Tag Archives: Bible

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5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety, Part 2

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[This is a the second half of my post on the 5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety. If you have not read the first post, please take a moment to do that before reading this one. It will make much more sense!]

anxiety

Praying For Patience?

Have you ever prayed for patience? If you have or you know someone that has, you know that is just asking for trouble, right? With training for patience come trials. I have news for you…the same is true for writing about anxiety! Before my last post, I felt I had very little to “worry” about. In the last couple of days the reasons for anxiety have flooded in!

So far, I have attempted to practice my own advice! I am excited to say that it is working at the moment. I may have to come back to you later with some modifications or further instructions, but for now I will stick with my 5 Steps.

Eliminating Anxiety!

In my last post, I talked about the root of anxiety being a simple uncertainty of the future. I described how this uncertainty is not a problem until consequences are added. It is usually the size of the consequences that creates the anxiety that is so difficult for us to handle.

In that post, I gave the first two of these 5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety. Following is a summary of the first two steps and then the details of the final three steps. I suggest you take these and pray through them. I truly believe you will find that, with practice, they are effective.

Step #1 – Bible Is Truth

We must recognize and believe that the Bible is absolutely and totally the Word of God AND that it is without error or fluff. This step is non-negotiable and is the foundation for Step #2.

Step #2 – Read About Your Future

The next step is to read about our ultimate future as described, and promised, in the Bible. We are told there that Jesus died for us. If we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are promised an eternity with Him. Therefore, what happens to us between now and then is in His hands and unworthy of worry or anxiety.

Step #3 – Pray For Faith

Because it is easier to read and understand the truth in Step #2 than it is to fully accept it and internalize it, our next step is to pray for the faith we need. We need to be just like the father (whose son was dying) who said to Jesus, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:14-27)

Many professing Christians believe the Bible is true and that it gives us a picture of our ultimate future, but when life comes at them, their faith fails them. Anxiety takes over and faith seems like a distant memory. We simply cannot allow this to continue!

Cry out to God for the faith needed to believe what He tells you in His Word. Do not relent until He grants you this faith. Just remember that much of our faith comes from going through these trials and coming out on the other side. Looking back builds our faith for the next one!

Step #4 – Repeat Steps #2 & #3 As Needed

Unlike learning not to put your hand on a hot stove, this lesson about anxiety is not a once-and-done kind of lesson. This is something many people will struggle to defeat over a period of time. While this may be true, do NOT accept that it cannot be defeated. Anxiety is not something you just have to learn how to live with – unless you cannot get past Step #1!

Because it may take time, you need to keep doubling back to Step #2 and then Step #3. Repeat these steps over and over. Write them on labels and put them on your monitor at work and the dash of your car. Put them on your refrigerator at home. Memorize the Scriptures that speak to you the most.

As you do this, keep praying for God to help your unbelief. You may believe that He saved you, but you have trouble believing that He will provide a job for you. Maybe you can trust Him with your soul, but cannot seem to place your teenager in His hands. As you pray through this, you will begin to see the fallacy of your logic and your faith will grow to meet the challenges you are facing.

Step #5 – Enjoy The Peace

Oh yeah, Step #5 is the goal! If you will follow the first four steps listed above, then you will be treated to what is probably the greatest gift God has given us after our salvation – peace. If you have had it, you know what I mean!

If you look at the beginning of all of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, he starts with a mention of peace. Jesus talks many times about the peace he brings us, despite the trouble of this world. This is clearly our goal as it is the total absence of anxiety. Not only is it promised to us, but it is within our reach every day!

Practice Makes Perfect

You will not be fully successful with these five steps on your first try. You absolutely must commit to practicing them if you expect to be good at them. If you want this to work, you must work through these steps over time. Each time you will get stronger and stronger. Eventually, you will see that the truth of Steps #1 & #2 are enough to vanquish the anxiety at your door. Until then, keep practicing!

Now that you have the 5 steps, what do you think?

Are you willing to try following these steps?

What part of this process is new to you?

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5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety

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Before I even start this post, I want to be clear (again) that I do not have it all figured out AND that I may be oversimplifying an issue that seriously plagues most of us at one time or another. At the risk of offending some and confusing others, I am going to offer what I believe is the cure to this problem. This problem is anxiety.

anxiety

Anxiety Is Destructive

It goes by many names – stress, worry, concern, apprehension, fear, etc. Even when we only focus on the business world, anxiety takes on many shapes, sizes, and forms. Some suffer from it like a minor rash, but for others it may as well be a broken back or worse!

It can paralyze you when you need to make a critical decision. It can steal the focus you so desperately need to keep your business on track. It can be a pothole or a cliff. If you don’t suffer from it yourself, you surely know someone who does. If you or that person happens to be in leadership or a position of influence, then the results can be anywhere from frustrating to devastating.

Anxiety Defined

So what exactly is anxiety? What is at its root?

I think the root of anxiety is simply an uncertainty of the future.

At this level – simple uncertainty – there is not really a problem. Uncertainty by itself is not a big deal. Without consequences, uncertainty scares no one. I can be uncertain about the outcome of a coin toss without experiencing anxiety.

Add Consequences

However, if that coin toss takes on more significant meaning or determines what my future may look like, then anxiety can creep in. If the potential consequences of the coin toss are dire enough, anxiety can come rushing in like a flood!

The greater we perceive the consequences of the coin toss (or any event or situation in our lives), the more intense the anxiety becomes. If there are little to no potentially adverse consequences to the coin toss, then we have little to no anxiety. The reverse is also true.

When we simplify it like this (and de-personalize it), it becomes easier to see how it works (and how we can eliminate it). Do you agree?

Eliminating Uncertainty

Clearly, there are two ways we can eliminate uncertainty (and therefore anxiety). First, we could know all the details of the future, right? If we absolutely know the future, uncertainty is gone. If you have already watched a key football game, there is no anxiety in watching a recording of it again later.

Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to look into the future to see the outcome of every situation that causes us anxiety. We cannot look ahead to see if sales will reach the required quotas we have been given. We cannot look into the future to find out if a new product will succeed or fail.

The second way to eliminate uncertainty (and the resulting anxiety) is to know the ultimate future of a situation so that you can then assume the details leading up to that ultimate future. Back to the example of a football game – even if you did not watch the game, but you know the final score, you know enough about what happened during the game to relax.

Folks, I honestly believe it really is that simple for life. We can live a life without anxiety if we can only eliminate the uncertainty inherent in it. It sounds simple, right? Well it actually can be that simple.

Step #1 – Bible Is Truth

First, we must recognize that the Bible is absolutely and totally the Word of God. We must believe that it is without error or fluff. We must completely trust what God says to us through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16). It is not enough for us to give lip service to this belief – it must be part of the core of who we are.

I wish I could tell you otherwise, but this first step is non-negotiable. There is no way in the world to completely eliminate anxiety without starting here. If you cannot get past this first step, then you need to embrace anxiety as a close friend! You are not getting rid of it!

You might think you are okay with this step at this point. I hope so. However, if you find trouble later in this process, you may want to come back here and dig a little deeper. Without a rock-solid foundation here, no further steps will help you.

Step #2 – Read About Your Future

Next, we need to read what the Bible says about our ultimate future. What I believe it says is that Jesus died for me. Because I accepted this and invited Him to take over as Savior and Lord, He saved me from my sin and promised me an eternity after this life with Him (John 3:16).

This is a done deal and nothing can change it. The enemy cannot steal me from my Father’s hands. In fact nothing can separate me from Him (Romans 8:35-39)! I believe this. I believe this with all that I can muster.

If that is true, then what happens in between now and that ultimate future in heaven is irrelevant. When I look at my life from 10,000 feet and know that my ultimate future is completely and totally secure with His promise, then there is nothing in the details at 100, 50, or even 10 feet that should worry me or cause me anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34)! This called having an eternal perspective and I think it is the key to solving the problem of anxiety.

Whenever something does begin to cause me anxiety, then I simply need to remind myself that my ultimate future is in His hands and the rest is immaterial. If this is particularly hard for me to do in a given situation, then I need to dig to find out what about this situation is more important to me than my ultimate future. I may need to ask why I trust God with my ultimate future, but not with this immediate situation.

Final Three Steps

Once I can take God at His Word and look at this life from the eternal perspective, then anxiety will fade. Unfortunately, this is not always as easy as it sounds. In my next post, I will give you the final three steps to eliminating anxiety. Once you can successfully complete all five steps, I believe you will have put anxiety in its place for good!

Do you have a problem with anxiety?

Do you see how Steps #1 & #2 can begin to help?

What would you suggest for Steps #3, #4, & #5?

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Wisdom Is Not To Be Ignored!

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Personal responsibility is an idea that seems to have been forgotten in our society today. If you listen carefully, you will quite often hear people offer excuses or point fingers at others when something goes wrong in their lives. Even when it is clear to everyone else around them, they cannot seem to make the connection between their decisions and their circumstances. Worse than this, in my opinion, is the way in which many leaders handle wisdom when it is offered to them.

wisdom

Wisdom Ignored

In my last couple of posts, I have been discussing the problems that surface when someone seeks wisdom from godly counselors and then ignores or dismisses the wisdom they are given. We have all seen this happen and have likely been guilty of it ourselves at one point or another in our lives.

For various reasons, we seek out wisdom from godly advisors, but we do not take it and apply it as they prescribe. Maybe we were actually seeking someone to agree with us or to confirm our own wisdom. Maybe the wisdom offered requires more work or discomfort than we are willing to experience. There are many more reasons this could happen.

Various Problems

Regardless of the reasons, ignoring wisdom causes problems. In my first post on this subject, I showed how ignoring wisdom can lead to serious trouble for the one doing the ignoring. The next post described how godly advisors can (and should) stop offering advice to someone who repeatedly ignores it. In today’s post, we will look at how this issue affects those who are following the repeat offender.

Higher Standards

First, lets remind ourselves that as Christian business owners and leaders, we are held to a higher standard. The Bible is clear about this and we have spent a lot of time in this blog discussing this fact. We cannot allow ourselves to forget that we are not only responsible for ourselves. We are not the only ones facing the consequences of our decisions.

We are also responsible for those who work for us and with us. We are responsible for their families as well. We have responsibility for our vendors as well as our customers. Everyone with whom we come into contact is relying on us to make wise decisions in one way or another. Whether we like this or not, this is the path we have chosen.

As a result, when we run into a situation that requires us to seek wisdom from godly advisors, it is likely a decision that carries significant consequences. It is likely a decision that will affect all of those we mentioned above. If we decide to ignore the wisdom we receive for whatever reasons, then we are sentencing others to our same consequences. We are taking them with us!

What Does Scripture Say?

Let’s look at what the Bible has to say about this…

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
– Proverbs 13:14

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
– Proverbs 10:17

Leading Others Astray

Here you see that when we ignore the teaching of the wise, not only are we headed toward the snares of death, but we are also leading others to that fate as well. These are people that have trusted us to lead them. When we ignore the wisdom in front of us and choose our own path, we take them with us to face the consequences!

Even if we are okay with our own personal consequences of ignoring wisdom, we cannot allow others to be led astray as a result. Either we need to step down from our position of leadership or we need to step up to the responsibilities that come with it!

Pray For Clarity

I would encourage you to pray (as I will) that God would reveal to you situations where you ignored wisdom offered. Pray that He will make those situations clear to you and show you how to avoid them in the future. Pray for Him to give you wisdom, along with discernment to see it in others. Pray for the humility necessary to accept wisdom from others the next time you ask for it.

Have you witnessed disastrous results for those following one ignoring wisdom?

Do you accept the responsibility for leading others according to godly wisdom?

How do you maintain the humility needed to remain open to wisdom offered?

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Do You Understand God’s Training?

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I am not asking much. I simply want to know what God is doing in my life to prepare me for whatever is down the road. I don’t need to know everything, but I would like for Him to explain His purposes for the frustration I often experience. If He would just explain His training plan to me, then I think I would be able to handle it better!

training

True For You?

Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever just wished God would explain your suffering (or training) and how it will play into His plans for you in the future?

If so, you are not alone. In fact, I would imagine that all of us have felt this way at one time or another. It is human nature to want to understand. Not only do we think it would help us to do better in the training itself, we also want to see that there is a higher purpose for the training.

Example From The Karate Kid

If you ever watched the movie The Karate Kid (the original or the remake!), then you have seen this dynamic illustrated. If you have never seen the movie, then I recommend you watch it.

In the movie, an older karate expert (Mr. Myagi), agrees to teach a teenager (Daniel) about karate for the sake of defending himself. Rather than take Daniel into a karate studio for training as expected, Mr. Myagi begins giving him various chores to complete around his house.

Included in these chores are sanding the floor, waxing his cars, painting the house, and painting the fence. Each chore is exhausting and takes several days to complete. The further along Daniel goes in doing these “chores”, the more frustrated he gets until he finally blows up at Mr. Myagi.

Training Revealed

It is at this point that Mr. Myagi shows all that Daniel has been learning about karate while doing the chores. Daniel’s training had been going on all along, but he was unaware of it. Not only did he do a good job of overhauling Mr. Myagi’s home, he also gained invaluable training in the basics of karate.

Same For Our Lives

Folks, it works the same way in our lives – whether in business, at church, or with family. God is training us for the future. In Romans 8:29, Paul describes it as conforming us to the likeness of Christ. In Jeremiah 18:1-6, this training is compared to a potter and his clay. In Malachi 3:1-4, it is described as a refining and purifying of silver.

In each case, this training we will endure can be very painful and difficult. We will not understand it at the time and will likely push back in one way or another. We will question God. We will pray for relief and ask Him to deliver us from it. We will probably even share our frustration with our small group and ask them to pray with us.

God Understands

Fortunately, God understands. He is not frustrated by our blindness. He does not give up on us, despite our weakness. He never stops loving us, even if we shake our fist at Him for our situation.

At the same time, He does not relent. He does not stop the training just because we are not comfortable with it. He does not deliver us from the training when we beg or get angry. No, He continues.

Why?

God’s Character

Because He is good. Because He loves us. Because He has plans for us.

God would be doing harm to us if He stopped the training. He would not be looking out for our best interests if he removed us from the struggle. He would be thwarting His own future plans for us if He relented when we asked.

So what is the answer to this?

Our Part

Trust.

Trust that He is good. Trust that He loves us. Trust that He has plans for us.

Simply trust God on a daily, even hourly, basis. Trust Him even when He does not reveal His plans to you. Trust Him and you will eventually see that the results of His training are worth it. Trust in His goodness, love, and vision. Then, when the training is complete, you will see the fruit of all He has done in you.

Is this easy? NO!

Don’t Forget!

No, this is something that we have to remind ourselves of over and over. It is not a once and done type of thing. It is something that you will understand this moment and forget the next. That is part of being human.

The cool part is that He has given us His Word as a reminder. If we will bury ourselves in the Bible on a daily basis, we will often come across His promises and we will get the reminder we need for that day! If we will bury His Word in our hearts, we can draw from it whenever we need it!

What training are you experiencing right now?

Have you asked God to explain?

Do you trust God’s character?

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Do You Believe In The Mentor Process?

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I recently had the opportunity to participate in an interview process that was unrelated to our business. During the interview with a candidate, he mentioned one of the main desires he had for the job he was seeking. This main objective was to be mentored by his more experienced boss in a one-on-one setting. He felt this was the only way he would ever grow into the person he wanted to become.

How often do you hear that in an interview?

mentor

Still Learning!

I had another experience recently where I needed some advice from an older, more experienced friend in the business. As he responded to my questions, he included some ideas he had recently learned in a seminar he had attended.

Remember that I was seeking advice from him because he is older, wiser, and much more experienced in our industry. And yet he is still being intentional about his continued learning! I was impressed!

Not Impressed?

Maybe these examples are not that impressive to you. Maybe you already understand the importance of being mentored so that you are always learning. Maybe this idea is something you have experienced many times and you are looking for something new.

Well, I think I may have something for you.

What about BEING the mentor?

As Christian business owners and leaders, I think we can all agree that continuous learning is critical to our success. There are very few, if any, solid Christian leaders that would argue against continuous learning – whether by being mentored or self-taught.

Now A Mentor?

Unfortunately, you will likely get a very different answer if you ask those same Christian leaders if they are actively mentoring someone else! Of course, you will get many excuses and reasons for the lack of activity in this area. I can even come up with a few good ones myself!

Consult Scripture

The problem is that these excuses do not hold water when compared to Scripture. Just looking at one verse in Paul’s second letter to Timothy will shoot holes in these excuses:

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:2

While that may be enough to convince you to intentionally become a mentor, let’s also take a look at the following verses:

One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
1 Peter 5:2-3

I think you are getting the picture.

Learning Is Not Enough!

The point here is that it is NOT enough for us to be always looking for opportunities to learn more. While this is certainly something we should seek, there must be more. To follow Scripture, we must also be seeking out those who are eager to learn. We must be willing to mentor them, teaching them what we already know.

Paul taught Timothy and then told him to go teach others that would be qualified to do the same thing! We need to do this as well.

Different Formats

For some, this will mean a regular one-on-one meeting schedule with someone not as far along in their business or their walk. For others, this may mean leading a group study or teaching through a blog!

It really does not matter the format. What matters is that we are making the effort to pass on our knowledge and wisdom to those who can learn from it.

Nor does it matter if we can teach them everything they need to know! Most likely, we cannot. The good news is that we are not responsible for filling their tanks with knowledge. We are simply responsible for emptying ours!

Pray About Your Role!

I encourage you to pray this very day about who you need to mentor and how you should go about doing it. Do not put this off or it will never happen. This must be an intentional effort on your part.

If nothing else, at least begin praying that God would show you the path to being the mentor He wants you to be. I promise you He will answer if you are willing to be used!

Are you actively mentoring someone else right now?

If not, why not? What is holding you back?

Are you willing to pray about it?

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6 Keys to Graceful Employee Terminations

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When running a business, there are many things you will enjoy doing! Termination of an employee is most likely NOT one of those things. While it is not enjoyable, it is sometimes necessary.

The following two-part guest post from William Higgins will give you some great tips on how to execute terminations with grace. William is Founder and Managing Director of Mindware, Inc., a performance development, consulting, and publishing organization.

termination

Terminated

When it’s time for the termination of one or a number of employee’s relationships with the organization, it will almost always be painful, but it can be done with grace.

    The call on Monday came unexpectedly on my office phone, “I have some bad news,” the caller said after identifying themselves, “Friday will be your last day as an employee here.”

    The emotional blow from that pronouncement was like a heavyweight boxing champ giving me a roundhouse punch to the stomach. My knees were wobbly as if I had just finished running a marathon, and the stress induced noise in my head was like I was standing inside a skyscraper that had been brought to dust and debris from an implosion.

Such are the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of one just terminated.

No More Information?

There was no announcement to the team to let them know what had taken place. Nothing was said thanking the individual for their contribution, or informing co-workers of what lay ahead. It was just he was there one day and gone the next.

Can you imagine the blow to the individual, the drag this action had on morale, the fear in the minds of other team members as they asked themselves, “Am I next?”

What Should You Do?

As an employer, there are numerous valid reasons for termination of an employee’s business relationship, and you cannot stop the pain the person experiences. The pain is real. The experience hurts. It’s condescending and degrading to just ask them to trust God and know it will all work out for the best. While it’s true God will work things out, that kind of observation minimizes their feelings.

You will want to be sure you coordinate with your Human Resources department to be sure you are abiding by federal and state laws. While you cannot sidestep the pain of a termination, there are things you can do to terminate with dignity, value, and grace.

6 Keys To Graceful Termination

These 6 biblical keys will help integrate grace into the difficult termination process:

1. Be personal.
If at all possible meet with the person face-to-face. It’s terribly impersonal to receive this news over the phone, and it’s easy to feel like the person delivering the news took easy way out. If the person resides in another city, telephoning may be the only way, but it must be a second choice. In Matthew 18 Jesus instructs us to meet with a brother that has sinned against you in person. While the situation is different, the principle is the same.

2. Be honest.
There was a problem with the way some believers in the New Testament were welcoming those not walking in truth. John wrote to “the chosen lady” in 2 John to warn her of this. He was kind, gentle, and affirming, but he also spoke the truth. Don’t mince words with the terminated individual. Let them know the decision has been made and the reasons; performance issues, budget containment, or other valid resons. This approach will ensure they’re not confused or think there is still a way to salvage their position.

Don’t apologize. Don’t tell them everything will be okay. Don’t tell them they won’t have any trouble finding a new job. Don’t tell them they’ll feel better after they sleep on it. Don’t tell them how badly you feel about the decision. All of these can be viewed as condescending, even if said sincerely, since you still have a job. Assure them God is still at work, and He’s not finished with them yet.

3. Be gentle.
Paul discusses this principle in Galatians 6 in the context of a believer caught in sin, but the same principle applies here as well. In verse 1 of Galatians 6 Paul says to restore the person “gently.” The word gently in the original has in mind the care and compassion of a doctor firmly but tenderly setting a broken bone. You need to be firm, but you also need to be gentle. Don’t rush roughshod over the person. Inform them of the decision, but be willing to listen to their pain, to their frustration, to their anxiety without feeling the need to change the decision, or have an outplacement coach that will do this on your behalf.

**** Check out the next post for the remaining 3 keys! ****

What are your thoughts on graceful termination so far?

Do you see the benefits to the first 3 keys?

What issues do you anticipate so far?

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Another Dangerous Source Of Misinformation For A Christian Business Leader

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Have you ever faced a decision or an opportunity that seemed right at the time, but later proved to be completely wrong? At the time, there were so many facets of the opportunity that appeared to fit. The more you thought about it, the more right it felt! Later, nothing fit and you were amazed at how different it looked. This is how it often goes when misinformation is clouding your vision.

misinformation

Fleshly Lusts

In my last post, I described how misinformation can make already difficult Christian business challenges even more troublesome. In that post, I went into detail on worldly wisdom, the first of three sources of misinformation that we can face in Christian business. Today I want to talk about the second source of misinformation – fleshly lusts.

Real-Life Example

Years ago, my father had an opportunity to purchase a particular dealership. At the time, he was in a growth mode in his business and was looking for deals. This dealership was much further away than he thought was ideal. It was also much pricier than he originally had decided he could handle. In fact, its purchase would likely have stretched his resources.

He went to his father and described the deal to him and asked for his advice. As more and more questions were thrown his way, the truth came out. My father was most interested in this dealership because it included a Porsche franchise! He had always had a love for Porsche’s and now he had the opportunity to have a dealership full of them! This would allow him to drive his dream car as part of his job!

Blinded

This is an example of allowing a fleshly lust to serve as misinformation and drive a risky decision. Looking back at this decision later, my father could clearly see the danger, but at the time he was blinded. At the time, he saw Candy-Apple Red (his favorite color Porsche!) rather than a clear picture of business pros and cons.

This may be an extreme example and a large decision, but the danger is just as big in the little decisions we make every day. Our fleshly lusts can be sources of misinformation across a variety of categories.

Many Lusts

Obviously, the first lust most people think of is sexual lust. Certainly, that is a deadly one. But there are many more kinds of lust that can bring misinformation into our decision-making process.

How often do people make poor decisions because of the lust after a get-rich-quick scenario? What about lust after a prominent job title or house on the golf course? Even something as simple as the lust for respect in the community?

Immunity?

We are not immune to any of these! And all of these can serve as misinformation that can cause us to make poor decisions. If we do not work to avoid them, we will end up being ruled by them!

As I said in my previous post, I am quick to say that I do not have this source of misinformation defeated. I am a victim of fleshly lusts as much as anyone else. I fight it, but it is a deceptive pitfall. Just when you think you have it beat, it sneaks in another door!

Misinformation Awareness Is Key

All I can tell you is that awareness of this misinformation and the damage it can do is the beginning of the battle. I am not sure we can ever get to the point where it is not a danger, but we can certainly fight it with the power of the Holy Spirit.

God says we will not be tempted beyond what we can handle and He will always provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). We have to trust Him in this truth and make sure we are putting up defenses where we know we are especially weak (Ephesians 6:11-17).

By the way, I need to finish my story about my father’s dealership opportunity. He did not purchase the store. In fact, he followed his father’s advice. His father told him he was crazy – it would be much cheaper to just buy a Porsche car than it would be to buy the whole dealership!

Have you been blinded by a fleshly lust in business?

What defenses do you use for avoiding this?

Do you see how an accountability partner can help identify misinformation?

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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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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?

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Automotive Super Conference Coming Soon!

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Typically, I do not have much advertising on this blog. At the same time, one of my stated goals is to provide resources for anyone interested in using their businesses for an eternal impact. I believe the Automotive Super Conference is this type of resource.

Automotive Super Conference

Automotive Super Conference

For that reason, I want to bring this upcoming conference to your attention. The conference is going to be held in Charlotte, NC at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on March 13-14, 2013.

You can read more by clicking on the banner above, but the Automotive Super Conference is targeted toward auto dealers and their employees. It will be themed around Dave Anderson’s How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK, which I have used for some posts here in this blog. In fact, Dave Anderson will be the keynote speaker as well!

I Am Excited!

I am really excited about this conference for several reasons.

First, I have never heard of a Christian conference in the car business. These just don’t happen in our industry. If it has happened before, then I missed it.

Numerous Benefits!

The obvious benefits are numerous. There will be Bible-based teaching with direct application in every department in a typical dealership. There will be 14 different workshops covering many topics – all centered around the Bible. That is really cool!

In addition to the workshops, there will be sharing of best practices and fresh ideas coming from various panel discussion sessions as well as the breaks and meals in between. This is often where the best learning happens for me. There is no doubt I will come away having learned something.

It is also going to be inspiring to see that none of us are alone in our efforts. Being able to see hundreds of other dealers and industry leaders gathered in one place to learn more about how to honor God with their businesses – that will be awesome! I can’t wait!

My First Workshop!

Finally, I am excited about the Automotive Super Conference because I have been given the opportunity to present one of the workshops! I have not finalized my topic yet, but you know it will be along the same lines as the blog. As soon as I finalize the topic, I will give you a sneak preview!

Spread The Word

My request to you is that you help me spread the word. Tell anyone you think might be interested about this conference and send them to the site to learn more. Like I said, you can click on the banner above or the link below. You can also copy the link and paste it into your emails, tweets, etc.

While the theme of the conference is Bible-based, everyone is welcome. Maybe someone seeking a faith will come to know Jesus because they attended! Who knows what God has planned?!?!

http://automotivesuperconference.com