Tag Archives: accountability

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How Do We No Longer Deny Jesus?

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Let me start this post by confessing (again!). Over the past few posts, we have been looking at Peter’s decision to deny Jesus and what we can learn from it. This is a tough topic and may actually offend some people. I just want to begin by saying that I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I have not figured out how to completely avoid this behavior myself. At the same time, I am not going to let that stop me from trying to come up with a legitimate answer to the problem.

deny Jesus

No Longer Deny Jesus?

We have already discussed what it looks like for us to deny Jesus today. Next, we talked about WHY we deny Jesus. We have even talked about how we can be restored AFTER we deny Jesus. I think it makes sense for us to turn our focus now to how we can avoid this behavior altogether.

I will tell you up front that I believe I have our answer. I will also be transparent and tell you that I am not there yet. I have a lot of work left to do before I can testify that this answer has worked for me. I still deny Jesus.

At the same time, I believe I can show you how it has worked for others.

You Already Have The Answer!

The truth is that I have already given you the answer to this problem. It is my opinion that we deny Jesus for the simple reason that we do not know Him.

What I mean by this is that we know so little about the true greatness (our English vocabulary comes up short for proper adjectives) of this man named Jesus. Most of us can quote verses (or find them!) that tell us Jesus was fully God and fully man.

Head Knowledge

We can show verses that talk about the miracles He performed and how He created the earth. We can even show where the Bible says He was killed, but raised from the dead three days later.

So, what is the problem? We know a lot about how great He is, right?

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Not TRUE Knowledge

The truth is that we may be able to quote or point out facts from the Bible, but we are very far from KNOWING these things about Jesus. Most of us are a long way from being willing to take a loss because of this knowledge.

How do I know this? How can I be so bold and say this about people I do not even know?

The World Would Be A Different Place

Because if we REALLY did KNOW, down deep in our core, these things about Jesus to be FULLY TRUE, then the world would be a very different place. It is that simple.

If we were confident to the point of being willing to stake our lives on it, then our circle of influence would be dramatically impacted. Our neighborhoods would have no doubt as to where we stand. Our fellow employees would not question our allegiance to Him. Our customers would be wowed by our overwhelming love displayed through the way we conduct business. We would not be guilty of continuing to deny Jesus!

Solution?

But since pictures like this are so rare, it is clear that the majority of us only have head knowledge of Jesus. We may be able to answer Jeopardy questions about Jesus, but we cannot answer for our lack of allegiance to Him.

Assuming this is true, then what are we to do about it? What is the solution?

The simple solution is to get to KNOW Jesus.

Wow, that is insightful, isn’t it?

Actually, it doesn’t need to be complex to be right. It doesn’t have to be cryptic to be life-changing.

Peter’s Example

Take another look at Peter in Acts, chapters 2-4. Peter, the same man that had just recently made the decision to deny Jesus three times is preaching at the risk of his life. He is thrown into prison, questioned about his healing and preaching, and boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus. Even when warned to stop, he maintains his allegiance and keeps preaching!

Who is this guy? What happened to him? Didn’t he just deny Jesus?

The resurrection happened to him.

Heart Knowledge

What happened is that he went from knowing a lot about Jesus to KNOWING exactly who Jesus was – the Living God! He went from a head knowledge to a heart knowledge. All of Peter’s doubts were blown away after the resurrection. He was no longer confused, but was committed to the core!

That’s great and we do not argue that. But since we cannot take Peter’s place and be a first-hand witness to what he saw, how do we achieve the same results?

I know you are likely hoping for a silver bullet method that will rocket you to an intimate knowledge of and relationship with Jesus. I don’t have one.

Instead, what I have is nothing new, but it is proven.

Solution?

Here are your answers:

Trust Peter’s Account

While we cannot physically put ourselves in Peter’s place at the empty tomb, we can trust his eyewitness account. We can spend consistent time in prayer about what we read in the Bible.

Seek Heart Knowledge

We can be consistent about reading about Jesus in the Gospels. We don’t do this for the purpose of more head knowledge, but to get our hearts transformed by what we read. We can pray that the Holy Spirit will do to us what He did to Peter at Pentecost – giving us the same boldness through true knowledge of who Jesus is.

This is not a typical 3-point bullet list normally found in self-help books today. It is not an ointment we can rub on our heart. Instead, it is a commitment to dig deep and give up our desire for everything else until we find it.

Must Be TOP Priority!

Unless we want this more than ANYTHING else, we will not find it. Unless we seek it regardless of the cost, we will let other desires and distractions derail our efforts.

When we succeed at doing this, we WILL have a TRUE knowledge of Him that will make it impossible to deny Jesus. This knowledge alone will have more of an impact on your business, job, family, and life than anything else you can do. Try it and see what you find!

Are you prepared to commit to this venture?

Do you believe you can have the boldness of Peter?

Do you want it?

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What Happens After We Deny Jesus?

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In the past few posts, we have talked about the decision we often make to deny Jesus. We started with seeing Peter deny Jesus leading up to the crucifixion. We have also looked at how we deny Jesus today and why that happens. Today, I want to turn to a reassuring truth – what happens after we deny Jesus?

deny Jesus

Deny Jesus? Guilty.

We have agreed (most of us) that we are all guilty of the decision to deny Jesus on an almost daily basis. We have agreed that this is embarrassing to admit and it is something we desperately want to avoid. Many of us may have made decisions to start anew in our mission to truly KNOW the Jesus of the Bible.

Jesus Understands!

However, many of us may still be sitting at the starting line. For some reason, we are frozen by the recognition that we are as guilty as Peter in our decisions to deny Jesus. For some, the guilt is unbearable. For these, as long as the guilt is there, corrective action is impossible.

I understand. Better than that, Jesus understands!

Folks, He created us and knows our weaknesses. He is fully aware of the temptations we face and the magnetic effect they have on our hearts. Jesus knows the pressure we are under and the distractions vying with Him for our attention.

Don’t Take It Lightly, But…

Now, don’t relax and think that He is okay with all of this. Don’t begin to think, “Hey, maybe I don’t really need to worry about this after all.” It is still a serious offense and He still takes it seriously.

He does not like our choosing popularity over prayer. He hates our decision to prefer temporal pleasures over eternal rewards. He is disappointed when we take time for television over time with Him.

At the same time, He loves us despite all of this and is willing to forgive us for our choices. Not only does He forgive us, but He also restores us!

Peter’s Example

When we look at the example of Peter, we see this clearly.

Peter was a leader within the 12 disciples. He clearly had influence and was always leading the charge. After his decision to deny Jesus, Peter likely felt nothing would be the same again. In fact, he went back to fishing, most likely in a effort to return to something he was sure he could do. He probably thought his leadership days were over.

Then we read in John 21:15-17 where Jesus asked Peter if he really loved Him. Three times Peter answered that he did love Jesus. Then, three times, Jesus charges Peter to feed His sheep.

Not Only Forgiveness, But Restoration!

Jesus did not stop with, “I forgive you, Peter.” No, instead He restores Peter to a position of leadership. Jesus did not just remove the sin, but returned Peter to his place at the head of the mission.

He wanted Peter to know that he was restored to the position of leadership, to the position of leading the mission of the church. Regardless of Peter’s failures, Jesus was willing to use him. Despite his past, Jesus had plans for Peter!

Same Restoration For Us!

Folks, He will do the same for us!

We cannot ignore the times when we deny Jesus. We cannot blow them off and say Jesus understands. No, we must repent and be determined not to let it happen again. At the same time, we can rest in the knowledge that even when we mess up, Jesus is there to restore us.

And as a result, we need to let Him do so. Then we need to get back on the horse and get to work. There is much to do and we have a part in His plan!

Have you needed to be restored by Jesus?

Has guilt kept you from moving on?

Do you see how Jesus can end that for you?

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Why Do We Deny Jesus?

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In my last post, I asked some tough questions of everyone (myself included). The main question was the toughest – Do you deny Jesus? For more details about exactly what I was talking about, please read that post before reading further here.

deny Jesus

Why Deny Jesus?

Now that you are caught up, I am assuming that you are among the crowd of those of us who do, in fact, deny Jesus (to some degree) on a daily basis. That being the case, let’s move into the second question of this series – WHY do we deny Jesus?

To help us determine the answer to this question, I would like for us to look back at Peter. Let’s first try to figure out what caused Peter to deny Jesus. Maybe then, we can shed some light on why we do the same thing.

Misplaced Expectations?

It is clear from Scripture that many of the disciples (Peter included) and other followers expected Jesus to rise to some sort of military power and overthrow the Roman rule over the Jews. In fact, many Jews today still believe that way, which is why they do not accept Jesus as the Messiah.

In an effort to attempt to discern Peter’s motivations, let’s look at a couple of quotes from Peter in the book of Luke.

But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
– Luke 22:33

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
– Luke 22:49-50

Mistaken Identity?

In both cases, it appears Peter is expecting (and looking forward to) a fight! Do you think anything Jesus has said to this point would cause him to think that? Or is it more likely that this was how Peter had assumed (along with virtually everyone else) the Messiah would rise to rule from His throne?

I think the latter is the case. I think Peter truly thought Jesus was going to show His true authority with some sort of rebellion and Peter wanted to be a part of it. If this is the case, how would this affect his behavior when Jesus willingly submitted to His arrest?

Peter’s Thoughts

Do you think Peter was confused?

Disappointed?

Scared he had misjudged Jesus?

I think this would easily explain his fear and subsequent decision to deny Jesus that night. In fact, this idea seems to fit the more I think about it.

However, even if this line of thinking is way off base, I think we can all agree that Peter was afraid of something when he decided to deny Jesus. He may have been afraid he would also be arrested. Maybe he was scared of how his association with Jesus would impact his own family. We cannot really know.

BUT, there is one thing we can be sure of.

Misunderstanding

We can be sure that Peter’s decision to deny Jesus came from one root misunderstanding. It is this same misunderstanding that I believe causes you and me to deny Jesus on a regular basis.

What is the one misunderstanding?

Peter did not fully comprehend WHO Jesus was and WHAT His purpose really was.

Drink that in a moment.

What If…

IF Peter had FULLY understood that Jesus was truly God in the flesh…

IF Peter had COMPLETELY grasped that Jesus created the very earth he inhabited…

IF Peter had TRULY wrapped his mind around Jesus’ mission here…

Do you really think he would have even considered the decision to deny Jesus?

Our Problem!

Please take this slowly. This is not just about Peter. I believe this is OUR problem!

We act the way we do because we have yet to fully grasp exactly WHO Jesus really is!

We go about our every day tasks, errands, and work. We raise our families and hang out with our friends. We do all the things that people do everyday, but most of us do not really behave in a way that reflects Jesus for who He is!

Do we REALLY act like disciples of the Jesus that created this world? Do we act like followers of the One that died in our place? Are we sincerely allowing Him to be Lord over ALL parts of our life (work/job/business, family, school, etc.)?

What About The Difference?

If so, shouldn’t there be a significance between us and those around us? I am not talking about having a fish symbol on your car, either. I mean different to our core!

If you are that different, again I say, “Congratulations!”

If not, like me, then something needs to change! We need to be about the business of learning WHO this Jesus truly is. I am not talking about the Americanized Jesus. I am talking about the real Jesus – the One in the Bible.

Let’s take the time to completely understand the real Jesus and His mission (and by extension, ours) here. Let’s agree to no longer deny Jesus and start boldly acknowledging Him in everything we do!

I promise you that He deserves it.

What are your thoughts at this point?

Am I off my rocker or does this make sense?

What am I missing?

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Do You Deny Jesus?

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Reader Beware: Todays post may contain questions that are not appropriate for the weak or immature. Please do not read any further if you are not prepared to be challenged, even questioned, about your loyalty to Jesus. If you are one that doesn’t think you can deny Jesus, then be warned. Don’t complain later to me that you were tricked into reading this post. I won’t hear of it!

deny Jesus

Peter’s Big Mistake

The basis for today’s post comes from the passage in Matthew 26 when Peter is found to deny Jesus three times. We are likely all familiar with this passage (if not, read Matthew 26:31-75). In fact, it is just as likely we have all judged Peter as being weak in this passage.

I know we usually look to the future after Peter is restored. We see his boldness and we “forgive” him for this cowardly act. We still feel that for him to deny Jesus was almost criminal, but we see how God uses him later and we accept him. If you have never had these thoughts, then congratulations. More likely, you have never admitted having these thoughts!

What About Us?

So if this is true – if we call it cowardice to deny Jesus – what does that say about us?

What does it say when we go from Monday to Saturday every week without actively acknowledging our allegiance to Jesus?

What does it say when we look exactly like everyone else as we go through our normal work day – when there is no recognizable difference between us and the guy next to us at the soccer field or in the school or at the office?

What does it say when so few of our daily decisions clearly reflect our allegiance to Jesus?

Active vs. Passive?

Do you see a difference between a decision (like Peter’s) to “actively” deny Jesus and our daily decision to “passively” deny Jesus?

I have to say that I do not see a difference. I do not see Peter’s public decision to verbally deny Jesus when asked about his association with Him to be any different than our decision to go quietly about our daily work or other duties without a clear acknowledgement that He is our Lord.

In case there is confusion as to what I am saying, let me try to clarify.

Actively Deny Jesus

A decision to “actively” deny Jesus is usually pretty easy to recognize. In the most extreme cases, we picture one of the students at Columbine High School in 1999 being asked if she is a Christian. As the story goes, she answered that she was a Christian and it cost her her life. For her to answer otherwise would have been to deny Jesus.

In a less extreme example, maybe we are asked a simple question about why we choose not to drink alcohol or participate in other activities that others see as the norm. “Are you a Christian? Is that why you don’t drink? Are you a goody-two-shoes?”

Maybe it does not get asked exactly like that, but you get the drift. The idea is that we are put in a position where it is uncomfortable to acknowledge Jesus as our reason for our behavior. If we answer “No” to their question, then that is a decision to deny Jesus.

Passively Deny Jesus

For most of us, this type of opportunity to “actively” deny Jesus is not our problem. In most cases, we have a problem with the “passive” denial of Jesus.

Most of us would argue that this decision to “passively” deny Jesus is not as clear to most people, but I believe that is really just an excuse.

See, I believe it is our culture that has conditioned us to believe that an overt, bold statement about our allegiance to Jesus – whether through our work or through our family decisions – is taboo. It is not politically correct to be an active Christian in our society today.

Obviously, this is more true in some areas of the world and less so in others. But even right here in the “Bible belt” of the southeastern United States, this kind of behavior is not popular. Just as obvious is the fact that there are many reasons for this to be the case.

But my point is not about the reasons why it is like this.

Conformity = Deny Jesus?

My main point is to question whether we realize that when we accept society to be like this and we simply go with the flow, we are making the decision to deny Jesus. I don’t care whether this is an active or passive denial, in my mind it is a denial all the same! What do you think?

I want to talk more in my next post or two about HOW we deny Jesus, WHY we do it, and how we can turn from that behavior.

Your Homework!

In the meantime, I encourage you to mentally replay your last week. Think about all of your activities, decisions, and thoughts. Pray that God will first clear you heart and mind of all distractions. Then pray He would search your heart and show you where you are denying the very Son that bought your salvation with His life.

As I said at the beginning of the post, this is not for the faint of heart. This is tough discipleship and no one will know if you bypass this post and keep going on the path you were on before. At least no one else will know – outside of you and God.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what we are talking about here.

Do you think I am off my rocker or do you agree?

If you agree, are you guilty of the decision to deny Jesus?

Why are we so slow to call it a denial?

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Is It A Sin NOT To Pray For Your Team?

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In a recent post, One Responsibility A Christian Leader Cannot Delegate, I explained that Christian leaders are responsible for prayer. It is not something we can delegate to someone else and be relieved of the responsibility. Today, the question gets a little tougher. Is it a sin NOT to pray for those we lead?

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Samuel’s Farewell Speech

In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites. he has been their spiritual leader for many years and is now turning that duty over to Saul, whom he anointed as king. Samuel is warning the Israelites against turning away from God as they transition to following a king.

At the end of this farewell address, Samuel makes an interesting statement that directly relates to our topic of praying for those we lead. Here is what Samuel said…

As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.
1 Samuel 12:23

A Sin Not To Pray?

I am not sure it gets any more clear than that statement right there. Samuel clearly understood it to be a sin for him to fail to pray for those people he was leading. However, my initial question after reading this passage was, “Where is that in the Bible?” I could not remember a verse that said it was a sin NOT to pray for someone.

Well, here is what I have concluded after a little studying.

Samuel’s Vow To Pray

First, in 1 Samuel 7:5, Samuel vows to pray to the Lord on behalf of the Israelites. It is not clear whether this vow was intended to be an ongoing promise to pray, but it makes sense that it might. Either way, Samuel had seen it to be part of his responsibility to pray for those he was leading.

See Good, Do It!

Second, we can look to the New Testament in James 4:17 for more support of this idea that we are responsible as Christian leaders to pray for those we lead. Here is what James said…

So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.
James 4:17

I Am Convinced!

Folks, that is enough for me. I am convinced that it is a responsibility of mine as a Christian leader to pray for my team. I look to men like Samuel as examples of great Christian leadership. If Samuel saw it as a sin to refrain from praying for his people, then I see it the same way.

So, assuming you agree with me, what are we to do? Well, I am sure I will leave something out, but I will take that risk and give you a list of what I think we should be praying about. If you think of additional items for this list, please let me know in the comments section!

What To Pray?

    1. Pray first for you to be the godly example and leader they need.
    2. Pray for their salvation (and that of their families)!
    3. Pray for their minds and hearts to be open to growing in their faith.
    4. Pray for their daily needs to be met.
    5. Pray that they would forgive and know forgiveness.
    6. Pray for their strength when facing temptation.
    7. Pray they find fulfillment in their jobs (current or future).
    8. Pray they would find (and develop) their own area of leadership.

My Commitment

As I said at the end of my post on being unable to delegate prayer, I am going to give more energy to my prayer life. As part of this, I commit to pray for everyone in our business according to the list above. I can’t wait to see the results!

Do you agree with our responsibility to pray for those we lead?

What prayers would you add to this list?

What other thoughts do you have on this topic?

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Are You Committed To Continuous Learning?

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In business, we all know that continuous learning is crucial to our team’s success. I don’t think there is anyone in a leadership position that would argue against continuous learning. We probably all require it for every team member we have. My question is this…are you committed to it for yourself?

continuous learning

Continuous Learning Neglected?

Too many times, we as leaders neglect our own need for continuous learning. We do this for a number of reasons. Some say that they are simply too busy. Others may complain that they cannot afford the cost. Another group may argue that they really don’t need it.

Whatever the reasons, continuous learning is not always a prioritized part of a leader’s schedule. Folks, when this is true it is a tragedy. Take a look at the following verse from Proverbs.

The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks it. – Proverbs 18:15

I think this is clear advice – directing all of us to seek knowledge. The problem is that we often only apply this advice to those we lead. For the reasons listed above, we fail to apply it to ourselves.

More Important For Leaders

I would argue that continuous learning is more important for the leader than it is for the rest of the team. If the leader is not learning, then the team’s performance over time will decline. In some industries this is more true than others, but I believe it is true to some degree in all industries.

Take a look below at some reasons for leaders to commit themselves to continuous learning. As you read through the reasons, see if you think they speak to your situation.

    1. Leaders need to set the example for their team.
    2. Leaders need to be willing to do anything they ask of their team.
    3. Learning assists with vision.
    4. Without learning, competition will pass you by.
    5. The Bible directs us to commit to learning.

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, but I think there are enough reasons to make the point. As Christian leaders, we should be committed to continuous learning. We should seek it as a top priority, not as an afterthought.

My Experience

For me, this is not terribly difficult because I enjoy learning from a variety of sources. I personally make sure that I am always reading books, viewing webinars, listening to podcasts and sermons, and attending various seminars and conferences. I try to do this on a regular basis.

As I have talked about in recent posts, this has been more difficult for me as of late due to some turnover in our business. As a result, I did not spend as much time learning over that 90 day window. These things happen and we have to adapt.

At the same time, I made sure that I returned to this priority as quickly as I could. In fact, over the past 30 days, I have been fortunate enough to attend two very productive conferences. I wish I could express how incredibly helpful these conferences were for me. All I can say is that the time I spent at each will be bearing fruit for quite some time.

Industry-Specific Learning

The first was an invitation-only summit among dealers and vendors in our industry. The main topic for this summit was critical to the success of our business. I mention the invitation to make the point that the opportunity actually came to us BEFORE we were ready for it.

When the invitation arrived, we had not yet made the crucial hires we needed to make for our business and we were severely short-handed! I was not even certain the hires would be made by them time the summit rolled around. At the same time, our commitment to continuous learning made accepting the invitation an easier decision.

Christian Ministry Learning

In order to keep my mind on our Christian ministry in the business, I try to balance the learning. The second conference was Catalyst in Atlanta just last week. Unlike the summit, this conference was all about Christian leadership. The slate of speakers was mind-boggling and listening to them one-after-another felt like drinking from a fire hose!

All I could do was to furiously take notes and make plans to distill them into action plans at a later time. I will do this over the next few weeks as I work to lay out my LIFE plan for next year. I will also be using much of this material for future posts on this blog!

Learn AND Take Action

I mention this to make my final point. Knowledge without application is useless. Consider these words from James:

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
– James 1:22

Folks, as I have said above, it is a tragedy for leaders to stop learning. The same is true for learning without doing!

I encourage you to be a leader that is fully committed to continuous learning AND one that converts what you learn into action. Don’t fall prey to allowing the urgent replace the important. Neither should you become a full-time student that never acts on your learning.

How strong is your commitment to continuous learning?

What keeps you from continuous learning?

What action step should you take on something you recently learned?

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Are You A Borderline Christian?

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As I was reading through Joshua and studying for the series on the Gibeonite deception, I came upon another lesson that I think can apply to us as Christian business owners and leaders. This lesson comes from Joshua and Numbers and deals with borderline Christianity.

Christian

Joshua’s Reminder

If you read Joshua 1:12-15, you will see Joshua reference instructions that Moses had given the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua is reminding them that they agreed to go into the Promised Land with the rest of the tribes and help to conquer the land as God had commanded.

So, why does Joshua feel the need to remind only these people and not those from the other tribes? Is he just picking on these tribes for no reason? Or is there a valid reason for his reminder?

Borderline Request

To get the answer, you need to go back to Numbers 32:1-38 and read. In this passage, you find that the people of these three tribes asked Moses to give them their inheritance from the borderline land just outside of the Promised Land. They initially even requested that Moses not make them cross the Jordan and fight!

Moses got angry and called them a brood of sinners! He reminded them that they were repeating the very sin their fathers had committed. That sin was the reason they had wandered the wilderness the past 40 years!

The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh then asked another question. If they agreed to go over and help the other tribes conquer their lands, could they return to this borderline land and settle there? Moses conceded and allowed them to do this.

As I read this, several questions come to mind.

Why The Borderline Land?

The first question that pops into my head is, “Why?” Why did these tribes want to settle outside of the land God had promised them? What does Scripture tell us about their motives?

Take a look at Numbers 32:1 again. They had a lot of livestock and saw that the land was good for livestock. That is it? Are they serious? At this point, they have not yet even seen the land inside the Promised Land to know if it is good or not.

Of course, they know from God’s promises, and from the reports of the original 12 spies that scouted out the land in Numbers 13, that this is a land flowing with milk and honey. Evidently that is not enough!

Is This Important?

The second question that pops into my mind is, “Is this important?” Is this really a big deal? Why did Moses get so upset?

Well, Moses got upset because this request reeked of the sin that caused all of Israel to wander the wilderness for the past 40 years. Moses understood that God does not take kindly to His people rejecting Him or His promises or commands. Moses did not want God to get upset again.

What Are The Dangers?

The final question I had was, “What are the dangers of taking the borderline land?” As these “borderline” tribes finished the fighting and settled in their land outside the Promised Land, what should they be concerned about? Were there any issues they needed to consider that the other tribes would not have to worry about?

The answer is that there were several dangers in taking their inheritance from this land instead of the Promised Land.

1. Lack Of Natural Defensive Border

    First, the Jordan River would create a natural defensive border for those inside the Promised Land. This natural defensive line would prevent sudden attacks and would allow for better strategic position for the Israelites inside.

    For the “borderline” tribes outside the Jordan, this would not be the case. They would be more vulnerable to attacks from other tribes and peoples.

2. Delay In Aid

    Second, and even worse, the Jordan would actually serve to separate them from the aid of their brothers. If the other Israelite tribes wanted to come to their aid in a crisis, there could be a significant delay.

3. Reduction Of Communication

    Finally, not only would it serve to delay any military aid from their brothers, but it would also drastically reduce communications between them and their brothers inside the Promised Land. This would eventually allow other peoples and their religions to influence these borderline tribes away from God.

Application To Christian Business

In my next post, I will address how we can apply these lessons to our Christian businesses. In the meantime, think about the following questions. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!

What parallels can you draw from this lesson?

Have you experienced something similar in your Christian walk?

How can this “borderline” idea apply to your Christian business?

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Are You Too Focused On The Results?

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Business people count things. It is what we do! If you are like me, you often find yourself counting various processes or results in your business and your life. Of course, once you count whatever it is, you must then compare that count with something or someone else to determine if you are doing a good job or not. It is in our nature to do this and most of us do it quite often. However, there is a problem with doing this.

results

Results Are Critical

Now, before you even think about taking this to the extreme, please relax! I am not going to tell you to stop counting and measuring activities or results in your business. A significant part of being successful in business is establishing processes and goals and then measuring your progress to those goals.

I am not going to tell you there is anything inherently wrong with measuring results. That is not my point at all.

Watching Results Can Be Trouble

My point is really to shed light on some of the potential dangers of watching these results. While there is nothing wrong with the idea of measuring results, there are some pitfalls that you need to keep in mind. Once I go through the short list of these pitfalls, I think you will understand what I am saying and agree.

1. When you’re checking the results, you’re not watching what you’re doing!

    Take driving for example. Imagine you are driving on the interstate, but you are too focused on your dashboard computer as it tells you your rolling average fuel economy. Obviously, this behavior can have fatal consequences! In this case, it would be fine for you to check your mileage every time you fill up the tank or stop for food.

    We can do the same thing in our businesses. When we establish goals in a certain area, we need to measure and track the results on a regular basis. However, if we are constantly watching these results, we may miss something important! We need to set specific intervals for checking our results and resist the temptation to look more often.

2. You may find yourself well ahead of the goal and relax.

    One of my favorite scenes in the movie Facing The Giants was the death crawl scene (watch here).In this scene, the coach challenged one of the football players to crawl on all fours with another player riding on his back. The challenge was to get from the end zone to the fifty yard line. The catch was that the player was to do it blind-folded so he could not see his progress.

    Evidently the fifty-yard challenge was a stretch because the player thought he could never make it. The other players looked cynical as well. The result? The player, by giving his absolute best and ignoring the progress, ended up in the far end zone – a full 100 yards away! It was an amazing scene – proof that ignoring the progress and pressing on can produce greater-than-expected results!

    The blindfold was the key. If we can “blindfold” our teams every once in a while and challenge them to give their best without checking the results, I think we all would be surprised at what could be accomplished!

3. You may begin to believe that you are the reason for the results.

    Take a look at King David in 1 Chronicles 21. At the prompting of Satan, King David decided he wanted a census of the fighting men of Israel and Judah. The commander of the army, Joab, questioned David. He argued that God could multiply the size of the army to whatever number He needed – why the need to count? But David persisted and the census was taken.

    As a result, God punished Israel. Evidently David was beginning to feel some pride in his position and wanted to boast of the strength of the army. Rather than giving sole credit to God for the increase and the might of the army, David appeared to be looking for some credit of his own.

    If we allow ourselves to get too caught up in “counting” in our businesses or lives, pride is likely to creep in and separate us from dependence on God. Not all counting falls into this category, but you do need to be aware of the danger!

4. Your timeframe may be off.

    A watched pot never boils. Sometimes God gives us a picture of something He wants us to strive toward. Sometimes He does this without showing us WHEN that picture will come to fruition. If we continually watch the progress towards that picture, counting the results before the right time, we may be tempted to give up or get frustrated.

    God gave Joseph a clear picture, actually two, of his brothers bowing down to him. The problem was that God did not tell him when it would happen! As you can read in Genesis 37-45, it took over 20 years for the dream to come true. During the interim, Joseph was sold into slavery, accused of attempted rape, and confined to prison for many years.

    We can assume there were times when Joseph questioned God about the timing, but he remained faithful to trust God. Rather than constantly checking our results against the picture God has given us, we need to follow Joseph’s example!

Trust God

See, sometimes we can spend too much time checking our results. We can also check these results too often and at the wrong intervals. When we get to the point where we are too focused on watching our results, or the progress to these results, a lot of problems can arise. Instead, let’s learn to work our hardest and then put our trust in God and His faithfulness. The right results will come in His time.

Do you fall into this trap at times?

How do you get out of it? How do you avoid it the next time?

Do you see other pitfalls I have left out?

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What I Did In Response To My Angry Boss

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This guest post is from Mike Holmes. He is a blogger and speaker who heads the Simple Strategies for Startups community. He is also the author of I Shall Raise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness. You can also download 4 free chapters here. You can also find him on Twitter.
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extra mile

Going The Extra Mile!

I used to work for a catering company in their purchasing department. My duties included receiving heavy boxes and moving them to the appropriate part of the company. In essence, it was manual labor.

I, however, didn’t see it like that. I saw it as an opportunity to go above and beyond in everything to either:

    a) Move up to a more a favorable position,

    or

    b) Move out of the company to a more favorable position.

So to me it didn’t matter whether I was moving boxes or sweeping floors–I was going to stand out! I was going to go the extra mile!

Angry Boss

But there was a problem: while going the extra mile I encountered a lot of grumbling from my co-workers. They just seemed to be getting angrier and angrier. I was as pleasant as I could be…but they just kept getting angrier. I stopped paying it attention until one day one the assistant manager called me:

“Holmes!” He said in a gruff manner. “I want you to move all those boxed grapes to the cooler room…by yourself!”

He said this with some of the staff around him giggling.

By myself???

There were at least 40 box of grapes, each weighing 20 pounds each, and he wanted me to move them by myself! We all knew it was a 2 man job.

At first I was upset!

Livid!

I did nothing to deserve this.

My Response

But then I remembered my friend “Holy Joe.” When Joe was mistreated for doing right, rather than get upset, he simply worked harder and did it with a great attitude!

So that’s what I did.

You should’ve seen me: I got all those boxes done in less than 7 minutes.

Then I went to the same boss and said, “What else do you need help with?” I did that too in record time. I even started helping the people who were grumbling and laughing behind my back–the manager included. And for the rest of the day I was quicker, more efficient, and more helpful than anyone could imagine.

In fact, we were so fast we finished a shipment that normally takes till 2pm at 11:30am!

The grumbling stopped. They were friendlier and more respectful. You would’ve thought I just bought them lunch!

The extra mile triumphed again!

The Origin of the Extra Mile

When Jesus spoke about extra mile principle He summed it up in this statement:

    “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”
    (Matthew 5:41 NKJV)

He related the principle to an oppressive practice of the day. It originated with the Persian government and was later adopted by the Roman government.

Under this custom the king’s messengers had power to take horses, camels, and men into service against their will. Couriers and messengers were staged in specific locations by the king; if someone were to pass the location the courier rushed out and “compelled” them into service. Simone of Cyrene was later “compelled” into helping Jesus with His cross.

Rather than quarrel and complain about the treatment, Jesus advised otherwise: comply with the request, but exceed expectations in a spirit of love and service.

The extra mile is what separates leaders from followers, great companies from mediocre ones, and it will separate you in your chosen occupation.

The Power of the Extra Mile Principle

More than just a useful practice…the extra mile principle is a spiritual law. Like “turning the other cheek” and “loving your enemy” it’s a powerful weapon in the hand of a mature believer.

What are the benefits? I’m glad you asked:

1. You benefit by the law of comparison.

    Most people don’t go the extra mile. They go the first mile and complain all the way there! When you go the extra mile the spotlight of attention shines favorably on you. And after a while you soon become indispensable to those around you…especially superiors! And indispensable employees are always paid more than dispensable ones!

2. You develop greater leadership qualities.

    Going the extra develops the habit of personal initiative–a trait necessary for ANY kind of leadership. As you employ the extra mile your brain looks for more ways to become helpful. Soon you stop waiting for people to tell you what to do–you just do it. You no longer wait for things to happen, you make them happen!

3. God makes sure you’re compensated fairly.

    Paul said,

      “Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free.” (Ephesians 6:5-8 MSG)
    At the end of day whether we’re salaried or self employed: we write our own checks! We do this we the quantity and quality of service we give to either a boss, company, or clients. But even though we write our checks God is still the Boss. And if God sees you going above and beyond that what you’re paid rest assured, He’ll make up the difference. In the end He’ll reward you fully:
      “Because I, God, love fair dealing and hate thievery and crime, I’ll pay your wages on time and in full, and establish my eternal covenant with you.” (Isaiah 61:8 MSG)

But what do you think? Are there any other benefits to going the extra mile?

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How Does Busy Impact Your Impact?

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Are you so busy at work that you do not feel you are accomplishing anything for God? Is your work situation causing you to question how you will ever impact another person for eternity? Do you wonder if this period of time will ever end? Are you even questioning the job itself – whether God may want you somewhere else? If you have ever asked similar questions, keep reading!

busy

Too Busy For My Job?

In my last post, I described how I had recently experienced a period of time when I felt I was too busy to do my job. A key executive leader had left our company and I was forced to take on many of his responsibilities. I knew it was only for a season, but I knew that season would make it difficult for me to fulfill my true God-given job description – to impact others for eternity by pointing them to God.

Eternal Job Trumps All

Based on Scripture (Matthew 22:37-40, 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:20), this true job description should trump all other job descriptions. This fact is accepted by most Christians as being the truth. In fact, we usually describe it by saying our priorities are God, Family, Job – in that order.

Unfortunately, there are times when our busy-ness on the job seems to crowd out any opportunity for us to carry out this eternal job description and impact others as we should. This is especially tough when the busy-ness is not within our control – when others have the most influence on how we spend our time.

Many Treat It As Separate!

The problem is that though most agree our God-given job description is top priority, too many people also think it is also completely separate from the job description their employer gave them. Most people fail to realize that God’s job description for us is to be fulfilled IN CONJUNCTION WITH the other job descriptions we have!

You see, God has placed you in the job you have for a reason and a season. He knows all there is to know about your job and the circumstances surrounding that job. He is not surprised by the sudden busy-ness you are experiencing. Nothing about your job is surprising to Him.

Both At The Same Time!

Instead, God is watching to see how you are living out the eternal job description He has given you while you are carrying out the temporal job description given to you by your employer. It is NOT one or the other, but BOTH at the same time.

Folks, this is really great news! This means you do not have to “steal” time from your employer to carry out your eternal purpose! It also means you will never be asked by God to ignore business needs so you can work on His requests. The cool thing is that you can do everything God wants you to do WHILE carrying out your job for your employer or running your business.

My Recent Example

For a concrete example, let me describe my approach to this recent season of busy-ness I had. Before I do this, please know that I did not execute this perfectly! I am no better at this than you can be…I screwed it up plenty of times. As you read about my intentions, just be aware that my actions did not always match up.

If you will do your best to follow these same steps, God will honor your efforts as He did mine!

Step #1 – Gain & Maintain Perspective

    Fortunately for me, I was headed out on a family vacation when my busy season started. I say fortunately because it allowed me to step away from my job for a week and use the time to regain the right perspective. The “right perspective” is an eternal perspective. I had to remind myself that God knew what I was about to endure and all He wanted was my best, with a focus on the eternal impact of my actions.

    To maintain this perspective, I renewed my commitment to a productive quiet time (it had gotten stale). I began a new study of Joshua (see resulting posts here) because I saw him as a leader that followed God’s commands even under extremely tough circumstances. I knew I would learn perspective from Joshua.

Step #2 – Pray (like never before)

    Along with a renewed commitment to an effective quiet time, I dedicated myself to sincere, blank-canvas prayer. I gave God the brush and paint while I stood back and waited for Him to create the picture for me. Though it had the potential to get repetitive, I continued praying day after day for Him to paint the picture…I did not want to lose this perspective!

    Folks, I am not a good pray-er. This is especially true when I get busy. I lose focus and my mind wanders. I get off track and start listing my trivial requests before I realize what I am doing. During this time period, I fought through this weakness. I stayed on my knees for an extra 15-20 minutes when necessary, but I was not going to give up on this prayer.

Step #3 – Triage (and eliminate) Where Possible

    While being inundated with “stuff” from everyone that normally got their answers from the leader that left, I realized I was not physically capable of doing it all. Something had to fall through the cracks or I was going to crack!

    I made the decision to triage my tasks like the Emergency Room does when overloaded with injuries. Those non-critical issues were put to the side. Even “good” things I was doing in the past were put aside in favor of the “best” things. I prayed for wisdom as I did this and promised those affected by these decisions that I would return to these tasks when (and if) time permitted. In most cases, they understood.

Step #4 – Pursue Excellence in Everything

    As I described in Step #3, I allowed the non-essential “good” stuff to be delayed or eliminated altogether. I did this because I believe we are called to Excellence in whatever we do as Christians. Busy is no excuse for falling short. Rather than be mediocre at the whole range of tasks coming at me, I chose the most critical and tried to complete them in an “excellent” way.

    This was not always the way they ended up. I missed some things. I messed up on others. But I maintained this strategy and (for the most part) it worked. I will probably look back and beat myself up for some of the things I put off, but today I feel I did all I could.

Step #5 – Pray (some more)

    Finally, I continued praying. I prayed that God would make up for my shortcomings. I prayed those around me would be given more patience for my weaknesses than they normally had. I prayed for endurance to keep up the increased pace and duration of my working hours. I prayed my family would give me grace through it all.

When all is said and done, this busy season appears to be coming to a close for me. I am sure there is another just around the corner, but I am thankful for the learning from this one. I hope you can get something out of my experience as well.

Do you think these steps will help you when you get busy?

Which one(s) will be the hardest for you?

What steps would you add to this list?