to care for your temple. Even your church leadership pursuits can get twisted or you can lose your original focus on their true purpose.

I promise you, I understand. I have found myself in the same situation many times. I had the greatest intentions, but before I knew it I was on the side of the road dealing with issues or pursuits that I should have avoided or ignored. It happens to the best of us.

Take Action!

The key here is to recognize the problem and then take action. Once you are aware of the distractions, you have to do whatever it takes to get back on track. Doing so is not easy, but it is rather simple. In fact, I believe the steps you need to take here are the same ones you took to start the adventure in the first place!

1.) Get intimate with God through consistent Bible study and intense prayer.
2.) Let go (mentally, emotionally) of everything else you value.
3.) Ask Him to use you.
4.) Hold on, buckle up, and obey!

Regardless of which of these reasons apply to your situation, I recommend you start with Step #1 and proceed through all four. Remember that God is your greatest source of focus, wisdom, and power. Do not try to do this on your own. It is more about surrender than it is about striving. Let Him lead you.

Matthew 22:37-40
Matthew 28:19-20
Luke 9:62
Luke 9:23
Romans 12:1
Galatians 2:19-20
1 John 2:6
Ephesians 2:10
Colossians 3:23-24
1 Corinthians 3:10-15

What about you? Are you living a great adventure? Or are you just watching (and envying) those who are?

What Is Adventure?

Before I go any further in applying this to our Christian business efforts, let’s take a minute to define what I mean by “adventure” living. One dictionary defines adventure as “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.”

I want to key in on two words – unusual and hazardous. I believe an adventure is “unusual” because it is something we have never done. There is an “unknown” factor that gets our blood flowing and excites us.

The “hazardous” element is the presence of risk. In an adventure, there is usually risk involved. It may be the risk of injury or the risk of loss. Whatever the case, pairing the risk and the unknown makes for an exciting experience – one that can bring great reward!

God Wants This For Us!

This is what I mean by adventure. This is also what I believe God wants for us in our relationship with Him. I do not think God is looking for those who want to play it safe or avoid all risk. I do not think He wants us clinging to the pew (or anything else!) and living for consistency or monotony.

If we just read His Word, I think we will see that God is looking for those who want an adventure with Him. You can probably name the same examples I can – Abraham was asked to leave his homeland and travel far away without knowing the destination. Noah was called to build a boat without water nearby or rain in the forecast.

Moses was called back to Egypt and then to the wilderness. Peter was called to leave his career and was later called out of the boat. Lazarus was called out of the grave and Zacchaeus was called out of the tree. I could go on, but you get it. In each situation, these people were on an adventure with God. There was the unknown factor and the element of risk in each story!

Elements of Adventure

So, let’s bring it back to you and me today. What great adventure is God calling us to join as we run our businesses? It will be different for each of us, but the same basic elements will be there.

There will be an unknown factor. God is calling us to an adventure, but He is not giving us a detailed map of the journey! He is calling us to accept the unknown and trust His wisdom and guidance. What we CAN know about the journey and the destination – they are worlds better than any plan we could create on our own!

There will also be an element of risk involved. God is not calling us to maintain our grip on everything we own while we “pack” for our trip with Him. He is instead interested in seeing us loosen our grip on everything other than Him. He then wants us to grab hold of Him and not let go – saying “Here I am, send me!”

What Is Your Adventure?

Letting go means we risk losing it all – at least in the short run on this earth. At the same time, I believe He is good for His promises – like 1 Corinthians 3:14, Matthew 6:33, and Luke 6:38. If we completely trust Him to make good on His promises, then in the end, we will see rewards we cannot comprehend – not to mention the adventure between now and then!

Like I said before, the great adventure God wants for you in your business is different from the one He has in mind for me. Your adventure might include going out on your own and starting the business He has placed in your heart. It might mean you stay right where you are, but you quit playing it safe and start taking some risks for His purposes.

4 Simple Steps

I cannot tell you the details of your adventure. I will leave that up to God. What I can do is give you four simple, powerful steps to getting started. If you will follow these steps to the letter, I guarantee you an adventure beyond your imagination!

1.) Get intimate with God through consistent Bible study and intense prayer.
2.) Let go (mentally, emotionally) of everything else you value.
3.) Ask Him to use you.
4.) Hold on, buckle up, and obey!

Is He Safe?

I will close with one of my favorite quotes of all time. It comes from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. When asked if the lion, Aslan (representing Jesus), was safe – here is his response:

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Jesus is not safe. There is no promise of safe in all of Scripture, as it pertains to this life. Instead, I encourage you to determine that this year you will step out into the great adventure in your relationship with God. Give Him control and see where He leads…you will never look back!

Where would you rate your life on a 1-10 adventure scale?

Do you believe that God wants this kind of life for you?

What actions do you need to take to get started this year?

My Best Year Ever

As with anything I share here, I do not claim that my process is the best. I do not pretend to have it all figured out. What I will say is that I am personally coming off of my best year ever in regards to my annual goals. I was able to accomplish more this past year across every area of my life than any year before.

For that reason, I encourage you to start with my last post (Steps #1-3) and then pick up below with Step #4. Go through this process and see if you think it can work for you. As always, if you have any questions, please contact me HERE and I will do my best to answer them.

Step #4 – Review Last Year

My next step in the process is to review my prior year. This review can provide key insights into what I do and do not need to work on in the upcoming year. Thinking back through the last 12 months can be very helpful in determining my goals for the coming year.

There are a couple of tools I use to accomplish this review in a structured way. The first tool is the C12 Yearly Audit. You can find a copy of this tool ** HERE ** in my Resource Library. The C12 Yearly Audit walks you through 10 different areas of the life of a disciple of Jesus. Each area is scored according to your effort and results.

Another tool I used for the first time this year is Michael Hyatt’s Lifescore Assessment. This is a tool that is similar to the C12 tool because it also assesses 10 different areas of your life. It is not specific to the Christian faith like the C12 tool, but it does go a little further in the scoring process and is easier to get a more objective score. Plus, it comes in an Excel spreadsheet that is very cool to use!

Regardless of the tool you use, the review of your prior year is a critical step in completing your plans for making the upcoming one your best year ever. I encourage you to try one (or both) of these tools to get started. I think you will quickly see the benefits!

Step #5 – Set Your Goals

If you ask 100 people whether they set goals every year or not, it is likely that most would say they do. Unfortunately, I am betting that the majority of those who would say they do are actually referring to their New Year’s resolutions. While I understand their perception that this practice qualifies, I would have to disagree. I see these two practices as completely different from each other.

The reality is that the vast majority of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned before the end of January! I don’t know the stats, but I would bet heavily that very few resolutions make it past March. Why is that? What is so different about setting goals and making New Year’s resolutions?

When I describe goal-setting, I am talking about a very serious process that consists of several steps (including my steps 1-4 in my previous post). While I have been setting goals for years, I have not found a better process for doing so than Michael Hyatt’s Best Year Ever program. Quite simply, I have had more personal success since I started using this program. It is fantastic and I strongly recommend it to everyone that is serious about seeing results next year. I will most certainly be using it again this year!

The bottom line is that you must spend time in this part of the process if you want to see results. You need to make sure your goals are spread across your various roles, not focused on only one or two of them. You should make sure they follow the SMART guidelines. Finally, you MUST write them down! Commit to them and you will achieve them.

Step #6 – Find Accountability Partners

One of the keys to follow through on setting goals is accountability. The odds are low of pushing through and completing all of your “best year ever” goals on your own. A select few may be capable of doing it this way, but the rest of us need help. We need support, advice, and the occasional kick in the rear from accountability partners. When this support is in place, the odds of achieving your goals will skyrocket!

The best practice is to find a couple (or more) like-minded individuals that are just as serious as you are about setting and accomplishing goals. Engage these individuals in the process with you and set regular group meeting times throughout the year (monthly is best for me). At these meetings, each member reports to the group on their progress toward their goals, their greatest accomplishments, and where they are struggling or need help.

If you have found the right partners, you will see the group come together through the process. You will likely see a high completion rate and an ongoing sense of confidence and excitement. Once you have gotten stuck a couple of times and experienced the “kick” from the group, you will appreciate the value of this part of the process!

Step #7 – Review Regularly

The final step is to create a process for regular review of your goals and plans. While the monthly accountability meetings are certainly helpful in this regard, they will not meet all of your needs here.

What is necessary is a more frequent review of your goals, the corresponding motivation factors, and your timelines. This review is best done on a weekly basis. It will likely require you to set aside an hour or so of your time, but it is worth it. In fact, this is probably my most valuable time every week!

In this review time, you simply read through every goal, your reasons for setting the goal, and your next steps on your timeline for each. You then plan out your next week and assign appointments for completing each step. You map out your next week in advance!

Summary

I sincerely hope you see value in this process as I have outlined it. If you already have a year-end process for laying out your goals and plans for the upcoming year AND you are seeing tremendous results as you execute this process, then by all means, continue your process! Don’t change a thing!

If, on the other hand, you look back over the past few years and see missed opportunities, abandoned goals, and regret, then please do something for me. Draw a line in the sand and say, “No more!” Determine right now that you are going to make a change this year. Start with Step #1 and don’t stop until you have completed all 7 steps I described. When you do, send me a note and let me know about your decision. I would love to hear your results!

photo by Paige Foster

Best Year Ever

If the idea of having your best year ever interests you, then I have good news for you.

No, I cannot guarantee your best year ever this year. I don’t think there is one perfect plan that works for everyone.

At the same time, I can give you the steps I used for this past year. I am confident that with these steps and your full commitment, you can have similar results. I am so confident in this, I am using these same steps again for this upcoming year!

Why Is This Important?

Before I give you the steps, I want you to know why I believe this is so important to us as Christian business owners and leaders. We are first of all commanded to live a life that is salt and light to this world (Matthew 5:13-16). We are also going to be held accountable for our results based on the resources we have been given to steward (Matthew 25:14-30). Finally, we are to be an example to others (1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Timothy 2:2).

For these reasons, I believe it is our responsibility to take the time to plan out our efforts every year. We should be looking at the past year and assessing our strengths and weaknesses, disappointments and victories. We should then learn from this review and adapt with necessary changes for the upcoming year. Once we have our plan determined, we need to stick to it. This means regular reviews with accountability.

My Planning Process

If you agree with all of this, then I think you will love these steps. Feel free to tweak them to fit your needs. As I said before, there is not one perfect plan. Hopefully these steps will work for you or trigger ideas for others that will. Let’s dive in!

Step #1 – Prayer

No plans should begin without prayer. We should be trying to determine where to direct our efforts and how to allocate our God-given resources in the coming year. Our desire should be to maximize the impact of these resources for God’s purposes. Before we even start planning our best year ever, we should seek His wisdom and guidance in the planning.

Step #2 – What Is Your “Why?”

This may seem overly simple, but before you can start building something, you need to know WHY you are building it. The same goes for determining your plans and goals for the upcoming year. You must know your core reasons for doing what you do. Why do you get up in the morning? What motivates you to work hard and make progress? Are these reasons aligned with Scripture?

In this step, I answer 6 basic questions relating to my reasons for doing what I do. Even though I have done it each year, I never skip this step. It is a critical reminder for me. You can get a copy of the six-question worksheet I use *HERE* in my Resource Library.

Step #3 – What Are Your Roles?

Another key question you must answer before laying out your plans for the year is this – What are your roles? Stephen Covey described this process in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Basically, you need to define each of your roles in life (disciple of Jesus, spouse, parent, employer, etc.). You can download the worksheet I use *HERE* in my Resource Library.

Imagine your own funeral and what people are saying about you there. What would you want them saying about you in each role? Start with these comments as your goal for each role and define them that way. Here is an example [with Scripture references] from how I define my role as a “Faithful Steward of God’s Business”:

As a Faithful Steward of God’s Business, I first recognize that he indeed owns it ^{[1a, 1b]} and has entrusted it to me for a time and a purpose ^{[2a, 2b]}. I lead this business based on an eternal perspective ^[3], seeking to add team, economic, and spiritual value every day ^[4]. I recognize and embrace the responsibility I have for impacting the lives of our employees and their families, our customers, and our community with the love of Christ ^[5]. Above all, I seek to please God ^[6], not men ^[7]. One day I will hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. ^[8]”

More To Come…

I hope these first three steps give you a good idea of how to get started with your plans for your best year ever! I encourage you to go ahead and start with these steps. I will post the remaining four steps next. Until then, get to work!

^[1] Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 24:1
^[2] Ecclesiastes 5:19; Luke 12:42-48
^[3] 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
^[4] Matthew 25:20
^[5] John 13:34-35
^[6] Matthew 6:33
^[7] John 12:43
^[8] Matthew 25:23

Photo: Dafne Cholet

Life Plans Are Good

First of all, I do not want anyone to think I believe life plans are bad! I have one myself that I tweak and clarify every year. I have written a great deal about being intentional in living out or lives for eternal impact. A solid life plan can be a great tool in this process.

Second, I want to be clear that I do believe God has gifted each of us in specific ways. His purpose in doing this is to place each of us in a specific role in the body of Christ. Every one of us has a role to play in His story and this role should be everything to us!

Our Calling Is Not A Snapshot

The problem comes in when we begin to think that our role in His story, our “calling”, is either a snapshot in time or some future job we will have. Let me explain this because I think it is a REALLY big deal!

God has gifted me is several areas and it is my “calling” to use these to bring glory to Him. I am to use these talents in a way that has the most eternal impact possible. I think these are statements that most of you will accept. You likely agree with me on this.

However, if I start to think about exactly HOW I could use these talents, my imagination can get pretty wild! This is not at all a bad thing, but a problem can arise.

Biding My Time?

Assume I begin to think about how I can use my talent for speaking and writing. I then brainstorm about the different types of jobs and opportunities that could best use these talents. Ideas begin to pop into my head about some grand possibilities and I start working toward making those possibilities a reality.

In the meantime, I feel like I am biding my time until these opportunities become a reality. Perhaps, I even get frustrated with the time it is taking to actually experience these possibilities. I keep asking God why nothing seems to be happening. I even begin to question my “calling” altogether!

The problem in this scenario is that my calling is not limited to some future possibility. It is not “on hold” until the stars can align and my 15 minutes of fame is a reality.

Our Calling Is Right Now!

No, my calling is RIGHT NOW! My calling is to use my talents and gifts right now to bring all the glory to God that I am capable of, at this point in time. Sure, that may only be a small amount today, but at least it is something!

Rather than getting so focused on a future calling that could be magnificent, I believe it is God’s will that we do all we can right here in the present.

My current writing may only be to a small audience on this blog. My present speaking may be limited to teaching a class at church or telling a story and spiritual truth at the company Christmas party. So be it! Even so, these acts can have impact on eternity!

Look Forward; Work In The Present!

That does not at all mean that I cannot continue to strive for more impact down the road. There is nothing wrong with that as long as I am following God’s lead AND still doing what I can to have impact in the present. Otherwise, I may waste too many opportunities in the present while waiting on the perfect future circumstances that might never come to pass.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul told them (and us) the following:

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:5-6

Make The Most Of Now!

I think Paul nailed it on the head. We all have a calling. Striving for greater impact through that calling is a wonderful pursuit. At the same time, we should “make the most of every opportunity.” We cannot let the present slip by because we are waiting on the future!

If I could encapsulate it all in one sentence…

Do everything in your power, on a daily basis, to invest the resources God has given you in such a way as to impact the most people you can for eternity and hear Jesus tell you, “Well done!” on that day.

Are you living your calling right now?

What is holding you back?

What do you need to change today?

Yearly Audit

This year, I have included the actual audit from C12. Take a look at the following 10 dimensions and give yourself a rating from 1-10 (1 is Low, 5 is Average, and 10 is High) as measured against your potential or opportunity. Total your scores for each at the end of the post. Keep track of your score from year to year to see your improvement as you go!

1. You spent more time with The Lord.

This is an easy one. Everything we are or do comes out of our relationship with God in Christ Jesus. We can never be more than our relationship with Him enables us to be. Obedience to God is the FINAL definition of success in our lives and our obedience comes out of our relationship with Him. As we grow to know Him better we are more able to hear His voice. The more clearly we hear Him, the easier it is to obey Him.

Don’t be deceived. Our ministry in business or anywhere else will never grow if our relationship with God doesn’t. Of course our relationship with God is not totally defined by the amount of time that we spend with Him. The quality of the time and the result of the time are just as important. It’s possible that you may not have to spend more time with God to build your relationship with Him… but not likely!

Unless you’re “one-in-a-million,” your love for God and your devotion to Him are mirrored in the prioritized time you spend with Him. We’re talking about all kinds of time here: daily quiet time, prayer during the day, evening meditations, and the sense that He is in you and with you in the everyday decisions you make to run the business.

Wherever each of us may be in this equation, there’s plenty of room to grow. How was your year?

2. Your family relationships strengthened.

Were you able to spend more time — and more quality time — with your spouse and children? We need to look at these relationships right after our relationship with God. It isn’t very likely that we had an improving relationship with God and a deteriorating relationship with our family.

We can’t really get closer to God and not be convicted to love and serve our mates and children. Did you make more time available to your spouse, as your top ministry priority, and less to your hobbies or business? Is your sacrificial love for (and service to) your family growing? If so, you’ve had a good year.

[Why do we start a year-end audit of our business by talking about God and family? Because we can only bring to work what we already have in Christ in our lives and homes. We are not two people. We are one person, living an integrated life before the Lord. Our ministry in business is simply an extension of our lives in Christ, not separate from it!]

3. You spent more time listening and relating to your key team members on a one–to–one basis.

Increasingly, you did this with an ear tuned to God and His purposes and eyes searching for ways to minister to stakeholder needs. You had a good year if you care more for your lost employees, seeing the horrible prospect of their eternity in hell more painfully. You had a good year if you frequently prayed for their salvation, and an even better year if you actually did something more to impact them for eternity.

4. You saw the people that you deal with – suppliers, customers, employees, and others – more as objects of your personal ministry than as objects to be exploited for your personal gain.

If you increasingly see yourself as an entrusted servant to them, rather than master over them — even a little bit more — you had a good year.

5. You are even slightly less acquisitive than you were a year ago.

The urge to acquire things is of the flesh, not the Spirit. The vain thought that simply possessing more stuff will bring any real benefit to our lives is immature and foolish. Any honest Christian knows that there’s no joy or peace in things.

The more stuff we have, the more we must tend to and use. Materialism is a curse; a cancer of the spirit. If you’ve extricated yourself, even a little, from its grasp, and are more able to steward your gifts with an open hand before the Lord, you’ve had a good year. You might measure this as a percentage of what you gave from what you were given. Were you more of a “cheerful giver” of your “first fruits” this year?

6. You are measurably more thankful for what you have and content with your present lot in life.

Spiritual maturity brings with it a contentment that comes from the awareness of what God has done for us by grace. What do we have that we deserve? And, given that we have as much as we all do, being among the most materially wealthy people in the history of the world, how can we not be thankful? Why do we need more?

If God were to say to you, “What you have is the best it will ever be,” what would you say to Him? Could you say, “Thank You, Father…I already have more than I deserve or need,” and really mean it? If you can, with a truly grateful heart, you’ve had a good year.

7. You have more peace in your heart.

This is especially true if the peace is not related to circumstances, since circumstances always change. If our peace is dependent on them, it comes and goes with the changes. Spiritual maturity, and the peace that comes with it, is dependent on abiding in our God who never changes. Do you more clearly see God’s hand in your circumstances (i.e., “…give thanks in all circumstances” [1 Thessalonians 5:18], “Consider it pure joy…” [James 1:2], “…in all things God works…” [Romans 8:28]). If so, you’ve had a good year.

8. You learned more about your profession and are able to apply greater technical expertise in your field.

If you believe that (a) your business is a gift from God, (b) as steward you’re to run it for Him with excellence, and (c) you’ve mustered the time and will to learn and apply better ways to do so, you had a good year.

9. You took better care of your body.

Did you get the exercise you need? Was your diet better than last year? Are you giving the time to the maintenance of your body that you know you should? The way we care for our body is one measure of our self–control and a visible part of our witness. Mastery of self is a key to spiritual growth. If your temple is in better shape than it was a year ago, allowing for the wear and tear of time, you had a good year.

10. More eternal fruit has been produced through and around you, due to your effort and influence while abiding in Christ.

Eternal fruit is defined as “lives turned toward God.” It means simply this: your obedience to God in what you say, do, and are, influences others to move towards God in their thoughts and actions, yielding eternal fruit.

This doesn’t only involve conversions and discipleship. It includes anything that brings a heightened and more favorable awareness of God and His ways to others. A Godly life lived in a Godly way produces eternal fruit. Everywhere Jesus went eternal fruit was produced. This is true in all areas of our lives, not just in business, but we’re talking primarily about the workplace here.

Are more people more favorably aware that you are an Ambassador for Christ in and around your business? Have more needy people been helped because God has entrusted the business to your care? Do they know that they’ve been helped because you love God and are doing so in His name? Are more Christians being influenced to grow in their faith because your business has brought you, reflecting Christ, into their lives? Have you grown as a humble, but firm servant leader and found ways to lead effectively according to timeless Scriptural core principles?

If you can see that more eternal fruit has been produced in, around, and through your business, you’ve had a GREAT year.

_____ Total for the Year (Total your ratings for all 10 dimensions)

What were your strongest areas in the audit? Did you work on them?

Where do you need the most improvement?

Do you see value in this annual audit exercise?

Life Purpose Image

At a recent speaking opportunity, I shared a specific image with the group to illustrate how I view living out my life purpose. This is a picture I believe God put on my heart ten years ago and it has motivated me since then. As I reflected on my presentation, I realized I had never fully described this image on the blog. I want to share it with you today, but before I get to the image, I want to set the stage.

If you have been reading my blog for long, you have likely read a post that contained the Greatest Commandment(s) and the Great Commission. These passages are found throughout my blog. It is in these two passages that I believe we are most clearly given our life purpose – not just for me, but for all disciples of Jesus.

What Does The Bible Say?

In the Greatest Commandment(s), we are told by Jesus that all of the law and prophets boil down to two commandments: love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. If Jesus says these are the two greatest commandments, then I believe that is what my life is supposed to be about.

In the Great Commission, I believe Jesus tells us how we are to carry that purpose out in our daily lives. When you look at the original language, the “Go” actually would be better translated into “As you go…” or “As you are going…” and includes all that we do as we move through this life on earth.

“As we go,” through life – at home, work, school, etc. – we are to make disciples of all nations. This is not a suggestion from Jesus. This does not only apply to those we think have the “gift” of evangelism. No, it is for anyone that calls themselves a disciple of Jesus and it applies to any and every vocation.

My Life Purpose

Having said all of that, I believe it is my purpose in life to love God, love others, and make disciples of Jesus. I think it is really that simple. I also think that is your life purpose. I believe these passages apply to all of us – the differences between you and me is how we carry out this purpose.

For me, I believe I am to carry out my life purpose (at least for this season) by operating a business as ministry in order to impact people for eternity. I believe that it is my job in the marketplace to run this business in a way that maximizes the eternal return for its Owner rather than the temporary return for my family, the temporary stewards of the business. If I do this, I believe I will hear the words that drive me…”Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Work Tested By Fire

The last piece of setting the stage comes from Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. In this passage, Paul describes the foundation of Jesus in our lives. On top of that foundation, Paul says we will build our lives. He talks about how everything we build will be tested by fire on the day of judgment.

If what we have built survives the fire, then we will be rewarded. If what we have built with our lives is burned up in the fire, then we will still escape, but just barely. As you think about this passage, also think about what you are building with your life. Will it burn in God’s fire or will it survive?

My Picture

So, in light of that passage, I want try to describe the picture God has given me and what it means to me today. It is this picture that drives me and keeps me going when everything around me makes me want to quit.

In our business, we have four buildings in a row on 15 or so acres and they are all adjacent to each other. Normally, this property is busy and lively with cars and people everywhere. But that is not the way it looks in the picture I want you to imagine.

The Results

Instead, the property – all 15+ acres – is completely scorched. There is nothing left from the buildings. There are no cars or trucks remaining, not even those steel racks we use on the front line to display cars. I will say it again, there is nothing but black earth. It has ALL burned in the fire.

Intuitively, I know that this also means that any and all bank accounts are gone. They have burned up as well. Nothing remains from the 3+ generations of our family business…except one thing.

Silhouettes

As I scan the property, I see silhouettes…hundreds of them, maybe more. I realize that these are silhouettes representing those souls that we have impacted for eternity because of the way we have decided to run our business.

As I first considered this picture in my mind, it all clicked. In turning our business over to God, I realized that He was going to use it to draw people toward Him. It was these people that made up the silhouettes and they were the only part of our work that would last into eternity. All of our bank accounts, all of our buildings, and all of our cars would burn up in the fire, but those souls (silhouettes) would be all that remained.

My Daily Goal

I then realized that my goal every day was to wake up and go to work for the purpose of adding to those silhouettes. That is what drives me. That is how I believe I am to live out my life purpose. It is this picture that keeps me going when everything else tells me to quit.

Can you get a clear view of this picture in your life?

What would be different about your picture?

What do you need to do to better live out your life purpose?

My Daily Plan

As detailed in The Big Picture, my husband and I created a life plan together many years ago. We do our best to teach our boys the elements of that life plan in the way we operate as a family and as individuals.

Each member of my family lives out the life plan in very different ways, that is to say we have unique daily game plans. Though how we each live in the details is unique to the individual, we still work as a unit to make sure our family stays on track with its priorities.

Today’s post details the carrying out of the Big Picture “daily plan” from my perspective.

Creating a Daily Plan

Each morning, I make time to allow the following process to happen. During the week, this process can last an hour or two. When the family is home, the process sometimes need shortened or at least metered out differently.

1. Hear the timeline the Holy Spirit has for my day. Because I tend to over-control, I must give my day over right away to the Spirit’s control. I do this through time in prayer and God’s Word.

2. Make a list of the day’s goals. Sometimes this involves repurposing part of my last “to do” list, and sometimes a new one gets created. This list comes into existence during step 1, usually one piece at a time.

3. Seek confirmation of the game plan. Did I mention that I tend to over control? Because this truly is a chronic struggle for me, I spend time reading Christian blog posts and short devotions after my list is created. No set number, just enough until I feel a peace in my spirit about the day’s plan.

This approach attempts to pre-empt my tendency to over-control and script my day too much. In my head, I call it forcing things. I used to live a life where I forced every aspect, partly because I lacked patience and partly because I thrived on control. This scripting or forcing always led to immense frustration.

Integrating Structure

The above process works well for creating my daily plan. But alone, it’s not quite enough structure. I like flexibility, but I also realize that my moods and feelings can easily distract me. For this reason, I use the following tools to help keep me focused and structured enough to stay productive.

· Lists
Some are paper & some electronic. My weekly project list and daily “to do” list (sometimes these are one and sometimes separate), are written out on paper. Then, I use Evernote and Alarm Stiky Note on my tablet for other lists such as books to read and shopping lists.

· Calendars
I have an electronic calendar for appointments and a paper calendar for my writing. The electronic calendar goes with me pretty much everywhere, but the blog calendar stays with my writing material. I check my electronic calendar daily and the writing calendar when necessary to direct my writing priorities.

· Journal
This is where I keep prayer requests, where I express my emotion, where I address problems and struggles, and where I consider goals and focus areas.

· Devotions
Devotions allow God to direct my thoughts, feelings, goals, etc. Sometimes I use a book of devotions, and sometimes I use devotions from other blogs. Sometimes I read just one, sometimes several. God uses devotions written by godly people to confirm His Spirit’s direction.

· Bible study
The Holy Spirit always has a specific focus for me to study that goes deeper than daily devotions.

· Scripture memorization
This is the area with which I struggle the most. I continually have scripture I want to memorize and am working on a solid system that I can stick with.

· Idea book
While I am very picky about the book I use for this, I am not so picky about what I write inside. Sometimes I write brief thoughts, quotes and notes. Sometimes, I write outlines for posts or studies. And often, I write an entire post out before typing it. This is the book I take with me when writing at the coffee shop or sitting outside on the deck. When I want to decide blog post topics, I go through this book.

Each of these items is an essential tool in my daily plan. They are adaptable to my needs and moods, yet they also provide a structure that helps me stay focused. This system helps me release control and rely more on the Spirit’s leading as I live out the details of The Big Picture.

Do you see how you could manage a similar daily plan?

Which of these tools should you immediately add to your daily plan?

Do you see enough flexibility in this daily plan process?