He proceeded to tell me that he truly believed God had called me to make the changes I made. He agreed with my determination to persevere despite the tough conditions. But then he told me that he thought I was missing a key ingredient. He told me that it appeared I had stopped listening to God.

Stopped Listening?

At first, I stiffened. There was no way I had stopped listening! I was so sure he was wrong about this that I almost stopped listening to him!

Yet he pointed out examples of my refusal to listen to other godly people. He showed me how I was clearly taking God’s initial instructions and executing them, but at the same time I was not listening for further instructions. I was assuming God would never change my path.

Examples From Scripture

To make it easier for me to understand, he reminded me of a couple of examples from Scripture. First, he reminded me of the time Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. This was clearly God’s will for them to do this. They had started on the right path. However, on the return trip, it took them several days before they realized He was not with them. Instead, He was still at the temple talking with the teachers (Luke 2:41-50).

The next example Julio gave was the story of Abraham and his son Isaac. After waiting for many years to have their own son, Abraham and Sarah were blessed with Isaac. When Isaac was a young boy, God told Abraham to take him to the top of the mountain and offer him as a burnt offering! Abraham proceeded to do as God told him. He took the right path.

However, at the very moment that he was about to slaughter Isaac, the Angel of the Lord stopped him. Though God had told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, it turned out it was only a test of Abraham’s commitment to God (Genesis 22:1-19).

My Situation

Julio took these two examples and applied them to my situation. He explained again that he agreed that I was originally on the right path – that God had called me to do what I was doing. At the same time, he felt I was proceeding almost blindly in that original direction. It was possible, he said, that Jesus was no longer “with me on the trip” or that God had been trying to get my attention for a direction change. Either way, Julio showed me that I was not listening carefully enough to know it if either case were true.

I sat there absorbing his words. I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right. I was so set on carrying out my orders that I was not prepared for a change in direction. My journey had become more about my determination to be obedient than actually being in God’s will. I had turned it into an effort to prove my strength of resolve.

My Reaction

The first thing I did was to go to my Dad and apologize. I explained that I was not yet changing direction, but that I had recognized my stubbornness. I committed to him that I would be open to listening for God to speak, either directly to me or through the counsel of other wise and godly men.

Then I committed to a renewed attitude in prayer. I began praying that God would show me the right path. If I was still on the right path, I asked for strength to continue. If I had left the right path, I asked for guidance to get back to it. My posture in prayer effectively went from an aggressive three-point stance to prostrate and face-down. I was determined to listen to that still, small voice.

The Right Path!

The cool thing? I was still on the right path! I am more certain of that now, because I started listening. The more I listened, the more God confirmed that I was headed in the right direction. Although I knew it was God that started me on that path, I had clearly lost connection with Him and had taken over the wheel.

Thanks to Pastor Julio, I was back in the passenger seat and loving it! The struggle on the path did not go away immediately, but much of the stress did.

Has this ever happened to you?

Did you get back on the right path or are you still driving?

What are you going to do about it?

Photo by izustun / iStock

Focused On The Goal

Most business owners and leaders are in their positions due largely to their personality type. We are most often driven and ambitious to some degree. We like to push the envelope and often want to try out new ideas. We are not usually afraid of bucking the trend at least a little.

When we are applying these qualities to integrating our Christian faith into our businesses, we have the advantage. Often, the Christian walk is a difficult one, especially when done in the business world. So, our strong personalities serve us well and keep us focused on the goal.

Not The Right Path?

But what if we are not on the right path? What if we started on the right path, but God wants us to stop or change directions? Because of our ability to focus and eliminate distractions, we can miss Him speaking to us. In that case, we need a wake-up call.

A Friendly Introduction

Roughly twelve years ago, a friend introduced me to a preacher from New York named Julio. At the time, it had been a long, hard year since I had turned our business upside down as a result of God’s leading.

The path was the most difficult I had ever experienced and I was struggling. At the same time, I had a core-level commitment to continue regardless of the circumstances. I was laser-focused on seeing it through. I had no doubt I was on the right path.

However, I was so focused that I was not willing to listen to outside input. I knew what God had called me to do and I was going to do it. Truly, I was not concerned with the consequences as long as I accomplished what God wanted. While this can be a good mindset in some ways, in other ways it can be dangerous.

My Wake Up Call!

Enter Pastor Julio. He and I talked (more me, less him) for more than an hour about all that had transpired over the past 12 months. He listened intently and probed lightly to better understand what I was saying. At the end of the one-sided conversation, he asked if he could make an observation. I told him I was all ears!

He proceeded to tell me that he truly believed God had called me to make the changes I made. He agreed with my determination to persevere despite the tough conditions. But then he told me that he thought I was missing a key ingredient. He told me that it appeared I had…

To Be Continued…Tuesday!

Have you been in a similar situation?

What do you think Pastor Julio told me?

Based on what you have read so far, would you have any advice for me?

Photo by Smileus / iStock

College Test

I once read about a college student that was struggling in a particular class. The end of the semester was approaching and that meant he would have to do well on the final exam if he hoped to make the grade he needed.

In a surprising twist, the professor explained that she would allow a “cheat sheet” to be used when taking the final exam. The professor explained that she would allow them to include all of the information they could fit on one 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet of paper. They could access this information during the test.

Confusing Behavior

When the day of the test arrived, the students were sharing the creative ways they crammed enormous amounts of information onto their sheets of paper. The struggling student did not participate. In fact, he sat quietly in his seat with a blank sheet of paper!

The other students could not understand why he had passed on the opportunity to fill his cheat sheet. They knew he was struggling in the class and would need all the help he could get.

Cheating Perfected

Finally the test was distributed and the class settled down. At this point, the struggling student went to the door of the class and opened it as if he was leaving. Instead, he motioned to whoever was standing out in the hall, inviting them in. Everyone instantly recognized the professor’s TA (Teaching Assistant) entering the classroom.

To the astonishment of the other students, and the professor, the struggling student then took out his blank sheet of paper and laid it on the floor. He again motioned to the TA and took his seat. As he did this, the TA walked over and stood on the blank sheet on the floor.

Surprise Strategy!

When the professor asked the student what was going on, he simply explained that he was exercising his right to access all of the information he could fit on a single sheet of paper. He planned to ask the TA for help with his test!

Of course, this caused a huge uproar among the other students! They cried out that he was cheating. They said, “That’s not fair!” Clearly, they thought the professor would stop this nonsense.

However, after considering her earlier instructions and noting that the TA indeed fit on the single sheet of paper, the professor granted the student permission to proceed with his plan!

Your Thoughts?

What are your thoughts at this point? Do you wish you had access to this same type of information as you face the various tests during your business day? Or do you think that simply would not work in the business world?

The truth is that we have this very access. Unfortunately, we often do not realize it or we forget about it. Even worse, at times we use it and then turn right around and ignore it during the next test!

God Has All The Answers!

God created business. He knows all there is to know about our particular business. He knows the applicants we are interviewing. He knows the future we will face and how we need to prepare for it. There is not a question we can ask that He cannot answer.

So why is it that we do not call Him into our tests? Why do we ignore Him as we struggle to pass tests that He could breeze through? What would possess us to continue facing tests without using every resource available to us?

Reasons?

If we are honest, some would say that they are not sure God really cares about our business. Yet I do not understand how He could feel that way when He goes as far as to count the number of hairs on our heads and even give every star a name. It seems to me God is concerned about every detail in His universe. That includes our business!

Others may admit they do not know how to ask Him these questions. Or maybe asking is not the problem, but discerning the answer gives them trouble. I struggle with this issue as well. Fortunately, the more we read and study His Word, pray, and seek Him, the clearer His voice becomes to us.

Draw Closer To Him

When I am closest to Him, I find it easier to know His answers to my questions. When I stray from Him, it is impossible for me to hear what He is saying. Funny, it is always my movement away, never His.

Regardless of your own reasons, I encourage you to give this a try. Start seeking Him on your every decision. Whenever you face a test, force yourself to remember to approach God for the answers. I promise you He is faithful to provide.

Have you tried to take tests on your own?

Why is it so easy to ignore God for answers?

How do you plan to change this?

Photo by Chalabala / iStock

Building Sand Castles

What usually happens is that the kids get started in the smooth, hard-packed sand when the tide is out. I guess this offers a better foundation and is easier to build upon.

They have their buckets and shovels and make frequent trips back and forth to the water. As they form walls and parapets and moats, they seem like they are in another world. In fact, the kids can stay like this for hours if allowed. Sometimes they will even try to miss a meal to keep going!

The problem comes later when the tide starts coming in. Initially, the water starts attacking the base of the castle, eroding the walls. Eventually, the waves overrun the walls and fill the moats with such force that the whole castle is destroyed. Within hours, there is no sign a castle ever existed there.

Not As Exciting For Parents?

My question – why is this not as exciting for parents as it is for the kids? Sure, there is an element of excitement for a parent as they see their kids having fun. But why don’t parents do this without their kids? Why aren’t the kids begging to go back to the room while the parents continue to work on the sand castle?

I am convinced that parents understand how meaningless it is to work hard to create something that will certainly be destroyed within hours. I believe, whether they consciously consider it or not, they know it is meaningless because they will have nothing to show for their work the next day.

Does this make sense? Do you think this same idea may also apply to our work in the marketplace? Have you ever stopped to think about it?

Work Is Meaningless

The author of Ecclesiastes (likely Solomon) certainly thought about this. In fact, he sought all there was in life – all pleasures, wealth, work, etc., and found that all of it was meaningless.

“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”
Ecclesiastes 12:8

Many of us have found the same to be true about our work at first. For some, revelation that there was more to it came at an early age. For others, this revelation came later. For many, they cannot see it.

The truth is that (according to Scripture) your work, in and of itself, is meaningless. All that you work for and achieve in this world will burn one day and there will be no reward for it in eternity. Whether you like it or not, this is what the Bible says. Check out 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 to see the basis for this.

There Is Hope!

Fortunately, there is another verse in Ecclesiastes that gives us hope. If this is true, then we can hope to bring more people to the realization that all work is not meaningless.

He has also set eternity in the human heart;
Ecclesiastes 3:11

God put eternity in our hearts. The way I understand this, there is an eternal hole or void in our hearts. We have it from birth and nothing can fill it but Him. No work, wealth, pleasure or achievement can fill that void, no matter how hard we try.

Eternal Perspective

However, once we fill that void through a salvation experience with Jesus, all sorts of opportunities open up to us. Suddenly, our work CAN matter! It is no longer meaningless if we approach it from an eternal perspective!

We first need to realize that our work, to the extent that it points others to God and a relationship with His Son, can have eternal meaning AND create eternal reward! Once we realize this, we can begin working through our jobs and businesses to have impact on people for eternity.

Share With Others!

Then, as we gain more clarity on how this works, we need to begin sharing this realization with others. Can you imagine what it could look like if all the Christians you know in the business world began doing their jobs and running their businesses with an eternal purpose?

I can tell you that this very idea is what drives me to keep writing this blog. It is the hope that others can come to the realization that their work does not have to be meaningless. It can have a dramatic eternal impact if they will simply turn it over to God and follow His lead!

Have you come to this realization regarding meaningless work?

If so, who have you shared it with?

If not, I encourage you to pray about it! Will you?

Photo by Vladimir_Timofeev / iStock

Why Is That?

Why are we like that?

What, you think you are any different? You think you are much more sensitive to your surroundings and if you lived near such beauty, you would always make time to enjoy it? I have to argue against you on that one.

Instead, I bet you are living near something just as beautiful now. You just don’t see it that way. Likely, you noticed it at one time, but it has simply become something you take for granted. It no longer grabs your attention, but it is still beautiful to someone who has never seen it before.

New Gets Old Fast

The problem is that we lose excitement quickly. When opportunities come our way for something new and exciting, we are eager to engage. In some cases, this eagerness lasts for weeks or even months, but at one point or another, it fades. The opportunity becomes mundane and no longer interests us.

Now I come to my main point. Your job or business is likely the same way. At one time, you saw the work you do as a magnificent opportunity to get fulfillment and hopefully, serve God in ministry through that job.

Opportunity Excitement Faded

At one time, you got up in the morning with just as much excitement about the opportunity at work as you have had when heading off on vacation. Ideas were floating through your head about how you could minister here or there and how God could use you for eternal impact.

Then time happened. You weren’t thinking about it, but something changed and you no longer see the magnificent opportunity for Christian ministry through your business. Instead, you are beginning to see your job as a mundane obligation.

What went wrong? What did you do to cause this?

We Stopped Working At It!

Well, if you think about it, this same analogy can apply to our marriages, our friendships, and even our relationship with God!

A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Proverbs 13:4

We stopped working at it.

We did not stop working at our job, but we stopped working at seeing the opportunity in our job (or marriage, friendship, relationship with God). Rather than regularly praying for God to show us the “new” in our jobs, we focused more on surviving them!

What Is The Solution?

So what is the solution? How do we get back to seeing our jobs as an opportunity to serve God and not an obligation?

There are many ways to do this, but I would suggest a couple of steps that have worked.

Get A New View!

Determine in your heart that tomorrow you are going to walk into your workplace with a new set of eyes. Pray that God would give you a new vision for what you can do and how you can be used at work.

Rather than taking the normal path to your office or workstation, change it up. Come in a little early. Look around as if this is your first time there. Expect to see an opportunity for ministry at every turn. Prepare in advance for what you might see.

Then block out some time and begin to take notes. Act as if it is your first day on the job and you have to decide what needs to be done differently in what areas. Pretend you have just been hired (by God) to come in there and to impact the people around you for eternity.

Look For Impact Opportunity!

Go person by person through your co-workers and see if you can think of ways you can begin to serve them. Think about their struggles and pray for ideas on how you can help.

Begin praying for them individually. Pray for their success and peace in their struggles. Pray for an opportunity to show them God’s love. Pray for God to renew your eyes every day so you can see the needs around you.

Change Will Come!

This may not completely change your vision overnight, but I promise it will change in time. Pretty soon, you will be getting up with energy in the morning.

No longer will you drag yourself out of bed, but will instead get a bounce in your step. You may even be able to give up the coffee…well, maybe that is pushing it!

Have you lost excitement over the opportunity in your job?

When will you commit to changing your view?

Can you enlist someone to keep you accountable to this commitment?

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Proverbs 31 Advice

Normally, this passage is taught from the perspective of the wife/mother. In this and my next post, I want to see what it has to say to the husbands and fathers (and maybe a little application in business!). I hope you are willing to give me a little freedom to do this. I promise to return to Christian business after this.

Hopefully, you have read Proverbs 31 before (if not, go now and do so!) and you recognize it as the description of the “perfect” wife and mother. Of course, some people or even organizations these days might argue that it is a sexist or chauvinistic depiction, but I happen to think it is an incredibly insightful illustration of the variety of skills and responsibilities possessed by wives and mothers today.

For Husbands And Fathers?

Assuming you agree, what does it say to the rest of us? What specifically does it say to husbands and fathers? What part should we play in conjunction with a Proverbs 31 woman? Well, I think Proverbs 31 has some specific instructions that are directed at us husbands and fathers.

While Proverbs 31 is not at all an exhaustive set of instructions for us husbands and fathers, I do believe there are a few points of wisdom we can take from it. In fact, I found four (4) pieces of advice I think we would be wise to heed. Let’s take a look and see if you agree.

His Heart Trusts Her

The heart of her husband trusts in her,…
Proverbs 31:11

When taught from the perspective of the wife or mother, verse 11 teaches that she is to be trustworthy. For our purposes today, I want to turn that around and use it for advice to husbands and fathers. As a result, I think we are being told that we are to trust in our wives.

Wow, that sounds simple. Maybe so, but are you doing it? Are you really trusting her? Do you second-guess her in situations where you think you should be in control? Do you trust her opinion or intuition when it comes to people you work with or partners you take on?

Healthy Trust

Guys, I am not talking about blind trust here. I am talking about a healthy relationship where she has proven trustworthy (as have you), but you and I still fail to trust in her. Why is that? Do we think we are less of a man if we trust in her in areas where we are unsure?

I don’t have the time or space here to list all of the examples where this advice applies, but I think you get the idea. In fact, I believe that if you have read Proverbs 31 and will pray for insight into how this verse applies to you, God is faithful to show you how it applies to you specifically.

I think He can also show you where you could apply this at work. Maybe there are some people that have shown themselves trustworthy over time, but you are still clinging to control or withholding your trust from them for one reason or another. Maybe if you extended them trust, you might just see them blossom! Pray and let Him show you.

He Is Known At The City Gates

Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.
Proverbs 31:23

In the days when this was originally written, the respected men of a town would gather at the city gates. There they would share wisdom, make decisions regarding the welfare, business, safety, etc. of the town. To be “known at the city gates” means you are respected and an honorable citizen of the town.

This verse goes a little further than saying the husband is known there. In this verse, he actually “sits among the elders.” This means that the husband is actually one of the most respected men in town. He is trusted to participate in the group of elders as a peer, someone who is part of the leadership of the town.

Not Political!

For us husbands and fathers, I do not believe this means we are all to run for political office. However, I do believe we are to be among the most respected in our communities. Our wives need to know that we will consistently behave in such a way as to earn this respect.

Whether we are business owners, in leadership positions in business, or in some other way involved in the community, we are to act in such a way as to earn the respect of those in our community. We are to do this over a period of years, not just for a season.

This is because this respect is not something that comes quickly. Instead, it is something that we earn over time. It is something that comes from years of making solid Biblical decisions, regardless of the cost to us or our businesses. If our wives know this about us, don’t you think it will be easier for them to follow our lead when we need them to the most?

What about our employees or those team members we work with? Do you think it is easier for them to follow us and trust our lead when they know we have acted in such a way over years so as to earn the respect of the community? I think this advice can benefit us in many settings!

To Be Continued…

That is all the space I have today. Join me for the next post as I give you the last two pieces of advice from Proverbs 31. If you are really interested, maybe you can read ahead in Proverbs 31 and see if you see the same advice I see!

Are either of these points on target with you?

Where do you struggle with this advice?

What action step(s) do you need to take?

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Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20

What Is An Ambassador?

When you first look at this verse, you may not recognize the fullness of the charge we are given by it. That’s fine…I did not either when I read it the first hundred or so times! Fortunately, it has finally clicked for me and I want to pass my thoughts on to you for consideration.

Let’s start by asking the question, “What is an ambassador?” Though the following is not the official dictionary definition, I believe it does a good job of combining various definitions and descriptions that I have found for an ambassador. Take a look:

An ambassador is a dignitary whose full-time job is to live for a period (usually years) in a foreign land, intentionally building relationships with the people native to that land and purposefully representing to those people the desires of his king.

If you will agree that this accurately describes an ambassador, then I think it would be good for us to break it down into components, applying each one to our own lives.

A Dignitary

The first part of this definition I want to cover is “dignitary.” A dignitary is a person considered to be important because of high rank or office. If the U.S. were to send to a foreign country an ambassador that had absolutely no authority, no knowledge, no “rank” at all, then the only reasonable expectation would be failure. No one would take them seriously, right?

The same is true of us. Whether we realize it or not, we are all dignitaries of our King. We are children and heirs of the Most High God (Romans 8:16-17), the One that created everything that is! We are His chosen children…I am not sure there is a higher rank we should desire.

Lives In A Foreign Land…

An ambassadorship is a position that requires the individual to relocate to the foreign land where he is assigned. This is not a commuter job. It is not a summer job. To be effective in executing this job, the ambassador establishes a residence in the foreign country.

Once again, the same is true for you and me. This earth is not our home. Often in Scripture, we are called aliens or strangers here (1 Peter 2:11). This earth is where we are to live for a period, but it is not where we belong. We belong in heaven with our Father, only here for a time.

…For A Period

Though the ambassador does relocate to the foreign land and commit to living there while on the job, he also knows that at any time he could be called home. An ambassador goes into the job knowing it will not last forever. At some point, he will return to his home “country.”

We, too, will be called home some day. Some will be called home sooner than others. Whether we have a relatively long stay here or a brief tenure, we know it is only temporary (Job 14:1-2). We have a job to do while we are here, but that job will eventually end and we will return home.

Builds Relationships

The ambassador must build relationships with the people in the foreign land if he expects to be effective in his job. These people are very different in their culture and traditions. They will not easily respond to an outsider without first having a relationship with him.

If we are to be effective ambassadors in this world, we must build relationships with the people here (Matthew 9:10). We must learn what makes them tick and study their needs. We need to meet them where they are and help to meet their needs. By building solid relationships with them, we will better be able to complete the next step.

Represents The Desires Of The King

The ambassador’s job does not stop at building relationships. There is a purpose to these relationships. His purpose, from the very beginning, is to represent his “king’s” desires to the people of this foreign land. His purpose is to win them over to these desires and to convince them that these desires are in their best interests.

When we become ambassadors for Christ, we are to be doing the same thing. We should be building relationships with those around us SO THAT we can express to them the desires of our King (Matthew 28:19-20). We need them to know that God loves them and wants the best for them. They need to be convinced by us that Christ’s desires are in their best interests.

To Be Continued!

In my next post, we will look at what I would say are likely the most important aspects of the ambassador job, specifically the one we are called to fill. In the meantime, I would encourage you to take some time and think about what this verse means to you and your job or business.

Do you see yourself as an ambassador?

What part of the above descriptions gives you the most trouble?

If this is new to you, what are your thoughts right now?

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Before we get into the HOW of making these difficult decisions, let’s first make sure we are on the same page as to the WHAT of these decisions.  The difficult decisions I am referring to here are those that present us with an opportunity to move forward in some way and we must decide whether to take that journey or stay put.

An example of this kind of difficult decision might be a new business opportunity.  You are presented with a chance to expand your business into a new area or to take on a new product line.  It could be a new client that approaches you or even a potential buyer for your business.  Whatever the case, you have the option to move forward or not.  Nothing is really standing in your way except to say, “Yes.”

Involve God in Your Decision-Making Process

So when this opportunity comes your way, what do you do?  From a business standpoint, I believe we all know what to do.  Depending on the timeframe given, we will likely exercise our due diligence and research the opportunity, counting the costs and weighing the potential rewards.  These steps will vary from decision to decision.  This is not the tough part of the decision.

The tough part of these difficult decisions boils down to how we involve God in our decision-making process.  As I said in my last post, we do not want to be “too smart” and make this decision without seeking God’s wisdom.  As Christian business leaders, we want to follow God’s lead and remain aligned with His will.

Unfortunately, these difficult decisions are those which rarely identify themselves as emerging from or counter to God’s will.  Those decisions that do are not difficult at all!  

So, what is the answer to determining God’s will when we are faced with these difficult decisions?  How do we know whether to move forward or not?

Turning to Scripture

As I often do, I would first recommend you see what the Bible says.  Unfortunately, in these cases, that may not help much.  Again, I am describing decisions that align with Scripture.  There is no conflict there.  We just need to figure out if moving forward is the best decision for us at the moment or if we should pass and wait on the next opportunity.

If you go to Scripture in this case, you might find yourself confused.  On one hand, you might read about Abram (later Abraham) and how God told him to boldly go out and leave his family and homeland for a new opportunity.  On the other hand, you could read where God said to be still and know that He is God.  In this situation, finding Scripture that appears to give you a clear answer might just guide you in the wrong direction.

So what is the answer?  How in the world do we know when to move and when to stay still?

The answer is very simple, but it is not easy.

Stay CloseFor Good Decisions

The simple part of the answer lies in maintaining an ongoing relationship with God that allows you to maintain extreme sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  It’s like Jesus said, “the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice” (John 10:4).  When we are this close to God, we will sense His leading and we will know whether to move or stay still.

The hard part of the answer lies in the daily choice to spend focused, quality time with God.  Life often gets in the way of this and we let this critical habit slide.  As we slowly drift away, we lose the recognition of His voice.  We lose the ability to sense His leading.  As this happens, our frustration with these difficult decisions increases.

So, I encourage you on those days when you want to sleep a little longer and skip your quiet time and prayer, don’t give in.  Remember that these are the times when you are building a relationship that is necessary to rely on in those times when you have no idea what to do.  God is faithful and will honor your efforts to draw close to Him (James 4:8).

What do you do when either decision looks good?

Do you see the need to include God in these kinds of difficult decisions?

How do you maintain a close relationship with God for these times when you need answers?

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New Hire Training

When we hire new salespeople at our company, we have a fairly intensive training period before we allow them to serve customers. There are certain facts and processes that they must understand before they can be effective at serving the customer in a way that accurately reflects our mission, vision, and values.

It would be disastrous for us to send these salespeople to do a job before being properly trained, right?

Once they have fully completed our training process, they are then free to serve customers. They are still supervised by our sales managers, but as long as they follow our processes correctly, they have autonomy to do their jobs without micromanagement.

Too Smart = Trouble!

It is usually a month or two later when trouble arises. You can almost predict it with a calendar! These new salespeople begin to get “too smart” and their performance starts to suffer. They can never understand it on their own, but from the management side, it is clear what is happening.

These salespeople have now served enough customers and they begin to see patterns. Because they are now so smart, they believe they know as much as their managers and so they begin to short-cut the standard processes. I am not talking about anything illegal, unethical, or immoral. They simply stop doing some of the simple (and foundational) parts of the process because they do not see the point.

In their effort to save time and energy, sometimes even fear or frustration, they skip certain steps in the process. They most often truly believe they are best serving the needs of the customer when in fact they are doing the customer a disservice. Too often, their skipping of these “unnecessary” steps causes them to miss the sale or creates situations where the customer is inconvenienced.

Common Problem

Whatever the case, I think you likely have seen something similar in your business. These are not at all bad people. They just feel they can do a better job (based on their newfound knowledge) than their manager can (despite their deeper, more experiential knowledge). Have you experienced this phenomenon of being too smart?

Now that we are on the same page, let me turn the tables a little.

Are You Too Smart With God?

Have you ever been guilty of this same behavior with God?

Have you been in situations where you felt your knowledge was sufficient to handle things so you did not seek God and His wisdom? Looking back on your decisions over the past weeks, months, even years, have you failed to give God the opportunity to speak into any critical situations, instead relying on your own understanding?

Simply put, have you been too smart?

On My Own

I will go first and admit that I have been guilty of this very behavior. I have too often realized AFTER the situation that I never consulted God for an important decision or the solution to a complex problem. Usually, it was not a conscious decision to ignore Him or to leave Him out of the process. More often, it was just the confidence I had in my own ability that caused me to move forward without asking for His help.

Unfortunately, I am guilty of the very same attitude and behavior that frustrates me when I see it in others. And like I described earlier with the salespeople, my behavior causes me to miss opportunities or creates unnecessary frustration. Many times, my “short-cut” forces me into more work and effort than I would have had if I first had sought God and his deeper wisdom!

Rely On God

I encourage you today to stop and think about the times when you are guilty of being too smart. In what areas of your life do you “short-cut” God and make your own decisions? Where do you rely on your own understanding when you should be relying on His (Proverbs 3:5-6)?

Go back to the times when you did not have as much knowledge about these areas of your life. Try to remember how you felt then and how much you relied on God’s direction and guidance. Use this reflection time to motivate you to return to a more humble mindset. Go back to relying on Him. I guarantee you will see improvement in your results!

How often do you see yourself as being too smart with God?

What steps can you take to eliminate this behavior?

How can you prevent it from coming back later?

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Increase Your Decision Making Odds!

In light of that, I have been sharing a set of five questions from a C12 segment. These questions are NOT guaranteed to give you the right decision every time. That is simply not possible.

However, the use of these five questions, in conjunction with prayer, can dramatically increase your odds of getting the best results from your decision making process. In my last two posts, I have shared the first three of these five questions. Today I will give you the final two questions in this decision making process.

Question #4

If you do this, are you likely to become more or less dependent on God as a result?

Will it encourage you to trust relatively more in God or mammon?

Critical Decision Making Question

The first question here is a critical one. There are so many things today upon which we can place our dependence. Many of us find ourselves depending on the success of our business for our identity. Others place their full dependence on their spouse or group of friends.

Regardless of where you place your dependence, if it is not fully on God, then you are mistaken. Sure, God gives us our businesses for ministry and provision. He gives us our spouses for support. At the same time, He does not want our dependence to be placed upon these instead of Him.

He is to be our provider and sustainer. He is the One to whom we should turn first when feeling alone, threatened, weak, etc. He wants our whole heart to be focused on Him! (Psalm 23)

God Or Mammon?

Of course, the follow-up question gets more specific and asks whether the decision will make us lean toward God or money. This is probably the one area that trips up most Christian business owners and leaders. Because so much of our world is ordered around money, we often place our trust in it.

Our decision making process needs to take this into consideration. In asking these questions, we are protecting ourselves from very common pitfalls!

Question #5

Will this decision have a beneficial long-term impact on those currently under your leadership?

If this decision results in destroying the ministry flowing through the business, what eternal impact will this have on your stakeholders?

Leadership Is A Privilege!

In addition to the privilege of owning or running a business, God has also given us the responsibility of leading people. For some of us, this is not a huge number. For others, God has given the responsibility of leading hundreds or thousands.

The number is irrelevant. The critical idea here is that we were not given our businesses for the sole purpose of providing wealth and comfort for ourselves and our families. We have been placed in this position of leadership for the purpose of leading others toward an eternity with God.

As we find ourselves in various decision making situations, we must remember this responsibility. It was not given to us flippantly and we are not to treat it as such. Instead, we must consider the impact of our decision making on those we are leading.

No Perfect Decision Making Process

As I have said before, these five questions will not solve your every problem with decision making. There will almost certainly be situations that cannot be easily resolved even after going through these questions.

Unfortunately, there is not likely to be one decision making process that will accomplish this feat. Even when fervently praying through your decisions, there will be times that you simply cannot discern the best path. I assume you already know this to be true.

What this decision making process WILL do, when executed alongside sincere prayer, is reduce the risk of making a bad decision. While you will still make mistakes, you will make fewer of them when using these questions.

Apply And Report Back!

I hope you have found some value in this five-question decision making process. I also hope you will actually put this process into practice in the near future. If so, please report back to me with the results. I am eager to hear how it goes!

Do you see the decision making value in these five questions?

Are you ready to apply them to your next decision making opportunity?

Can you add a question or two that have helped you make crucial decisions?

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