Tag Archives: God’s will

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Unity In Diversity

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In a recent post, we looked at how diversity of skills, perspectives, gifts, etc. is necessary for an organization to achieve it purposes. If you have not read it yet, I would recommend doing that now. Today, I want to look at how diversity may not be enough. We also need unity.

unity

All-Stars Without Diversity

In the other post, I described a hypothetical situation where the Atlanta Falcons signed five new all-star players for their roster. All five were quarterbacks. The leadership of the team knew they did not need five quarterbacks, but instead planned to play these all-stars in the offensive line positions.

I talked about how ridiculous this would be (if it were true) and how ineffective it would be to put quarterbacks on the offensive line. I don’t think anyone argued about this opinion.

Same True For Business

We then looked at the parallels between a football team and our businesses. Regardless the organization, we agreed that we needed among our members a diversity of skills, perspectives, gifts, etc. if we want the team to be effective.

While this is true, there is more to the picture.

What About Unity Of Purpose?

Think about this. Assume for a moment the Falcons did not sign five quarterbacks, but instead had all of the best skilled players in the league for each position and had them playing in the right positions. Sounds much better, right?

Well, now assume the quarterback had decided he was going to set a new record for the most rushing yards for a quarterback. The running back set his goal as the most receiving touchdowns in a season. The linemen determined they would seek the record for the fewest injuries in a season for an offensive line. The coach is convinced he can orchestrate the most come-from-behind wins in one season.

Do you get the idea? If each player has a different goal – even if it is a valid, challenging goal – then the team will self-destruct! Can you imagine what a game would look like for this team?

Unity In Business

The same principles apply in our businesses. If we hire the best people and put them in the right positions according to their skills or gifts, we are starting off on the right foot.

However, if we do not work just as hard to make sure they all have the exact same overall goals in mind, we are simply setting ourselves up for failure. There is no way for an organization to be successful in achieving the purposes for which it was created if the members of that organization have varied goals.

Take a look at your own organization. Does everyone have the same goals as you do? Are these goals communicated clearly and consistently? Do you make corrections to the goals of those on your team as it becomes evident they are different from those of the team?

What Does Scripture Say?

In case you are wondering what the Bible says about this principle of unity, I suggest we go there to find out. In fact, we can use part of the same passage of Scripture to illustrate this point on unity as we did for the point about diversity. Take a look:

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1 Corinthians 12:24-26

Note the following phrases:

    God has put the body together…
    there should be no division in the body…
    its parts should have equal concern for each other…
    if one part suffers, every part suffers…

I think it becomes clear that diversity is important, but it must be combined with unity if we are going to be effective. The right skills in the right positions, all with a common goal, can achieve amazing results!

Which is more of a problem for your team: unity or diversity?

What action step do you need to take to begin correcting this?

Is your team aware of the need for change?

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5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety, Part 2

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[This is a the second half of my post on the 5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety. If you have not read the first post, please take a moment to do that before reading this one. It will make much more sense!]

anxiety

Praying For Patience?

Have you ever prayed for patience? If you have or you know someone that has, you know that is just asking for trouble, right? With training for patience come trials. I have news for you…the same is true for writing about anxiety! Before my last post, I felt I had very little to “worry” about. In the last couple of days the reasons for anxiety have flooded in!

So far, I have attempted to practice my own advice! I am excited to say that it is working at the moment. I may have to come back to you later with some modifications or further instructions, but for now I will stick with my 5 Steps.

Eliminating Anxiety!

In my last post, I talked about the root of anxiety being a simple uncertainty of the future. I described how this uncertainty is not a problem until consequences are added. It is usually the size of the consequences that creates the anxiety that is so difficult for us to handle.

In that post, I gave the first two of these 5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety. Following is a summary of the first two steps and then the details of the final three steps. I suggest you take these and pray through them. I truly believe you will find that, with practice, they are effective.

Step #1 – Bible Is Truth

We must recognize and believe that the Bible is absolutely and totally the Word of God AND that it is without error or fluff. This step is non-negotiable and is the foundation for Step #2.

Step #2 – Read About Your Future

The next step is to read about our ultimate future as described, and promised, in the Bible. We are told there that Jesus died for us. If we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are promised an eternity with Him. Therefore, what happens to us between now and then is in His hands and unworthy of worry or anxiety.

Step #3 – Pray For Faith

Because it is easier to read and understand the truth in Step #2 than it is to fully accept it and internalize it, our next step is to pray for the faith we need. We need to be just like the father (whose son was dying) who said to Jesus, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:14-27)

Many professing Christians believe the Bible is true and that it gives us a picture of our ultimate future, but when life comes at them, their faith fails them. Anxiety takes over and faith seems like a distant memory. We simply cannot allow this to continue!

Cry out to God for the faith needed to believe what He tells you in His Word. Do not relent until He grants you this faith. Just remember that much of our faith comes from going through these trials and coming out on the other side. Looking back builds our faith for the next one!

Step #4 – Repeat Steps #2 & #3 As Needed

Unlike learning not to put your hand on a hot stove, this lesson about anxiety is not a once-and-done kind of lesson. This is something many people will struggle to defeat over a period of time. While this may be true, do NOT accept that it cannot be defeated. Anxiety is not something you just have to learn how to live with – unless you cannot get past Step #1!

Because it may take time, you need to keep doubling back to Step #2 and then Step #3. Repeat these steps over and over. Write them on labels and put them on your monitor at work and the dash of your car. Put them on your refrigerator at home. Memorize the Scriptures that speak to you the most.

As you do this, keep praying for God to help your unbelief. You may believe that He saved you, but you have trouble believing that He will provide a job for you. Maybe you can trust Him with your soul, but cannot seem to place your teenager in His hands. As you pray through this, you will begin to see the fallacy of your logic and your faith will grow to meet the challenges you are facing.

Step #5 – Enjoy The Peace

Oh yeah, Step #5 is the goal! If you will follow the first four steps listed above, then you will be treated to what is probably the greatest gift God has given us after our salvation – peace. If you have had it, you know what I mean!

If you look at the beginning of all of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, he starts with a mention of peace. Jesus talks many times about the peace he brings us, despite the trouble of this world. This is clearly our goal as it is the total absence of anxiety. Not only is it promised to us, but it is within our reach every day!

Practice Makes Perfect

You will not be fully successful with these five steps on your first try. You absolutely must commit to practicing them if you expect to be good at them. If you want this to work, you must work through these steps over time. Each time you will get stronger and stronger. Eventually, you will see that the truth of Steps #1 & #2 are enough to vanquish the anxiety at your door. Until then, keep practicing!

Now that you have the 5 steps, what do you think?

Are you willing to try following these steps?

What part of this process is new to you?

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Are You Acting As Salt And Light?

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For the past couple of years, I have written this blog as an attempt to enlighten, educate, encourage, and enlist other Christian business owners and leaders to recognize God as the owner of their jobs and businesses and that He desires an eternal purpose to be accomplished through these jobs and businesses. Another way to describe this process came from Jesus when He told us to be salt and light in this world.

salt and light

Salt And Light

Near the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers (and us) to be salt and light in this world. He drew on two different analogies to show us that we are to stand out in this world. We are to make a difference wherever He has placed us and that difference should point others to Him (Matthew 5:13-16).

Paul tells us later that we are no longer to conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2). He reinforces this idea when he describes us as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), the old gone.

How?

So how do we translate this idea of being salt and light into running a business? What does salt and light mean on Monday morning when decisions are to be made and strategies formed?

Great questions! I am glad you asked!

Of course, I am not the expert on this. Nor do I have the answers…at least not the perfect answers. If you do, please let me know. I would be very interested in hearing from you!

For those of us who do not have all the answers, I think the best we can do is to pray through each area and open our hearts and minds to what God has to say to us about it. If we are open to learn, will read His Word, AND be ready and willing to apply what we learn, then I am confident He will answer.

May Look Different For You

Keep in mind that being salt and light in my business may look very different than being salt and light in yours. God has given each of us different gifts, areas of influence, and circumstances. To think we can apply one rule across all businesses would be crazy.

At the same time, I think there are some core truths that we can apply to various areas of the business. These truths can help someone in the automotive business to be salt and light in one way while they may lead someone in banking or construction to do so in a different way.

The Main Point!

Regardless of the methods or processes used, as long as others are caused to “glorify God in heaven” as a result, I believe we are doing it right. In fact, if that is not happening as a result of the way we operate our businesses, I believe we are failing in our efforts to be disciples of Jesus.

Since this whole topic can cover a multitude of areas of business, and each could be lengthy, I am going to attempt to cover one or two areas at a time in future posts. These posts will not run in a continuous series, but I will make it clear when they are published that they are part of this overall series.

What Does It Mean To You?

In the meantime, I encourage you to pray that God will begin revealing to you where you can make changes in your job or business. Ask Him to begin making it clear where you can take action for the purpose of being salt and light. Where can your business stand out and be different – in a way that points others to God?

I think you may be surprised at how He will reveal this to you over time. Just when you are not expecting it, something will stick out like a sore thumb and you will know – an opportunity for salt and light! For a starter list, take a look at the following areas of a typical business. Allow God to show you opportunities in each to be salt and light.

Areas To Consider

    EE Benefits
    Compensation
    Marketing
    Product Quality
    Service Quality
    Reputation
    Hiring
    Accountability

How are you living out the salt and light command?

Can you see where you could do this at work?

Is the failure to do this a sin?

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Are You Waiting To Be Told What To Do?

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Our business is not a big one in the grand scheme of things, but we do get a good cross-section of employees with roughly 100 people working here. As a result, I have seen those that learn the job quickly and others that do not. Some understand their job and do what is necessary without being asked while others are waiting to be told what to do.

waiting to be told

Waiting To Be Told

If you have been working for any length of time, you have probably witnessed this. For the most part, any new employee needs to be told what to do in the beginning, right? Unless they have worked that exact job before, there are things they need to be told first.

They probably need to know WHAT to do, WHY, WHEN, and HOW they are to do it, and maybe a few other tips. Once they get this, they should be able to go forward on their own with only occasional guidance along the way.

Still Waiting…

The problem is that some employees are still waiting to be told what to do. You probably know some of these people where you work. Maybe they work for you. No matter how many times they have read the job description or listened to the training, they refuse to take action on their own. They can sometimes be found actually standing around because no one stopped to tell them what to do next! It really amazes (and frustrates) me!

To be clear, I am not talking about waiting to be told about NEW tasks, responsibilities, or ideas. As employees are being developed for promotion or more responsibility, they need to be taught more. They cannot know the new stuff until it is taught to them. I am only now talking about what they already know (or should know) they are to be doing.

What About Us?

So now that I have you worked up and as frustrated as I am, let’s (again) turn this around to be about us. You probably knew this was coming, didn’t you? For the sake of this discussion, we are the “employees” in this picture and God is the “employer”.

As you go through the rest of this post, ask yourself if you are acting just like one of these employees. Ask yourself if you are “standing around” waiting to be told by God (again) what He wants you to do. Be honest with yourself and allow Him to guide you. He will show you what He wants you to see.

Examples

Let’s take an easy example to start with.

Our “handbook” (the Bible) says that we are to love God (Matthew 22:37-40), right? This is called the Greatest Commandment and we should all be aware of it by now. We have probably read it many times and have likely heard sermons (training) on it as well.

So, are you DOING it? Are you really LOVING God? Are you doing it with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? OR are you waiting to be told again that you are to do this?

If I am honest in answering these questions for myself, then I would say I am doing it sometimes and I am trying to do it other times. I can’t really say that at any point in time I am sitting around waiting to be told again to love God. I think I have a passing grade here, but not by much.

Another Example!

Let’s get a little tougher. We have all likely heard of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) as well, right? We are told here to go and make disciples of all nations. Again, we have read it and heard many sermons on it. I doubt there are any of us that can honestly claim ignorance here.

So, again I ask the question. Are you DOING it? Are you truly making disciples? Are you mentoring someone in the Christian walk? Are you engaging your employees, co-workers, and others in Christian ministry? Are you teaching what you have been taught?

In the past, I could answer this question with an easy “Yes!” without blinking an eye. Lately, I have allowed distractions to creep in and now I am unable to answer with confidence. What about you? Have you made an effort? Have you allowed distractions to interfere?

More Examples!

I won’t go into detail with each of the following areas from our “handbook,” but I will at least list them and let you ask yourself the questions. Think about each category and ask yourself the tough questions. Where are you waiting to be told what to do? If that is difficult for you or if you think you will go too easy on yourself, ask someone else to help you. Maybe that can be the start of a discipling relationship!

Evangelism (Acts 1:8)

Tithing (Matthew 23:23)

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-44)

Forgive your enemies (Luke 17:4)

Praying for others (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Bible study (2 Timothy 2:15)

Take Action!

When you have had enough abuse for one day and you are ready to close out this post, stop and do one more thing. Decide on one, only one, of these areas and commit to do something!

Commit to make at least one change. Start doing something that you already know you should be doing. It will be the first step down a great and rewarding path!

Where are you doing what you know you should be doing?

Where are you waiting to be told what to do?

What are you going to do about it?

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Who Are You Imitating?

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Imagine someone offered to pay you handsomely if you would give them a shirt or a dress. The only catch is that they require you to make it on your own! If you had to take a bolt of fabric and thread, cutting and sewing it together yourself, how would you do it? If you are smart, you would find a pattern and follow it, right? The same is true for imitating other people!

imitating

Eyes On The Prize

In my last post, we talked about keeping our eyes on the prize. This is great advice for us to take from Paul, but sometimes it is tough to visualize. What exactly does it look like for us to get the prize. While I can certainly picture a scene with Jesus telling me, “Well done!”, it is tough for me to imagine exactly what it looks like between here and there.

Have you thought about this? Have you tried to imagine the various steps taken and decisions made between your current self and the one that hears Jesus say, “Well done!”? I have done this and it is not easy. In fact, it is downright difficult!

Paul As An Example

The funny thing? Paul knew this. He knew it would be difficult for most people to closely follow the commands of Jesus without an example of how to do it. While Paul himself was not perfect, he was fully committed to living according the example Jesus had set. Therefore he offered himself as an example.

Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1

If he were following Jesus and others were imitating him, then it could work, right? While this sounds like a simple idea, it is not necessarily easy for us.

In fact, for us it sometimes seems that imitating Paul could be just as difficult as imitating Jesus! Of course, Paul was sinful just like the rest of us (Romans 7:15-25), but so much of what we learn from him is flat out hard to put into practice. Plus, we can’t sit and physically talk to him for advice when we get stuck!

Imitating Another

It is for these reasons that I recommend we follow Paul’s advice, but we apply it to present day. Rather than (only) imitating Paul, I recommend we find someone we know that is living out the example of Christ and begin imitating them.

Sure, there are pitfalls to this practice. They are the same pitfalls you encounter when you put anyone other than Jesus on the pedestal as an example. At the same time, if we can know this and protect ourselves accordingly, I think there is value in this exercise.

Potential Pitfalls

First, to avoid the pitfalls associated with this idea, we need to choose someone we know about and trust. We need to know that they more mature spiritually and truly are attempting to follow the example of Jesus. Someone that is simply morally good, but not a disciple of Jesus, will only lead us astray. Eventually, it is likely that their own morals will conflict with Biblical principles.

Assuming you know someone that is truly following the example of Christ, then you also need to be able to observe their behavior. Being able to talk with them about it and understand their motivations is even better. Having them agree to mentor you along the path would be the ultimate goal!

Right Expectations

Another key to avoiding trouble with imitating someone else is to know in your heart (and not forget) that a man (or woman) will always let you down. There is simply no way (short of imitating the example of Jesus) to find a human that can rightly lead you at all times and through all circumstances.

They will stumble. They will fall. They may even crash and burn. That is due to our sinful nature and there is nothing you can do to change it. The only thing you can do is to acknowledge it and protect yourself against it. Do not rely too heavily on their example. Do not put time with them ahead of your time with God.

You Are Unique

A final note that you need to consider when imitating someone else is that you are you. Sounds silly, I know. But the truth is that God created you as a totally unique individual with a combination of gifts, talents, and weaknesses that no one else on earth has ever possessed. You are the only you that God has ever created. He will never create another you!

That means that you need to remember you are only imitating this godly example, not copying them. Your goal should not be to become anyone else. Remember that you are unique and should remain that way. Imitating their voice is fine, but don’t lose your own unique accent. Imitating their actions is likely good, but don’t forget your distinct mannerisms!

You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)! God has plan for you that is only for you (Psalm 139:15-16). Embrace this! It is an awesome truth and no one can take it from you.

Imitating Jesus (And Others)

And while becoming the you that God designed you to be, take the opportunity to follow the example of others He has placed in your path. Imitating Jesus is certainly to be your first priority (1 John 2:6), but don’t ignore Paul’s advice as well. Imitating others can be a healthy part of your maturing process.

Have you considered imitating someone else?

Do you have someone you are already imitating?

What have you learned during this experience?

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Are Your Eyes On The Prize?

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Yesterday was a great day of football. Two teams fought their way into the Superbowl – the championship game of the NFL. These teams have had their eyes on the prize of this championship from the very beginning of the season. In two weeks, one team will achieve that prize. What about you? Are your eyes on the prize?

eyes on the prize

Eyes On The Prize

In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul says the following:

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

Simple Questions

I am sure you have probably read this before. I am sure you have probably heard several sermons on this passage before. Guess what? I am likely not going to tell you anything amazing about this passage that you have not already heard before. I am simply going to ask you a couple of questions.

Are your eyes on the prize?

Are you reaching forward toward the prize?

What is the prize to you?

Like I said, I am not going to tell you anything new about this passage. I am simply putting it in front of you and asking if you are following Paul’s example and applying it to your life.

Paul’s Eyes On The Prize

In reading about Paul in the Bible, it is clear that he lived what he preached. Everything he did was focused on his desire to do exactly what God had called him to do. He was determined (as we read earlier in the same chapter) to know Christ and to be like him in his death – obedient.

As I read about Paul, I want to do the same thing. I want to focus everything I do around knowing Jesus. I want to be obedient in every area of my life – including the business. For me, I try to have my eyes on the prize. That prize, in my mind, boils down to hearing the following words from Jesus:

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

Hearing “Well done.”

Therefore, when I am trying to make decisions in the business, I try to figure out which decisions would move me closer to hearing those words. I imagine Him standing there in front of me ready to say, “Well done.” What path do I take to cause Him to smile and say those words?

I am by no means perfect at this. Much like Paul, I do not consider that I have got this whole business as ministry thing figured out. Not by a long shot. However, I do try to have my eyes on the prize. When I am successful in doing that, it seems like everything works better.

For you, the prize may look different. You may imagine a different scene. That is perfectly fine! The key here is that you recognize that God wants us to be obedient and that is where our focus should be. God wants us to focus on Him and His purposes, not our own.

Wrong Prize?

There are those in this world that are completely and totally focused on themselves. They have their eyes fixed on the prize, but the prize is all about them. These people are similar to the Israelites that God referred to below:

For they did not practice My ordinances but rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.
Ezekiel 20:24

Folks, I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be in that group. I do not want to be seen by God as having my eyes on the prize of my father’s idols. I do not want Him disappointed in my focus. I only want to hear, “Well done.” from Him.

Great Advice

I encourage you to pray about this. Take some time and ask God if you have your eyes on the prize – the right prize. Ask Him to make it clear to you where this is not happening and to give you the will and strength to change where necessary. Paul gives this same advice.

If you keep reading in Philippians 3, after he describes how he has his eyes on the prize, he says this:

Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.
Philippians 3:15

I think that is great advice. Will you follow it?

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Are You Living The Truth You Know?

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In my last post, we looked at Apostle Paul’s resume and talked about how he thought of it as filth and counted it as loss. My goal was to get us to take a look at the goals we have for our lives and compare them to what we see in Scripture. Like Paul, we should be heading in a different direction from the world. If not, are we applying the truth we know to the lives we live?

truth

***If you have not read my last post, you might want to do that now [HERE] so you are on the same page as the rest of us.

Accountability From Scripture

Just to make sure we do not escape the accountability that Scripture gives us, let’s take a look at another verse that comes up just after the ones we looked at last time:

In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.
Philippians 3:16

Now, that is a pretty short verse, but I think it is also a very powerful one. Do you get the meaning? Paul is telling us that attaining truth, or gaining knowledge, is not enough. We cannot simply know something and leave it at that. We have to also apply it! We must LIVE UP TO IT!

Truth Applied

Therefore, if we know that this world cannot offer us anything eternal and that only a life lived for Christ will survive the fire that is to come, then our lives should reflect this knowledge (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

And as an extension, our business lives should also reflect this knowledge.

Assuming you agree with me at this point, or at least are willing to read more before making a decision, let’s take a look at some key areas where we might be likely to exhibit inconsistencies in our workplace.

Potential Areas Of Inconsistency

It is in these areas that many of us fail to fully live up to the truth we have attained. As you read through these areas, think about your own work life and how you might need to rethink your approach to some of them.

1. Business Mission
Every business book will tell you that the purpose of a business, the reason it exists, is to produce a profit. It is similarly believed that the main purpose of a job is to provide income.

I believe the Bible says otherwise. I think the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) shows us that a business exists to produce a return for its owner. The problem is that we are not the actual owners…God is the owner (Psalm 50:10-12). And as the owner, He wants a return.

Since God already has all of the money in the world, I believe He wants what He does not already have – souls. I believe the Bible shows us that the purpose of our business (or job) is to impact others (souls) for eternity by pointing them to God. Sure, income and profit are necessary to sustain us and our businesses, but they are not the purpose.

2. Money
Even those of us that agree with #1 above can still fall victim to erroneous thinking about money. We may see the eternal purpose of business, but then turn right around and hoard the money that comes from it. It is not always one big decision that we make, but the accumulation of a bunch of little ones.

One of the questions in the C12 Yearly Audit I recently shared with you talks about becoming less acquisitive. When we are assessing our lives in light of the truth we know, we should look hard at our use of money.

Are we freely giving it to those who have needs greater than ours? Are we treating it as stewards of it rather than owners? If pressed, are we more likely to leverage it for eternity or spend it on temporary pleasure or luxury? We likely know what this SHOULD look like, but are we living up to the truth we have attained?

3. Time
An area of our lives that often receives less focus is time. We tend to spend it even more frivolously than we do our money. We often fail to budget it. Even when we do budget it, we frequently allocate too much of it to the wrong uses.

Think about your calendar. What types of activities get the most preference as you schedule out your time? How much time are you committing to a personal relationship with God, the owner of all you steward?

Does your family get more than adequate time or are they generally the last to receive a ration of minutes? Is the time they do receive considered your higher quality time or your leftovers? Would they answer the same way you are right now?

Other Areas?

I can keep on going, but I think you get the idea. I encourage you to take some time and come up with some of your own areas of inconsistency. Pray through each of these and ask God to help you see clearly into each one. He is faithful to do so.

Once you have seen the truth, apply it. Live up to it. Don’t simply accept it and move on from it. Stop and take action. Map out a plan to make corrections over time if the initial results are too overwhelming to take in at once.

In any case, we all should live up to whatever truth we have attained!

What other areas of inconsistency did you consider?

How do you make sure you apply the truth you attain?

Where do you need to take more action?

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Resumes Are Overrated!

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Our world as a whole is obsessed with appearance. In the business world, one’s resume is critical because it is thought to reflect the strength and depth of the individual it describes. Even in Christian ministry and leadership circles, the resume is called a “platform” and carries a lot of weight. Without it, you are likely not to rise in importance beyond the city limits where you live.

resume

Resume Builders

As a result, there are many in our position of Christian leadership that clamor for recognition in a variety of areas. They seek it wherever they can find it and add another corresponding line to their resume or platform as soon as they can. Are these people aware of something we are missing? Do we need to imitate them and attempt the same accomplishments?

My Annual Planning

In a recent post, I mentioned how I was frustrated with my current state. One of the reasons for that frustration was that I missed my normal time for annual review and planning this past fall. I allowed issues at work to consume me and I failed to carve out the time.

As I am now beginning this process (better late than never!), I am looking into 2014 to see what can be accomplished. My natural tendency is to think big and I have many ideas about what I would like to achieve this year. However, I began to rethink this mentality recently after reading a passage in Philippians.

Apostle Paul’s Resume

I was reading Paul’s words (talking about himself) in Philippians 3 when I came across the following verses:

…although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.
Philippians 3:4-6

Add one fact to this passage that is found earlier in Acts 22:3. Paul was educated by Gamaliel, a well-known teacher of the law and a respected member of the Sanhedrin (similar to a Senate body). Now that you have this picture, do you see a pretty strong resume here?

Impressive Platform!

I am not a Bible scholar, but I know enough to say that Paul’s resume at that time would be the equivalent to a present-day, third-generation Ivy League law school graduate with internships at one of the top law firms and an invitation to practice law or teach anywhere he wants to go. It was that strong!

With that kind of a resume, or platform, you would think Paul would be proud and flaunt it wherever he went. Just to verify that, let’s take a look at the verses that follow:

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him,…
Philippians 3:7-9

Paul’s Choice

Wait a minute…huh? Did we read that right? Paul considers EVERYTHING that was a gain (his resume) to now be a loss? He actually calls it all FILTH? Is he serious?

Of course, you already knew this, right? You have read this passage and you have known that Paul traded everything on his resume for the simple life of a traveling evangelist. He traded the life that came with his impressive platform for one that included shipwrecks, being stoned (by others), chains and whips, prison, etc. because he saw something most people miss.

Knowledge Proven In Actions?

So if we already know all of this, is this knowledge proven out in our actions? If someone from the outside were to look at you or me to determine our main goal in life, would they guess it to be an impressive resume or something else entirely? Would they see our actions matching up with our knowledge of something greater than this life?

If your answers are anything like mine, then there is some serious work to be done. If you are seeing inconsistencies in your actions like I am seeing in mine, then we need to stop and assess what gets us up in the morning.

Work To Be Done!

Maybe you do not require a complete overhaul, but some serious tweaking instead. I think that is where I am. I have allowed distractions to take my eyes off the prize and point me in other directions. Hopefully you are either in a similar position or better.

Either way, I encourage you to join with me in intentional, intimate prayer. We need to ask God to reveal those areas in our lives where we are seeking to add to our resume. We need to seek His guidance as to where we are to place our focus. We need to submit our plans to His plan.

If we will do this, I believe peace will replace frustration. Trouble will not disappear, but our peace within the trouble will increase. I don’t know about you, but I can handle that!

Have you ever been guilty of this resume building?

If not any longer, what changed?

What needs to change now?

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A Yearly Audit

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Every year in December, our C12 material includes a Yearly Audit. It is a great opportunity to look back over the past year and assess what it might look like from God’s eyes. Rather than auditing our financials or other measurable metrics, this exercise is more about determining our growth in various areas of our walk with Christ.

audit

Yearly Audit

This year, I have included the actual audit from C12. Take a look at the following 10 dimensions and give yourself a rating from 1-10 (1 is Low, 5 is Average, and 10 is High) as measured against your potential or opportunity. Total your scores for each at the end of the post. Keep track of your score from year to year to see your improvement as you go!

1. You spent more time with The Lord.

    This is an easy one. Everything we are or do comes out of our relationship with God in Christ Jesus. We can never be more than our relationship with Him enables us to be. Obedience to God is the FINAL definition of success in our lives and our obedience comes out of our relationship with Him. As we grow to know Him better we are more able to hear His voice. The more clearly we hear Him, the easier it is to obey Him.

    Don’t be deceived. Our ministry in business or anywhere else will never grow if our relationship with God doesn’t. Of course our relationship with God is not totally defined by the amount of time that we spend with Him. The quality of the time and the result of the time are just as important. It’s possible that you may not have to spend more time with God to build your relationship with Him… but not likely!

    Unless you’re “one-in-a-million,” your love for God and your devotion to Him are mirrored in the prioritized time you spend with Him. We’re talking about all kinds of time here: daily quiet time, prayer during the day, evening meditations, and the sense that He is in you and with you in the everyday decisions you make to run the business.

    Wherever each of us may be in this equation, there’s plenty of room to grow. How was your year?

2. Your family relationships strengthened.

    Were you able to spend more time — and more quality time — with your spouse and children? We need to look at these relationships right after our relationship with God. It isn’t very likely that we had an improving relationship with God and a deteriorating relationship with our family.

    We can’t really get closer to God and not be convicted to love and serve our mates and children. Did you make more time available to your spouse, as your top ministry priority, and less to your hobbies or business? Is your sacrificial love for (and service to) your family growing? If so, you’ve had a good year.

    [Why do we start a year-end audit of our business by talking about God and family? Because we can only bring to work what we already have in Christ in our lives and homes. We are not two people. We are one person, living an integrated life before the Lord. Our ministry in business is simply an extension of our lives in Christ, not separate from it!]

3. You spent more time listening and relating to your key team members on a one–to–one basis.

    Increasingly, you did this with an ear tuned to God and His purposes and eyes searching for ways to minister to stakeholder needs. You had a good year if you care more for your lost employees, seeing the horrible prospect of their eternity in hell more painfully. You had a good year if you frequently prayed for their salvation, and an even better year if you actually did something more to impact them for eternity.

4. You saw the people that you deal with – suppliers, customers, employees, and others – more as objects of your personal ministry than as objects to be exploited for your personal gain.

    If you increasingly see yourself as an entrusted servant to them, rather than master over them — even a little bit more — you had a good year.

5. You are even slightly less acquisitive than you were a year ago.

    The urge to acquire things is of the flesh, not the Spirit. The vain thought that simply possessing more stuff will bring any real benefit to our lives is immature and foolish. Any honest Christian knows that there’s no joy or peace in things.

    The more stuff we have, the more we must tend to and use. Materialism is a curse; a cancer of the spirit. If you’ve extricated yourself, even a little, from its grasp, and are more able to steward your gifts with an open hand before the Lord, you’ve had a good year. You might measure this as a percentage of what you gave from what you were given. Were you more of a “cheerful giver” of your “first fruits” this year?

6. You are measurably more thankful for what you have and content with your present lot in life.

    Spiritual maturity brings with it a contentment that comes from the awareness of what God has done for us by grace. What do we have that we deserve? And, given that we have as much as we all do, being among the most materially wealthy people in the history of the world, how can we not be thankful? Why do we need more?

    If God were to say to you, “What you have is the best it will ever be,” what would you say to Him? Could you say, “Thank You, Father…I already have more than I deserve or need,” and really mean it? If you can, with a truly grateful heart, you’ve had a good year.

7. You have more peace in your heart.

    This is especially true if the peace is not related to circumstances, since circumstances always change. If our peace is dependent on them, it comes and goes with the changes. Spiritual maturity, and the peace that comes with it, is dependent on abiding in our God who never changes. Do you more clearly see God’s hand in your circumstances (i.e., “…give thanks in all circumstances” [1 Thessalonians 5:18], “Consider it pure joy…” [James 1:2], “…in all things God works…” [Romans 8:28]). If so, you’ve had a good year.

8. You learned more about your profession and are able to apply greater technical expertise in your field.

    If you believe that (a) your business is a gift from God, (b) as steward you’re to run it for Him with excellence, and (c) you’ve mustered the time and will to learn and apply better ways to do so, you had a good year.

9. You took better care of your body.

    Did you get the exercise you need? Was your diet better than last year? Are you giving the time to the maintenance of your body that you know you should? The way we care for our body is one measure of our self–control and a visible part of our witness. Mastery of self is a key to spiritual growth. If your temple is in better shape than it was a year ago, allowing for the wear and tear of time, you had a good year.

10. More eternal fruit has been produced through and around you, due to your effort and influence while abiding in Christ.

    Eternal fruit is defined as “lives turned toward God.” It means simply this: your obedience to God in what you say, do, and are, influences others to move towards God in their thoughts and actions, yielding eternal fruit.

    This doesn’t only involve conversions and discipleship. It includes anything that brings a heightened and more favorable awareness of God and His ways to others. A Godly life lived in a Godly way produces eternal fruit. Everywhere Jesus went eternal fruit was produced. This is true in all areas of our lives, not just in business, but we’re talking primarily about the workplace here.

    Are more people more favorably aware that you are an Ambassador for Christ in and around your business? Have more needy people been helped because God has entrusted the business to your care? Do they know that they’ve been helped because you love God and are doing so in His name? Are more Christians being influenced to grow in their faith because your business has brought you, reflecting Christ, into their lives? Have you grown as a humble, but firm servant leader and found ways to lead effectively according to timeless Scriptural core principles?

    If you can see that more eternal fruit has been produced in, around, and through your business, you’ve had a GREAT year.

_____ Total for the Year (Total your ratings for all 10 dimensions)

What were your strongest areas in the audit? Did you work on them?

Where do you need the most improvement?

Do you see value in this annual audit exercise?

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Being Faithful For What Purpose?

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I don’t often do this, but today’s post is actually a response to a comment I received from someone that regularly reads this blog. While I cannot always respond to comments by writing another post, I thought this one merited it. The reader’s comment concerns my last post and a possible misinterpretation of what I see as the purpose of being faithful in the small things.

faithful

Not Faithful Recently

In my last post, I confessed to being dissatisfied with how I have not been faithful in the small things. As a result, I described how I have that “out-of-shape” feeling we sometimes get at the end of the year – not just from eating too much, but also from straying from being faithful with the small things God has given us.

I went on to detail five ways I believe we can be more faithful in the small things as we head into a new year. For a closer look at these five ways, read that post [HERE] before continuing. This will also help you understand my attempt to clarify some of my statements in that post.

In general, I went through five areas where we can be more faithful. Some of these are areas in which we sometimes feel we have less to work with than others may have. I proposed that as we are more faithful with the small things, He will give back in increase.

Not Enough Explanation

This is where I did not spend enough time explaining exactly what I meant by increase in each area. Nor did I go into detail about what I see as the purpose for this increase. I did not completely ignore these issues (they WERE on my mind), but I did leave too much to interpretation. For this reason, I want to clarify.

So you understand the whole picture, here is the comment I received:

The practices below are absolutely right on! Did you intend for the purpose of each practice to point towards personal blessing and increase? You don’t seem to write this way usually, but the article started to read a bit like prosperity gospel and I wanted to check your thoughts on my interpretation.

Opportunity To Learn!

First of all, I am seriously thankful that the reader sent this comment to me. We have exchanged emails before and I am glad he felt comfortable enough to question the content of the post. I love to get feedback on what I publish and I took this feedback as sincere and constructive. Even if I disagreed with his position, I would consider it an opportunity to learn from someone else’s perspective!

So, now to clarify what I believe as it relates to his comments. Essentially, he asks if I believe the purpose of being faithful in the small things is to receive “personal blessing and increase.” The short answer to that question is easy for me – No.

Not A Believer Of Prosperity Gospel

I am not a promoter of the prosperity gospel that says we should do this and that spiritual activity or discipline so we are wealthier and happier here on earth. I believe that message takes us away from being a true disciple of Jesus and moves us toward putting ourselves and our own well-being on the throne.

I know there are verses in the Bible that can be used to support this message, but I do not believe they are being used in context. Nor do I believe using them this way to be consistent with the overall message of Scripture.

Faithful Out Of Love

Our purpose in being faithful in the small things God has given us should not be to gain our own wealth, wisdom, talents, etc. so that we can make our lives here more comfortable or easy. We should not be seeking to learn more about God in our spiritual disciplines so we can figure out how to get Him to give us more.

Instead, I believe we should be more faithful in these areas because we love Him and want to please Him. Our purpose should be to bring Him fame and make His name known among those around us. We should seek His renown, not our own (Psalm 115:1).

Increase Happens!

The cool thing is that when we are being more faithful with what He has given us, He often gives us more (2 Corinthians 9:6-12, Galatians 6:7, ). That “more” may be in the form of wealth or it may come in wisdom. He may even give us more peace in return for being more faithful in giving. Only He knows what form the increase may take.

The problem here is that too often we experience the increase and then fall right back into the mindset that we deserve it and should keep it! Unless we are careful, we can revert to the prosperity gospel without even realizing it.

Blessing To Others

Instead, our mindset should be to get excited about how we can turn to give and share the increase! I mentioned how God promised Abram the following:

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:2-3

Clear Purpose

Note the bold phrases. God promised to bless Abram and his descendants SO THAT others (all peoples on earth) could be blessed THROUGH them. The purpose of the blessing God gives us – whether in the form of wealth, wisdom, talents, etc. – is so that we can bless others. It is not about us!

We are to be conduits through which God can bless all peoples on earth!

The bottom line is that our purpose for being faithful is to please God. If He sends increase as a result, we are to use that increase to bless others – being faithful with the increase. If that results in more increase, then we continue to bless others with that as well!

Rinse, lather, and repeat.

What has been your purpose for being faithful?

Where has God given you increase?

Do you agree that the increase should be shared with others?