Tag Archives: God is faithful

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More Lessons From David Green Of Hobby Lobby

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In a recent post, I shared an article from The High Calling (a Christian blog community). The article was an in-depth interview of David Green, founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby. Because the article was so long itself, I did not expound on it in that post. Instead, I am taking a more detailed look in a short series of posts.

David Green

David Green

While I have never met David Green, based on the articles I have read, there is plenty there is plenty we can learn from him! In fact, the more I read about the Hobby Lobby story and David Green’s leadership, the more I want to model our business after his. Hopefully you will learn something from this short series of posts as we dig a little deeper into Green’s story.

In reviewing the interview article, I found what I believe to be 15 clear lessons for anyone attempting to integrate faith and business. Though each of us has different situations and challenges, I think you will quickly see that these lessons span across industries and business sizes. In my last post, I took a look at the first five lessons I saw in the interview article. Today, we will review the next five lessons.

Let’s dig right in!

#6 – Learn from mistakes

I bet you have never heard this one before, have you? I know this is supposed to be common sense, but I have not found it to be that common. Too often, we are guilty of repeating our mistakes. At least I am.

Note what David Green said when asked about learning opportunities. He talked about how his company almost lost it all when they stretched too far for growth. He did not dwell on this point, but I will.

They survived that time period, but made the decision that they would be debt free in the future. That is a huge decision that impacts virtually every other financial decision in a business. Sacrifices are made and “deals” are passed up that would require debt. This is no easy lesson.

By the way, what do you think David Green is saying about this decision after what we have been through the past several years. Regret? I don’t think so!

#7 – Simplify your priorities

Again, this is not rocket science here. We hear this a lot, but do we act on it? In many cases, we get so elaborate with our plans, for Christian ministry or business, that we tie ourselves in knots. We start out feeling great about our strategic plans, but before long we are confused and paralyzed.

Instead, David Green tells us that he and his company had three simple priorities for using their cash: pay tithes, grow, and pay debt. Folks, that is as simple as you get. No confusion here, just simple priorities (based on Scripture as well!).

#8 – Plan for the future

In addition to preparing for their future by paying down debt, David Green and company also made sure to set goals and budgets for their future.

I have heard many managers and leaders claim that forecasting and budgeting is too difficult given today’s uncertain business climate. I simply disagree. Sure, it is more difficult! But that does not mean we should not even try!

Even with the uncertainty, there is huge value in laying out the budgets and forecasts and the game plan to back them up. Make adjustments along the way as conditions change, but do not give up the planning altogether!

#9 – Take care of the people

If you will notice, Green spent twice as much time talking about how he is determined to take care of his people as he did in discussing his three uses of cash! That is significant. Without the people, there is no cash!

I am taking special note of this lesson myself. Based on the feedback I received in our recent employee focus groups, there are some areas related to this subject that we need to address.

Our goal here (for all of us) should be to base our decisions here on Scripture. There are many ways to view this subject, but I think it is important we start by looking at what the Bible says. More on this later.

#10 – Have stated personal life goals

David Green had three stated personal life goals: have a strong marriage, be successful at what he did, and for his children to serve God.

He later added two more: for his grandkids to serve God and to tell as many people as he could about Jesus Christ.

I have talked at length about LIFE planning on this blog. If you have followed my posts on this subject, you know that I am a huge proponent of taking the time to state these personal life goals. Some people may be more detailed or complex in their goals while others keep it simple.

Either way, this is not a lesson to skip over. I encourage you to take the time and start this process. I think you will be amazed at what God will do in your heart as you do.

What comments would you add to any of the lessons so far?

Have you learned similar lessons on your own? How?

Which lesson is one you need to act on now?

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15 Lessons From David Green Of Hobby Lobby

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In my last post, I shared an article from The High Calling (a Christian blog community). The article was an in-depth interview of David Green, founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby. Because the article was so long itself, I did not expound on it in that post. Instead, I will take a detailed look in this and the next couple of posts.

David Green

David Green

First, let me clarify. I have never met David Green and only know what I have read from various articles online. As with any topic you read about online, there is much we do not know.

At the same time, in the articles I have read, there is plenty of meat to chew on! In fact, the more I read about the Hobby Lobby story and David Green’s leadership, the more I want to model our business after his. Hopefully you will learn something from this short series of posts as we dig a little deeper into Green’s story.

Faith And Business Lessons

In reviewing the interview article, I found what I believe to be 15 clear lessons for anyone attempting to integrate faith and business. Though each of us has different situations and challenges, I think you will quickly see that these lessons span across industries and business sizes. Today, I will cover five lessons.

Let’s dig right in!

#1 – Be patient.

    Too often we look at someone like David Green and wonder why our business has not taken off like his. Why can’t our business be debt-free and giving away so much money at this point? Then, when we look closer, we realize his did not “take off” either!

    Reading the details in the article, I noticed that he borrowed the $600 in 1970 to begin making frames in his garage. The first retail store was not opened for another two years! Look at the patience it must have taken to keep working out of the garage for two years.

    We need to have the same patience with our businesses. We need to make sure we are doing the right things, but we should not expect overnight success. God is certainly capable of giving us overnight success, but He is more interested in our development and maturity as His children. Trust His timing.

#2 – Be willing to sacrifice.

    Did you notice that David Green’s wife worked for the business for the first five years without getting paid anything? He did not mention what he made, but I imagine it was not more than they needed for their bare necessities. Are you willing to do that if necessary?

    Frequently, we are all guilty of thinking that we are entitled to certain luxuries or benefits. We are almost shocked when we realize we may have to give up something we love if we want our God-given dream to continue. We argue that we “deserve” whatever it is and we begin working hard on finding ways to keep it.

    God’s goal is not to see how low He can take us in our lifestyles, but He will test our hearts at times to see our reaction. We need to be willing to give up our earthly “treasure” for His will.

#3 – Follow Scripture.

    When asked about leadership lessons he had learned, David Green’s first response was to point to Scripture. Aside from that, he did not go into much detail about all of the ways he has applied Scripture in the business.

    However, if you pay close attention to what he says about his business principles throughout the article, you can see how closely it is tied to Scripture. From his talk about paying good wages, elimination of debt, and being bold about his faith, it is clear the Bible is his foundation for the way he runs the business.

#4 – Rely on prayer.

    Immediately after mentioning Scripture, David Green goes straight to prayer. He talks about how his team relies on daily prayer to determine their path. He goes on to say that God is the only one who knows the future and therefore they seek His leading in everything.

    As I have said before, this is the greatest resource we have as Christian business owners and leaders. We need to be committed to a daily discipline of seeking God’s guidance through prayer. This may well be our most important responsibility (that we cannot delegate).

#5 – Trust God’s will.

    Just seeking His guidance in prayer is not enough. We must be willing to follow His lead, regardless of the consequences! We must have a core belief that God has our best interests at heart.

    David Green mentions that God is always there to help them, even in the problems. They always come back to knowing He is there and wants to help them. If we will KNOW this and act accordingly, there is no limit to what He can do through us.

More To Come

Stay tuned the rest of the week for further lessons from the David Green interview!

Which of these lessons speaks most to you?

Which one is already part of your walk?

What do you need to do next to put these into action?

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An Interview With David Green Of Hobby Lobby

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David GreenWhen I started this blog, I had several purposes in mind. They are listed in more detail below. As I look back at these purposes, I think think I have stayed true to them over the past 14+ months. Yet there are times when I run across a resource that does a much better job of communicating these purposes than I can. One of these resources is an article about David Green, Founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby.

David Green Article

For today’s post, I am going to do something I have not done before. I am simply going to refer you to that article. If I thought I could do a better job communicating this idea of Christian business better than David Green of Hobby Lobby, then I would try. Since I cannot, I will just allow you to read it directly from him.

I encourage you to read the whole article, though it is longer than my normal posts. Even if you have to save it for later, I promise you it is worth the time and effort.

I hope you enjoy the article!

Article: A Candid Interview With David Green

Hobby Lobby Statement of Purpose: HobbyLobby.com

The Christian Faith At Work blog has several purposes…

  • Enlighten – I am writing this to open the eyes of Christian business owners and leaders everywhere to the fact that we are called to more than just Sunday Christianity. We are called to be disciples of His the rest of the week as well.
  • Educate – I am writing this to share what I have learned over the years and what I continue to learn going forward. I want to share resources that I have found to be helpful. I want come alongside others and learn with them as well.
  • Encourage – I am writing this to encourage others that have chosen a similar path to mine. Whether through relating my successes or failures, I hope other disciples of Jesus will draw strength, encouragement, hope, and wisdom from the content here.
  • Enlist – My hope is that, as a result of reading this blog (and more importantly listening to God), others will decide to take the same path. I believe this is my part in going and making disciples!
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Wise Counsel In Unexpected Places

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When I set out to create this blog over a year ago, I really had no idea what would come of it. I knew something in me wanted to do it and I felt God leading me in that direction, but my expectations were very low. I just did not know what was in store for me. Now, roughly 14 months later, I can say that the benefits have been overwhelming. Today, I want to discuss one of the most unexpected – wise counsel.

wise counsel

Unexpected Benefit!

See, when I started the blog, I had the distinct feeling that God would use it to teach others about integrating their Christian faith into their work. What I did not expect was that He would also use it to introduce me to wise counsel from many other Christian business owners and leaders!

Isn’t it funny how God turns things on us? We know that Scripture says that it is more blessed to give than to receive, but we often forget how that plays out in our lives. Well, I can say that I have been the recipient of more FROM this blog and those I have met because of it than I have ever given TO it.

Wise Counsel Examples

I have had the fortune to meet a man in Chandigarh, India that has taught me a lot about doing intentional ministry with whatever tools you have at your disposal. He has taught me about joy in tough circumstances and praising God in trials.

I have had the opportunity to get to know a couple of other bloggers like Tom Tarver, Kari Scare, Michael Nichols, and Loren Pinilis. Each of these has taught me something different, but all have been valuable.

I have also had the pleasure of meeting several Christian business owners and leaders in person. In fact, over the past couple of weeks, I have spent an hour or two with three different individuals that have each taught me something. Two of these guys were complete strangers to me a couple of months ago!

Just this afternoon I had the privilege of talking with another CEO about similar struggles we are having. He called me for some input on an idea he had, but I was also able to learn a valuable idea from him during the conversation. His wise counsel is something I cannot find just anywhere.

Wise Counsel In Scripture

The Bible speaks a lot about wise counsel. Take a look at the following verses:

    Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance. – Proverbs 11:14
    A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise. – Proverbs 12:15
    Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. – Proverbs 15:22
    Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life. – Proverbs 19:20

Different Opportunity?

Folks, I have obviously been blessed by God to have access to all of the wise counsel that I have mentioned above – and these are only the connections that have come as a result of this blog. I have other sources that are just as valuable.

The problem is that not everyone reading this blog right now feels they have the same opportunity for this amount of wise counsel as I do. Well, I have news for you.

You are wrong!

Pray For Wise Counsel

Listen to me before you puff up! I agree that not everyone has a blog that creates these opportunities. However, I did not have this source for wise counsel just over a year ago. It has only just recently become a source for me.

Even then, I had wise counsel available to me. I had it because I saw value in it and was committed to praying for it. That’s right, I have been praying daily for wisdom for years (as long as I can remember) and God promises that He will answer that prayer. He has been faithful to that promise for me.

    Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.
    – James 1:5

Expect Results!

In fact, I believe that one of the reasons God led me to start this blog was that He knew it would be another avenue He could use to provide me with wise counsel – an answer to my prayer for wisdom!

If you are sincere about wanting wise counsel (which will lead to wisdom – if you pay attention!), then all you need to do is start praying for it. Pray earnestly and consistently, with faith, and it will come.

While you are praying, start looking for it expectantly in the unexpected places. You will likely be as surprised as I have at the results!

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How Do We No Longer Deny Jesus?

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Let me start this post by confessing (again!). Over the past few posts, we have been looking at Peter’s decision to deny Jesus and what we can learn from it. This is a tough topic and may actually offend some people. I just want to begin by saying that I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I have not figured out how to completely avoid this behavior myself. At the same time, I am not going to let that stop me from trying to come up with a legitimate answer to the problem.

deny Jesus

No Longer Deny Jesus?

We have already discussed what it looks like for us to deny Jesus today. Next, we talked about WHY we deny Jesus. We have even talked about how we can be restored AFTER we deny Jesus. I think it makes sense for us to turn our focus now to how we can avoid this behavior altogether.

I will tell you up front that I believe I have our answer. I will also be transparent and tell you that I am not there yet. I have a lot of work left to do before I can testify that this answer has worked for me. I still deny Jesus.

At the same time, I believe I can show you how it has worked for others.

You Already Have The Answer!

The truth is that I have already given you the answer to this problem. It is my opinion that we deny Jesus for the simple reason that we do not know Him.

What I mean by this is that we know so little about the true greatness (our English vocabulary comes up short for proper adjectives) of this man named Jesus. Most of us can quote verses (or find them!) that tell us Jesus was fully God and fully man.

Head Knowledge

We can show verses that talk about the miracles He performed and how He created the earth. We can even show where the Bible says He was killed, but raised from the dead three days later.

So, what is the problem? We know a lot about how great He is, right?

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Not TRUE Knowledge

The truth is that we may be able to quote or point out facts from the Bible, but we are very far from KNOWING these things about Jesus. Most of us are a long way from being willing to take a loss because of this knowledge.

How do I know this? How can I be so bold and say this about people I do not even know?

The World Would Be A Different Place

Because if we REALLY did KNOW, down deep in our core, these things about Jesus to be FULLY TRUE, then the world would be a very different place. It is that simple.

If we were confident to the point of being willing to stake our lives on it, then our circle of influence would be dramatically impacted. Our neighborhoods would have no doubt as to where we stand. Our fellow employees would not question our allegiance to Him. Our customers would be wowed by our overwhelming love displayed through the way we conduct business. We would not be guilty of continuing to deny Jesus!

Solution?

But since pictures like this are so rare, it is clear that the majority of us only have head knowledge of Jesus. We may be able to answer Jeopardy questions about Jesus, but we cannot answer for our lack of allegiance to Him.

Assuming this is true, then what are we to do about it? What is the solution?

The simple solution is to get to KNOW Jesus.

Wow, that is insightful, isn’t it?

Actually, it doesn’t need to be complex to be right. It doesn’t have to be cryptic to be life-changing.

Peter’s Example

Take another look at Peter in Acts, chapters 2-4. Peter, the same man that had just recently made the decision to deny Jesus three times is preaching at the risk of his life. He is thrown into prison, questioned about his healing and preaching, and boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus. Even when warned to stop, he maintains his allegiance and keeps preaching!

Who is this guy? What happened to him? Didn’t he just deny Jesus?

The resurrection happened to him.

Heart Knowledge

What happened is that he went from knowing a lot about Jesus to KNOWING exactly who Jesus was – the Living God! He went from a head knowledge to a heart knowledge. All of Peter’s doubts were blown away after the resurrection. He was no longer confused, but was committed to the core!

That’s great and we do not argue that. But since we cannot take Peter’s place and be a first-hand witness to what he saw, how do we achieve the same results?

I know you are likely hoping for a silver bullet method that will rocket you to an intimate knowledge of and relationship with Jesus. I don’t have one.

Instead, what I have is nothing new, but it is proven.

Solution?

Here are your answers:

Trust Peter’s Account

While we cannot physically put ourselves in Peter’s place at the empty tomb, we can trust his eyewitness account. We can spend consistent time in prayer about what we read in the Bible.

Seek Heart Knowledge

We can be consistent about reading about Jesus in the Gospels. We don’t do this for the purpose of more head knowledge, but to get our hearts transformed by what we read. We can pray that the Holy Spirit will do to us what He did to Peter at Pentecost – giving us the same boldness through true knowledge of who Jesus is.

This is not a typical 3-point bullet list normally found in self-help books today. It is not an ointment we can rub on our heart. Instead, it is a commitment to dig deep and give up our desire for everything else until we find it.

Must Be TOP Priority!

Unless we want this more than ANYTHING else, we will not find it. Unless we seek it regardless of the cost, we will let other desires and distractions derail our efforts.

When we succeed at doing this, we WILL have a TRUE knowledge of Him that will make it impossible to deny Jesus. This knowledge alone will have more of an impact on your business, job, family, and life than anything else you can do. Try it and see what you find!

Are you prepared to commit to this venture?

Do you believe you can have the boldness of Peter?

Do you want it?

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What Happens After We Deny Jesus?

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In the past few posts, we have talked about the decision we often make to deny Jesus. We started with seeing Peter deny Jesus leading up to the crucifixion. We have also looked at how we deny Jesus today and why that happens. Today, I want to turn to a reassuring truth – what happens after we deny Jesus?

deny Jesus

Deny Jesus? Guilty.

We have agreed (most of us) that we are all guilty of the decision to deny Jesus on an almost daily basis. We have agreed that this is embarrassing to admit and it is something we desperately want to avoid. Many of us may have made decisions to start anew in our mission to truly KNOW the Jesus of the Bible.

Jesus Understands!

However, many of us may still be sitting at the starting line. For some reason, we are frozen by the recognition that we are as guilty as Peter in our decisions to deny Jesus. For some, the guilt is unbearable. For these, as long as the guilt is there, corrective action is impossible.

I understand. Better than that, Jesus understands!

Folks, He created us and knows our weaknesses. He is fully aware of the temptations we face and the magnetic effect they have on our hearts. Jesus knows the pressure we are under and the distractions vying with Him for our attention.

Don’t Take It Lightly, But…

Now, don’t relax and think that He is okay with all of this. Don’t begin to think, “Hey, maybe I don’t really need to worry about this after all.” It is still a serious offense and He still takes it seriously.

He does not like our choosing popularity over prayer. He hates our decision to prefer temporal pleasures over eternal rewards. He is disappointed when we take time for television over time with Him.

At the same time, He loves us despite all of this and is willing to forgive us for our choices. Not only does He forgive us, but He also restores us!

Peter’s Example

When we look at the example of Peter, we see this clearly.

Peter was a leader within the 12 disciples. He clearly had influence and was always leading the charge. After his decision to deny Jesus, Peter likely felt nothing would be the same again. In fact, he went back to fishing, most likely in a effort to return to something he was sure he could do. He probably thought his leadership days were over.

Then we read in John 21:15-17 where Jesus asked Peter if he really loved Him. Three times Peter answered that he did love Jesus. Then, three times, Jesus charges Peter to feed His sheep.

Not Only Forgiveness, But Restoration!

Jesus did not stop with, “I forgive you, Peter.” No, instead He restores Peter to a position of leadership. Jesus did not just remove the sin, but returned Peter to his place at the head of the mission.

He wanted Peter to know that he was restored to the position of leadership, to the position of leading the mission of the church. Regardless of Peter’s failures, Jesus was willing to use him. Despite his past, Jesus had plans for Peter!

Same Restoration For Us!

Folks, He will do the same for us!

We cannot ignore the times when we deny Jesus. We cannot blow them off and say Jesus understands. No, we must repent and be determined not to let it happen again. At the same time, we can rest in the knowledge that even when we mess up, Jesus is there to restore us.

And as a result, we need to let Him do so. Then we need to get back on the horse and get to work. There is much to do and we have a part in His plan!

Have you needed to be restored by Jesus?

Has guilt kept you from moving on?

Do you see how Jesus can end that for you?

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Part 2: Are You A Borderline Christian?

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ChristianAre you settling near the place God has in mind for you, but not right in the middle of it? Are you settling for “good enough” when God wants the best in His relationship with you? Is it possible that you are also doing this in your business? As Christians, shouldn’t we want to be exactly where God wants us…not just on the border?

Choosing The Border Land

In my last post, I posed the question, “Are You A Borderline Christian?” In this post, I talked about how several of the Israelite tribes chose to take as their inheritance the land just outside of the Promised Land. This land they chose was across the Jordan river from the land God had promised their fathers.

Unfortunately for these tribes, they decided the land just outside God’s Promised land was “good enough” and so they settled there. This decision caused several problems for these tribes.

Christian Business Application

So, as we always do, let’s talk about how we can apply these ideas to our lives as Christian business owners and leaders.

First, let’s recognize that this is very much a picture of Christians today. So many believers hear that God promises us peace and joy in ways we cannot imagine, but they still decide that what they can see in the world right in front of them is “good enough” for what they need!

So many times, we know God has something awesome for us one day, but we choose to take the “good enough” that we can see in front of us right now. Why do we do this?

Why Choose The Border Land

There are several possibilities. Maybe we think “a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush” is from the Bible! We want what we can have right now rather than waiting on what God has for us later. Maybe, like the borderline tribes, we may not want the “fight” it will take to get it.

But sometimes we are even okay with accepting the fight and still want to settle for less than God has for us. What could we be thinking? Maybe it is our fear of full commitment to God and what He wants from us. Maybe we are much more comfortable in the “borderline” position – getting just enough of God to make us feel better, but not so much that we are no longer in control.

Whatever the reasons we may have, we need to stop and realize that we are thinking this way. We need to search our own hearts and allow God to reveal the truth to us about where we stand.

This Is A Big Deal!

Second, we need to recognize that this is a VERY BIG DEAL. God wants our all (Matthew 22:37-40). He is jealous and does not like it when we live as borderline believers. He wants us fully committed to Him. In fact, Jesus would rather we were AGAINST Him than in the middle (Revelation 3:14-16).

This is true in our businesses as well. We cannot pick and choose which parts of Scripture we will apply to how we run a business. If we are going to live in full commitment to God, we need to fully commit our jobs to Him as well.

Dangers To Christian Business

Finally, let’s discuss the dangers of living as borderline Christian business owners and leaders. Just like the borderline tribes, we are putting ourselves and our businesses at risk when we try to ride the fence like this. When we are living as borderline believers, we lose our clear and frequent communication with God.

As a result, our decisions suffer. We are more susceptible to temptation and attack – spiritual or otherwise. We are also weaker in our defense agains the storms that will come. Quite simply, we are on our own – and that is not good!

Trust Him Completely

D.L. Moody said, “The world has yet to see what God will do through a man who trusts Him completely.” I think this statement rings true for our businesses as well.

Let’s commit together to move out of the borderline areas and into God’s Promised Land – His will for our lives as well as our businesses and jobs. Let’s give him total control and submit to His leadership. I think we will find that He is faithful to make good on His promises!

Where are you living? Your business or job?

If on the border, what are you going to do to change it?

If you don’t know, what is your next step to find out?

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Are You Too Focused On The Results?

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Business people count things. It is what we do! If you are like me, you often find yourself counting various processes or results in your business and your life. Of course, once you count whatever it is, you must then compare that count with something or someone else to determine if you are doing a good job or not. It is in our nature to do this and most of us do it quite often. However, there is a problem with doing this.

results

Results Are Critical

Now, before you even think about taking this to the extreme, please relax! I am not going to tell you to stop counting and measuring activities or results in your business. A significant part of being successful in business is establishing processes and goals and then measuring your progress to those goals.

I am not going to tell you there is anything inherently wrong with measuring results. That is not my point at all.

Watching Results Can Be Trouble

My point is really to shed light on some of the potential dangers of watching these results. While there is nothing wrong with the idea of measuring results, there are some pitfalls that you need to keep in mind. Once I go through the short list of these pitfalls, I think you will understand what I am saying and agree.

1. When you’re checking the results, you’re not watching what you’re doing!

    Take driving for example. Imagine you are driving on the interstate, but you are too focused on your dashboard computer as it tells you your rolling average fuel economy. Obviously, this behavior can have fatal consequences! In this case, it would be fine for you to check your mileage every time you fill up the tank or stop for food.

    We can do the same thing in our businesses. When we establish goals in a certain area, we need to measure and track the results on a regular basis. However, if we are constantly watching these results, we may miss something important! We need to set specific intervals for checking our results and resist the temptation to look more often.

2. You may find yourself well ahead of the goal and relax.

    One of my favorite scenes in the movie Facing The Giants was the death crawl scene (watch here).In this scene, the coach challenged one of the football players to crawl on all fours with another player riding on his back. The challenge was to get from the end zone to the fifty yard line. The catch was that the player was to do it blind-folded so he could not see his progress.

    Evidently the fifty-yard challenge was a stretch because the player thought he could never make it. The other players looked cynical as well. The result? The player, by giving his absolute best and ignoring the progress, ended up in the far end zone – a full 100 yards away! It was an amazing scene – proof that ignoring the progress and pressing on can produce greater-than-expected results!

    The blindfold was the key. If we can “blindfold” our teams every once in a while and challenge them to give their best without checking the results, I think we all would be surprised at what could be accomplished!

3. You may begin to believe that you are the reason for the results.

    Take a look at King David in 1 Chronicles 21. At the prompting of Satan, King David decided he wanted a census of the fighting men of Israel and Judah. The commander of the army, Joab, questioned David. He argued that God could multiply the size of the army to whatever number He needed – why the need to count? But David persisted and the census was taken.

    As a result, God punished Israel. Evidently David was beginning to feel some pride in his position and wanted to boast of the strength of the army. Rather than giving sole credit to God for the increase and the might of the army, David appeared to be looking for some credit of his own.

    If we allow ourselves to get too caught up in “counting” in our businesses or lives, pride is likely to creep in and separate us from dependence on God. Not all counting falls into this category, but you do need to be aware of the danger!

4. Your timeframe may be off.

    A watched pot never boils. Sometimes God gives us a picture of something He wants us to strive toward. Sometimes He does this without showing us WHEN that picture will come to fruition. If we continually watch the progress towards that picture, counting the results before the right time, we may be tempted to give up or get frustrated.

    God gave Joseph a clear picture, actually two, of his brothers bowing down to him. The problem was that God did not tell him when it would happen! As you can read in Genesis 37-45, it took over 20 years for the dream to come true. During the interim, Joseph was sold into slavery, accused of attempted rape, and confined to prison for many years.

    We can assume there were times when Joseph questioned God about the timing, but he remained faithful to trust God. Rather than constantly checking our results against the picture God has given us, we need to follow Joseph’s example!

Trust God

See, sometimes we can spend too much time checking our results. We can also check these results too often and at the wrong intervals. When we get to the point where we are too focused on watching our results, or the progress to these results, a lot of problems can arise. Instead, let’s learn to work our hardest and then put our trust in God and His faithfulness. The right results will come in His time.

Do you fall into this trap at times?

How do you get out of it? How do you avoid it the next time?

Do you see other pitfalls I have left out?

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How Does Busy Impact Your Impact?

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Are you so busy at work that you do not feel you are accomplishing anything for God? Is your work situation causing you to question how you will ever impact another person for eternity? Do you wonder if this period of time will ever end? Are you even questioning the job itself – whether God may want you somewhere else? If you have ever asked similar questions, keep reading!

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Too Busy For My Job?

In my last post, I described how I had recently experienced a period of time when I felt I was too busy to do my job. A key executive leader had left our company and I was forced to take on many of his responsibilities. I knew it was only for a season, but I knew that season would make it difficult for me to fulfill my true God-given job description – to impact others for eternity by pointing them to God.

Eternal Job Trumps All

Based on Scripture (Matthew 22:37-40, 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:20), this true job description should trump all other job descriptions. This fact is accepted by most Christians as being the truth. In fact, we usually describe it by saying our priorities are God, Family, Job – in that order.

Unfortunately, there are times when our busy-ness on the job seems to crowd out any opportunity for us to carry out this eternal job description and impact others as we should. This is especially tough when the busy-ness is not within our control – when others have the most influence on how we spend our time.

Many Treat It As Separate!

The problem is that though most agree our God-given job description is top priority, too many people also think it is also completely separate from the job description their employer gave them. Most people fail to realize that God’s job description for us is to be fulfilled IN CONJUNCTION WITH the other job descriptions we have!

You see, God has placed you in the job you have for a reason and a season. He knows all there is to know about your job and the circumstances surrounding that job. He is not surprised by the sudden busy-ness you are experiencing. Nothing about your job is surprising to Him.

Both At The Same Time!

Instead, God is watching to see how you are living out the eternal job description He has given you while you are carrying out the temporal job description given to you by your employer. It is NOT one or the other, but BOTH at the same time.

Folks, this is really great news! This means you do not have to “steal” time from your employer to carry out your eternal purpose! It also means you will never be asked by God to ignore business needs so you can work on His requests. The cool thing is that you can do everything God wants you to do WHILE carrying out your job for your employer or running your business.

My Recent Example

For a concrete example, let me describe my approach to this recent season of busy-ness I had. Before I do this, please know that I did not execute this perfectly! I am no better at this than you can be…I screwed it up plenty of times. As you read about my intentions, just be aware that my actions did not always match up.

If you will do your best to follow these same steps, God will honor your efforts as He did mine!

Step #1 – Gain & Maintain Perspective

    Fortunately for me, I was headed out on a family vacation when my busy season started. I say fortunately because it allowed me to step away from my job for a week and use the time to regain the right perspective. The “right perspective” is an eternal perspective. I had to remind myself that God knew what I was about to endure and all He wanted was my best, with a focus on the eternal impact of my actions.

    To maintain this perspective, I renewed my commitment to a productive quiet time (it had gotten stale). I began a new study of Joshua (see resulting posts here) because I saw him as a leader that followed God’s commands even under extremely tough circumstances. I knew I would learn perspective from Joshua.

Step #2 – Pray (like never before)

    Along with a renewed commitment to an effective quiet time, I dedicated myself to sincere, blank-canvas prayer. I gave God the brush and paint while I stood back and waited for Him to create the picture for me. Though it had the potential to get repetitive, I continued praying day after day for Him to paint the picture…I did not want to lose this perspective!

    Folks, I am not a good pray-er. This is especially true when I get busy. I lose focus and my mind wanders. I get off track and start listing my trivial requests before I realize what I am doing. During this time period, I fought through this weakness. I stayed on my knees for an extra 15-20 minutes when necessary, but I was not going to give up on this prayer.

Step #3 – Triage (and eliminate) Where Possible

    While being inundated with “stuff” from everyone that normally got their answers from the leader that left, I realized I was not physically capable of doing it all. Something had to fall through the cracks or I was going to crack!

    I made the decision to triage my tasks like the Emergency Room does when overloaded with injuries. Those non-critical issues were put to the side. Even “good” things I was doing in the past were put aside in favor of the “best” things. I prayed for wisdom as I did this and promised those affected by these decisions that I would return to these tasks when (and if) time permitted. In most cases, they understood.

Step #4 – Pursue Excellence in Everything

    As I described in Step #3, I allowed the non-essential “good” stuff to be delayed or eliminated altogether. I did this because I believe we are called to Excellence in whatever we do as Christians. Busy is no excuse for falling short. Rather than be mediocre at the whole range of tasks coming at me, I chose the most critical and tried to complete them in an “excellent” way.

    This was not always the way they ended up. I missed some things. I messed up on others. But I maintained this strategy and (for the most part) it worked. I will probably look back and beat myself up for some of the things I put off, but today I feel I did all I could.

Step #5 – Pray (some more)

    Finally, I continued praying. I prayed that God would make up for my shortcomings. I prayed those around me would be given more patience for my weaknesses than they normally had. I prayed for endurance to keep up the increased pace and duration of my working hours. I prayed my family would give me grace through it all.

When all is said and done, this busy season appears to be coming to a close for me. I am sure there is another just around the corner, but I am thankful for the learning from this one. I hope you can get something out of my experience as well.

Do you think these steps will help you when you get busy?

Which one(s) will be the hardest for you?

What steps would you add to this list?

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4 Simple Questions For Your Life Plan

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It is coming up on that time of the year when I begin thinking about my LIFE plan for next year (Read the series here). I know…it is only September, but once Halloween hits, the end of the year flies by. Before you know it, it is mid-January! As I begin to think about this, I become more aware of articles and tools that I think might help me in that process. I want to share a good one with you today.

life plan

Eric Liddell – Missionary

Many of you probably know the name Eric Liddell. It was his story that was featured in the movie Chariots of Fire. What many people do not know is that after his gold medal in the 1924 Olympics, Liddell became a missionary to China. While there during World War II, he was sent to a prison camp with roughly 200 others determined to be “enemy nationals.”

Liddell spent the last two years of his life in that camp. Many years after his death in 1945, a manuscript of The Disciplines of the Christian Life was published. It is in this book that you will find the material I want to share with you today.

Life Plan Questions

The following material from Liddell’s book only consists of four simple questions. However, a lot of self-examination can happen when answering these four questions. I plan to use these very questions in the preparation of my LIFE plan for next year. I encourage you to do the same.

Let’s get started. Before you read through these simple questions, I encourage you to pray that God will open your mind and heart to hear what He has to say to you. Try to completely clear your mind of all distractions so you can focus on the depth of these questions.

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1. Am I truthful?

    Are there any conditions under which I will tell a lie? Can I be depended on to tell the truth no matter what the cost?

2. Am I honest?

    Can I be trusted in money matters? in my work, even when no one is looking? with other people’s reputations? with myself—or do I rationalize and become defensive?

3. Am I pure?

    Am I pure in my habit? in my thought life? in my motives? in my relations with the opposite sex?

4. Am I selfish?

    Am I selfish in the demands I make on my family, spouse, or associates? Am I badly balanced, full of moods—cold today and warm tomorrow? Do I indulge in nerves that spoil my happiness and that of those around me? Am I unrestrained in my pleasures, the kind I enjoy without considering the effect…to take reasonable rest and exercise? Am I unrestrained in small self-indulgences, letting myself become the slave of habits, however harmless they may appear to me? Let us put ourselves before ourselves and look at ourselves.

(Liddell, Christian Life, 29-30).

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Write Your Answers

As you go through each of these questions, write down your answers. As you have cleared your mind beforehand, write down anything that comes to mind. Maybe it does not seem particularly profound at the moment. At the same time it may strike you differently when you go back to review your answers later.

Assume for a moment that God speaks to your heart about something in particular as you answer these questions. What should you do next?

“Start Doing” List

My thought at this point is that you create two lists for your LIFE plan. The first is a “Start Doing” list. On this list, you add things that God prompts you to add – actions or habits that you need to start.

Maybe, when asking, “Am I selfish?” you answered that you have been selfish about your health and you know you need to take action to improve it. You recognize that your family and those with whom you work are getting short-changed because your health is sub-par. In this case, put “exercise plan” or “improved diet” on your “Start Doing” list.

“Stop Doing” List

The other list for your LIFE plan is your “Stop Doing” list. While it sounds simple, very few people create one of these lists. Obviously, this list consists of actions or habits you need to stop doing.

Take the “Am I honest? question. Let’s say you answered that you have been holding back at work. You realize that your effort has not been your best because you have lost your passion for the job. You know you could give more, but you just don’t have the fire anymore.

This issue may require that you add something to both lists. On your “Start Doing” list, you would add “begin praying for passion at work” or “learn new skill at work.” On your “Stop Doing” list, you might want to add “stop staying up late watching TV” or even “give up distractions like social media” while at work.

Multiple Options

There are so many ways you could take action in response to these four questions. The creation of these two lists is simply one idea. This one works for me as I will be using the results in my LIFE plan for next year.

You can likely come up with your own ideas. The main point of this exercise is to do a self-examination (with prayer) and to identify areas of improvement. You may not like the idea of using this for LIFE planning, but may instead incorporate the questions into your quiet times. You could even use them as accountability questions in your small group.

The options are endless. I think you get the idea! It is now up to you as to what you do with them…