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Read Proverbs As A Christian Business Manual!

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This is the second in a series of posts on recommendations I would make to someone at the beginning stages of deciding to use their business as a platform for Christian ministry. While this list of recommendations is not exhaustive, it should be a great start on which to build. Today’s post looks at the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs

Recommendation #1 – Pray

In my last post, I tried to lay the foundation for this series of posts. I also gave you my first recommendation – to pray! While I admitted this recommendation may not sound earth-shattering, I also pointed out how critical it is for you to pray earnestly about your situation and the future to which God is calling you. If you have not read that post, now is the time to do so – read it here!

Now that we have covered the first recommendation – prayer – let’s take a look at the next one.

Recommendation #2 – Read Proverbs

If you have been a Christian very long, someone has told you about the easy daily devotion plan of reading one chapter in Proverbs every day for a month. Since there are 31 chapters, it fits well into a calendar month. If you have not done this, then you are missing out.

At the same time, I am going to give you another chance to read Proverbs. Whether you choose to read one chapter a day or not is up to you. All I am asking is that you change your glasses.

Change Your Glasses

Now, do not assume that I am speaking about a literal pair of glasses. No, I am instead referring to a figurative pair of glasses. These glasses are your business glasses. They are the glasses you look through when you think about your business and how you are to operate it.

Rather than reading through Proverbs the way you normally would, I want you to read it as a business manual. That’s right! If it helps, assume it is the latest Jim Collins volume or that Jack Welch wrote the intro. Whatever you need to think in order to pique your interest in this way, I am fine with it.

Of course, the truth is that the true Author of Proverbs is the original Creator of business. He knows all there is to know about business and has shared much of this truth in this book. It is freely offered to you. All you have to commit is your time.

Pray first

Before you start, remember Recommendation #1 – Pray. Pray that God will speak to you through the words you read. Pray that He will pour His wisdom into your heart and mind in a way that directs you as you lead the business. Pray that you will gain insights through the various readings and that you will know exactly how to apply them to the operation of your business.

No Other Aids

I am not recommending a study guide or a workbook in this case. While they may exist, I think this strategy works best when it is just you and the Author and His words. I believe you will gain understanding you never imagined. I believe you will get much more from the experience if you limit the text to Proverbs alone and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work.

What will you find? Honestly, I have no earthly idea! Sure, there are obvious examples I could cite that easily apply to business. You don’t need me to tell you that. No, the insights I am referring to will come straight from God.

A Personal Example

Just to prime the pump, I will share the first example that came to me when I began to read Proverbs this way. Keep in mind that this was God speaking to ME. You may see something different in this passage than I did. That’s fine! I will simply share what it said to me and how I applied it.

I began reading Proverbs as a business manual while reading Business By The Book: Complete Guide of Biblical Principles for the Workplace, by Larry Burkett. It was an amazing experience for me for a couple of reasons. First, I had never thought of the idea. It made sense, but was completely new to me. Second, God started speaking to me through the very first chapter! That was enough to hook me!

Here, Use My Glasses!

I want us to take a look at the passage, but first I want you to put on MY business glasses for a moment. I am in the car business. Our industry is plagued with a bad reputation (often earned and deserved!) for taking advantage of people when they are trying to buy a car. Car salespeople are notorious for getting rich off of others and often characterized as sharks, right?

So, at the time I read this for the first time with my business glasses on, I was aware of the reputation of our industry and was desperately trying to figure out where to start in cleaning it up in our business. I knew it had to be done, but I was not sure where to start.

Proverbs From My View

With these glasses on, read this excerpt from Proverbs 1:

My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t be persuaded.
If they say—“Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush and kill someone.
Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!
Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol,
still healthy as they go down to the Pit.
We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.
Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share our money”
my son, don’t travel that road with them
or set foot on their path,
because their feet run toward trouble
and they hurry to commit murder.
Proverbs 1:10-16

What are your thoughts at this point? Do you see the parallels between this picture and a car deal? For me, it was like a lightening bolt in the heart. I knew this was a fair (though somewhat extreme) characterization of a traditional car deal. At least the intents were similar. I also knew I had to change that.

Our Response

As a result of this revelation, we went on to completely overhaul our entire sales process. Based on another verse later in Proverbs, we established a system where the pricing was pre-discounted and fixed and the salespeople were no longer paid to extract more profit from the customer.

The transition was expensive and difficult. And while this change may not be for everyone, it was clear to us that we had to take dramatic action to align with Scripture.

God Will Speak!

As I said, your experience will likely be different from mine. God will speak to you in ways that are specific to your situation and challenges. While I cannot tell you what He will say, I can promise that He will say something. And you will be amazed!

Have you ever read Proverbs in this way?

What have you found that you could apply to your business?

Are you willing to give it a try?

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Advice For A New Christian Business Leader

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I was recently speaking with someone about using business as a platform for Christian ministry and was asked a great question. She wanted to know what advice I would give another Christian business leader that was just recognizing the mindset of business as Christian ministry. What would I tell them to get them started on the right path?

advice

Start Of A Series!

As I thought about how to answer the question in that context, I also thought about how that would make a great post – even series – for this blog. (I am sorry, but I often get these thoughts in the middle of conversations!) As a result, I am starting a 5-part series on the advice I would give you if you are interested in using your business or job as a platform for Christian ministry.

In this first post, I want to lay the groundwork and then tackle the very first recommendation I have. Hopefully, you will get something out of this series, even if you have been doing Christian ministry through your business for years now. Maybe there is something you can revisit (like me!) or something you never did but can go back and handle today!

Target Audience

I am writing this post to someone who has heard about Christian business and is intrigued by the idea. Maybe you have progressed from intrigue to a real interest in using your business to impact people for eternity. It could be that you have even resisted pursuing it for one reason or another.

Regardless, you are either very close to pulling the trigger and moving forward OR you have just pulled the trigger and realized you do not know where to start! If that describes you, then this advice is for you.

Check My Advice

I will go ahead and tell you that I am NOT an expert. I cannot tell you all that you need to know about this subject. I will say that some of my advice may even be wrong for you. All I can promise is that I have been doing it myself for almost 10 years now and I will share from my heart. You then are responsible for discerning what will and will not work for you.

Now that I am through with the disclaimers, let’s dive in and tackle the first recommendation!

Recommendation #1 – Pray

While I am sure you are in awe over my keen insight and the intellect that must be present in order for me to come up with this advice, I ask you to hold your judgment until I am finished. Maybe this sounds simple and assumed. In fact, I know it does. At the same time, I feel it is so important (and often neglected) that I am willing to risk your ridicule!

When I say pray, I mean several things. Actually, I mean for you to pray about several things. Let’s start with the first prayer – a clear heart and mind.

Different Goals For Prayer

My advice is that you pray first that God would clear your heart and mind of any and all distractions, motives, and desires. Pray that He would erase your preconceived notions of what you are being called to do. Ask Him to give you a completely fresh perspective on whatever it is that He is going to share with you next.

Next, I want you to pray for clarity of purpose. Notice I am not talking about strategy, resources, or results. While these are important, their time will come later. All you want from Him at the beginning is a very clear and compelling purpose to be planted in your heart.

Clear Picture Of Purpose

As you are doing this, pray that He would give you a picture of what should be. Andy Stanley, in his book called Visioneering, refers to the gap between what is and what should be. You want God to put a vivid picture in your heart of what it is He wants you to pursue. For me, it was silhouettes. For Joseph, it was a couple of dreams. For you, it will look different.

Regardless of the differences in our pictures, you need something that you can refer back to over and over as opposition and difficulties come your way. You need to ask God to sow this seed of a clear purpose for your specific Christian ministry. Over time, this vision will grow and His desires for how He will accomplish it through you will become more clear.

Strength And Commitment

Next, you need to pray for strength and commitment. What you are about to undertake is not for the faint of heart. While it seems harmless enough, it is anything but. You are putting on the uniform of Christ and stepping out onto the battlefield for His kingdom.

Not only are you declaring your loyalty to Him, you are also doing it in a realm (the business world) where the enemy reigns for a time. This is not a common position for a businessperson to take and it is one the enemy hates. As a result, you can expect to see more than your fair share of opposition. You need to start praying now for the strength to withstand it.

Give Thanks!

Finally, you need to give thanks that He has put you in a position like this. The tougher roles are reserved for those with stronger faith. While you are not yet completely ready for what you will face, He sees the potential you have and deems it worthy of the job. For that, you should be very thankful!

Stay tuned for more advice to come in future posts!

Have you prayed for God to give you a clear purpose picture?

What other issues should you pray about?

Do you agree with this advice to pray first?

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More Advice For Onboarding New Hires

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The following post is written by Bill Higgins and is the conclusion to his last post. In addition to his last post, you may remember him from his previous guest posts. Bill’s following post gives us great insight into how a Christian business should approach onboarding new employees. I think you should get some great ideas from his post!

Onboarding

Onboarding New Hires

You have sounded the “All aboard!” in the form of a job offer, but it takes several other activities before new hires can settle in for the ride.

The scriptures will provide a backdrop and principles for planning your onboarding activities leading to employee integration and effectiveness. The following will present some guidance; whether you incorporate them through mentoring, an orientation class, e-learning, or a blending of several of these methods is up to you.

Onboarding Must Do’s

However you decide to do it, here are the remaining focus items you want to be sure are included in your onboarding activities:

People:
Some new hires will be so focused on their job, their tasks, they forget the people element. They forget they are part of a team. They forget their efforts or decisions impact people downstream. They forget people don’t always see things the same way they do.

That’s why the onboarding process must emphasize that people are important regardless what your job is. Remind them to learn to give and take criticism and to learn how to function as part of a team and call for help when they need it, or volunteer to help others when they need it also.

More people struggle with change than embrace it with excitement. Remind them of this as they start their new job. Some changes will be met with enthusiasm; others will be resisted and actually lobbied against. Don’t discount the feelings of those who make the plan work or those impacted by it. Feelings aren’t always grounded in reality. They’re just feelings, but they do affect the way people live.

People have all kinds or reasons for resisting. The reasons aren’t important, the people are. People need to be treated with respect, even if they oppose your ideas, plans, and changes.

Galatians 6:1-10 helps us understand the importance of people when it says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The word translated “burdens” here is a word that means a load too difficult for one person to carry alone. We are to watch out for people and help them through the difficult times. New hires need to learn to be aware of this.

Take think time:
One of the things we see from Paul’s action plan as documented in Galatians 1:15-18 is that he took three years to spend time with the Lord, thinking and praying before launching into anything resembling “productive work.” He wasn’t just converted and then launched into ministry.

It’s important for new hires to understand there is no substitute for taking time to think. One sage put it this way, “There’s never time to do it right, but there’s always time to do it over.” The difference between the two is often time to think it through.

There will be deadlines new hires will be expected to meet, but they must also get used to thinking about their job, the processes, the plans, and the way things are done. Out of this comes new, more efficient ways of doing things that often save time and money and improve quality.

Time with leaders:
Galatians 1:18 tells us when Paul was launching his ministry he went to meet the man who was the most recognized leader in the first century church, Peter. Leaders in organizations are tasked with aligning the business goals of their units to the overall goals of the organization. To do this may necessitate changes in structure, processes, or business relationships.

It’s helpful for new hires to hear directly from their business leaders, just as Paul did, what their perspective and long-term plans are. The leader can also provide insight to the organization to make the early days for the new hire more efficient.

Encourage new hires to reach out to their business unit leaders and supervisors to initiate meetings with them. Provide new hires with a list of topics they can include on the agenda to make effective use of the time. The following topics make a good list to start with:

    • How members of the team work together
    • Who on the team is expert in what subject
    • Who are the recognized team leaders
    • How the leader got to their position
    • Their long-range plans
    • How the new hire can best contribute
    • What will be good for them to learn

Good Onboarding Is Critical

Onboarding can be a foundational time that sets the tone and provides a baseline for new hires. To accomplish this, haphazard assignments just won’t cut it. The points outlined above, and in my last post, will give you ideas on how you can make the most of your onboarding of new hires.

Those early days set the tone, inspire, inform, and engage. Start them out in the right direction and “…when they are old they won’t depart from it.”

About the Author:
BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations. Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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Living In The Details: My Daily Plan

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In her second guest post in this two-part series, Kari Scare digs into the details about the daily plan that is part of her overall life plan. Her method is simple and straight forward, making it very useable for anyone! It brings some structure, but retains flexibility for those days we all need it! I highly recommend you take a look at her overall “Big Picture” in her last post as well as consider the details of her daily plan as she describes it today. You will probably want to read more from Kari at her blog – Struggle to Victory.

daily plan

My Daily Plan

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

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

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

Creating a Daily Plan

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

    1. Hear the timeline the Holy Spirit has for my day. Because I tend to over-control, I must give my day over right away to the Spirit’s control. I do this through time in prayer and God’s Word.
    2. Make a list of the day’s goals. Sometimes this involves repurposing part of my last “to do” list, and sometimes a new one gets created. This list comes into existence during step 1, usually one piece at a time.
    3. Seek confirmation of the game plan. Did I mention that I tend to over control? Because this truly is a chronic struggle for me, I spend time reading Christian blog posts and short devotions after my list is created. No set number, just enough until I feel a peace in my spirit about the day’s plan.

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

Integrating Structure

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

    · Lists
    Some are paper & some electronic. My weekly project list and daily “to do” list (sometimes these are one and sometimes separate), are written out on paper. Then, I use Evernote and Alarm Stiky Note on my tablet for other lists such as books to read and shopping lists.
    · Calendars
    I have an electronic calendar for appointments and a paper calendar for my writing. The electronic calendar goes with me pretty much everywhere, but the blog calendar stays with my writing material. I check my electronic calendar daily and the writing calendar when necessary to direct my writing priorities.
    · Journal
    This is where I keep prayer requests, where I express my emotion, where I address problems and struggles, and where I consider goals and focus areas.

    · Devotions
    Devotions allow God to direct my thoughts, feelings, goals, etc. Sometimes I use a book of devotions, and sometimes I use devotions from other blogs. Sometimes I read just one, sometimes several. God uses devotions written by godly people to confirm His Spirit’s direction.
    · Bible study
    The Holy Spirit always has a specific focus for me to study that goes deeper than daily devotions.

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

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

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

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

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

Do you see enough flexibility in this daily plan process?

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The Big Picture: My Own Life Plan Method

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Have you read about the life plan and goal setting methods others use? Do they frustrate you because you think differently or cannot seem to keep up with some of the details they build into their process? If so, you may just love this (and the next) guest post from my friend in the blogging world, Kari Scare. If you like this one, check out more of her work at Struggle To Victory!

life plan

The Best Goal-Setting & Time Management Method in Existence!

Guilt. Frustration. Embarrassment. Inadequacy.

This is how I used to feel when I failed to set goals the “right” way. When I heard about a person’s completed life plan or even a personal mission statement, I felt defeated because I just couldn’t manage to create my own.

Unconventional Life Plan

I have felt like a failure over and over again because I didn’t set SMART goals and because I didn’t do a SWAT analysis or put a daily game plan together in just the right way. I have felt ineffective because I don’t use an app to do just about everything for me, including helping me break negative habits and establish new ones.

Then this thought struck me. If I struggle so much with feeling this way, why am I still so productive? Why do I have so many solid habits that keep me healthy physically, spiritually and mentally? I then finally realized that while my methods might not fit into the mainstream mold of goal setting and habit management, what I do still works very well. This led me to my next question.

Best Life Plan Method?

So, what really is the best goal-setting method? What really works for creating new and breaking old habits? The answer to these questions transformed my life. Ready? Here it is: Whatever works for you!

No two people will use exactly the same life plan method, nor should they. We may take bits and pieces from other methods, but what works best for a person will be unique to that person. We all have different blends of personality style, temperament and learning style, so why wouldn’t our styles for managing time, goals and habits be different too?

As a result of these realizations, I now value my personal life plan method for setting and reaching goals and for making new and breaking old habits. My method revolves around the creation of a Big Picture, a life focus if you will, that sets priorities. It also includes two other essential elements, accountability and regular touch points.

The Big Picture

Each of the elements in creating my life plan holds a lot of details within themselves. The priorities and basic philosophy don’t change, but how accountability plays out and touch points are maintained do change as one season of life fades into another.

1. Set priorities.

My life plan involves three focus areas, God first, family second and work third. My husband and I decided these priorities years ago, and both of our lives are organized around them. The choices we make, such as how to fill our calendars, our financial planning, etc., revolve around these focus areas.

2. Establish accountability.

The primary reason my husband and I combined our life plan into one is to live as fully as possible in the truth that two become one at marriage (Mark 10:8).

Another very important reason we did this was for accountability. While we must make decisions separately at times, we know they must fit within our priorities. We constantly check with each other to make sure we stay within our priorities as well as avoid over-commitment. The idea being that we want excellence in fewer things rather than mediocrity in many.

3. Create touch points.

Touching base on our priorities, which basically means keeping each other accountable, is part of our life’s routine. We coordinate our calendars regularly and discuss commitments prior to making them whenever possible. We have daily downloads every day when possible, even if they need to happen electronically.

We also make a point to talk in more depth on our priorities at least quarterly. We try to do this away from home, say at a coffee shop or on a dinner date. We also go away as a family twice a year for connection that includes delving into goals and priorities.

Solid Guide, Different Parts

The process for creating and maintaining The Big Picture has been solid guide for career and parenting choices as well as served to strengthen our marriage too.

This Big Picture provides the framework for our lives, but we each carry out the unique parts we play in very different ways. In other words, we live in the details in different ways.

Coming Soon

In the next post, Living In the Details, I will detail my personal approach to carrying out a daily plan, and approach that fits my personality and temperament. While no two people live life exactly the same way, we certainly can gain insight, inspiration and ideas from one another. That is my prayer in sharing my personal plan with you.

What do you think about this approach to a life plan?

Which part can you take and apply immediately?

What benefits do you see in using this plan?

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3 Keys To Creating New Habits

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In my last two posts, I went into detail about a daily game plan that I am working on in an effort to avoid spiritual drift and remain focused on my life plan. While I am certainly seeing some results that are promising, it is also a struggle for me. In comment on the last post, fellow blogger Kari Scare mentioned this same struggle in creating a new habit.

new habit

Here are her comments:

I would love to consistently use something like this. But, something inside of me…keeps it from becoming a habit. In fact, I did use something similar to this for a while but ended up going back to my list method…I still wonder at my inability to stick with that.

I’m a driven person, very productive. I stick to the focus areas that my husband and I set. Yet, I realize how something like this would amplify my life. SO, maybe you could address some of what I struggle with in another post.

New Habit Struggle?

Do you experience this kind of struggle in creating a new habit? Do you get frustrated at your inability to remain consistent with a new habit even when you know it will improve your life?

If you struggle like this, you are not alone. Just visit a fitness club or gym during the first week in January and again in mid-March. There is a huge difference in how busy it is, right? The fallout is huge!

Magic Formula?

So what we really want to know is how to overcome this struggle in creating new habits. What is the magic formula for beating this part of us that resists new habits (at least the good ones!) and keeps us from improving?

Well, to start off, there is not a magic formula. I will not even try to convince you that I have the silver bullet for this problem.

New Habits Not Impossible

What I will tell you is that it is not an impossible feat to create new habits. People that are faced with decisions between exercising and facing life-threatening medical issues have proven this to be true over and over. Others have done it without the threat to life. So how do they do it?

As I said, I do not have a silver bullet, but I do have some simple insights. Take a look at the following three keys and see if they make sense to you. While this is not a guaranteed formula, I am convinced that if all three keys are present, your odds of successfully creating a new habit will increase exponentially!

#1 – It MUST Be A Priority To You

While this may sound overly simplistic, it is true. Either it IS or it IS NOT a priority for you. If you are absolutely confident that any given tool or habit will make your days better and your life more effective, then you just have to decide if that is what you want.

It cannot be a suggestion someone else is making for you. It cannot be something that would be “cool” if you did it. Nor can it be something you are guilted into doing.

You have to want it more than whatever else is currently occupying the time it takes to do it (e.g. exercise vs. 30 minutes more sleep). You have to want it more than it will cost you in time, money, effort, etc. If you want it badly enough, then you will make it work.

#2 – Enlist Accountability

Look back at Kari’s comments. What is the one thing she mentioned that she is able to stick to? Exactly, it is the focus areas that she commits to with her husband! I do not believe that is a coincidence.

Is this the only way? No. Can we develop a new habit without accountability? Sure. I did not say this is the only way. It will just increase your odds exponentially. So if that is the case, why not enlist accountability.

This step is not really that tough. The accountability partner does not necessarily have to be creating the same new habit as you are (though it would certainly be helpful if they did). You just need to have a relationship with them that would cause you to avoid having to admit failure to them.

Just explain to them what you are trying to do and how you need them to help you with it. Then set up regular intervals for follow-up conversations. Give them a list of several key questions you want them to ask you. You could even make it fun (and increase the pressure) by committing to buy their lunch (or a coffee) every time you fall short of the new habit!

#3 – Embrace Grace!

Sure, it needs to be a habit. Sure it is better if we do it EVERY day without fail. At the same time, even this habit will eventually become stale and you will risk becoming legalistic about it. Instead of feeling like a failure when we miss a day or only half-way complete it, we should just give ourselves the grace that God gives us.

Move on. Start again tomorrow. The world will not end. Your life will not suddenly become ineffective and worthless. Don’t buy into the lie that one miss means the whole effort is over!

Of course, if the missed days begin to equal or outnumber the days you complete the task, then you need to refer back to #1. IS it or is it NOT something you need to be doing?

Summary

I hope this discussion helps you as you approach a new habit. My prayer is that we all continue to look for ways we can weave new habits into our lives that will continue to help conform us to the likeness of Christ. At the same time, we cannot see ourselves as failures when we fall short. We just need to get up and try again.

Have you attempted new habits with all three of these keys in place?

What were your results?

What is your biggest struggle in attempting to create new habits?

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The Daily Game Plan: A Must Use Tool!

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If you have ever worked on a life plan for your life, then you know the process can be somewhat overwhelming. You likely know that maintaining that life plan can become a burden at times, depending on how you have it set up. In light of that, I have come up with a tool I am calling a daily game plan that may just be the help you are looking for!

game plan

Daily Game Plan

In my last post, I described how I progressed from modifying and tweaking my life plan to creating a more simple tool called a daily game plan. Birthed out of an idea I got from reading Seven Days in Utopia, this daily game plan is an effort to apply life plan strategy to our daily lives. Take a look at my last post for more on the thought process behind this tool.

As I promised in the last post, I want to take you through the current version of my daily game plan tool. I will go over each area and explain how I use it. I will also give you the option to download a pdf of it. As I go through this process, be thinking about how you would improve this tool. I am going to ask you for your feedback at the end.

How To Proceed

The best way for you to go through the rest of this post is to [CLICK HERE] for a marked-up, full-screen view of a completed daily game plan. Because each section is labeled to make it easier to follow along, you will likely want to keep this open in the separate tab and flip back and forth between them. If you would prefer, you can also just print a copy. Either way, it will be helpful to have it visible as you progress through my description below.

Section #1 – Key Questions

This first section is fairly simple. As you can see, I put the day and date in the box at the top and then I read through the questions. These questions are some that I pulled together and may change from time to time. You could add your own here.

Sometimes I actually write a one or two word answer to some of the questions. Sometimes I just think about them and leave them blank. The point is to read and contemplate these questions every day. I want these thoughts becoming part of my mindset throughout the day.

Section #2 – Calendar

The next section is a condensed calendar picture of my day – only the highlights. I do not put more than three or four items on this calendar. The purpose of this section is two-fold.

First, I want to think through my day and how it will flow. When I have to write it like this and only have room for the select few events, I have to visualize how they will fit together. The second reason is to remind me of those bigger appointments when I glance over the game plan during the day.

Section #3 – Key Focuses

In this third area of my daily game plan, I write the most important task or project for me to accomplish that day. Sometimes there are a total of three or four of these items when I combine the three categories – Work, Home, Other. More often, there are only one or two items listed here.

While my to-do list is always much larger than this, completing this section of the game plan forces me to determine and prioritize my most critical tasks. This is a great exercise, especially when many days my to-do’s overwhelm me. I find that it is seldom that I do not accomplish all that is listed here.

Section #4 – Outreach & Prayer

In this part of the game plan, I stop to think about the people I am likely to work with that day. Is there anyone in particular, employee or otherwise, that I need to reach out to in a special way? If someone comes to mind with clarity, then I write their name in the space and pray for the opportunity to impact them. If not, I leave it blank.

After that, I write in those areas about which I know I need to pray. This may be something related to my marriage or my children. It could be a pending decision at work or even a habit I am trying to break. Nothing is off limits here (except a confidential request from someone else!).

Section #5 – Potential Problems

This is one area where I have seen the most impact on my days since I have been using this daily game plan. Here, on the left side, I ask the question, “What could go wrong today?” I then write down any potential surprises or obstacles that I think may pop up during the day to come.

I imagine what it might look like if a conversation I plan to have that day ends up going bad. It could be that I might receive bad news in a pending project I am working on. It could even be a temptation that I am not prepared to handle.

Once I determine a couple of likely problems, I ask myself, “How will I (later) wish I had handled it?” This is a powerful question because it forces me to think about how I would script the situation after it goes bad. It is accountability in advance! You would be amazed at how much easier it is to handle a crises when you have already visualized it and scripted your response!

For a detailed description of the meaning of the five terms (Observation, Strategy, See, Feel, Trust), you need to read the book, Seven Days in Utopia!

Section #6 – Scripture Memory

This final section of the daily game plan is the simplest, but also carries power. In the top section, I write the Bible verse that I am attempting to memorize for that week. In the bottom section, I write the verse I memorized from last week.

This rotates each week so I am writing each verse once a day for two weeks. I also glance at the reference during the day and attempt to repeat both of the verses aloud without looking. This may only happen once or twice during the day, but any repetition helps!

Summary

As I said before, I tried this on a half of a sheet of paper at first (8.5″ x 11″ folded), but I am now loading it onto my iPad in an app called Notes Plus. It is fully contained on the screen and I am able to easily access it throughout the day. This seems to work best for me as I am carrying my iPad everywhere I go now.

Like I said before, this is a work in progress. There may be parts of this idea that excite you and other parts that leave you saying, “Huh?” That is fine! I don’t expect you to accept it all as/is and start using it that way. My main purpose in sharing is to start the conversation – both in your mind as well as between all of us.

Take some time and think it over. Ask me questions or give me some suggestions. The only advice I will give is to be determined to keep it as simple as possible! Do not give in to the temptation to add two or three (or more) incremental improvements that end up making it too cumbersome to use.

For a blank copy of this game plan, [CLICK HERE].

What are your thoughts about the game plan?

Does it generate any ideas for you?

What additions/deletions would you suggest?

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A Life Plan Tool, Simplified?

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In business, whether you are a Christian or not, it is important to regularly analyze your assets and make sure you are allocating them in the most effective manner. To do otherwise is fiscally irresponsible and even punishable in certain situations. Should our lives be any different? This is where a life plan helps!

life plan

Life Planning

Life planning is not necessarily a common occurrence among Christian leaders today, but it is gaining recognition and momentum. Effectively, it is a process of creating an overall strategy for our lives. The idea is to focus all of your resources and various roles (disciple of Jesus, husband/wife, parent, owner/employee, friend, etc.) so that they are in alignment with God’s will for your individual life.

In this blog, I have completed a series of posts that take you step by step through the process I use for my life plan. I also included the tools I use in that process. I have told you that I am not even close to having this whole process figured out! To this day, after several years of working on my life plan, I still struggle with consistency and focus at times.

Looking For Improvements

For that reason, I am always on the lookout for another tool, or modification to my current tools, that could help me do a better job of executing this life plan. Wherever I see an article about life plans I clip it to Evernote. If I get a chance to download someone else’s diagram of a dashboard, I do it.

Though I still do not have it perfected by any means, I have made some modifications over the years that have helped. Most of these changes have come in the way of simplifying the process.

A New Idea!

Roughly a month ago, I read a book that gave me an idea I thought could be a big help to me. The book was called Seven Days in Utopia, by David Cook. If you have not read the book, then I strongly urge you to do so. The movie is also good, but the book is more helpful in teaching us about life due to the greater detail.

In that book, the main character (a professional golfer) was advised that he needed his own game plan every time he approached a tournament. He was told that his ability to stick to his game plan would determine his success. If he were easily thrown off his plan by opponents or circumstances, then he would suffer for it.

Daily Game Plan

As I read, I realized I could use a similar process in my daily life. If I could come up with a daily “game plan” based on my life plan, then I may be more consistent in my execution. The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea.

As I thought about what I wanted this daily game plan to look like, I first determined that I wanted to keep it as simple as possible. That meant it would not be able to include every aspect of my life plan or even the dashboard I use to simplify that. It would have to leave out some things if I planned to use it every day.

I also decided I wanted to be able to carry it with me throughout the day. I did not want something that would be too difficult to refer to often with a quick glance. Since I move around a lot during the day – from office to office and building to building – this was going to be an important factor to get right.

Finally, I wanted it to be something I could complete every morning in my quiet time. It needed to be customizable based on what any particular day could hold. I wanted it to only contain information I need for that one day.

Not Yet Perfected!

I will close by saying that I have not completely figured it out yet. I have spent the past month trying various layouts of this game plan. I have tried it on paper and electronically. I have skipped parts on some days and other parts on other days.

I am pleased to report that the results so far are good! I am seeing improvement in the effectiveness of my days. While I am not seeing an overnight tripling of my productivity, I am seeing some very clear benefits. I have seen enough improvement so far to keep me working on the idea.

Details To Come!

In my next post, I am going to show you my daily game plan as it stands today. I will take you through each part of it step-by-step and explain the reasoning behind each. I hope you will find some benefit to the process.

I will go ahead and ask you to take a look and give me feedback. I am interested in your ideas and critiques. If you see something I have missed, please call me out on it! I see this as an opportunity to vet this tool and improve it.

Feedback?

I would love to hear from you on what I have shared so far. Do you see this as a worthy process or do you think I am a nut case for even trying?!? Either way, please give me your comments below and lets see where everyone stands on this!

Do you have a life plan that is helping you to be intentional?

Do you see the need for a daily game plan to work from?

What do you use to accomplish this?

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Is There Spiritual Drift in Christian Business?

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I recently heard a guest speaker at our church that did a fantastic job with his message. As I often do these days, I saw parallels between his message to the church and what we as Christian business owners and leaders need to hear. His message dealt with how individuals, and therefore churches, can experience spiritual drift and how it can be corrected. Let’s look at how this applies to us in Christian business.

spiritual drift

Spiritual Drift Is Common

First of all, Christian leaders of all kinds can experience spiritual drift. This happens when the leader slowly and imperceptibly begins to move in a direction that creates increasing distance between himself or herself and God. It is not intentional or even desired. Most often, it is not even noticed until it has already been happening for a while.

Spiritual drift is not always due to stress or strain. In fact, it may be more common during good times. It happens whether these leaders are running businesses as platforms for ministry or serving as staff members in the local church. No Christian leader is immune to spiritual drift.

Spiritual Drift In Christian Business

Now let’s determine what this drift looks like in a Christian business owner or leader. Then we will talk about three steps to correcting this drift.

As we have discussed before, a Christian business owner or leader is one that views his or her business or team from an eternal perspective. This leader understands that the business is a gift and responsibility from God to be used to create eternal returns. Simply put, the goal of a Christian business is to point people toward God and impact their eternity.

If this is the (simplified) vision of the Christian business owner or leader, then any focus that takes the business in a direction away from that vision is a symptom of spiritual drift.

Examples Of Spiritual Drift

When a Christian business owner or leader begins making decisions that are intended to increase his or her personal comfort at the expense of other employees, spiritual drift could exist. The same is true if this leader chooses strategies that do not honor God simply because competition has heated up around him.

When the Christian business leader loses touch with the needs of his or her employees or customers due to other distractions, spiritual drift is likely. Maybe it is nothing more than a loss of passion for the mission. While seemingly harmless, this issue could actually indicate significant drift.

My Experience With Spiritual Drift

The scary thing, as I mentioned earlier, is that this drift often happens without being noticed. I have experienced this myself in our business.

Over the years, I have had great intentions for all sorts of ways to minister to employees or customers. I have started mapping out the plans, but then something would come along and distract me. It did not seem like that big of a distraction at first, but then it would grow.

Various Causes

Maybe this distraction was a crisis or maybe it was an opportunity that presented itself. Either way, my mind was taken off of the ministry focus. Not a huge deal, but it would certainly delay my progress, right?

Well, if you combine this distraction with a weak quiet time streak or some other spiritual weakness, the impact can be greater than you might imagine. In fact, I have looked up several months later only to realize my ministry plans are sitting on the shelf gathering dust.

Does any of this ring a bell?

What To Do About It?

So, assuming we have all experienced this kind of drift at one time or another, what do we do about it? Is it even critical that we address it or should we accept it as part of life? Will our path eventually turn back toward God on its own? Is there any real danger in this kind of drift?

I would like to know your thoughts on these questions. Submit your comments below and let me know your take on all of this.

In my next post, I will give you three steps to correcting the drift. Stay tuned!

Have you experienced this spiritual drift?

Did it sneak up on you or did you see it coming?

What did you do about it?

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Apostle Paul And Marketplace Ministry, Part 3

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In my last two posts, we have been looking at an example of marketplace ministry from the life of the Apostle Paul. I showed you how the Apostle Paul set an example for us in the marketplace of Athens. I also reviewed the first two steps in Paul’s 4 step process of sharing the gospel in the marketplace. In today’s post, I want to break down the last two steps of this four-step marketplace ministry method and how we can apply it in our current-day Christian business settings.

marketplace ministry

Paul’s Marketplace Ministry In Acts

As a refresher, please take another moment to read the passage – Acts 17:16-34. As a reminder, here are the first two steps from last post:

Step #1 – Be observant and sensitive to your surroundings.

Step #2 – Listen to what they say.

Now let’s move on to the final two steps…

Step #3 – Use their language to communicate your message.

Paul – If you remember back in Step #1, Paul had observed an altar “To An Unknown God.” While this may seem silly to us, it was obviously important to his audience. Rather than mocking them for their rampant idol worship, Paul used that very altar to lead into his discussion on the one, true God.

He went on in his message and talked about how God is not one dwells in temples built by human hands. As a society worshipping many gods, they were very familiar with temples and had many scattered around Athens. Finally, Paul even mentioned (and quoted) their own poets.

Application – We are called by God to be separate and different than the society in which we live. At the same time, we should follow Paul’s example and be familiar enough with the “language” of this society that we can carry on meaningful conversations. Too often, we act like we cannot even associate with “those people” that we see as sinners and non-believers.

If you read about Jesus’ ministry here on earth, you will quickly see that “those people” are the very ones with which he associated. We are to do the same, talking to them in ways they understand, not in “churchy” language that confuses them.

Step #4 – Tell them the simple truth.

Paul – Paul observed their surroundings, listened to what they had to say, and tailored his message to their language. What he did not do is water down the gospel message. He did not skip over the resurrection because it might “offend” or cause them to ridicule him. He did not acknowledge their beliefs as another option for salvation.

In his marketplace ministry, Paul stuck to the simple truth of the gospel message. He did not swerve from it to the right or the left. The results? Some sneered and others mocked him. But still others came to believe and followed him to learn more.

Application – There is so much pressure today to show tolerance for other religious views. Christians are ridiculed for believing that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father. As a result, many Christians (even some pastors!) retreat from this message and water down the gospel. I think this is simply a tragedy.

Our responsibility is not to modify or reduce the gospel message to one that is more easily swallowed by a stiff-necked crowd. We DO need to present it in a way that is understandable by the crowd. Otherwise, we may as well leave it written in Latin. But to go beyond this and CHANGE the message itself is not acceptable.

Stick with the simple truth and God will honor your efforts. Even if you are another Jeremiah without a single convert, you cannot lose heart. Only the Holy Spirit can do the work in their hearts. Our job is to cast the seed. The rest is up to Him!

Do you see how you can engage in marketplace ministry?

What does it look like in your situation?

What obstacles are holding you back?