Tag Archives: faith and work

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Two Trustworthy Tools For Decision Making

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In the business world, we are faced daily with decisions. Some decisions come with huge consequences. Others are so small that they will be forgotten within the week. In the big decisions, we want to make sure we apply wisdom and make the right choices. I have two questions, given to me by a friend, that you can ask to help you with these decisions.

decision

Touch Decisions

I was recently approached by another close friend. He is wrestling with a major decision that could impact his career, family life, and even his walk as a disciple of Christ. As he described his dilemma, I was reminded of the two questions I mentioned earlier. Immediately, I shared these questions with him and left him to answer them on his own.

Regardless of the decision you need to make, these two questions can help you make the right choice. They may not immediately clarify the right choice every time. You really need to pray through these questions when you face the really complex questions. However, over time, I believe the answers will become clear.

Decision-Making Tool #1

The first question is this:

    Will this choice draw me closer to God or further away from Him?

As you think and pray through the choice you are considering, ask yourself how it will impact your relationship with God. Will this particular choice draw you closer to Him? Will another choice draw you even closer?

If we look at a couple of verses from the Bible, it is clear that we are to be drawing closer to Him. In James 4:8, we are told: “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” In Hebrews 10:22, it says, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart…”

I won’t tell you that you always have to pick the choice that draws you the nearest to Him. However, if given a choice between one option that draws you closer and one that takes you further away…that answer should be clear to you!

Decision-Making Tool #2

The second question is this:

    Will this choice make me more dependent on God or less so?

We are independent creatures and we desire to be self-sufficient. This is especially true for business leaders and owners. It is in our DNA and we rarely fight it. This quality is a significant part of what makes us successful in business.

Unfortunately, when it comes to spiritual “success”, last is first and first is last. What works for us in the business world can work against us in our Christian walk. Our independence is exactly what God does NOT want from us in our relationship with Him.

We see this idea of God desiring our dependence on Him in many places in the Bible. Here are a couple of examples:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:25-26

As we are making decisions in life, we need to be mindful of whether we are seeking independence from God or dependence on Him. As I said before, this answer may not be perfectly obvious at first glance. If we will pray and sincerely seek His heart, God will show us the truth.

Give These A Try!

The next time you have a decision that carries significant consequences, try these two questions. Pray through them and ask for a clear mind and heart as to the answers. I believe the right choice will become evident to you!

What decision are you facing now that would benefit from these questions?

Can you recall a decision that would have been better made with these tools?

What other questions do you use in your decision making process?

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One Choice You Need To Make Every Day

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I don’t need to tell you that you will have to make choices every day that determine your effectiveness and success in whatever your endeavor. You already know this. What you might find interesting is how Paul framed a choice that he faced on a regular basis.

choice

Paul’s Choice

If you will read the first chapter of Philippians, you will see that Paul is on a mission to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He is determined in this mission, even to the point of finding himself in jail over it. Yet he continues to carry out his mission, despite the interruption!

In the letter he is writing to the church at Philippi, Paul mentions a choice in his mind that he continues to wrestle over. Take a look at how he frames this choice:

For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ – which is far better — but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.
Philippians 1:21-24

Can You Identify?

When you first read this (and you are completely honest with yourself), you may not really identify with Paul’s struggle. I will say for myself that I understand Paul’s struggle. On occasion, I even feel the same way…to a degree. I wish I could say that I have the exact same struggle on a daily basis…I don’t.

Maybe one day, I will mature to the point where that is my actually struggle. For now, I will keep striving toward that day!

Two Pairs Of Words

Fortunately, I do not want to focus on Paul’s struggle in this post. Instead, I want to isolate two pairs of words that I truly believe we all wrestle with on a daily basis. Paul’s words should echo in your mind after reading this post or I have not done a very good job of communicating.

Go back to the above passage and notice how he describes his two choices with a pair of words for each…”far better” and “more necessary”. Stop and think about how powerful and insightful these words are when compared to each other.

Frequent Choice?

How many times a day do you face a decision between “far better” and “more necessary”? If you are anything like me, you face this decision a number of times before you even leave the house to go to work.

Before lunch, you have likely faced this same decision multiple times. The same is true after lunch. Once you are home again for the night, this decision shows up a few more times – at least.

Tough Choice!

Here’s the deal. You and I are constantly faced with the decision between doing what, at that moment, is far better or more necessary. This is the root question that determines whether you will be a responsible or irresponsible leader – at home, in business, with relationships, etc.

At home, the decision might be whether to kick back and relax after a hard day (far better) or perform acts of service for your spouse (more necessary). It could be deciding between the Moose Tracks ice cream (far better) or the apple (more necessary).

Business Choices

In the business world, this decision can take on many forms as well. Will you take the day off to play golf with your buddies or will you put in the extra time to make sure the project beats the deadline for a customer? Do you personally enjoy the rewards of all of your profit (or income) or do you use it to promote the Kingdom?

Sometimes with these decisions, it can even be difficult to discern which is which. Do you keep the low performing employee and give them another chance or do you go ahead and terminate their employment so they get started on a new, more productive path?

Strive For Paul’s Example

Folks, I think we are to strive to follow Paul’s example (1 Corinthians 11:1). We should be struggling between “living is Christ” and “dying is gain” like he did. At the same time, we know this is a high standard to reach.

Until we reach that level of maturity, we will still have the choice between “far better” and “more necessary”. My encouragement to you is that you start trying to see your day-to-day decisions in this light. Try to figure out which is “more necessary” and choose that one.

I believe the more we will do this, the closer we will get to Paul’s struggle between living and dying. That is where I want to be!

Do you see how critical this choice can be?

Do you see yourself more often doing what is “more necessary” or not?

How do you need to move closer to Paul’s example?

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Are You In The People Business?

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I don’t know about you, but I am in the people business. In fact, I will bet that you are, too. I personally think that with very few exceptions, we are all in the people business. By that, I mean that our success rises and falls according to the quality of people we have working with us.

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What Do You Do With The Interruption?

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Business is busy. That may seem obvious, but for anyone in a leadership position in business, it can be a big problem. We are always working on something. Some projects require very little focus from us. Others require our complete attention. That is usually when the interruption comes, right?

interruption

Forms Of Interruption

For me, this “interruption” could come in the form of a customer asking a simple question. It could be an employee that needs clarification on a process. Maybe it is phone call from a vendor that needs my authorization on an expenditure.

Interruptions can come in many shapes and sizes. When we are intently focused on getting something important done, how do we handle the interruption? I am not really asking about your manners or patience with the cause of the interruption.

The Bigger Question

The question I am asking is much bigger than that. We all know that we should be gracious and approachable when interrupted. That’s not my point.

The real question is more about your mindset regarding the interruption. In fact, I am actually asking about the bigger interruptions in your plans. To be more clear, let’s look at an example from Scripture.

Paul’s Interruption

Paul is on a mission. He has been called by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Anyone who has read any of his letters in the New Testament would agree that he was focused on this mission. Nothing deterred him from accomplishing the mission.

Then we read in Philippians 1 that Paul has been put in jail. Imagine that you are in his sandals and you have this mission in front of you. This is a big “project” with huge ramifications for those you seek to teach about this gospel. Then you find yourself in jail…for no real good reason! How could this happen?

How Would You See It?

Would you see THIS as an interruption? Would you get frustrated at the injustice and start trying to figure out how to escape? Would you lose focus on the overall goal and become preoccupied with your circumstances?

What did Paul do? Well, he uses the time wisely and continues to accomplish the mission God gave him. He does this in several ways.

Paul’s Response

First, he uses the time to write four letters to various churches (and one individual). In these letters, Paul encourages, chastises, and teaches about the gospel. He made very effective use of his time in prison to continue his mission to spread the gospel!

Second, he took advantage of the fact that he was imprisoned by Gentiles! He likely saw a number of different guards each day as they fed him and guarded him. He used this time to witness to these guards and explain to them the cause of Christ!

Paul even recognized that others were preaching more boldly about Jesus as a result of his imprisonment. While some had pure motives and others did not, Paul welcomed any accurate preaching of the gospel as helping to accomplish his mission.

What About Us?

Paul tells us to follow his example (1 Corinthians 11:1). If we do this, how can we handle the interruptions that come our way? Not only the little daily interruptions, but even more so the big ones?

When we have big plans for ministry through our business and something interrupts these plans, how can we react in a way that imitates Paul? Can we reasonably expect to stop and pray that God would reveal that part of His plan to us?

If He chooses not to reveal His plans, can we patiently look around at our circumstances and determine how to continue our mission despite the interruption? Is our eternal perspective so ingrained in our mind that we could adapt to the circumstances and maximize the opportunities they presented?

How Close Are We?

Are we so close in our relationship with God that this behavior is possible?

If not, what are we going to do to change?

I encourage you to stop and pray about this. As business owners and leaders, we are normally trained to overcome the circumstances of any interruption and move on with the mission. We are problem solvers and have wiring that keeps us moving.

Instead, sometimes we need to recognize that God may want us to sit still and look for His will IN the interruption. If we will draw closer to Him, it is more likely we will be able to do this when the time comes.

How good are you with handling an interruption?

Do you see interruptions as potentially coming from God?

What do you need to do differently?

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Does Imminent Bankruptcy Change Your Investment Plan?

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Imagine for a minute that you know me as a 100% reliable and trustworthy source. Imagine also that I have just told you that I have undeniable evidence that the U.S. Government is going to file bankruptcy in Federal Court next Monday morning. What would be your reaction?

Bankruptcy

Ripple Effects of Bankruptcy?

I am not a guru when it comes to these types of issues, but I am fairly sure I could make some educated guesses about some of the ripple effects of an event like this. I assume you could do the same. In light of that, how does your current investment portfolio look? What would be your new financial plan?

Would you buy more shares of stock or sell what you have? Would you invest in the U.S. Dollar or move toward gold and silver? Would you make plans to spend as much as you could before the date of the event or would you try to invest in those areas (food, barter materials, etc.) that would contribute to your long term survival and well being?

Would any of these actions change if I told you the date of the bankruptcy filing was actually 6 months from now versus next week? What about one year from now or longer? How would your urgency change?

Truth Is Worse!

Obviously, I do NOT have advance notice of a bankruptcy filing like this. Unfortunately, the knowledge I have is far worse than this. In fact, I am fairly confident that you have this same knowledge that I have.

Folks, the truth is that this entire world that we inhabit is bankrupt. The filing has already been made and we are simply living out the discharge process. What is the only major difference in this news and my fictional bankruptcy filing?

Timing.

We read in 2 Peter 3 that this world is already scheduled to be destroyed. Everything in it will be destroyed and our works laid bare. Bankruptcy has been filed, but the discharge process is taking time. Peter tells us here that the Lord is patient, but the events are coming nonetheless.

Lost Value

Let me translate to be clear. Everything you “own” right now will be destroyed. It will have a value of $0. Any investments you have in land, buildings, stocks, etc. will be brought to a total value of zero. This is a total and complete bankruptcy with full liquidation of assets.

So…what is your plan? How does your current portfolio look? Do you feel good about its diversity? Are you wisely invested in those areas that will last after this bankruptcy?

Vague Timing?

Back to the issue of timing. In my fictional bankruptcy, I gave you a hard date, a timeline that you could see and one that would allow you to make necessary adjustments. The world bankruptcy explained by the Bible does not do this. No one knows when the final discharge will happen.

And that, my friends, is why many of us are asleep at the wheel. We think we have time. We are living with the illusion that we can deal with these eternal investment issues at some point in the future. Unfortunately, we simply do not know. Therefore, many sleep.

Portfolio Shift?

I am sorry, but I just don’t think that is what we are supposed to be doing. As for me, I am certain that I have entirely too much left invested in this world and not nearly enough laid up in heaven. I am working on that, but I have a long way to go.

What about you? What if this “world bankruptcy” were to be discharged today…how would your portfolio fare? If you are like me, that is a scary proposition. While I know without a doubt that my soul would survive the fire, I am concerned that I have too much stuff that would not.

Future Investment

I have told you before that my job description, and life’s goal, is to add silhouettes. To the extent that I can accomplish this goal, my investment in this effort will survive the fire. My struggle is to invest more and more time, energy, and resources into this effort and less into the material rewards of this world.

I must continue working to shift my portfolio away from the temporal and toward the eternal. I am convinced that we are called to live IN this world. I am just as convinced that we are not to make it our home. We should be renters here, not owners.

I encourage you to take some time and think through this idea of world bankruptcy. Think about where you are currently investing your time, treasure, and talents. Consider Paul’s warning (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) to us and begin doing work that will survive the fire. I think this would be a great investment for you!

What does your portfolio look like today?

What action do you need to take to correct it?

What is your level of urgency? What should it be?

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7 Reasons Your Eternal Goals Are Short Sighted, Part 2

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[This is the third post in a series about setting goals that have an underlying eternal purpose.]

In the first post, I explained eternal goals – what they are and why they are important. In my last post, we began looking at the 7 reasons why most people neglect to set eternal goals. We used one of my personal goals for 2015 to illustrate these reasons.

eternal goals 2

Today, I want to jump right in and go through the rest of the 7 reasons. Let’s do it!

Reason #4 – I Can’t Know For Sure If I Have Hit Them

A critical part of an effective goal-setting process is having a very clear way to know when you have achieved the goals. When you first start talking about eternal goals and the results you want, it does seem like it would be impossible to know if you have achieved them or not.

That is another reason for us to base our eternal goals on activities that we believe will best LEAD to the eternal results. We must trust God for the actual eternal results, but we can certainly do what is within our control to give us the best odds at eternal impact.

Using my example of wanting to impact more people for eternity through my blog, the measurement I chose was email subscriber count. Like I said before, it is not perfect. However, it is measurable and I can know if I hit the goal. I have to rely on God to turn that count into eternal impact.

Reason #5 – These Goals Cause Abnormal Behavior!

This is a tough one. It is tough because it is true. Seeking to set and achieve eternal goals will absolutely drive you toward behaviors that are not common or normal in today’s culture.

At the same time, Jesus called us to be salt and light. We are going to stand out from the crowd if we follow His calling. The sooner we get comfortable with this idea, the greater the impact we will have!

Reason #6 – Eternal Goals Conflict With My Current Goals

Much like Reason #5, this is also potentially true. Many people set goals to save a certain amount of money by the end of the year. Or maybe their goal is to buy a new house. These goals are not bad in and of themselves.

Unfortunately, there CAN be conflict when we begin to think about giving and other similar ways to achieve eternal impact. For me, I have a goal for our family to give a certain percentage of our income to faith-based efforts. The money we want to give could make other large ticket purchases difficult or impossible.

Conflict like this is best resolved by seeking godly advice and counsel from accountability partners and trusted advisers as well as prayer and study of the Bible. This conflict is greatly reduced when your goal-setting process begins with prayer and includes an eternal perspective from the start.

Reason #7 – I Cannot Fully Control The Results

For those of us who are “Type-A” personalities, this can be one of the toughest reasons to overcome. We want our goals to be based on our own performance. We do not want to rely on someone else to help us hit our goals.

Maybe that mindset works in individual sports, but it absolutely will not work when it comes to spiritual matters – even goal setting. We are designed by God to need Him. We are incomplete and cannot achieve anything meaningful or of lasting value without Him. We must accept this and set our goals accordingly.

While I cannot control the eternal impact He creates with my writing, I CAN control the activities that LEAD to that impact. I set my goals based on controllable activities and leave the rest to Him. I am usually surprised at the results!

Summary

Like I said earlier, most people have never set eternal goals. After going through the most common reasons for this and explaining how to set these goals, I hope you are more comfortable with attempting it going forward.

I have also given you this advice before: start small and feel free to contact me with questions! Try this with one goal and see how it goes. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results!

Have you started with an eternal goal yet?

What is holding you back from jumping in?

Who are you getting to hold you accountable?

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7 Reasons Your Goals Are Short Sighted

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I do not argue that the timing of talking in March about setting goals is a little off. Anyone that sets annual goals likely did so in December. By now, they have either made great progress toward them or have given up on them altogether. Hopefully you are in the first group. Either way, very few have actually set eternal goals and that is what I want to discuss!

goals

In my last post, I talked about eternal goals and what they are. I also gave you a list of the most likely reasons why most people have never set them. I told you we would try to respond to those reasons, using some examples from my own 2015 goals in the process.

Let’s just take one reason at a time from the list and respond to it:

Reason #1 – I have never thought about it.

Okay, so this is probably the number one reason most people have never set eternal goals. It is a legitimate reason in that I don’t think I have ever heard of a book, webinar, or other learning tool that mentions setting eternal goals.

At the same time, since you have read my post you can no longer use this reason! Therefore, I will not spend a lot of time on this one.

Reason #2 – I don’t know how to set eternal goals.

Even if you have thought about setting eternal goals before, it is likely that your next thought was that you had no idea where to start. The funny thing is that you actually do know how to set them, but you don’t even realize it.

Setting an eternal goal is not really that different from setting a normal (shorter-term) goal. In fact, they often look exactly like normal goals, but there is an underlying eternal purpose to the goal.

For example, one of my 2015 goals is to triple the number of people subscribing to this blog. While this looks like a normal goal, the main point of this goal is not actually increasing subscribers. The point is that the more subscribers there are, the greater the opportunities for impact!

In setting this goal, here are the steps I took:

  • I determined my purpose: I want to help Christian business owners leverage their business for eternal return.
  • I decided how to achieve that purpose: I want to reach more business owners with continuously improving content.
  • I chose the most effective and simplest way to measure my path to that impact: I decided that increasing my subscriber count is the best measurement for my goal of eternal impact.
  • I established a stretch goal for this measurement: This part is the same as for a normal goal.
  • I put it in writing and enlisted accountability partners: I have shared my goals with my wife and a small group of peers that are pushing me hard!

Reason #3 – Eternal goals are too tough to measure.

As I showed you in my example above, I realize I cannot actually measure the eternal impact I am having with my blog. I can only tell you stories and point to actual events that we would all agree reflect eternal impact. The problem is physically measuring this impact.

If we are going to move past this problem, we must accept that measurement for these goals will not be perfect. Once we are willing to agree to this, the task becomes easier.

The next step is to focus on activities that will LEAD to the impact you desire. For me, increasing my subscriber count is not the perfect measurement. At the same time, the activities that are necessary for me to achieve this increase in subscriber count will certainly lead me to greater impact.

Remaining Reasons Next Time

I have run out of room for this post, but I will pick up where I left off next time. I hope you are seeing that eternal goals are not that difficult. In fact, I really hope you take a look at your current goals and see where you might be able to modify them for your own eternal impact! If you have not set goals for 2015, now is the time to start!

Which of these reasons have caused you not to set eternal goals?

Can you see some ways to modify your current goals for eternal impact?

What needs to be your next action?

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Have You Set Your Eternal Goals?

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I am sure your first thought is to ask why I am talking about goals when we are so far past the first of the year! Isn’t that a topic for January? Haven’t most people given up on their goals for the year already? You may also be asking what I mean by eternal goals. Good questions! Let’s see if we can answer them!

eternal goals

Goals In March?

First of all, I am talking about goals in March because some of you have already given up on your goals for the year. Maybe you have not completely given up on them, but you are likely getting into the messy middle in some of them. In others, you never got out of the starting blocks.

Whatever the case, we are going to talk about goals because you need to talk about them. If you are stuck, then this is the perfect time to jump back in with a renewed energy! I am hereby holding you accountable to those goals and encouraging you to get back in the game.

Eternal Goals?

At the same time, I want to know – how many of your goals for this year are eternal goals? To be more clear, how many of your goals for 2015 have an eternal consequence as the motivation for the goal? Still not tracking with me? Let me explain.

I am assuming you are in business and you have a strong desire to integrate your Christian faith into your business. That is great, but WHY do you desire that? Hopefully, you recognize that God is the true owner of your business or job and that you are simply a steward for a time.

Purpose Of Business

Sure, your business has the purpose of providing for your family’s food, shelter, clothing, education, etc. It can also provide for your enjoyment of this life God has given you, right? But that is not where it stops. He gave you this business for a bigger purpose. He wants a return on His investment (Matthew 25:14-30)

Hopefully, you want to bring Him an eternal return because you realize that He does not need a material or financial return. He already owns it all! Therefore, you know that the only way to bring God the return that He does not already possess is to impact other souls for eternity by pointing them to Him.

Goal Alignment?

If all of this makes sense to you, then how well are your 2015 goals aligned with this ultimate measure of your work here on earth? Which of your annual goals can also be labeled eternal goals? Which of your goals, if achieved, will have an eternal impact on those around you now and those to come after you are gone?

If some of your goals are easily categorized as eternal goals, then congratulations! You are certainly on track to have the eternal impact God has in mind for you. If not, please do not get frustrated or lose heart. You are not alone!

Reasons For Lack Of Eternal Goals

In fact, there are many reasons why many of us have not already set eternal goals. Below is a list of some of these reasons. See if any of these apply to you and your situation.

    1. I have never thought about it.
    2. I really don’t know how to set eternal goals.
    3. Eternal goals are too tough to measure.
    4. I can’t know for sure if I have hit them.
    5. These goals are not normal or cause abnormal behavior.
    6. Eternal goals conflict with my current goals.
    7. I cannot fully control the results of these goals.

What Will You Do About It?

I am sure you can think of additional reasons, but I think this list is a good start. So now that we know why we have not set eternal goals, what are we going to do about it? Surely we won’t just stop here and say, “Oh well. Maybe next year.” It’s not too late to take action, is it?

I am so glad you asked! In my next post, I will try to respond to the above list of reasons by using examples from my 2015 goals. I will walk you through my thought processes and see if you can gain some perspective that will help you set your own eternal goals!

Do you already set your own eternal goals every year?

What process do you go through to do this?

If you have never thought about eternal goals, what is your next step?

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Is Your Life Like Your Closet?

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I recently had to clean out my closet at home. After ten years without doing it, the accumulation of stuff and clothes that no longer fit had finally gotten out of hand. I finally recognized the need and set aside the time to clean it. In the process, I was reminded of a truth about life that all Christians need to learn. If you cannot see the connection between a clothes closet and a life truth, then read on!

closet

Organizing My Closet

Obviously, I first had to go through everything in my closet and determine whether I would keep it, give it away, or trash it. I went through work clothes, play clothes, socks, shoes, etc. I think you get the idea.

Once I did that, I figured I would take the opportunity to reorganize the entire closet. I know, that may be a little OCD, but I liked the idea and ran with it. I went to WalMart and bought a couple of cheap cloth baskets for socks, tshirts, etc. I placed these in line on my shelves.

I moved my work clothes to one side and put my casual clothes to the other side. I made sure my work shoes were easily accessed while the others were off to the side. My ties (fewer now because I got rid of those with stains or those too wide!) were placed on the tie rack in the corner and my belts moved to the other corner.

Each Had Its Place

When I was done, I stepped back in pride. I had found a nice, neat area for each type of clothing and accessory. While my closet may not win any HGTV awards for creativity or design, I had achieved what I had set out to do. I had compartmentalized the area and each part had its place.

As I stood there, I remembered the life truth I mentioned at the beginning of this post. If given the opportunity, many Christians will do the exact same thing with their faith as I did with my socks. Stick with me and I think you will see what I mean.

Separate Life Compartments

Too often, we as Christians compartmentalize our lives. We have time for our family. We allocate time for our work. We may prioritize some time with friends and/or hobbies. We also make sure we give time to our faith. Each area of our lives has its own time allotment.

Some of these areas overlap at times (friends and faith, family and hobbies, etc.), but for the most part they are each kept within their own compartment. This is especially true of our faith.

Maybe we have friends at church, but it is unlikely we are regularly and intentionally meeting with them to grow in our faith together. We don’t talk much about our faith with some of our other friends or family because they might get offended.

Faith And Workplace Separate?

We don’t allow our faith to enter our workplace for the same reason. Or it might be that we feel our faith will limit our ability to do business profitably. Surely God would not want that, right? Work is for Monday through Friday, family on Saturday, and we give God our Sundays. That is the way it has always been.

Unfortunately, the way it has always been is wrong. God does not want our Sundays (only). He wants our Mondays through Saturdays as well. He wants our time with family and our time with friends.

God Wants Our ALL!

God wants to be a part of our hobbies and our social lives. He wants to live in our workplace and direct our business decisions. There is not a single part of our lives that God does not want. He wants it all. Want proof?

Let’s just ask Jesus. He should know the answer, right? Jesus, what is the most important truth for us to remember in life?

Love the Lord your God with ALL of your heart, with ALL of your mind, and with ALL of your soul. This is the first and greatest commandment (emphasis mine).
Matthew 22:37-38

God IS Our Closet

Folks, we may need to compartmentalize our closets, garages, or work desk. Separate areas for separate items can be helpful for an organized mind. However, this is not true for our lives when it comes to our faith and our relationship with God.

In life, our faith in and relationship with God IS our closet. It IS our life. Everything else can have its separate place WITHIN our faith, but nothing we have or do should be separate from this faith. Our relationship with God permeates every aspect of our lives.

There is no other way to live out the Greatest Commandment.

What About Your Business Life?

Take a look at your business or work life. Reflect on how God is a part of this area of your life. If He is, what can you do to allow Him to be more involved. If He has not yet been allowed into this part of your life, then pray about how you can turn it over to Him.

The ultimate goal is for Him to fully control this area (along with all other areas) of your life, with you as the passenger and Him as the driver. That is a tough position to reach, but the more you prepare for it, the easier it becomes.

Is your life compartmentalized like your closet?

If you changed it at one time, has it drifted back?

What action do you need to take next?

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What I Learned From My Reader Survey

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Last month, I completed my very first Reader Survey. I have been writing this blog for 3.5 years now and I am ready to take it up a level. In order to do this, I felt it was critical to get your feedback about what you like best, what could improve, and any other ideas that might come from a survey.

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Reader Survey Results

I had 71 responses overall. This represents just over 15% of the number of email subscribers currently receiving my posts. My goal was to exceed 20%, but I think 15% was acceptable for a first effort. I know I got enough consistent feedback to give me the direction I need moving forward.

I have heard from the results that some of you are interested in the results, so I thought I would summarize them in this post. First I will give you a profile of the typical reader. Then I will tell you the five conclusions I reached based on the comments and suggestions offered.

Reader Profile

Let’s start with the profile:

  • My typical reader is male (72%) and falls between the ages of 45 to 64 (also 72%).
  • He is a business owner, entrepreneur, or a leader/employee in a business (65%).
  • He lives in the U.S. (86%) and his household income is over $75,000 (62%).
  • He has been integrating his faith and his work for years (64%).
  • His favorite topics have been Personal Growth (63%), Leadership (59%), and Business Practices (51%).
  • He has recommended my blog to others (58%).
  • He is most active on LinkedIn (86%) and Facebook (71%).
  • He prefers to read my blog via email (57%).

Since this is my first survey, I will be interested to watch how these demographics change over time. I will keep you updated as I complete future surveys.

My Conclusions

Now, let me share what I have learned from this survey. While I took lots of notes and learned more than this, I will share the main 5 lessons I gleaned from your feedback. The following five conclusions stood out above the rest.

1. Keep focusing on application!

    I heard loud and clear that you like that I most often focus on content that is easily applied to what you do. Like me, I understand that you are interested in reading about topics that you can take and apply to your own situation. This is cool to me because this was my number one goal from the beginning! I will commit to maintaining this focus.

2. Keep it real!

    I am so thankful that the way I write seems to resonate with you. I am not fancy or scholarly. I simply write the way I think – real, honest, and to the point. Your feedback told me to keep it this way. Evidently, most of you are as busy as I am and don’t have time for eloquent, fluffy posts about theory. Good thing – I can’t write any other way!

3. Keep the mix as/is!

    Your two favorite topics are also my top two most-frequent categories as well (Personal Growth & Leadership). For the most part, my mix of topics matches very well with your preferences. Since this mix has not been something I consciously determine, I will continue taking my own advice (and yours): I will continue to let God lead the content!

4. Keep it short(er)!

    Another clear message from the survey results – you prefer posts that are short and to the point. You do not have time to read lengthy posts. In fact, there were a few that would like to see my posts a little shorter. My focus going forward will be to work harder to keep the length down without sacrificing the message. When it makes sense, I will break a longer post into two or three to help with this.

5. Add some variety!

    I received many good ideas about what I could add to the blog to make it more useful to you. These ideas included doing more book reviews and adding video content. There was also the idea of taking time to go through Proverbs and apply it to business. I love the ideas and have already started working on some of them. Give me some time, but you will see some of these implemented in the not-too-distant future.

Thank You!

Overall, this survey was a great experience for me. I have received many new ideas from your comments and suggestions. I promise to take your feedback to heart and I hope you will see the benefits moving forward. Thank you for taking the time to give me your thoughts. I am grateful!