Tag Archives: Bible

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Why Do Business From An Eternal Perspective?

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Healthy Debate

I had a great meeting this past week at C12. We discussed challenges that we are all facing in regards to trying to run our businesses according to our Christian faith. The funny thing is that even within a group like this, opinions can differ. While there is a part of all of us that wants everyone to agree with us, I know that is not possible – or healthy. Engaging in healthy debate, even about things like eternal perspective, is a great way to grow.

eternal perspective

As I attempted to explain my beliefs regarding how we should run our businesses from an eternal perspective, I realized I have never formally prepared a well-thought-out, Scripture-supported basis for my position. I have certainly studied verses and passages that have led me to believe, and therefore act, the way I do. What I have not done is to lay out my beliefs in an organized argument so that I can respond appropriately when asked about my “Why?”

My Project

So, I am going to work on this. I will give you a few of my thoughts in this post, but I promise to come back later with the results of my work. I cannot promise a bullet-proof thesis, but I will present my prayed-over thoughts in a way that you can understand and validate through Scripture.

I do not expect everyone to stop, applaud, and agree with me on every point. As I said before, that is not reasonable. However, I do hope to spur you on to do some of your own thinking. I hope to encourage you to think about the Scriptural basis for what you do. For now, I just want to pique your interest a little and hopefully get some feedback and/or suggestions.

Applying Scripture

First, I realize that it is not necessarily wise (with some possible exceptions) to take one verse, or even passage, and base all of your beliefs on it. An understanding of the whole of Scripture is most often needed before trying to apply single verses or passages to your life. It is for this reason that I have several verses that come to my mind when I start thinking about why I run my business from an eternal perspective.

Basis For Eternal Perspective

Having said that, if there is one central Scripture to my beliefs in the area of doing business from an eternal perspective, it is the following passage from the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

I did an earlier post on this passage, and I talked about those temporal things so many of us pursue to one degree or another. All of these will burn in the fire mentioned by Paul above. I, for one, do not want to spend my life working for anything that will only last for a short time. I would much rather be focused on producing fruit that will not rot – that will last for eternity.

What Will Survive The Fire?

See, the way I look at this passage, the only things that we can build while we are here on earth that will last beyond our lives here are not things we can touch. Anything I can physically touch will be burned up in the fire. I cannot think of a single item that will not burn up in the fire.

On the other hand, those relationships we build will last. The memories we have will last. The souls we pointed toward a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will survive the fire. While the businesses we operated will burn, the impact that we had through our businesses will last.

Methods Vary

Obviously, the way we choose to impact others will depend on the way God designed us and the choices we make. Some may impact others through teaching, others may choose serving. There will be those who give and those who comfort. God wired each of us differently.

However, while the method can vary, the fire will not. It will be the same test for all of us. No one is exempt from the testing fire. If that is truly the case, then I think it makes the most sense for us to focus our energies on maximizing our efforts in areas that will produce fire-proof, eternal fruit.

My Application

For me, that means I make every effort to run my business in a way that produces the eternal fruit, not the kind that will rot or burn.

As I said before, stay tuned for a more detailed and organized argument for doing business from an eternal perspective. If you have any feedback either way, please submit it! I would love to have perspectives from other people. When possible, tell me the Scripture on which you are basing your belief.

Have you thought through why you do business the way you do?

Is your motivation based on Scripture or something else?

What do you think will last through the fire?

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Warning: You Have An Enemy!

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enemyDo you ever feel like there is a conspiracy against you? Do you get the idea that someone is out to get you? Well, if you are a Christian business owner or leader out to impact others for eternity, then you are correct. You have an enemy that hates you. He has a target on you, your business, and your family.

Jim Reese – CEO, Atlanta Mission

This is the fifth post in a series of five that describes the advice my brother and I received from business and ministry leader, Jim Reese. Mr. Reese has seen incredible success in the business world over a stellar career with executive positions in companies such as Randstad N.A., Frito-Lay, and HoneyBaked Ham, but he has also significantly impacted people for eternity through his work with Atlanta Mission. He has taken his exceptional business skills and is applying them in Christian ministry.

Reese’s Advice

Below, is the fifth of five main points I gained from our conversation. This advice is directed at anyone trying to buck the norms of this world and integrate their faith into their work. If you are trying to run your business from an eternal perspective, then you need to heed this advice.

[box][typography font=”Cardo” size=”18″ size_format=”px”]Recommendation #5:[/typography]

    [typography font=”Cardo” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Know that the enemy will attack you.[/typography]

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Talk of the Enemy

While some people cringe when you mention the enemy in this context, I am one who takes the Bible to be the truth – whether I can see it or not. The Bible talks about the enemy in a number of places. Here are a few…

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;…” John 10:10

“For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:12

“Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Do you take this Scripture seriously?

If you were warned that there was a stalker scheming to do life-threatening harm to your son or daughter, would you act? Would you move to protect them? Or would you just blow it off and assume things will work out?

See, as Mr. Reese mentioned, the enemy will not just come directly after you. He will come after your family. He will come against your employees. He will come against any weak spot you have.

Recognizing Existence of the Enemy

The point of recognizing the existence of the enemy, as well as his intent in destroying you, is to help you in three ways.

    1. When you know you are going to come under attack, you will prepare. You will not be surprised by it. Though you certainly cannot completely avoid being attacked, the damage is less destructive when you expect it and are ready for it (1 Peter 5:8).
    2. You can take action and equip yourself and your family. You can put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). You can equip your family, educating them about the potential dangers in the process.
    3. You can pray. You pray for protection. You can ask others to do the same on your behalf. (Ephesians 6:18)

Invading The Territory Of The Enemy

You may be thinking I am crazy. That is fine. However, if you get serious about using your business for ministry, then you will be going straight into territory that the enemy considers to be his own. You will likely be impacting people and groups that local churches have not seen in years, if ever. This is great work for the kingdom, but do not kid yourself into believing it is without resistance or consequence. The enemy will hate you for it.

Just go back through the Gospels, Acts, and Paul’s letters to see if I am not telling you the truth. It is Biblical and it is a truth you need to accept.

I am not suggesting you start running around your business spraying devil repellent and screaming “We are under attack!” I am recommending you take appropriate actions through prayer and Scripture memory, to put on the full armor of God. I am advising you to be ready.

Do you know what I am talking about to be true?

What do you do to prepare for and protect against this?

If you are unsure, will you search the Scripture for yourself?

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Great Advice From A Voice Of Experience

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Would you jump at a chance to get advice from someone with an incredible career in both business and Christian ministry? I got that chance!

Jim Reese – CEO, Atlanta Mission

My brother and I had the privilege of spending a couple of hours this past week with business and ministry leader, Jim Reese. I first met Mr. Reese when he was a speaker at the Catalyst conference in Atlanta this past October.

After attending his session, I sought him out and we spent a few minutes talking about the integration of faith and business. It was then that I asked for the opportunity to visit his ministry, Atlanta Mission, and get his advice on how he thought I could better use our business as a platform for Christian ministry.

advice

Though we have been working at this for over eight years, we know there is still so much to learn! We know we have just barely scratched the surface and therefore are always on the look-out for opportunities to learn. This was clearly one of those opportunities. In fact, we came away with much more than we could have hoped.

Extensive Experience

Not only has Reese seen incredible success in the business world over a stellar career with executive positions in companies such as Randstad N.A., Frito-Lay, and HoneyBaked Ham, but he has also significantly impacted people for eternity through his work with Atlanta Mission. He has taken his exceptional business skills and is applying them in Christian ministry. His leadership is taking the Atlanta Mission organization to new heights.

I could take the rest of this post telling you how gracious and helpful Mr. Reese was in taking the time to pour into us. He clearly has a passion for what he does and is very willing to share that passion. We will not know the full impact of this short visit for many years to come, but I can tell you that it will be huge!

His Advice

Below, I have listed the first of five main points I gained from our conversation. I will discuss this first one in detail today and the other four points in my next posts. This advice is directed at anyone trying to buck the norms of this world and integrate their faith into their work. If you are trying to run your business from an eternal perspective, then you need to heed this advice.

[box][typography font=”Cardo” size=”18″ size_format=”px”]Recommendation #1:[/typography]

    [typography font=”Cardo” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]You must redefine success.[/typography]

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Secular Company

In a publicly-owned corporation, success is most often defined as an increase in shareholder wealth (stock price). Maybe revenue growth is a close second. In private business, net profit or net cash flow probably leads as the definition of success. Growth may also take a top spot in some of these businesses as well.

Since virtually all of us have worked in a secular job for a non-Christian company at some time or another, you probably know exactly what I am talking about. I do not know the statistics here, but success in most companies is defined this way. I am not judging them (not my job to do so). I am simply pointing out the facts.

Christian Company

But when you step out and say that your business is God’s and you are just a steward of it for a time, then you must redefine success. The normal business metrics will not work for this purpose. Instead, you must determine what is most important to God for His business.

Of course, the best place to look for this is in the Scripture. You may need to translate what you find into various specific definitions of success for your own business based on variables such as type (manufacturing, retail, services, etc.). It may be different specific results for different businesses, according to God’s will for each, but I guarantee it will be related to the Greatest Commandment and the Great Commission.

When Jesus says that all of the law and prophets hang on loving God and loving others as ourselves, then you can bet your success definition needs to be founded on this. When Jesus’ last words on earth charge us to go and make disciples of all nations, then you need to include this as well.

Redefining Success

I will not attempt to give you a single rule of thumb for redefining success for your business from an eternal perspective. This is something that you need to determine for your business through searching the Scriptures and fervent prayer. I will tell you that I think it is solid advice to redefine success for your company.

By redefining success from an eternal perspective, you will change the way you make decisions. You will hire differently. You will invest your time, talents, and treasure differently. When you have redefined success, your motivation changes and that picture of success begins to permeate your thoughts, actions, and words. Success redefined is a powerful force!

What is your definition of success in business at this point?

How have you prayed about this?

What do you feel God is leading you to do?

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Are You Making This Common Mistake With Your Life Plan?

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LIFE Plan

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a series about the process I use in creating and maintaining my LIFE plan. I have received a great deal of feedback from a variety of sources, mostly positive! I have been told this was the first time many of you have even considered doing a life plan or something similar.

For others, a life plan seems daunting and too time consuming. Regardless of which way you lean, I encourage you to read on and think about how the following illustration applies to your situation. Are you making this common mistake?

life plan

Read the following illustration from Herschel Hobbs’ My Favorite Illustrations….

River vs. Canal

    Have you ever looked down on a river while riding in a plane thousands of feet above the ground? If so, you know that the river’s course winds here and there like the track of a large serpent. This is because, in its formation, the river followed the path of least resistance.

    On the other hand, a straight canal calls for advance planning, toil, and suffering as those who make it dig and blast their way through the terrain.

    Lives are like that. Crooked or unrighteous lives follow the lines of least resistance. They twist and turn as they adapt to the changing mores of society. In doing so, they wander aimlessly with no certainty as to their final destination.

    Like those who dig a straight canal, the righteous determine their goal and pay the price necessary to achieve it. That is the way of Christ.

Just think about this for a minute and then take a look at your own life.

Do You Have A Destination?

First, do you have a certain destination or purpose in mind for your life?

The river has no specific destination and therefore any path will do. So many people today make a critical mistake and just take life as it comes, with no real plan or idea of why they are here. Others have plans, but they change with the winds. As shiny objects catch their eye, they run off in a new direction, seeking the newest pleasure or escape.

The canal, on the other hand, is designed with a specific destination in mind. For most of us, we were not handed a road map in school with the destination or purpose of our life highlighted for us, along with the directions to get there. Instead, we have to determine it for ourselves. For the majority of the readers of this blog, the desire is to base this path on the Bible.

On What (Whom) Is It Based?

Second, on what (or whom) are you basing your life’s purpose decisions? Are you striving for something you have seen on TV or in a movie or magazine? Are you chasing the wind?

Or are you following a plan based on One who designed you and knows the best for you? It’s up to you, but I know my choice!

The destination I have set at the end of my canal is to hear from Jesus, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Are You Still Following It?

Finally, if you have determined the purpose or direction of your life, are you still on track or have you reverted back to following the path of least resistance?

Are you allowing outside influences to determine your course or are you working hard, with advance planning and sweat, to overcome outside influences and stay on course? For the short term, just winging it may seem easier, but over the long haul, that method will bring more hardship and disappointment.

However, intentional effort and decision-making toward the right purpose can lead to fulfillment and contentment.

Do you have a certain destination in mind for your life?

Are you digging a canal or following the path of the river?

Have you allowed outside influences to distract you from your canal?

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What Joe Paterno, The Titanic, and Christian Business Have in Common?

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In a little more than a couple of months, we will recognize the 100th anniversary of an incredible disaster. It was just before midnight on April 14th, 1912 that the “unsinkable” Titanic sank, taking with it the lives of over 1,500 victims. Though there are very few people alive today that were alive then, this is not an event that will soon be forgotten. It has been the subject of multiple movies, books, and innumerable lessons on pride.

joe paterno

Even so, I still there is something we can learn from this disaster, as it relates to Christian business and life in general. I have done some very quick “Google” research on this disaster and I think there are some points about which you may not know.

Details of the Titanic

The Titanic was built by 3,000 workers over a three year period leading up to its maiden voyage in 1912. It was built alongside two near-identical sister ships, the Britannic and the Olympic. At a cost of roughly $7.5 million in 1912 (roughly $400 million to build today), she weighed over 66,000 tons. She was roughly four city blocks long and ten stories tall. It took roughly 3 million rivets to put her together (this was before arc welding).

All in all, it is clear that a lot of time, energy, and money went into the construction of this feat of engineering. Unfortunately, the wonder it created did not last long as it sank on its maiden voyage, less than 5 days after departure. So what is the lesson here? What is the most likely cause of this disaster and how does that apply to us in business or life?

More Titanic Information

Well, what is not as well-known about the Titanic incident concerns its construction. Let me add some facts to the story and then we will analyze the lesson.

When the Titanic was under construction, steel was fairly new as a replacement for iron in constructing ships. Steel was much stronger and therefore preferred as material for the rivets that held the ship together. Unfortunately, due to several factors, there simply were not enough steel rivets available. Therefore, iron rivets were used in the less critical areas of the ship’s hull.

Short-Cut With Materials?

The problem was that the iron they used was not the top quality available. As a result, it contained high concentrations of slag. This slag, when exposed to icy salt water, can make the rivets more brittle and prone to fracture. This problem turned out to be critical when the Titanic hit the iceberg.

Original assumptions about the cause of the sinking caused experts to expect a large gash in the hull of the ship when it was finally discovered. Instead, they found six slits between the bow plates where the rivets had failed to hold. It turns out, when all the facts are considered, that the decision to use sub-par materials is most likely the cause of the loss of over 1,500 lives.

Joe Paterno

Joe PaternoSo what does this have to do with Joe Paterno? Even more important, what does it have to do with us as Christian business owners and leaders?

Joe Paterno was a great coach. There is no arguing that. He left a legacy of excellence that many will aspire to emulate. He turned many boys into men and brought immense success to the Penn State football program. He was an intense coach and deserves full recognition for his success.

Tarnished Career

But when Paterno made the decision, for whatever reason, not to apply the same intensity to the investigation of his assistant coach’s alleged crimes when they came to his attention, he made a critical mistake.

Call it a lapse in judgment. Call it an oversight. It really does not matter what you call it, it was a mistake Paterno wished he could undo. It was a mistake that has now tarnished an otherwise brilliant 62 year career.

Application to Christian Business

When you consider all that we have invested in our businesses – for most it is a huge amount of time, energy, and money. While maybe not Titanic proportions – it is a lot to us.

Yet, even if we are fortunate enough to last for decades and build a business that garners praise and renown for our integrity and adherence to our principles, it only takes one small decision to wreck it. It only takes one rivet of sub-standard quality to sink it.

While we are clearly forgiven when we make mistakes like this, we cannot undo the damage done. It is much like hammering nails into a fence post. You can remove the nails, but the holes remain.

Higher Expectations

God has given us a privilege and a responsibility as Christian business owners and leaders, but to whom much has been given, much is expected. We must be diligent to live up to His expectations. We cannot forget that we not only represent our own names and reputations, but we also represent Him.

I encourage you to remain diligent in your decisions and the way you operate in business. No matter how small the decision appears, do not give into the temptation to take a short-cut or compromise the truth. It is never worth it.

(For additional reading, go to Proverbs 4:10-27)

Have you seen an example like this during your business career?

Have you been tempted in this way and remained strong?

What protection do you have against this type of failure?

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Are You Doing God’s Work or God’s Will?

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Have you thought about this before? Is there a difference between doing God’s work and doing God’s will? If so, what is it? Is it really that important anyway?

I think there is a huge difference and I think it is critical to know what it is.

God's will

Let’s first take a look at Scripture to see what it says about this.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
– Matthew 5:16

Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
– Matthew 6:1

Confused?

If you only looked at these two verses, then you could get confused! Which is it…do deeds before men or not?

Notice in Matthew 6:1 a brief phrase that makes all of the difference. The phrase, which describes the motive for the deeds, is “to be seen by them….” Jesus is telling us that we should not do His work with the motive of being seen, and honored, by men.

Is there a similar indicator in 5:16? Take a look at this phrase, “that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Instead of having a motive of being seen by men, the desire here is to bring praise to the Father. That is why these deeds are encouraged.

Difference Between God’s Will and God’s Work

The whole difference between doing God’s work and doing God’s will is in your motives.

If you do God’s work for the purpose of having people see you and think highly of you, then you are not in God’s will. God tells us often (Amos 5:21-23; Isaiah 1:11-15; Psalm 51:16) that He hates our rituals and sacrifices when they are not genuine. He does not want us to do hundreds of hours of charity work and give millions of dollars to the church unless our motives are right.

If this is the case, and Scripture certainly makes it clear that it is, then how do we determine the right motives so we are in God’s will?

Determining Right Motives

Great question! Fortunately, I think I have the answer for you! Let’s go back to the Bible…

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40

Do you see that last phrase? It says that “All of the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Based on this, I think it is safe to draw a connection between these commandments and our right motives. If our motives match up with loving God and loving others, then I think they are good. If not, we need to beware.

Having established this, what are your motives in business? Do you approach business for your own purposes or for God’s? Have you thought about the results God expects from your business? Do you think they are eternal or temporal? Do your motives match up with His desires?

Have you thought about your motives as they relate to your work?

Are you doing more of God’s work or God’s will?

What do you need to change first?

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Ministry Action: Gospels in the Lounge

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Several weeks ago, I did a post on Christian Ministry in Business. I mentioned that I would be following up in the future with ministry actions that our company takes. So far, I have posted about several examples listed below:

Other Ministry Action Posts

ministry action

    Newsletter article
    Christ-centered TV ad
    Christ-centered message at company Christmas party
    “Merry Christmas” on business windows
    New Testament in every glove box

Another Ministry Action Idea

Today, I would like to tell you about another idea that you may be able to use in your own business. This is a very simple idea that costs very little.

ministry actionOur business has three separate buildings with three separate service departments (one for each franchise group – Honda, Ford, Chrysler). In each of these buildings is a customer lounge that includes leather club chairs and sofas, laptop workstations with free WiFi, flat screen TV’s, and complementary refreshments. These lounges are very comfortable and are frequently full of customers getting maintenance completed on their cars.

As most waiting areas do, we offer various magazines and newspapers for customer use. We also have brochures for vehicles, accessories, and warranty protection. Up to this point, you are probably thinking that there is nothing abnormal about our customer lounges.

Pocket-sized Gospel of John

Well, the part that I wanted to tell you about is the way we offer God’s Word as a part of this experience. We also have a small display case full of pocket-sized Gospels of John. We have one of these display cases in each of the lounges.

We included a sticker on each of the displays that says, “Please Take One!” in an effort to encourage customers to take one to read or share. Inside each gospel is a simple plan of salvation along with a phone number to call for more help.

Pocket Testament League

We order these gospels from The Pocket Testament League. The league has been around since 1893 and has given away more than 110 million gospels in its history! You can order the gospels for free, but they ask for donations to support the ministry. We donate $1 per gospel, or $30 per box of 30 gospels.

One cool feature of these gospels is the variety of cover designs they offer. Currently, they offer 50 different cover designs that are all very attractive. You can choose from so many themes that I cannot even begin to list all of them here. You just have to take a look yourself to see which ones fit your needs!

Pocket Testament

Above is just a sampling of the 50 or so covers they offer. While we have not yet done it, they also offer custom covers for orders over a certain volume. This organization is so flexible!

Inexpensive Results!

As I said earlier, this is a very inexpensive way to spread the gospel message in your business. The plastic displays may have cost $3 each and the gospels themselves are just $1 each. In 2011, we had roughly 200 gospels taken from these displays. I do not know what the results are beyond this, but I do know in Whose hands they rest!

Give this a try in your own business!

Does this ministry action encourage you to do something similar?

What are some other ways you could distribute these gospels?

What is holding you back from signing up and ordering your first box right now?

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Are You Willing To Walk Away?

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I love movies. One of my favorites is the movie Heat, with Robert Deniro and Al Pacino. Likely my favorite scene in that movie is the coffee shop scene. During this scene, Deniro, a bank robber, is talking face to face with Pacino, a cop. During this conversation, Deniro shares advice he once received about being willing to walk away from anything.

walk away

Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.

While Deniro is referring to “heat” in the sense of law enforcement catching up to him and his crime-filled lifestyle, I think we can apply this same advice to our own lives and even our businesses.

Strangers In This World

See, we are strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11). It is not our home (Philippians 3:20). We will only be here a short time (Job 8:9). Everything we have here will be destroyed by moth and rust (Matthew 6:19). It will burn one day (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

At the same time, we are disciples of Jesus…not just for this life, but also for the life to come. We are God’s children, now and forever. The treasure we lay up for ourselves in heaven is also eternal. It will never be destroyed by moth or rust. It will never burn.

Can you see the contrast here? Our relationship with this world we live in is temporary. Our relationship with our Lord and Father is eternal. Therefore, our attachment to the things of this world should be temporary and our attachment to the things of God should be eternal.

How Does This Apply?

How does this look in our daily lives? How does it look in our businesses? How should it look in our relationships?

I think we are to take the mindset of Deniro and apply it here. We should not become so attached to anything here in this life that we are not willing to walk away from it. We should be be so consumed with our love for Jesus and the life we want to live for Him that we would not hesitate to walk away from anything if He asks.

Would You Walk Away?

What if He asks us to walk away from a highly profitable business deal because it would require us to be unequally yoked with an unbelieving partner? What if He asks us to walk away from our home town because He has another plan for us? What if He asks us to walk away from our dream home so we can have more resources to give? What if He asks us to walk away from some friendships we enjoy because they are damaging our commitment to Him?

Do you get the picture? Whether material things, business deals, or relationships, I believe the Bible is clear that we are to have a detached mindset and a willingness to walk away from them. Here is a quote from Watchman Nee in his book Love Not the World.

I am not suggesting by this that we must try to dispose of everything; that is not the point. The point is that as God’s children, you and I may not accumulate things for ourselves. If I keep something it is because God has spoken to my heart; if I part with it, it is for the same reason. I hold myself in the will of God and am not afraid to give if God asks me to give. I keep nothing because I love it, but I let it go without regret when the call comes to leave it behind. That is what it means to be detached.

God Honors The Decision

I went through this very process myself roughly eight years ago. I posted about it here (Why I Decided To Walk Away…). While I have not yet seen the end of this path, I can give you my word that I would not change my decision for anything in this world! God has honored that decision many times over since then. I have confidence He will continue to do so going forward.

I still struggle with this mindset in every area of my life. It is not easy to maintain a willingness to walk away. I fail at it as much as I win, but I will continue to fight. I am determined not to attach myself to a temporary world. I will trust Him instead.

What attachments do you have?

Have you seen God honor your decision to walk away from something?

Is He asking now?

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How To Face Your Anti-Audience

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In my previous post, I quoted from L.L. Barkat, in her post The Perverse Monstrosity of our Beautiful Work over at The High Calling blog community. In my post, I described how our “good work” as Christian leaders will meet opposition and criticism in this world. Using Barkat’s quote, I labeled this rejection as “anti-audience.”

“Good work doesn’t just find audience; it also finds anti-audience.” – L.L. Barkat

anti-audience

Knowledge of Anti-Audience Enough?

While it would be nice if the simple knowledge of this “anti-audience” was enough to give us the strength to press on in acting out our Christian faith, I am sure that it is not. It is not enough for us to know this any more than it is enough to tell your husband or wife you love them on your wedding day and expect them to know it from then on!

We are just not that good. We forget the things we learn. We forget important truths and fail to recall them when we need them most. I think that is the primary reason God has given us the Bible. With His Word in our hands, we can regularly remind ourselves of His promises and truths. By memorizing His Word, we can refer to it when we need it.

Everyday Battle

As Christian business owners and leaders, we go into battle everyday. We battle this anti-audience (the world) as well as the enemy that is in charge of it for a time (Ephesians 6:12). Every time we try to impact someone else for eternity, we are going to face this anti-audience. Whenever we make strides to grow closer to God and bring others along with us, we will get resistance from the world that hates us (John 15:19).

Tools For Battle

In an effort to help you in this battle, I want to give you some tools that you can use when you face opposition. This list is not an exhaustive list. I am sure you can add some of your own favorite verses or tools that have helped you in similar situations. Either way, I hope you find this list to be helpful.

1. Memorize God’s promises – Pick out a handful of verses that clearly speak to your heart about God’s promises regarding the plans He has for you. Memorize these verses and practice calling them to mind when trouble comes. God’s Word is living and breathing…use it! Here are a few that I recommend for a start.

Even if you (likely) have read these before, try to read them again for the first time, as if offered by the most esteemed mentor you can imagine. Don’t just memorize the words, but internalize them.

    Matthew 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you.

    Romans 8:39 – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    Isaiah 54:17 – No weapon formed against you will prosper.

    Psalm 37:5-6 – Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

    Romans 8:31 – If God is for us, who can be against us?

2. Find an accountability partner – Find someone of like mind that can understand the fight you are in. Someone who is not out on the field of battle themselves, but is instead on the sidelines, likely won’t make a good partner in this case.

Find someone that has been bloodied a few times themselves. This person will understand what you are going through and can encourage you when you need it most. You can do the same for them!

3. Begin a journal – If you will start by taking roughly 10 minutes a day to write (or type) your thoughts and experiences, you will benefit greatly. First, it always helps to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper (or the screen). For some reason, this just makes it easier to deal with.

You will also find that you can go back during those times of heavier opposition from the anti-audience and read about your past successes. This does wonders for your confidence! Many electronic journals (I use LifeJournal) allow you to tag and categorize entries for easier searching later.

4. Get in the habit of prayer – Of course, this seems like a no-brainer. It is also really tough to do because so many people feel like their prayers need to be clean and organized. I read something the other day about praying sloppy (I know the grammar doesn’t work, but it fits!).

God does not need us to clean up our thoughts before we pray any more than He wants us perfect before we enter the church. Give God everything on your mind AS IT IS in your mind. He can handle it! The more you do this over time, through smooth AND rough times, the more peace you will have.

5. Keep reminders of your positive results – Build a scrapbook, Evernote folder, or other method for organizing any evidence of past results. I have an Evernote folder where I store such reminders as “Thank You” notes, letters, voice mails, and other scraps that remind me of successes I have had in the past. I return to these when I am feeling worn down by the anti-audience!

I hope these tools help you. If you have other ideas I can add to the list, please include the in the comments section below! I would love to hear your thoughts.

Which of these do you need to add to your arsenal?

What has worked for you in the past?

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What Is Anti-Audience?

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anti-audience

When I hear or read a great quote, it usually sticks with me. I have a hard time letting go of it. I posted about just such a quote last month, “Go Make Yourself Useful!” Well, I have found another quote that has captured my thoughts. This quote about our “anti-audience” comes from a post called The Perverse Monstrosity of Our Beautiful Work by L.L. Barkat over at The High Calling blog community.

Criticism

In this post, Barkat described a letter she had received that criticized her writing. Evidently it was aggressively worded, because it elicited strong reactions from her friends when they read it. They encouraged her to ignore the letter. She was tempted to allow it into her heart.

Barkat went on to tell how several examples came to her mind of popular artists and performers that had received similar criticism. She realized that this was not an indication of bad work, but likely the opposite was true. Here is her quote that stole my attention…

Good work doesn’t just find audience; it also finds anti-audience.

I am sorry, but that is just powerful. Think about it…some of the best performers and/or performances are polarizing. In any given “audience,” regardless of the category of performance, there are always people that find some reason to complain about or oppose a good performance.

Human Nature?

I guess it is human nature. I am sure that someone with training in psychology could tell me why this is the case. Regardless of the reason, I know it is true. I have seen it when watching Tiger Woods or Tim Tebow. I am sure you could name your own examples.

What Is The Point?

So, we agree that this is true.

What is the point as it relates to a Christian business?

What should a Christian leader learn from this truth that would strengthen them in their effort to integrate their faith into their business?

Why do I think this quote is so important?

Expect Opposition

My first thought is that it is important for anyone planning to “perform” in front of any sort of public audience to be prepared for criticism. As Christian business owners and leaders, we certainly fit this category! While criticism is never easy to take, it is less painful when you are expecting it. Just as we are more likely to survive a storm when we make preparations, we can better handle rejection when we know it is coming.

Look at this quote from Dave Ramsey in his book EntreLeadership:

You can’t lead, market, and/ or run a company successfully without drawing fire from people who don’t understand. So as you win prepare to be misunderstood and lied about.

What Is “Good” Work?

As true as this is, I have an even bigger thought that is the main point of this whole post. To help me make this point, let’s take following quotes from Jesus. In the first quote, Jesus is referring to Himself and God. In the second, he is relating trees and their fruit to men and the things produced from their hearts. The Greek word translated “good” is the same in both quotes.

“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” He said to him. “There is only One who is good.” – Matthew 19:17

“A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart.” – Luke 6:45

In this context, reconsider the meaning of “good work” in L.L. Barkat’s quote…

Good work doesn’t just find audience; it also finds anti-audience.

When we look at Barkat’s quote from this perspective, it takes on a whole new meaning! Rather than thinking about the criticism drawn by good work in general, consider what it means to a Christian leader producing “good” out of the “good” storeroom of his heart.

Anti-Audience

Does it make sense to you that our “good” work as disciples of Jesus will find an anti-audience? Do you expect it or are you surprised when it happens? Do you prepare for it and deflect it, or are you tempted, as Barkat was, to give it permission to enter your heart and deter you?

Just in case you need some reinforcement, let’s take a look at more of Jesus’ words.

In this world you will have trouble. – John 16:33

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. – John 15:19

There Is An Enemy

Folks, there is an enemy that hates you because of your family name. You are not of this world and therefore the world is going to hate you. This “hate” may not show itself to you on a daily basis, but I submit that it will show itself to you with a frequency that is directly proportionate to the impact you are having on people for eternity!

See, I believe “good” work finds an anti-audience. I believe that the more we do in the name of Jesus, the more resistance we will meet from the world. I believe that you know exactly what I am talking about if you have tried to run your business based on your Christian faith.

Anti-Audience Is Unavoidable

I do not believe this anti-audience is avoidable or I think Jesus would have said, “In this world you might have trouble.” In fact, if you are not experiencing what I am describing, then I would encourage you to look for hard evidence of your faith. I am NOT saying you do not have it. I am simply asking you to do a deep dive and look for any evidence someone could use against you in court if they were accusing you of being a disciple of Jesus.

If you HAVE experienced what I am describing, then I have good news for you! I left out some of Jesus’ words in one of the verses above! Let’s look again at the full quote…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Good And Faithful Servant

Despite the trouble we are told we are to face, we are also promised peace! We get this peace because Jesus has overcome the very world that is against us! This is great news! It is news that should drive us to do the “good work” that we know we are designed to do. We should do this good work without fear of ultimate loss. If we will do this work, we will hear the words that we should long to hear – including that same Greek word for “good”…

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” – Matthew 25:21, 23

Has your work found anti-audience?

Do you need to step up your good work?

Do you find encouragement in Jesus’ words regarding the anti-audience?