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

Stopped Listening?

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

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

Examples From Scripture

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

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

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

My Situation

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

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

My Reaction

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

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

The Right Path!

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

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

Has this ever happened to you?

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

What are you going to do about it?

Photo by izustun / iStock

Focused On The Goal

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

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

Not The Right Path?

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

A Friendly Introduction

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

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

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

My Wake Up Call!

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

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

To Be Continued…Tuesday!

Have you been in a similar situation?

What do you think Pastor Julio told me?

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

Photo by Smileus / iStock

Either you thought of it or someone you know has tossed it up to you.  Either way, it is a valid question.  After all, based on the news and political issues all around us, it appears that the last thing you want to do is associate your business with anything Christian.  It is too polarizing, right?

Barna Group Study

Surprisingly, it is not as big an issue as you might think!  According to a study conducted by Barna Group (check out the details of the study here), the people that may be offended with any Christian connection to your business are actually a very small minority.  Let’s look at the results.

When asked in two different ways about the likelihood of their doing business with a company that was managed according to Christian principles or embraced and promoted the Christian faith, roughly 55% of these consumers indicated they were indifferent!  In other words, the connections to Christianity did not affect their buying decisions in either direction.  Of course, while this is good news, it really does not tell us what we want to know.  Let’s dig a little further.

How about those that would be more likely to do business with a Christian company?  These responses to the question made up roughly 40% of the total responses!  Two out of every five consumers surveyed said that a company’s connection to the Christian faith would make them more likely to do business with them.  In fact, almost 25% said they would be a lot more likely to do so!

Fantastic News!

I see both of these results as fantastic news!  While I do not believe we are to market and advertise our Christian faith in our business (some may argue this), I am glad to know that the vast majority of those who see the connection are either indifferent or more likely to do business with us!

So what percentage of the responses is left over?

How many people are less likely to do business with a Christian company?

According to the Barna Group study, only 3% – less than one in thirty – of the respondents said they would be less likely to do business with a company that has overt connections to Christianity.  Only 3%…is that really a large enough population to cause concern?

Our Experience

While I have not conducted an official study like Barna, I have been outspoken about the Christian foundation for our business for almost fourteen years now.  I have never been confronted by anyone claiming offense at our beliefs.  I have had a couple of email complaints (literally 2 or 3) stating they would not purchase from us due to our Christian witness.  I am also certain that we have had customers walk away, but just not voice their opinion.  I don’t doubt that at all.

But really, how many do you think make up that group?  If your experience DOUBLED that of the Barna study, would 6% kill your business?  Do you really fear the size of that group more than you trust God at His Word?  He promises to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19).  He promises if we will seek Him first, he will add “these things” (Matthew 6:33).  God is faithful to make good on His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9).  Trust Him to do just that!

What are you really afraid of?

Isn’t your God bigger than that fear?

What should be your next step?

Photo by AntonioGuillem / iStock

Let’s make this easy. Below is a list of ways you can misuse prescription drugs. In addition to the explanation for each misuse is a parallel misuse of Scripture. See if any of these abuses hit home with you.

1. You forget to take it.

Prescription Drugs– You have the right prescription and you intend to take it at the right time, but you keep forgetting to take it. The pill bottle just sits there on your bedside table collecting dust. Do you have a realistic hope of getting better with this behavior?

Scripture – You know from experience or even from a recommendation that spending regular time reading Scripture will help you with whatever problem you have. You have a Bible and the freedom to read it when you want to, but you keep forgetting.

Of course, you know that if it was truly important to you, you would not forget. Instead, it appears that you are more comfortable in continuing to struggle. Either that, or you would rather get your “prescription” from a non-licensed physician. Maybe your friends or the latest self-help book really can give better advice than the Creator of the universe.

2. You apply it incorrectly.

Prescription Drugs– Your elbow is hurting. Rather than going back to the doctor for a new prescription, you decide to pull out the ointment you were given for athlete’s foot last year. You rub this ointment on your elbow for relief. Don’t think this never happens!

Scripture – This one can apply two ways. First, you have good intentions, but you simply do not yet have the skills required to properly apply what you are reading. Likely, you are simply misinterpreting what you are reading. Fortunately, in this case the Holy Spirit will be helpful and guide you in the right application if you will just ask for help.

The other way this can happen is when you have a particular solution in mind before you even search God’s Word. You search and search until you find a verse that could be taken out of context to fit your needs. An extreme example would be to use Genesis 38:15-16 to confirm your weekend plans!

3. You do not fill the prescription.

Prescription Drugs– You took the time to go to the doctor and have him prescribe something to give you relief from your ailment, but you really don’t have time to go to the pharmacy to fill the prescription. Maybe tomorrow. Really?

Scripture – A friend or mentor has told you that reading and meditating on a certain Psalm really helped them get over their similar problem. You have thought about taking the time to read that Psalm, but you have just been so busy. You really have not had time to read it. You will work on that next week.

4. You won’t even go to the doctor.

Prescription Drugs– You hurt and you know there is likely something that could bring you relief, but you don’t want to ask. The doctor may think you are weird or weak. Someone may find out that you are not the specimen of health you pretend to be.

Scripture – You work with someone that often mentions how specific Scriptures have helped her overcome struggles in her life. You have similar struggles, but you cannot bring yourself to ask her where to look in the Bible for help. She may think less of you if she knows you have these struggles. You will just figure it out on your own.

5. You do not ingest it.

Prescription Drugs– You have the right prescription and you remember to take it, but you are somewhat afraid to swallow it completely. Instead, you decide to lick it on a regular schedule. Do you really think this will work?

Scripture – In this case, you do take your Bible out and read it regularly. The reading part is not the problem, but you really are not confident enough to fully digest what you have read and apply it. Instead, you are hopeful that you will gain enough benefit just from coming in contact with God’s Word. You really are hoping that maybe you will get Holy Spirit Brownie Points for the effort!

Do any of these abuses sound familiar? Do you struggle with any of these abuses of Scripture?

I think these abuses may be more common than we think. At the same time, there is one way that abuses of prescription drugs and Scripture are different. In fact, I would venture to say that this specific form of abuse can cause opposite effects.

6. You take too much of the prescription.

Prescription Drugs– Your head really hurts more today than normal. You decide to take triple the recommended dose. Surely that will take the pain away three times as fast, right?

Scripture – You find that properly taken as directed, reading and applying God’s Word really works! In an effort to increase the effects, you decide to spend a lot more time reading and meditating on it. The funny thing is that this actually works even better!

The bottom line is that we need to treat the Scripture as if it has been prescribed to us and we should take it as directed. For some specific advice on this, check out the following Scripture and see if it is clear enough for you.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Psalm 119:11

James 1:22-25

Proverbs 3:1-2

2 Timothy 2:15

What is your experience with Scripture?

Are you guilty of abusing it in any of the ways listed?

What can you do to improve your track record?

Photo by svedoliver / iStock

Doubt and Frustration

If you have not read the last two posts, you need to start here with Part 1 and then read Part 2 here. Those posts will catch you up to this one.

At the time described in those posts, I recognized that I was in the wrong. I knew I was depressed and frustrated, but without real justification, during the two days of meetings. However, I did not see the depth of my problem. I was too focused on the circumstances to see the root.

Misdiagnosis

As I explained, I am very competitive! I do not like to lose and I saw the comparisons in that meeting as indications that I was losing. It created a deep frustration and anger at the picture on which I was focused.

Unfortunately, I did not see the root of this problem until reading over my Sunday School lesson the next week. The light slowly came on as I progressed through Sunday School and then listened to the sermon on the same topic.

As I read several examples of envy in the Bible, I began to recognize that it was the real root of my frustration.

Examples of Envy

As early as Genesis 4, envy shows up when Cain and Abel gave offerings to God. Abel’s offering pleased God, but Cain’s did not. This angered Cain and caused him to attack and kill his brother.

In Numbers 12:1, Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses for marrying a Cushite woman, but the real issue came out in verse 2. Here, they attacked Moses’ position of leadership, saying they should be sharing in it. Miriam was punished with leprosy for instigating this incident.

Later, you can read about King Saul and his envy of David in 1 Samuel 18. When the people sang about David’s conquests being greater than King Saul’s, this greatly angered King Saul. This envy eventually drove Saul to attempt to kill David on a couple of occasions.

My Issue Was Envy

More and more, I began to see how my attitude in those meetings was more about envy than being competitive. I could call it whatever I wanted to call it, but it looked just like envy when compared to the stories in the Bible.

No, I was not angry enough to want to attack anyone in the meetings! At the same time, I was certainly sideways to the point of not being able to learn and function the way I should have been. I just kept looking at the numbers and obsessing over the gap between ours and theirs. Is this really any different?

Problems With Envy

Just so you know how serious envy can be, I have compiled a short list of five problems you need to consider when faced with envy in your heart. As is normally the case, this is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good start. Maybe you can add to it in the comment section.

1. You are the one hurt the most.

Envy is not healthy and will eat you alive from the inside. In fact, Proverbs 14:30 calls it rottenness in the bones. Those you envy will never know it and will not be hurt by it. Envy as a weapon is best described as a boomerang!

2. You are thinking in scarcity terms.

This problem with envy is that it assumes a win for someone else is a loss for us. Their fortune is our misfortune. This is simply wrong thinking! God can bless us as He chooses. He does not have a limited number of blessings that He can dole out. Psalm 24:1 tells us that the entire earth is God’s – and everything in it! God’s economy is an abundance economy, not one of scarcity.

3. Things will only get worse.

James 3:16 tells us that envy leads to disorder and every kind of evil. You cannot stop the train of your emotions at envy. Once started, that train will plow through relationships, businesses, and any lives that get in its way.

4. You are telling God you do not trust Him.

When we envy others, we tell God that we do not trust His will for us. We scream to Him that we deserve more and that He must not be looking out for our best interests. We are more likely to grab the steering wheel from Him at this point and attempt to head in a different direction than He wills for us.

5. You are telling God that what He has given is not enough.

And saving the best for last, with our envy, we tell God that the blessings He has given us so far are not enough – beginning with our salvation through the cross of His Son Jesus! We are basically saying that we know we are blessed, but we want to be MORE blessed and He needs to get started on that right now!

What would you add to the list?

Have you battled envy?

How do you overcome envy in your life?

Photo by Oliver Hoffmann/iStock

Doubt From Last Post

I ended my last post with several questions.

How do we get out of the quicksand?

How do we regain our footing?

How do we get back to the truth?

The Rest Of The Story

Well, here is the VERY cool part of my story. If I had not witnessed it myself, I would not believe it. I promise you I am pretty skeptical. However, I promise you what happened next is real and actually happened. No joke.

At the end of the second day of this meeting, I was sitting in my hotel room working on my notes and trying to formulate action plans for improving our performance. I had ordered room service because the weather outside was not that great.

When the knock on the door came, signaling that my food had arrived, I let the waiter into my room. He was smiling and very friendly. I helped him bring the cart to the side of the desk where I had been working. As I helped get the cart in place, he spoke.

Out Of The Blue!

“I have been trying to memorize Psalm number 40,” he said in broken English (he was Hispanic). I processed the words, but I did not immediately realize what he said. It took my mind a split second or two to respond.

“I am sorry…what did you say?” I asked.

“Uh, Psalm number 40…you know, from the Bible? I am trying to memorize it!” he replied. As he said this, he pulled out a very worn piece of paper and began unfolding it. He held it out so I could see it.

I Didn’t Know What To Think

Dumbfounded, I asked to hold it. The page was filled with fairly rough handwriting, in Spanish. I could not read it, but it was obviously laid out in verses on front and back. I handed it back to him.

He asked if I was familiar with Psalm 40. I knew in the back of my mind that I had read it before and remembered it to be a familiar Psalm, but I could not recall the theme. I asked him what it said to him. I wanted to know both what it was about and what it meant to him.

He said he did not really know how to describe it in English. I then realized my laptop was on and the Bible online already open because I was planning to come up with ideas for some posts after lunch. I typed in Psalm 40 and began to read. Here are the first 5 verses:

Psalm 40:1-5

I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
He brought me up from a desolate pit,
out of the muddy clay,
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.

How happy is the man
who has put his trust in the Lord
and has not turned to the proud
or to those who run after lies!
Lord my God, You have done many things—
Your wonderful works and Your plans for us;
none can compare with You.
If I were to report and speak of them,
they are more than can be told.

I Could Not Believe It!

Folks, I don’t know about you, but that was simply incredible to me! I quickly looked around the room to see if there had been anything that would have caused him to start that conversation. There was nothing. Even the Bible website had been minimized at the bottom of my laptop screen. This truly came out of the blue without natural explanation.

As I read the verses, it was clear to me that God had used this man to speak directly to my heart. He wanted me to know that honoring Him with my business was more important than the success. While I can certainly improve in areas, God is more concerned with my trust being in Him. He really touched me.

We talked for the next several minutes about God and how awesome He is. I thanked him for sharing with me. We really did not communicate through language that well, but our eyes made real contact. I know I will see him again one day, that is for sure!

Take Aways

So what do I take from this encounter?

Well, for starters, God has not forgotten me. When I needed it, He sent me a word that changed my outlook! He sent me a direct message that brought my focus right back to where it is supposed to be.

He literally brought me and my attitude out of the pit and put me on solid ground again. He put a new song in my mouth and He showed me where to place my trust – in Him, not in those who run after lies.

I have more to say on this encounter, but I will save it for another post. Let’s just say that I think this encounter will teach me more than what I gathered at first glance.

What would you take away from this experience?

Have you experienced anything like this?

Did the experience have an impact on you?

Photo by DragonImages/iStock

Extraordinary Impact

Before I go any further, let’s first take a look at a scene where Jesus is looking to have extraordinary impact on those around Him. Jesus has come to his hometown to teach and perform miracles. In this case, He is unable – that’s right, UNABLE – to perform the miracles He desired. Let’s look at the following verses to see what was limiting His ability.

Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” So He was not able to do any miracles there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He was amazed at their unbelief.
Mark 6:4-6

His Power Limited!

Did you see that? Jesus, the Son of God and all-powerful, “was not able” to perform miracles. Why? Because of the unbelief of the people there in his hometown!

As I read this passage, I notice that it does not say that Jesus chose not to perform. It says He was UNABLE to perform the miracles. That is some serious limiting of power coming from a behavior that many of us take too lightly. We are all guilty of it to one extent or another.

Our Unbelief

For some, this unbelief comes in underestimating God’s power to transform people. For others, we exhibit our unbelief when we begin to doubt our calling or question whether we are “good enough” to carry out what we believe God has led us to do.

Whatever the circumstances when we fall, slide, or dive into this state of unbelief, we are immediately limiting the power of God in our situation. We are creating the very results (little to none!) that we fear!

What Is The Solution?

So, what is the solution? How can we weaken or eliminate the strength and frequency of this behavior of unbelief? How do we move from unbelief to belief, unleashing the full power of God in our businesses as well as our personal lives?

While there may be some deeper issues that you need to address, I will give you four actions that I believe (and have proven) will work to increase your belief. These four actions are very simple in nature, but powerful in practice. If you will create habits within each of the four areas, you will most definitely reduce the power of unbelief in limiting your impact!

#1 – Read The Bible!

I am fairly sure you knew this was going to be one of the actions I would recommend. Well, you were right because it is THE most effective way to increase your belief. You need to read about the various flawed characters in the Bible and how God was faithful to use them for miraculous results, despite their weaknesses.

Unbelief creeps in when we begin to doubt whether God can or will act on our behalf. When we read about how He HAS done this for others that were just as screwed up as we are, we begin to believe He will do it for us as well. Take some time and go see what I am talking about.

#2 – Start A Journal!

Too many people underestimate the power of a personal journal. They feel it is a waste of time and they are already too limited on time. Unfortunately, these people are missing out on an incredible source of reassurance and confidence.

When you journal, you are writing about what is happening in your life from day to day. As God acts on your behalf (you know when it happens!), you document it and share your feelings of excitement and wonder. While it is fresh, you write in your own words how your belief is strengthened right then.

The power in this habit is best shown when you later hit a period of unbelief. Immediately, you grab your journal and begin reading about past experiences when God was faithful…in your own words! You cannot argue with your own experience and so your belief is strengthened again.

#3 – Join With Other Believers

Whether you join a small group of believers for the purpose of accountability, Bible study, discipleship, or other support needs, you will find a gold mine of opportunity to strengthen your belief. As you spend time with other believers in a small group, you will hear multiple stories about how God is moving in the lives of the group members.

So even when you are feeling like God has left you all alone and your unbelief begins to creep in, there will be another member in that group that can share a similar experience where God showed up and showed off. Most likely, you will even remember when it happened and how excited they were at the time. Watching God act in the lives of those close to us is a great builder of belief.

#4 – Ask For Help!

In Mark 9, Jesus is approached by a man requesting that He heal his son. Jesus says anything is possible for the one who believes. The man answered, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.” At first glance, this response is confusing, but I think I understand.

The father believed Jesus was special. Like us, he knew Jesus had the power to perform whatever miracle He wanted. However, also like us, he seemed to have some doubt about whether Jesus would perform a miracle for him. So rather than trying to act like he had full belief, the man admitted his weakness and asked Jesus for help. We must do the same!

Unbelief is something you will most likely deal with at one time or another. It creeps up on all of us. If you will take action in each of the four areas above, I believe you will find you are able to overcome the unbelief. In doing so, you will find God is able to increase your impact.

How much is unbelief limiting your impact?

Do you believe that God’s impact through you could increase?

Which of these 4 actions will you implement for greater impact?

Photo by g-stockstudio/iStock

Rich Young Ruler

Before I explain the application I see in this story, let’s revisit the passage about this rich young ruler. This wealthy young man has asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus first responds with a list of commandments he should follow. Then the young man responds:

He said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”

Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

But he was stunned at this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
Mark 10:20-22

Possessions = Obstacles

When most people read this story, they assume it is about money or possessions. In fact, that is not the point of the story at all. The key take-away is that Jesus knew what was standing in between the rich young ruler and a life of fully committed discipleship.

For this young man, it was not a matter of obvious sin from breaking the commandments Jesus listed at first. No, for this young man, it was his possessions that owned him. They were destroying his chance at a meaningful relationship with Jesus. Jesus recognized this and required that he let go of that wealth first, before he could follow Him.

“Possessions” Before God

The lesson we must learn from this story is that each of us may have different “possessions” that we are placing before God in priority. As Christian business owners and leaders, there seem to be a number of these “possessions” that we have in common. If we are to live lives of fully committed discipleship, then we must be willing to let go of them.

Of course, I cannot possibly list all possible “possessions” that might be keeping you from a life of committed discipleship. Instead, I have chose what I believe are 5 of the most common for people in our positions. Take a look at pray about which of these resonate with you.

#1 – Pride In Success

It is one of the easiest traps to fall into when you are in business. We are typically wired to achieve and accomplish feats that others avoid. As a result, it is sometimes easy to begin feeling a pride in what we have accomplished.

Even worse, we begin to seek that feeling just as if we are addicted to a drug. This desire for pride in our success begins to bleed into our decisions and subconscious thoughts. If we are not willing to let go of this pursuit, we will head in a different direction from Jesus and His desire for our lives.

#2 – Desire For Luxury

When business is good, the financial results can be plentiful. Despite our best efforts to remain untouched by the desire for more, better, bigger, and nicer things, it is not uncommon for us to succumb to the draw of luxury. This is especially true when our peers (the Jones’) are living it up!

Jesus does not call wealth a sin. The sin appears when it becomes our god. This was the problem for the rich young ruler and it is a problem for many business leaders. We must be intentional about avoiding this yearning at every turn if we want our hearts to remain in Him.

#3 – Fear Of Loss

Depending on when you were born, this “possession” may be more of a problem for you than most others. Those that are Baby Boomers or older will be most susceptible to this issue. Having lived through the Great Depression or having been raised by someone that has can create a serious fear of loss. Recognizing that wealth is fleeting can drive a person to hold onto it with an even stronger grip.

This drive is different than the drive for luxury or the desire for success. It causes one’s every thought to revolve around holding onto worldly wealth. It makes it difficult to take risks for God out of fear of the consequences. If we are to live the life of a fully committed disciple, then we must get rid of this “possession” and be willing to risk it all for Him!

#4 – Hedging Your Bets

It is not unusual for business owners to see risk in various segments of their industry. In order to reduce the risk of excessive loss, they decide to diversify. They spread their investments across several different segments in an effort to hedge their bets.

This same strategy can bleed over into our personal lives. If we have doubts about God or have not yet cully committed our lives to Him, then we might choose to “hedge our bets” by splitting our commitment between the promises of this world and the things of God. This lack of full commitment is exactly what Jesus addressed in Revelation 3:16. We must quit dividing our commitments and go all in, one way or the other!

#5 – Favor Of Men

If there was one group of people Jesus challenged more than any other, it was the religious leaders. Their problem was that they were more concerned with gaining the favor of men than that of God (John 12:42-43). Their actions reflected their desire to gain the respect and favor of the people. As business leaders, we are often guilty of the same mindset.

When we make decisions based on how it will affect our popularity or reputations rather than our understanding of God’s leading, then we are putting this “possession” ahead of Him. We must let go of this desire and focus instead on what we believe God would have us do, regardless of the impact on our popularity!

What “possessions” are you holding onto?

Are any of these “possessions” causing you trouble?

What should be your next actions?

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Who I Am Not Talking To!

Before we get to my main points, let me clarify who I am not talking to – the ones who have never had a relationship with God. The purpose of their claim to be Christians is simply to gain unwarranted credibility and attract more customers or better employees. These business people are painting whatever picture they need to paint in order to build their business. I am not speaking to this group…they aren’t reading my material anyway!

Why Are Our Standards Not Aligned?

For the rest, I don’t need to tell you that business is difficult. There seem to be new challenges every day and sometimes it is simply overwhelming. So when it comes to the idea of raising the standards of our business practices to align with God’s word and His desires for us, some Christian business leaders simply say, “Enough!” and stick with the status quo. They continue in their efforts to live in relationship with God, but they don’t believe they have the energy to raise their bar any higher.

Others have a desire to live out their faith, but have always been taught that business and their Christian faith are separate ideas, never to be mixed. I fell into this category for much of my life. Even when these Christ-followers begin to realize that God desires our entire commitment to Him (EVERY part of our lives!), most have no idea how to start!

We Are To Honor God

Regardless of the reasons, it is clear from Scripture that we are to honor God with our hearts and actions, not just pay Him lip service. Look at the verses below from a passage where Jesus was addressing the religious leaders.

He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
Matthew 7:6

Something Must Change!

This same idea can be applied to us as we claim the name of Jesus in our lives, but then go into the marketplace and act as if our relationship with Him has no effect on our actions or business practices. Folks, this simply cannot continue! Either we are following Jesus AND carrying out His teaching in every part of our lives OR we are not following Him – paying Him lip service instead. We cannot continue to carry only PART of our cross daily.

If you are one who knows your business practices do not align with Scripture and you are committed to change that, then I have some advice for you. First, know that I am excited for you! You are going to embark on a great adventure and will have incredible stories to tell about God’s provision. Get ready, because the ride can be a wild one!

3 Steps To Eliminating Lip Service

Now that you are ready to get started, there are three simple steps to follow to bring change to your business practices. Before I explain the steps, please know that while these are simple, they are still difficult. Please do not blow off these steps because they are not complex. Do not take them lightly because they are so simple. Just follow them and watch to see what God does!

Step #1 – Acknowledge The Gap

If there is to be change, you must first acknowledge that there is a need for it. You cannot tiptoe into these next two steps until you have fully committed your heart to this first step. It may be that you have been thinking about this for a while. Good, you are probably ready to jump! If this is a new idea to you, I promise you it is worth your time to pray that God would prepare you for commitment to the rest of this process.

Step # 2 – Read & Pray

The next step is to go the Bible and read Psalm 119, several times. Read the whole chapter – it is not too long. Read it and stop to think about the heart from which it is written. Read it again. If you are in the right mindset, this chapter will resonate with your heart and you will understand why it is part of the first step.

Once you have read it several times, get on your knees and pray in your own words what the author of this Psalm asked of God. Pray for specific help with your business practices. Beg Him to show you where you need to act first and to give you the strength you will need to do so. Also ask God to help you align other areas of your life with Scripture, if that is needed. You are fully aligning your heart with His.

Do this first step repeatedly for several days. Come back to it as often as you need to. God will respond. He is certainly faithful to requests like this. As you begin to feel your heart shifting into alignment with His, add Proverbs to your daily reading.

Take small chunks and pray about them. Ask God where your business is not in alignment with these verses. The book of Proverbs is chock full of business wisdom and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to execute Step #3 in the process.

Step #3 – Act

Very simply, you now must act. Take what God has shown you and take action on it. He will cause areas of your business to bubble up to the surface of your mind. Dig into these areas and determine what He is asking you to change. Now, change them!

I promise you there are areas that are not in alignment with His word. I also promise you that many of these areas will be very difficult for you to change. Sometimes it is a matter of an easy tweak to what you are doing, but often it will require some foundation-level changes. While these are not easy, they are worth the effort to change.

Get Ready!

God will honor your efforts here. He desires every part of your life to be in alignment with His word. As you move toward this position, He will guide you, give you the strength to proceed, and reward you. Like I said, get ready because the ride is a wild one!

Are you paying God lip service? Ready to change?

What is your first step toward eliminating lip service?

Whose accountability are you going to enlist?

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7 Crucial Business Principles

Unfortunately, the following are business principles I have learned the hard way, through experience. If you will take them one at a time and consider each, you can learn them the easy way! Remember, just because each principle below has a fairly brief explanation, don’t be tempted to skip over it. Take each one and think it through. There is gold here! I am hopeful that you can avoid the trouble I had and skip right to the learning!

Business Principle #1 – Work IS Ministry

For the majority of my life, I have thought that I was either doing work or doing ministry, but never both at the same time. I have spent many years trying to balance my work and my ministry efforts. Unfortunately, I have been wrong all this time. The truth is that even my mundane tasks at work can be ministry.

The key is the purpose of the work. Our business’ mission is to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community. With that as our mission, any work I do on a day-to-day basis is helping to further that mission (Colossians 3:23). Because the heart of our mission is Christian ministry, my work in furthering that mission, through sustaining our business, is also ministry. Remember the next time you are creating or analyzing a report, signing checks, or running a meeting – you are also doing ministry!

Business Principle #2 – Change Takes Time

As I look back at some of my younger years, I realize how naive I was to think I could effect massive change in our organization in a short time period! So many times, I would lay out a plan for a new direction or initiative. I would include what I thought was a conservative timeline with various milestones along the way. I truly thought I was being realistic with my target dates.

The reality was that I was so far off base it was not funny. As I look back, it is more clear to me that the problem was not with the people in our organization, but with my timeline. I like change and can usually adapt to it fairly quickly. The same is not true with an organization. Do yourself a favor and allow for more time than you think is necessary when you plan for change. It will remove significant frustration for everyone!

Business Principle #3 – Communication Is Critical

It is easy to slip into the mindset that everyone you work with knows what you know or remembers what you remember. This is simply not the case. Even if you have told them before, their priorities are different than yours and it may have slipped their mind.

If you are in any way charged with leading a team, understand that constant and consistent communication is critical to your team’s health. If it is your job to cast and communicate the company mission and vision, then that is what you must do, day in and day out, without fail. Even if your job is not at that level, you must maintain a flow of information to your people. If you don’t, you will find your team failing before long.

Business Principle #4 – Calendars Are Self-Filling

If you do not fill in your calendar with your priorities, then others will fill YOUR calendar with THEIR priorities. This world is simply too fast and busy for you to leave your calendar open to whatever comes. If you do, you will find yourself working for everyone around you and never doing what you want, and need, to do.

My recommendation is to start with blocking off time well in advance for those most important tasks or priorities. Stick to these commitments and schedule other stuff around them. It will be tough initially, but you will get better at it as you begin to see the benefits. I promise, this is one principle worth addressing soon!

Business Principle #5 – Good Is Not Good Enough

I used to believe that when we made significant changes to align our business with God’s Word, people would begin to flock to our doors. They didn’t. Even people I respected and considered as friends chose to go elsewhere. This hurt and I took it personally, at first.

Then I began to realize the being “good” isn’t good enough. People will not patronize a business simply because it is run by “good” people or based on “good” principles. Chick-Fil-A is not successful because the Cathy family is “good”. Chick-Fil-A is successful because they operate incredibly excellent businesses with exceptional products and even better customer service. Being “good” is worthy, but business success requires you to go further.

Business Principle #6 – My Time Is Expensive

I used to believe that if something needed to be done and I could do it, then I needed to do it. See an incomplete task that I can do? Do it! Again, this is not the right mindset for success in business. Just because it is something I CAN do does not mean it is something I should do. Let me explain.

I need to focus my energy and effort on those tasks that ONLY I can do. I then need to delegate other tasks to someone with less experience, knowledge, or a more basic skill set. If I am doing these tasks, I am not able to perform the job that only I can do and the business suffers. Take a look at what you do on a daily basis. If someone else could do it for less, delegate it and free up time to do what you do best.

Business Principle #7 – Being Organized Is Cheaper

If time is money, then being organized saves me money. I used to have an office that looked like I was extremely busy! At least that is what I told myself at the time. I had stacks here and there with papers everywhere. Then I began to realize that this lack of organization was costing me time (and therefore money).

I took it upon myself to learn how to be organized. I started with David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done. I created a system for organizing my desk, computer, and office. It took time, but the investment has paid off in spades. I have been virtually paperless for years and my office reflects it. I now save time and energy because I have a system to find what I need when I need it.

Summary

I hope at least one of the above business principles has struck a nerve with you. I promise you that any one of them can make a significant impact in your success if you will take the time to understand it and make the necessary changes. I know you can do it!

Have you already learned any of these principles the hard way?

Which of these principles will you accept and act upon now?

Do you have any principles you would add to this list?

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