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

As you assess your life, both past and present, what do you see?  Do you see a significant number of people that you have pointed toward God?  Do you see repeated signs of incredible impact resulting from your walk as a disciple of Jesus?  Do you wonder how in the world some of these results were actually produced, knowing that God was responsible, but still amazed He used you?

I am sure there are some of you that can answer yes to the above questions, but I know there are many more who may be hanging their head a little – myself included.  As I look back, I am honestly somewhat disappointed in the lack of identifiable results.  Sure, I know that none of us can see all that God is doing through us.  I get that.  At the same time, I believe there should be more fruit in my life.

Examples Within Scripture

As I think about this, I am reminded of an incident when the disciples appeared to feel the same way.  If you want to read about it first, you will find it in Mark 9:14-29.  Jesus had been up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John when a father brought his son to be healed by Jesus.

The disciples that remained attempted to heal the boy, but were unable.  As soon as Jesus came down from the mountain and joined the crowd, He was quickly able to heal the boy, casting out the demon that had tormented him since he was a child.

As soon as they were away from the crowd, the disciples asked Jesus why they were unable to heal the boy.  Jesus’ reply to the disciples is also the crux of our problem.  Here is what He said:

The disciples had seen Jesus cast out demons before.  They knew HOW to do it because they had witnessed Him do it (Mark 5:1-20).  Jesus later had even given them authority over these spirits and they were able to cast out many (Mark 6:7-13).  It’s not like they had zero results to look back upon.  So, why do you think they were unable to cast out this particular demon?

Truthfully, I am not sure.  There is no clear answer as to why this demon was more difficult than the others they had successfully cast out.  However, I sincerely believe Jesus was giving us a key to walking in the full power He intends for us.  I believe His response is one we cannot ignore.  I think it is exactly why too many of us are seeing less-than-dramatic eternal results in our walk.

Prayer is Essential

I believe Jesus is making it clear that prayer is vital to our ministry efforts.  Though He was God incarnate, He still modeled prayer with the Father on many occasions throughout the gospels.  He taught the disciples how to pray (Luke 11:1-13) and told parables that illustrated the power of prayer.  Clearly, Jesus saw prayer as critical to His ministry here on earth.

Are we then to take it lightly?

Should we truly expect to see multitudes of people come to know God as a result of our ministry despite our lack of focus on prayer?  Is it reasonable to expect unity in our churches or with other believers in the marketplace without committing to consistent prayer for it?  Even Jesus prayed specifically for this (John 17:20-24).

Focus on Prayer

When I look at my life as a disciple of Jesus, there is no doubt I see some eternal results.  I am not saying otherwise.  The disciples also saw results in casting out demons.  However, like them, I am disappointed in my lack of ability to overcome the tougher situations.  I am frustrated with my weakness in certain areas and how it is limiting my eternal impact.  I strongly believe there is much more that God can do through me than what I currently see.

Unfortunately, I have no one to blame but myself.

I believe Jesus would look at me and tell me that the greater results come by “nothing but prayer.”

If you are like me and you desire greater eternal results, then I encourage you to start right now with a dramatic increase in your focus on prayer.  It will likely be awkward at first.  There will be lots of mind-wandering and a frequent loss of words.  That’s okay.  Just dig down deep and persevere.  Like Jacob, I think we need to wrestle with God through prayer until we break through.

Lots To Read

Let me explain. When I started this blog, I decided I was not going to write about theories or ideas. I had read a lot on the subject of Christian business by authors that I am sure were very well educated. The problem I saw was that some had never actually been in business themselves.

While I understood their theories and ideas (even agreed with most of them), I had a problem knowing they had never actually had to face the challenge of implementing those ideas. They had not faced the “whirlwind” of business that keeps many of us from being as effective as we want to be.

Application, Not Theory

As a result, I wanted to write from the perspective of one who was actually IN the business world and trying to implement the ideas I promoted. I wanted to write about application, not theory.

So that is what I did. I committed to only writing about processes we were actually trying in our business. In fact, I found the writing of the blog posts actually served as a form of accountability, keeping me focused on the application of ideas that otherwise may have faded over time.

Lapse In Effectiveness

Fast forward a few years and I have started to look around again. What I have found is not exciting to me. What I have realized is that some of the very processes and ideas that were once carried out regularly are no longer being performed. Either that or they are not as effective as they have been in the past.

If it was only about me, that may not be such a big deal.

People Depending On Application

However, I have come to find that there are many people depending on me to focus on the application of these ideas. Our entire employee base (whether they realize it or not) is relying on me to ensure the application of these processes. Their family members are depending on this. Our customers are also expecting this.

You, as a reader of this blog, trust that we are actually doing what I say we are doing. If I was promoting this blog as one of theory (not application), then you likely would not care as much. However, since I am saying the opposite, you should expect that the application of these ideas is in place.

Dangerous Clouds

So, the danger I described before, is that over time it is easy to get lost in the clouds when writing a blog. It is easy to get caught up in the coolest new idea that comes along rather than ensuring the application of that idea first.

I want to give an example from Scripture that illustrates this. While the analogy is not an exact fit, I think you will get the idea.

After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. While He was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them.

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11

Disciples In The Clouds

In this passage, Jesus has just given instructions to the disciples and has ascended into the clouds, going to heaven. The disciples have things to do and instructions to follow, but what do they do? They stand there gazing into the empty sky.

What they were thinking about, no one really knows. They were probably reflecting on how cool it was to see Jesus ascend. They likely were thinking about what this ascension meant to their future. It is even possible they were wishing they could follow Him right then and skip all they had in front of them to do.

Thoughts Interrupted

Whatever the case, the two men in white clothes came along and interrupted their thoughts. Effectively, these two men told them to get their heads out of the clouds and get back to the tasks they had at hand!

I laugh every time I read this passage! I can imagine being in the disciples’ shoes and wanting to stand there gazing. I can imagine wishing to be following Jesus right then. In fact, to be honest, there are days I DO feel that way!

We Have Work To Do!

The problem is that we have work to do. Theories are good and we certainly can use new ideas in order to increase our ministry effectiveness. At the same time, the work must continue! We cannot get lost in the theory and forget the application!

It is not enough to say we added a step to our sales process at one time. We must make sure that step remains a part of the sales process for as long as it is effective. Allowing it to fade out while we pursue new ideas…this is a problem!

In the same way, applying something once that we have learned in our study of the Bible is not enough. We must maintain that application over time. It is not enough to say we studied or fasted once. We must keep up these disciplines.

Self-Assessment

I encourage you to do a self-assessment. Where do you rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 when it comes to application? Are you guilty of too much theory and not enough work? Have you allowed your gaze to shift to the clouds?

As I mentioned, I have noticed some cloud-gazing myself lately. As a result, I am committing to an increased focus on application. I hope you will do the same!

Where have you allowed application to lapse?

Are you ready to jump back in and get to work?

Where are you going to start?

Photo by Choreograph / iStock

Our Responsibilities

I do not want to talk about Trump and his response to the events in Charlottesville.  I don’t want to discuss the removal of Confederate statues or memorials.  I am not directing my comments or thoughts at any particular group or cause.

Instead, I simply want to speak directly to Christians and tell you why we cannot remain on the sidelines, silently watching as hate spreads throughout our communities and country.  I want to make sure we understand what the Bible says is true.  And I want to clarify what I believe are our responsibilities in light of these truths.

Created In God’s Image

First, the Bible is clear.  We are all created in God’s image.  Stop, read Genesis 1:26-27  here:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”  So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

Now, think about that.  If that is true (and I believe it is!), then regardless of the color of our skin, we ALL reflect a part of our Creator.  No one is excluded from this truth.

Our Unity

Second, we are all to be one, unified in Jesus.  We are not to see skin color, tradition, or heritage as differences that separate us.  Instead, we are to love each other in a way that reflects our unity.  Jesus actually prayed specifically for us, that we would “be one” in Him.  Stop, read John 17:20-23 here:

I pray not only for these,
but also for those who believe in Me
through their message.
May they all be one,
as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be one in Us,
so the world may believe You sent Me.
I have given them the glory You have given Me.
May they be one as We are one.
I am in them and You are in Me.
May they be made completely one,
so the world may know You have sent Me
and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Now think about that.  Do it again.  This is a big deal!

Jesus knew this would be a problem for us.  He knew our weakness.  He understood that we would be prone to creating a new denomination every time we disagreed on our worship style or what color the carpet should be in the sanctuary.  He was aware that our skin color would tend to separate us.  He knew all of this SO HE PRAYED for us.  Can we not see this and pull together?!?

Our Purpose

Finally, the Bible is clear about our purpose.  We are to point others toward God.  This whole story we are living is about Him, not us!  Take another look at Jesus’ prayer above.  WHY did He want us to be one?  He said, “so the world may know (and believe) you sent Me.”  We are to be unified so others will be drawn to God.  Throughout Scripture, the Bible repeats this theme – it is all about His story, His glory, not ours.

So what?  If we believe the Bible is true and we accept the arguments above, then what is it that we should be doing about it?  How should these truths impact our lives from day to day?

I believe there are many actions we should take, but I want to highlight four in particular that I believe you can start with today.  Each of these four actions is critical to bringing unity to the body of Christ.  In my opinion, none of these can be ignored.

Action #1 – Look Up!

Strengthen your personal relationship with Jesus. This sounds like the Sunday School answer to every question…frankly, because it is!  We cannot separate from others due to the color of their skin if we are drawing closer to Christ.  It is physically impossible!

Therefore it is our responsibility to dig in and work hard at this.  Do not take this for granted.  Do not assume you have this one licked at any point in time.  Keep strengthening this relationship daily.

Action #2 – Pray!

Pray for unity and the strength to stand.  As disciples of Jesus, we must follow His example.  We must pray for unity among ourselves.  We must pray He will start with our own heart, but we must also pray for the same for others.  We are to pray for those we do not like.  Pray we see them as God does.  Pray He will tear down the walls we have between us and them.

We must also pray for the strength to stand when it is time to stand.  Pray He will give us wisdom to know when to stand and boldness to do it.  Pray God will use us to draw others together in unity and closer to Him.

Action #3 – Speak Up!

We have been silent too long.  We prefer to linger in the shadows, watching all that is going on and shaking our collective heads.  That needs to stop.  For me, this article is my first effort to speak up.  And as you can see, it took me a while to gather the courage to write it.  That stops now.

I don’t know when the timing will be right for you, but you will know…if you are praying to know.  Just determine that you will not go along with the water-cooler talk in silent approval anymore.  Decide that you will be loving and gentle, but that you will speak up for unity and the love of God when others are pushing for separation and hate.  Speak up.

Action #4 – Reach Out!

I picture a school dance in the 6th grade.  Girls are on one side of the room and boys are on the other side.  Someone has to initiate contact.  Someone has to make the first move.  As disciples of Jesus, that someone is us!

We can no longer be content with even words.  We must take action.  We must seek out those of different color, tradition, and heritage, and we must reach out our hands in an effort to connect.  It will certainly be awkward, even somewhat embarrassing at times.  Just like the dance, neither side will know how to react.  At the same time, unity will never happen just because we are in the same room.  There must be connection.

What Else?

I am sure there are many other actions we can take.  I am sure some of you will say that I have gone too far with this.  Others will say I am not going far enough.  Whatever the case, if everyone who reads this will decide to step up and own part of the problem and determine to take action in these four areas, I believe positive change will begin.

It may be small change.  It may not be obvious to many, but it will certainly be known by One.  And those who ask “Why the change?” can be pointed to Him.

Ambassadors For Christ

In my first post on ambassadors, I shared with you the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:20. Here it is again for reference:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20

After sharing this verse, we went on to look at the ways in which the responsibilities of a political ambassador parallels the responsibilities we have today as ambassadors for Christ. In my next post, I shared what I believe are the most critical points in understanding our jobs as ambassadors for Christ.

I won’t go back into the details from those posts now, but I will encourage you to read them before moving on. It will help you understand the context for this post. For today, I want to look specifically at the workplace location for political ambassadors and illustrate how it relates to our roles today.

Ambassadors’ Workplace?

I understand that most of have not studied the job of political ambassadors. That’s fine. You don’t need to know the intricate details of how they work and exactly what they do to understand their overall role and how it impacts us.

Since we have covered the major functions of the ambassador role in my previous two posts, let’s now turn and look at the workplace of the ambassador. If you had to guess, based only on the knowledge you currently have about an ambassador, where would you think they perform most of their work duties?

If you were to guess that an ambassador’s work takes place at the embassy, you would be wrong. Sure, that is where their office is located. In fact, their staff is located there as well. But the majority of their work – building relationships with the native people and representing the desires of his king – is done outside of the embassy.

Active And Intentional

See, the ambassador serves in an active and intentional role. He is not assigned to a certain foreign land and asked to sit idly and wait until he is called upon when needed. He is actively seeking to build relationships outside of the embassy.

He is likely meeting in government offices throughout the foreign land. He is probably eating many meals with various representatives in that land. There are probably many impromptu conversations between the ambassador and people of influence in that land. He is also likely attending many functions of various sizes for all sorts of organizations.

Role Of Embassy?

The entire time he is doing all of this, his focused purpose is to represent his “king” and influence the people he meets in the direction of his “king”. At no point does the ambassador have the luxury of waiting for someone to call on him.

Regarding the embassy, there are certainly times that he performs work there. He is probably communicating with his king when he is there. He is planning strategy for influencing the people of the foreign land when he is at the embassy. And of course, there are times he invites to the embassy some of the people he is attempting to influence.

Church = Embassy?

Now, let’s take the same set of lenses and focus them on our roles as ambassadors for Christ. For the sake of this discussion, let’s substitute the church building in the place of the embassy. While it is not a perfect analogy, I think there are enough parallels for you to see the point.

First, as ambassadors for Christ, we are to be active and intentional. We are not called to sit and wait until someone comes to us and asks us about our King Jesus. We are instead to be actively seeking to build relationships with the lost that are OUTSIDE of the church (embassy).

Wherever We Go!

Just like the political ambassadors, we are to be meeting people wherever our lives take us – workplace, community, home – and influencing them toward the desires of our King. We can do this in our office or out in the field. We can do this at the soccer field or at the theater. This can and should be happening in our homes.

The key is that wherever we go and whatever we are doing, our focused purpose is to represent Jesus and point others toward Him. We cannot ever allow ourselves to relax and simply wait for others to come to us and ask. That is not the job of an ambassador.

Church Building Has A Role

As for the church building, it plays a role as well. We should go there to communicate with our King in the faith community. We should go there to learn about our King so we can better represent Him and His desires as we leave to go out into the community. We will also learn and develop our strategies there.

We are even going to make the effort to invite people we meet to come and visit our church. I do not want to minimize this part at all, but I DO want to emphasize that this is not our end goal. Nor should it be part of our strategy to just invite them and hope they catch what we have.

Go Make Disciples!

Our job is much more involved than that. Our job is to make disciples, not just to add to the church membership. This requires our full attention AS we go about our lives in this foreign land. It is our purpose for being in this foreign land. It cannot be overstated.

Do you do most of your work at the “embassy” or in the field?

What part of the ambassador’s work do you struggle with?

What action do you need to take?

Photo by monkeybusinessimages / iStock

Ambassador Defined

Just to make sure you remember our working definition of “ambassador,” I want to include it here for reference:

An ambassador is a dignitary whose full-time job is to live for a period (usually years) in a foreign land, intentionally building relationships with the people native to that land and purposefully representing to those people the desires of his king.

So what are the critical points here? What aspects are key to our success as ambassadors for Christ?

Full-Time Job

First, let’s talk about the fact that an ambassadorship is a full-time job. It is not one that is only done on the weekends or in the evenings. Ambassadors are always on call. They must always be ready to meet with anyone, not postponing any opportunity to advance their king’s desires.

If we are to be Christ’s ambassadors, then we must be the same way. Being an ambassador for Christ is also a full-time job. Whether in church on a Sunday or on the job site on Monday, we are to represent the desires of our King to those around us.

Part Time Not Available!

This job cannot be taken on a part-time basis. Sure, many of us have been taught that full-time ministry is the responsibility of our local church’s staff or missionaries in a foreign field. Unfortunately, this lie has been accepted by many – even by some in church leadership themselves!

The truth is that we are ALL full-time ministers. We’re all called to be full-time ambassadors for Christ, fulfilling the responsibilities of this job at all times. We are to be ambassadors at church. We are to be ambassadors at work. We are to be ambassadors in the community.

With Intention And Purpose

The second critical point is that the role of an ambassador is an intentional one. It is a job that is done on purpose – actively, not passively. The ambassador is not one that sits around in her office waiting to be called on. She is actively pursuing relationships and working to advance the cause of her homeland.

Unfortunately, many Christians see their job as ambassadors for Christ to be different from this. Many only mention their King on Sundays or in certain crowds when others initiate the conversation. Too many Christians feel they are to be private about their faith, allowing their King to do His own work…without their help.

Folks, this is crazy! As ambassadors, we are to be actively pursuing relationships in every context of our lives – at work, at home, in the community, etc. – for the purpose of pointing others to our King Jesus. We are to be intentionally representing His desires for them to everyone with whom we interact.

There Is Urgency!

Finally, the third critical point I see in this verse is urgency. Look at Paul’s words again:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20

Notice a couple of words that convey this urgency to us. “God is appealing through us,” and “We plead on Christ’s behalf. These words, appealing and plead, should make us realize that time is of the essence. We are not guaranteed tomorrow and neither are those who are lost without Jesus.

No Time To Waste!

Since this is true, we do not have time to waste. We need to be acting and we need to be doing it now! There is no more time for us to concern ourselves with building our own fame and renown or pleasure and wealth for the purpose of our enjoyment. Instead, we are to be focused on that which God says is urgent and of primary importance.

This is not about leading a poor lifestyle, but about putting our first priority on fulfilling our jobs as ambassadors and leaving the rest to God. He promises to take care of the rest of it (Matthew 6:33)!

How often do you find yourself being passive in this job?

Based on these critical points, what action step do you need to take first?

Who can you encourage to take the same challenge?

Photo by phototechno / iStock

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20

What Is An Ambassador?

When you first look at this verse, you may not recognize the fullness of the charge we are given by it. That’s fine…I did not either when I read it the first hundred or so times! Fortunately, it has finally clicked for me and I want to pass my thoughts on to you for consideration.

Let’s start by asking the question, “What is an ambassador?” Though the following is not the official dictionary definition, I believe it does a good job of combining various definitions and descriptions that I have found for an ambassador. Take a look:

An ambassador is a dignitary whose full-time job is to live for a period (usually years) in a foreign land, intentionally building relationships with the people native to that land and purposefully representing to those people the desires of his king.

If you will agree that this accurately describes an ambassador, then I think it would be good for us to break it down into components, applying each one to our own lives.

A Dignitary

The first part of this definition I want to cover is “dignitary.” A dignitary is a person considered to be important because of high rank or office. If the U.S. were to send to a foreign country an ambassador that had absolutely no authority, no knowledge, no “rank” at all, then the only reasonable expectation would be failure. No one would take them seriously, right?

The same is true of us. Whether we realize it or not, we are all dignitaries of our King. We are children and heirs of the Most High God (Romans 8:16-17), the One that created everything that is! We are His chosen children…I am not sure there is a higher rank we should desire.

Lives In A Foreign Land…

An ambassadorship is a position that requires the individual to relocate to the foreign land where he is assigned. This is not a commuter job. It is not a summer job. To be effective in executing this job, the ambassador establishes a residence in the foreign country.

Once again, the same is true for you and me. This earth is not our home. Often in Scripture, we are called aliens or strangers here (1 Peter 2:11). This earth is where we are to live for a period, but it is not where we belong. We belong in heaven with our Father, only here for a time.

…For A Period

Though the ambassador does relocate to the foreign land and commit to living there while on the job, he also knows that at any time he could be called home. An ambassador goes into the job knowing it will not last forever. At some point, he will return to his home “country.”

We, too, will be called home some day. Some will be called home sooner than others. Whether we have a relatively long stay here or a brief tenure, we know it is only temporary (Job 14:1-2). We have a job to do while we are here, but that job will eventually end and we will return home.

Builds Relationships

The ambassador must build relationships with the people in the foreign land if he expects to be effective in his job. These people are very different in their culture and traditions. They will not easily respond to an outsider without first having a relationship with him.

If we are to be effective ambassadors in this world, we must build relationships with the people here (Matthew 9:10). We must learn what makes them tick and study their needs. We need to meet them where they are and help to meet their needs. By building solid relationships with them, we will better be able to complete the next step.

Represents The Desires Of The King

The ambassador’s job does not stop at building relationships. There is a purpose to these relationships. His purpose, from the very beginning, is to represent his “king’s” desires to the people of this foreign land. His purpose is to win them over to these desires and to convince them that these desires are in their best interests.

When we become ambassadors for Christ, we are to be doing the same thing. We should be building relationships with those around us SO THAT we can express to them the desires of our King (Matthew 28:19-20). We need them to know that God loves them and wants the best for them. They need to be convinced by us that Christ’s desires are in their best interests.

To Be Continued!

In my next post, we will look at what I would say are likely the most important aspects of the ambassador job, specifically the one we are called to fill. In the meantime, I would encourage you to take some time and think about what this verse means to you and your job or business.

Do you see yourself as an ambassador?

What part of the above descriptions gives you the most trouble?

If this is new to you, what are your thoughts right now?

Image by Fly_dragonfly / iStock

Most of us are not celebrities beyond our own families or small circle of influence.  When we see the news, we do not worry that our daily actions will warrant an exposé or headline.  At the same time, we really should pay attention.  Regardless of the size of our circle of influence, we are all in danger of “falling from grace.”

Too often, we underestimate the impact of our daily actions.  We assume no one notices the inconsistencies between our words and our actions.  Sometimes, we are not even aware of them.  Unfortunately, it is these very inconsistencies that can cause big problems when it comes to the flock God has put under our care.

Take a look at this Scripture:

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

1 Peter 5:2-3

We have a responsibility to our “flock” to live as examples.  This means that there cannot be inconsistencies between our words and our actions.  We do not have the luxury as leaders to allow hypocrisy to run rampant through our lives.  We are held to higher expectations and standards.  We must live like it.

In my last post, I promised 5 tips to follow as you try to live out your witness without the hypocrisy that is too common in the world today:

Tip #1 – Pray.

In case you haven’t noticed, almost all of my lists of tips or steps begin with “Pray.”  There is no substitute for seeking God and His wisdom when it comes to our walk in this life.  There are plenty of sources of advice and information we can seek, but He is the first place we should always start!

Pray that God will give you a sensitivity to any hypocrisy in your life.  Pray that He will make you aware of the inconsistencies in your life that may cause others to stumble (Luke 17:1-2).  Do not rush this part of the process.  Let God reveal things to you that might run pretty deep.  Take your time here – regardless of how painful it might be!

Tip #2 – Take inventory.

Keep a journal handy as you begin looking at your life from this perspective.  Write down what you see and what God reveals to you.  Write about any hypocrisy you find and why you think it is a part of your life.  Dig into your own heart and uncover the reasons for the inconsistencies.  

Make a list of those areas where you know God wants you to begin making changes.  Include any details He brings to mind and your thoughts surrounding them.  Your goal here is to get all you can out of your mind and down on paper.

Tip #3 – Solicit feedback.

As you pray, ask God to reveal to you names of people that can give you honest and constructive feedback.  Go to these people and ask for their help.  This can be a difficult step, but can also be a very productive one.

Ask these people to share with you any examples of inconsistency between what they have heard you say about your Christian faith and what they see you do.  Ask for candor and take what they share with you as constructive.  Pray that God will strengthen you to handle whatever arises.

Tip #4 – Get humble.

I believe there are two parts to this idea.  First, you must be humble to engage in this process.  You must be willing to hear and discover things about yourself that are not comfortable or easy to receive.  Without humility, there is little hope for you to eliminate hypocrisy.

The second part of getting humble is to manage expectations better.  If you are a leader who “preaches” about your Christian faith and does so from a position of pride, then it is much more likely that those you work with will see your inconsistencies as pure hypocrisy.

On the other hand, it is better to “share” your faith from a position of humility, clarifying that you also struggle to live out what you believe.  Doing this will set more reasonable expectations and most likely cause your co-workers or employees to see you as real.  They will be more forgiving in their assessment of your words and actions.

Tip #5 – Get to work.

None of the above is easy to do.  Taking a hard look in the mirror can be a very painful undertaking, but it is necessary if you want to be a leader God can use.  The short-term experience may not be fun, but the long-term benefits are priceless.

Once you have followed each of the above tips, it is time to get to work.  From here, you must begin chipping away at your inventory of inconsistencies.  Pray for strength, set up reminders, and enlist the help of others for accountability.  God will take you through the work of eliminating any hypocrisy if you show you are ready and willing.  I promise, He is faithful!

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That’s right- as the leader of your business, you could be the #1 threat to your own Christian ministry efforts if your walk does not match your talk. You know this behavior as hypocrisy and it can be crippling to the strongest of Christian ministry efforts. This should be no surprise to you because you have even seen it happen on a national scale.

Hypocrisy Damages Your Ministry Efforts

You may not enjoy the national exposure that others have, but your ministry efforts can still be rendered ineffective if your behavior is in conflict with your speech. Your fall may not reach headline proportions, but the effects can still be the same – just on a smaller scale. In fact, there does not have to be a “fall” for this to happen. It can happen in small, unnoticeable increments on a daily basis.

Here’s the deal: You might have the smoothest voice and the most charismatic presence with people. You might be mega-successful in your business and have incredible ideas about how to leverage that success into Christian ministry. All this could be true, but if people see hypocrisy in your actions, your dreams are doomed. You will find yourself years down the road wondering why those ministry dreams never materialized.

Evaluate the Truth in Your “Pitch”

Think about it. You are “selling” a solution to a problem that everyone has. You have the answer they need.  This solution and answer is Jesus. There is no disputing the effectiveness of this answer with anyone who has experienced Him. You are “selling” to many people who have likely not experienced Him. You are doing ministry in an effort to point these people to the answer. Good job!

Unfortunately, these people who have never experienced Jesus are looking at you to see what difference He has made in your life. Do you realize that? Do you realize that they are doing exactly what you do every day in your business decisions?

When a salesperson approaches you about a new product or service, you want to know about other businesses who have successfully used this product. You ask for referrals. If this product is related to health or wellness, you mentally evaluate the salesperson to see if he exhibits the results you would expect. Regardless of the product or service, you want to see how others have fared with it.

If your speech is about the benefits of Jesus, but your actions reflect no change in you, then what are the people you’re ministering to to think? Do you really expect them to accept your word despite the inconsistency with your actions?

If you go back to reflecting on the world around us today, you can easily come up with a handful of examples like this that are not even related to ministry. Look at politics or the entertainment industry and you will find plenty of hypocrites! One calls another a liar and then is caught doing the exact same thing themselves.  

The world is already full of examples of hypocrisy – too many. Your people do not need one more staring them in the face every day.

Live with Integrity

If you need one more reason to commit, take a look at the Bible. There are plenty of examples of Scripture relating to hypocrisy, but the following makes it abundantly clear what we are to do:

Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

1 John 3:18

We cannot keep talking about our faith and beliefs while our actions do not match up. It is time for us as Christian business leaders to recognize we are to walk our talk. We cannot expect to be effective in Christian ministry if we are not living it out in truth and action.

I encourage you today to take a look in the mirror. Ask a trusted friend or leader in your business for help. Get a solid assessment of the consistency between your talk and walk. Don’t settle for anything less than raw truth.

If there is any inconsistency between the two, eliminate it. Pursue it with passion and commit yourself to living out the example you are called to live. You know this, but don’t forget: this is not a one-and-done commitment. It is a daily duty and you cannot shirk it.  

Stay tuned. In my next post, I will offer some tips on how you can do this. It is not easy, but I guarantee you can do it!

I was wrong.

Of course, that did not stop me from making plans to walk away from my position as soon-to-be leader of our third-generation family business.  Fortunately, as the timing worked out, I was able to figure out how I could do both – business AND Christian ministry!  As a result, God has used this path to impact the lives of countless people through me over the years since.

Make the Distinction

Before I go any further, please know that I am NOT arguing against following a clear and distinct call into a traditional path to Christian ministry.  God will certainly call some to leave what they are doing in order to work as a paid staff member of the church.  Some will be pastors; others will lead worship; many will work in support positions.  This is necessary for churches to thrive in the roles they play.  

For those who KNOW they have been called by God to leave their work and follow this path, do not change direction.  I am not speaking to you.  I am speaking to those who have found themselves overcome with passion about doing all they can for God, but have not heard that clear and distinct call to leave.

The problem here is that entirely too many Christians have come to believe that Christian ministry is limited to those on the church staff.  They literally see it as an either/or proposition – business OR ministry.

For some, this is simply out of ignorance of Scripture.  For others, it could be out of a desire to avoid responsibility.  The reasons are widely varied and do not matter as long as we change perceptions and arrive at the truth.

Start Where You Are

The truth, according to the Bible, is that we are ALL Christian ministers.  We are ALL responsible for pointing others to God in our every action.  None of us are exempt from the calling into ministry.  HOW we do this is the only question!

Do you realize that this is GOOD NEWS?!?

That’s right, you are called to do ministry right where you are!  Whether you are in business, education, homeschooling, medicine, etc., you can be active in Christian ministry right there!  There is no need to leave.  In fact, there is a need right where you are.

Depending on where you are located, statistics say more than a third of those you work with are unchurched.  You are right in the middle of a field that is ripe for harvest!  If you will just look around with the eyes of Jesus, I am convinced you will see the need.  Now it is up to you to begin meeting that need!

For many, this idea is not new to you.  You are already beginning to see your job as an opportunity for Christian ministry.  For others, this is completely new.  In fact, you are probably unsure of where to start.  I understand.  I have been exactly where you are.

A Roadmap

After making plans to quit my job 15 years ago, I spent 18 months trying to figure out what God had in mind for me.  By the end of that period, I knew what I had to do.  Of course, I had no idea what I would experience over the next 15 years.  I did know the direction I needed to take.

I want to give you four simple steps to follow.  If you will take these steps seriously and seek God as you go, I guarantee you will find the path He intends for you.  He is faithful!

1 – Pray for clarity

First things first.  You must stop and pray.  You need to empty your mind of everything but hearing from God and gaining His leading. Ask Him specifically for guidance as you start down this path.

2 – Read for direction

The Bible is full of guidance when it comes to teaching us about our responsibility for ministry. If you will pair your prayer with your reading of the Bible, I am certain that you will begin to see how you can be a minister right where you are. Just take all that you read and apply it to your job.

3 – Take action

As you pray and read, God will place ideas and directions in your heart.  It is your job to act on them! Don’t overcomplicate this. Just start doing what you read about in Scripture…and do it at work. As you do, you will begin to see more and more opportunities for ministry.

4 – Rinse, lather, repeat

You’ve seen this phrase on the back of the shampoo bottle.  It applies here as well. Once you have followed the first three steps above, start back at #1 and continue through them again. This is not necessarily easy, but it IS simple.  

As you follow these steps to pursuing Christian ministry IN your job, I encourage you to share your results with others.  God has amazing plans for the marketplace. We just need to spread the word about the need and recruit more workers!  He is faithful!

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