The Quote

I was listening to Jim Collins speak at the Catalyst conference in Atlanta. He was talking about an interview he had with Peter Drucker. Towards the end of the interview, Peter asked Jim for permission to offer him some advice. Jim, of course, was quick to agree! Who would refuse to take advice from Peter Drucker?!?

Drucker went on to say something to this effect (imagine his Austrian accent here)…

“Jim, you keep talking and thinking about survival…(pause)…You will probably survive. You also keep dwelling on success…(pause)…you will probably be successful. (longer pause)…Why don’t you go make yourself useful?“

Collins said he had no response. He said that quote has stuck with him since then.

My Response

Well, I just have to tell you that it has stuck with me as well. As I continue to hear it rattle around in my head, I wonder if I am truly being “useful.” Then I start to question what “useful” really means, in light of my faith, my (stewardship of His) business and an eternal perspective.

So I did what anyone would do this day and age…I googled it! Here is the Dictionary.com definition of useful:

Looking at the first definition, I keyed in on the words serving some purpose. Am I serving some purpose? What purpose should I be serving?

Serving Some Purpose

It is clear to me that Jesus has already told us what our purpose should be. When asked about the greatest commandment, He answered with two…”Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” His final instructions to us before He ascended was to “go and make disciples of all nations….” Now it is simply up to us to determine how He has gifted each of us to carry out, to serve, this purpose.

Of Practical Use

As for the second definition listed above, “of practical use,” it is similar, but I also see a little different perspective. I see myself as the tool in God’s hands – carrying out whatever practical work or task He has in mind for me. This requires my vision to be submitted to His. It requires me to be flexible, ready to change direction according to His will. In this definition, I see fewer grandiose projects and more washing of feet. I see God getting glory from the most menial of my tasks.

Useful?

So, once I break it down…what is my answer? Am I making myself useful?

For me, I believe God has placed me in a position at the head of a family business for the purpose of loving and serving Him and others. I am to do this as a business leader, but I am also to serve this purpose as a godly husband, father, church member, neighbor and friend. Each of these roles requires a different approach and I may need to employ various methods or skills, depending on the role. Regardless, each of these roles should fulfill the core purpose Jesus laid out for me.

So, for now I will say I am definitely a work in process. I am learning and growing. I am striving to be and do those things that will result in hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I am certainly not there yet. I don’t suppose I will ever actually be there. At the same time, that is what the “making” is all about!

What about you? Are you too concerned with survival or success?

Are you making yourself useful?

What do you need to change to improve?

Originally posted 11/7/11

Read and Apply God’s Word

Going all the way back to the fall of 2000, I experienced an awakening of sorts when I realized how little I actually read the Bible.  If it really is God’s Word, then I need to treat it that way and begin learning it.  For the past eleven years, I have been doing just that.

Not only have I been spending time in the Bible virtually every day since then, but I have also been working hard to apply what I have learned.  Whether that application is in the home, at work, in the community, or even in the church itself, I want to live out what I read.  I cannot say that I have it all figured out or that I am consistently applying all I have learned, but I am working at it every day.

The Business Belongs To God

The area of application that I feel is most unique today has been my work.  God has shown me through this process that my business is not separate from my spiritual life.  My “spiritual life” is my whole life and my business is a part of that life.  As a result, it must be given over to Him.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that we are not our own, but we were bought at a price.  I believe this includes our temple (body), time, treasure, and talents.  This business is part of my time, treasure, and talents and therefore belongs to God.

Having made this decision, I have been working for the past eight years to transform this business into one that pleases Him and advances His kingdom.  This transformation has created many challenges.  We have encountered resistance along the way, both from friend and foe alike.  At the same time, God has been faithful to sustain our efforts.  He has given us victories when we most needed them and has blessed us with wisdom to see the fight for what it is.

A Long Journey

Since I made the decision to turn this business over to him in 2003, we have not looked back.  We are eight years into this journey.  In some ways, we have come a long way – in this blog, I will be describing some of the projects, initiatives, processes, and policies that have resulted along the way.  In other ways, it seems we have just barely started the journey – I will also be describing the challenges causing this feeling.  Either way I look at it, I believe we are fulfilling God’s purpose for this business.

Regardless of where you are in your journey, I hope you will find the information here helpful.  I also hope you will pass it on to someone else who may need it.  Feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions!  I look forward to the journey together!

Are you on a similar journey?  Should you be?  

What is God’s purpose for your life and business?  

Are you ready to take the leap?

photo by Joe Diaz

Godly Counsel

While reading the Bible, I saw these verses:

Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.
-Proverbs 20:18

Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
-Proverbs 15:22

I know godly counsel can include advice from godly men and women.  As I sought that in some of my reading, I came across many books full of such wisdom.

Business By The Book

One book in particular was by Larry Burkett called Business by the Book: The Complete Guide of Biblical Principles for the Workplace.I immediately purchased the book and began to read through it, with a notepad to the side.

This book is a goldmine of practical, easy to understand advice on what a Christian business should look like.  Burkett covers topics like hiring and firing decisions, goals, compensation, and many more.  I spent hours going through this book slowly, trying to glean all that I could from it.

The Bible

One of the many pieces of advice Burkett gave in this book was to go back to the book of Proverbs.  He suggested reading through Proverbs, but not like you may have done it before.  He suggested reading through Proverbs with your “business” glasses on – treating it like a business manual or textbook.  I had never considered this approach, but I liked the idea!

I will talk more about a specific situation that I addressed with this method in my next post, but I will tell you that Burkett’s advice here was spot on.  Regardless of your perspective when reading Proverbs, the wisdom there is incredible.  Try it yourself!

Prayer

No matter which of these sources you are using to seek wisdom, it is always good to begin and end with prayer.  Jesus said the Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth (John 16:13).  If we will pray before and after reading, whether the Bible or from another source, God will make good on His Promise to guide us.  Pray for discernment and understanding about what you are reading.  He will confirm the matter in your heart.

Are you seeking wisdom for your business?

What other sources have you found?

Are you praying for guidance in your search?

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photo by Frederic BISSON

Afternoon Session

I decided to take several hours one afternoon and went off to a secluded, family-owned cabin nearby for a brainstorming session.  During this session, I wrote down everything that I felt God putting on my heart about what our business would look like in the future. I made notes on ideas for new policies, initiatives, and goals.  I think I ended up with eight or ten pages during that first brainstorming session!

I would not be able to implement much of it until further down the road, but at least I got it on paper.  I have referred back to these first notes dozens of times over the years.  It is really cool to see how much of it is now implemented eight years later!

Once a week, I would get my most critical work done in the morning, grab lunch to go, and take off down to the cabin for three or four hours.

This first session worked so well that I began doing this weekly for the next several months.  These sessions were extremely valuable in helping me get my mind wrapped around the huge change I was considering.

photo by Forest Service Northern Region

All of my life, I had been working toward taking over my family’s business, an automobile dealership group in Georgia.  I planned to expand it and take it to new heights!  I had visions of grandeur and everything looked like it was headed that way.  But when I began spending time in God’s Word, I realized that everything I wanted and worked for was only temporal.  None of it would really matter in 1,000 years.

As an adult, I was running the family business, involved in the church, and giving my children the same faith foundation I had been given.  In fact, I thought I was doing everything right until just before my 30th birthday.  It was then, on a long flight to Hawaii, that I read a book and my life changed forever…for the better!

The book was called Left Behind.What stopped me in my tracks was not the storyline concerning the rapture or really anything related to the end times.  What stopped me in my tracks was the fact that the new believers depicted in the story began reading the Bible as if it was food and they had not eaten for years.  They consumed it every chance they had.  They learned from it and tried to align their lives with it.

I could not help but realize that I had been a Christian for almost 20 years and had never felt that way about the Bible.  While I owned multiple copies of the Bible in my home, I only read one in church while following along with the preacher.  I did not study it.  I did not seek answers in it.  I did not try to align my life with it.

While I owned multiple copies of the Bible…I did not study it.  I did not seek answers in it.  I did not try to align my life with it.

I cannot explain to you how this realization made me feel!  I was devastated and ashamed that I had been so blind for so long, but at the same time excited at the possibilities I could see!  I was embarrassed at the time I had wasted, but I was energized by the thought of correcting the problem.  I had so many ideas!  I could not wait to get home and begin studying!

Have you experienced anything like this?  Is this your blind spot?

Do you treat the Bible as decoration in your home or your irreplaceable life’s instruction manual?  

What, if anything, do you need to change about your view of the Bible?P

Photo by Phantom1311 / iStock