I recently wrote an article that was structured as if my future self was writing a letter back in time to my present self. Just going through the exercise of writing that article was extremely helpful (and convicting!) to me and caused me to make some significant changes in my priorities and routines. In an effort to help others in a similar way, I thought I would write another letter of advice. This one is from the present me and I am writing to my younger self!
When we really dig into the Scripture, we are often faced with examples of how we should live. This is especially true of the gospels where we find Jesus teaching directly to us through his life and his parables. Today, I want to focus on two different men that encountered Jesus and how they changed from that encounter. As I talk about each, see which one is more like you!
Mike Tyson was once quoted as saying, “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth.” While I am not a Tyson fan, I do think his quote should get our attention. Our “plan” to define success as hearing Jesus say, “Well done” is one thing. Living it out when there are difficult circumstances…that’s a different story.
I have written before about quotes that get stuck in my mind and will not fade. Well, today I would like to share another one. This quote was not necessarily directed specifically at those of us in business, but you will quickly see that it applies directly to us and how we each define success!
The quote in the spotlight today is from Billy Graham. Graham is not one of the original disciples or even the author of any of the lesser known books of the Bible. At the same time, he is someone that most of us look up to and respect immensely. He has lived a life true to his talk. He has certainly remained committed to spreading the gospel and is arguably one of the all-time greatest evangelists. Here is his quote:
When you first read that quote, what are your thoughts?
Recently, I read a powerful book (Essentialism by Greg McKeown) that taught me the need for better delegation. When we properly delegate, it allows us to focus our attention on those issues and tasks that require our skills and ability while offloading those tasks that do not (Acts 6:1-7). It also helps in the development of our team members so that their skills can increase. While there are many benefits to delegating, there is one responsibility that a Christian leader cannot delegate…that is prayer!
As Christian leaders of our organization, department, or team, we have several responsibilities. Among these responsibilities are casting the vision, setting priorities and goals, and holding the team accountable. In many cases, we can delegate parts of each of these areas to qualified team members. As I said above, there are many benefits to doing this.
But there is one responsibility that you simply cannot delegate to your team – not even to your inner circle. This responsibility is prayer.
If you are a Christian in business, then you have been compelled to compromise your faith (or how you exercise it) at some point. It may have come in the form of a small decision. Maybe it came in the form of a big one. Whatever the case, there are many opportunities to compromise. We need to be aware of this and fight hard to stand firm.
It really does not matter if you are the business owner or if you work for someone else. Either way, people will come to you with decisions or directives that can impact the way you walk out your Christian faith at work. Let’s take a look at some examples.
As followers of Jesus, we often look around at the culture in which we live and wonder how it has become this bad. We look at poor leadership at whatever level – whether in our businesses, community, or even in the nation overall – and we wish for better. We wonder what it would be like if our leaders also followed Jesus.
In my last post, I talked about how we should behave when working in an environment where the open sharing of our Christian faith is either limited or even prohibited altogether. We looked at the example of David in 1 Samuel 24:1-7 to see how he handled remaining under Saul’s authority as king, even though he had been anointed to follow Saul as king.
Today, I want us to think about the various reasons that God may have for leaving Saul in authority as long as He did. Have you ever thought about that?
If you have been reading this blog for long, you realize that the majority of what I write is directed at those people that are followers of Christ AND in a position of leadership in business. Unfortunately, some disciples of Jesus are working for a non-believer or are otherwise in a position where they feel they are limited in their ability to exercise their faith. What are you to do if in this position?
First, I want to make sure to tell you that the following ideas will not necessarily apply to every situation like this. In some cases, you may need to get out of your situation. In other cases, God may have you exactly where He wants you. It is these latter situations that I want to address today.
If you have been in business long, you have likely found yourself in a weak position from time to time. Maybe key personnel left for other opportunities or a new competitor came onto the scene. Whatever the case, you knew your organization was vulnerable.
What if God asked you to do something right then that could potentially wreck your fragile situation? Would obedience be easy for you?
Years ago, I had a key, long-term member of our company’s executive leadership team come to me and resign. His reasons were valid and I supported his decision even though I did not want him to leave.
As Christian business owners and leaders, we are usually very involved in employee decisions on a consistent basis. In fact, that part of our job can absorb a majority of our time. Our ability to handle these employee decisions well can also be one of the biggest influences on the success of our company, as well as the ministry we desire.
Assuming this is true, then it is clear that we must devote time to learning how to best handle these employee decisions. While we all agree that issues concerning people often account for the majority of the time and energy we spend in our jobs, many Christian business owners fail to spend much time thinking about their approach to this important subject.