Tag Archives: Jesus

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What Will Your Funeral Look Like?

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I have said many times before that I am a reader. I love reading and learning new things. For some reason, it is a burning desire of mine. However, there is something I love more than reading – that is being able to actually apply what I have learned in a way that changes how I live! The best example of this came from Stephen Covey and the image of my funeral!

funeral

Start With The End In Mind

If you are a reader and also a leader in the business world, then the likelihood is high that you have read Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you have not, please stop now and go get it. His writing is a lot better than mine!

Well, if you are still with me, then I assume you have read Covey’s book. One of my favorite parts of the book was called “Start with the end in mind.” In this section, Covey recommended that we imagine our own funeral and what is being said about us. He then went on to effectively say that we should determine what it is we want people to say about us and begin living that way.

When I combined this idea with Scripture that talks about the rewards in eternity versus the futility of chasing what this world offers, I began to form a picture of what I wanted my life to look like.

“Well Done”

In fact, the one thing I am most driven to hear said about my life is, “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 in your Master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)

The challenge with hearing this is making sure to focus on those things with which He wants me to be faithful. I have to tell you, He is not concerned with the money I stack up or the luxuries I accumulate. He is not going to praise me for my wealth or my fame.

He Wants Eternal Impact

He already owns all of that and does not need any more from me.

What Jesus wants from me is eternal impact. He wants me to leverage all that He has given me in a way that points more people to Him. He wants me to spend every ounce of energy and effort that I have in me to increase the number of souls in eternity with Him. I picture these as silhouettes HERE.

Your Funeral?

So, if we go back to Covey’s illustration of our funeral, I think there is something you need to think about. As you picture yourself lying there and your funeral is in progress, what is going through your mind? What are you proud of? What are your regrets?

If your funeral was happening today, would you be pleased with how you finished?

The Difference

When we reach the end of this life, we will all wish we had done more ministry. None of us will wish we had done more business. The difference is that the person with the eternal perspective recognizes this now and tries to live accordingly.

What is God leading you to change?

Have you ever taken the time to imagine your own funeral?

Were you pleased with what you saw?

What would you want to change?

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Jiminy Cricket And The Holy Spirit

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One of my favorite Disney characters, Jiminy Cricket, said, “Let your conscience be your guide.” While basis for this may be true to an extent, when we become believers in Jesus Christ, we learn that this “conscience” is actually another way to describe the Holy Spirit working in our heart.

Holy Spirit

We Want Help!

As Christian business leaders, we certainly want the Holy Spirit guiding us in the way we run our businesses. I don’t think anyone would argue with that. At the same time, there may be differences of opinion as to exactly what that looks like. There will also be differences according to our maturity in Christ.

The simplest and most common evidence we will see of the Holy Spirit working in us is in convicting us when we step out of line. The problem with this is that we will all experience differing levels of conviction in our business operations. Add the fact that our industries are often very different and you can see why it is hard to quantify the role of the Holy Spirit in our businesses for the purpose of discussion among believers.

Holy Spirit Seldom Discussed

I think this difficulty is one of the reasons we do not discuss the role of the Holy Spirit in our businesses as often as we probably should. In an effort to counter that trend, I would like to offer a very simple way of assessing your own position.

What I am going to describe is NOT easily measurable. It is an imperfect model, but at least it will serve to help you determine (to a degree) your level of maturity in your Christian walk. Hopefully, as you read this you will understand what I mean and not over-analyze it!

First Level

The first level of maturity, as reflected by conviction of the Holy Spirit, is revealed when we do something really bad. I am not going to specify any particular action or behavior here. I will leave that up to you. Just think of something you have done in your past that you consider to be “really bad.”

In this situation, a less mature Christian will certainly feel terrible about committing this act. We will have feelings of guilt and remorse. In this case, it is the Holy Spirit bringing this sin to our attention and helping us to recognize it for what it is.

Second Level

As we mature over time, this feeling of conviction begins to happen even when the act is not as “bad” as the one considered above. The degree of the sin decreases as our maturity grows. However, the conviction from the Holy Spirit will likely still be as strong.

We will likely even notice the difference. “I used to feel this way when I did something much worse than I did this time. Now, I cannot even get away with ____ without recognizing it as sin!”

As we mature, we are becoming more aware of our actions and behaviors. We are more sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit as well. This is a good sign of growth!

Third Level

Over time, if we continue to grow in our maturity, there is a reversal of sorts. Instead of only feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit when we do something bad, we begin to feel His conviction when we fail to do something good!

Think about it. The more mature in Christ we get, the more we begin to notice opportunities for good deeds and the more we feel guilty when we fail to act. It is very likely you have noticed this to one degree or another.

Sign Of Drifting?

This trend may even be a good indication of where we are in our current walk with Jesus. As we notice our instances of conviction by the Holy Spirit weakening over a period of time, maybe we need to take this as a sign that we are drifting from God.

Like I said, this is not a perfect model of assessment, but I do believe there is some merit to it. A great way to measure this may be through a personal journal. Again, there is no easy way to quantify this. Just let your conscience lead you!

How would you apply this to a past business situation?

Do you see the work of the Holy Spirit progressing as you mature?

What evidence have you seen of the Holy Spirit’s work in you?

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Significant Work – Book Giveaway!

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[title color=”orange-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”georgia” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-7em”]Free Book Give Away!!![/title]

significant work

Another Free Book Give Away?

You read that right! I am offering FIVE (5) free copies of Paul Rude’s book, Significant Work: Discover the Extraordinary Worth of What You Do Every Day!

How Do You Win?

If you scroll down just a bit you will see the Rafflecopter entry form which outlines a bunch of ways to enter the Significant Work: Discover the Extraordinary Worth of What You Do Every Day giveaway. Just complete as many as you would like to be entered to win!

Why Am I Doing This?

I started this blog in an effort to spread the message of integrating the Christian faith into our businesses. I want to see more Christian business owners and leaders begin looking at their businesses from an eternal perspective and running them as platforms for Christian ministry.

While I know my posts are written toward this effort, I thought I would try to step it up a notch for 2013. My plan is to give away one book a month for the entire year! All I am asking from you is to follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. As you enter, you will be helping me to spread the word about this blog at the same time. We both win!

This Month’s Book: Paul Rude’s Significant Work

Have you ever wondered if your work is less significant to God than the work of pastors, missionaries, and humanitarian relief workers? Is your life less significant? The answer is a resounding no! Your work is not less significant to God—and neither is your life.

But maybe you’re questioning your calling, wondering if you missed it somewhere along the way.

With engaging stories and sound theology, Paul Rude invites you to discover the extraordinary significance of your everyday work. Never again will you doubt the eternal value of your work or of your life. You’ll find peace with your calling. And you’ll know that through your unique, God-given vocation today, God is preparing you for your eternal vocation—your own unique capacity to reflect His glory forever.

Discover why your work matters, understand the purpose behind it, and fully grasp the biblical motivation for everything you do.

Because this topic is so important to him, the author has agreed to give away FIVE (5) copies of this book! Make sure to enter so you can be one of the five lucky winners!

Enter The Give Away

Follow the instructions below to enter the Significant Work contest and then spread the word to others! The contest ends at midnight on Monday, September 30th and the winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 1st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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5 Benefits Of Trials In Business

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You have heard it said that you are either in the middle of a trial, coming out of one, or heading into one soon. Certainly for those of us in business, this rings true – especially when trying to do business as a Christian. So if trials are so plentiful, are there any benefits to going through them? Why are we told to consider them “pure joy”?

trials

We Will Have Trials!

To start off, there is no question we are going to have trials in this world. In fact, Jesus told us this himself. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Of course, He went on to smooth it over by letting us know not to worry because He has overcome the world.

Well, that is good and I am thankful for it! He is telling us that the end of the story is good and I have a peace because of that knowledge that no one else can understand. However, that really doesn’t address the trials themselves, does it? How am I supposed to get through the trials themselves?

The Answer

Fortunately, there is an answer to this very question later in the Bible. Looking at the book of James (James 1:2-12), we are clearly instructed that we are to consider the trials we go through as “pure joy.” There you have it! That is all we have to do!

Seriously? That is the answer? I am supposed to just look at the trials I am going through and start considering them to be good? How can they be good?

Benefits To Trials

Well, if we read on, we will see how trials can be good. Go back and read through verses 3-8 and verse 12. Here is a virtual list of the benefits we should see in our trials. James paints a pretty clear picture of how trials can benefit us in these verses, but lets dig into each benefit and try to apply it to our lives today.

Perseverance

The first benefit James gives us is perseverance. I am sure you know what this means and can even see some of the more obvious benefits. These would include being stronger over time and better able to hand future trials. Along with this might come a more relaxed or calm demeanor when presented with new trials in the future.

Why is this a benefit? Aside from the obvious increased strength, this perseverance also serves as an amazing witness to those around you. Not only for non-believers, but for new believers as well. As you go through a downturn in the economy, a failed business, or even just a bad month, people are watching.

They want to know how you are going to react. They want to know if this faith you talk about is real in the foxhole. Is there substance to it during a storm? When they see your perseverance through a trial (because of the strength you gained from previous trials!), they are more likely to have a desire for the faith you have!

Maturity

My father used to tell me that trials build character (when I thought I had all the character I needed!). Maturity shows that this is not true – I did not have all the character I needed. Maturity is something that is gained over a period of many trials. It allows us to see how trials fit into the bigger picture of life. Maturity includes the ability to see how these trials benefit us!

As we progress through multiple trials over time, we begin to see a pattern. This pattern is that God takes care of us. He is there for us – before, during, and after the trials. He will carry us through them and heal us when they are over. Because of this process, we begin to find that we can trust God.

If we have seen how He is always faithful, we will apply that same trust to decisions that may have nothing to do with a trial. We will trust God in a crucial hiring decision or with the decision on whether or not to acquire a new business for expansion. Having the trust in God for these types of decisions adds confidence to our leadership and this clearly benefits us and those we lead!

Stay tuned to my next post for the remaining benefits!

What other applications can you see in gaining perseverance?

Can you see the evidence of perseverance in your life due to trials?

Can you think of any indications of your growing maturity?

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What Does A Participant Look Like?

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Football is a great sport and I love being a spectator in the stands of a close game. There is excitement and energy in the air if all the conditions are right. However, you can multiply that feeling times ten if you can actually get out on the field as a participant!

participant

Exciting To Be A Participant

Before you let your mind wander, I am not referring to running out on the field in your birthday suit! While it might be electric, that is a long way from the picture I am trying to paint!

What I mean is that it is much more fun and fulfilling to actually get out on the field and play IN the sport than it is to watch it. If you have ever played a sport, then you know what I mean. There simply is no comparison between being a spectator and a participant.

Participant Or Spectator?

The same is true of our faith. I mentioned in my last post that too many Christians feel they have fulfilled their obligations when they financially support the ministry of the church. However, they are no different than the person who paid for tickets, parking pass, and refreshments at the game. They have both financially supported the team, but they are still just spectators.

So what does it look like to be a participant rather than a spectator when it comes to our faith? What are the various roles we can play?

Various Participant Roles

Obviously, not everyone can be a quarterback or star linebacker. Fortunately, there are many more opportunities to be a participant than this. Let’s look at a few potential positions for a participant – and their counterpart in the business world.

Star Player – This one is fairly obvious. This player is actually in the game running plays and scoring or defending. Star players get most of the publicity and recognition. They have the skills and talent necessary to perform physically at levels many of us cannot perform.

In the business world, this person may be someone with a leadership position that appears to have more opportunity for influence than the rest of us. They know all the right people and they are exercising their faith at levels most of us believe are above our potential. We all probably aspire to get to this level, but many of us will not get there – at least not on our own!

Background Players – These players make up the majority of those on the field. They are not stars, but without them the stars would not succeed. With solid basics of “blocking and tackling,” these players advance the progress of their team. They are also “making plays” of their own, but these don’t often get the attention of anyone but the opposing coaches!

Anyone actively trying to exercise their faith in the business world falls into this category. Maybe they are not in the spotlight, but they are participants all the same. The seemingly small contributions they make on a daily basis are certainly effective at advancing the cause of the team!

Support Personnel – These individuals include the 2nd string and scout team players who are usually sitting on the bench or standing on the sidelines during the game. They may be working just as hard at practice as the rest of the players, but for whatever reasons do not have the skills or experience necessary to get out on the field for a game.

Maybe they are support personnel that manage the equipment or wrap twisted ankles between plays. They could even be the ones who serve the pre-game or post-game meals or drive the team bus. Again, they are not the stars, but they perform crucial roles as a part of the overall team!

The parallel positions in the workplace might be those who are not yet comfortable sharing their faith with a colleague. They are working hard to learn how, but they still need training.

Maybe they are members of a small group that help to ask crucial accountability questions of those in categories above. They could be serving in the church nursery or providing childcare for small groups during the week. They could even be the ones providing janitorial services for a business that is on the front lines of Christian ministry.

Coaches – It is not hard to spot coaches on the sideline of a football game. They are holding the clipboards and wearing headphones. They are calling out the plays and giving constant instruction to the players. What may not be obvious is the countless hours they put in around the clock in order to provide the necessary strategy and instruction that leads to more hours of leading practices!

While there can certainly be glory in this position, more often than not these participants give more than anyone notices. If you don’t believe me, just ask their spouses!

In the business setting, these people are the leaders of leaders. These are the people that probably “played” on the field at one time and now spend much of their time teaching others how to do it. They are the disciple-makers that can truly see the big picture.

Parallels For You

While I recognize this analogy is not perfect, I hope you can see the parallels. I also hope you can see where you fit into the picture as a participant. The cool thing is that in many cases, you can advance through these various positions. At the same time, that is not necessarily the goal.

If it were the goal, then Paul would not have explained that all parts of the body are necessary and deserving of praise. Sure, some positions get more recognition than others, but that is not the end goal.

The End Goal

The end goal is to fill the position to which God has called you. It may be that He designed you to be on the support staff for the duration of your time on earth. If so, embrace it! You are doing His will.

It also may be true that He wants you to progress through the positions. This is not better or worse than anyone else. You are not more or less valuable than anyone else that remains in one position. All are worthy of hearing, “Well done!”

What you cannot do is to decide to remain in support staff if God has called you to be a star player. Just as in the parable of the talents, you are going to be held accountable according to what He has given you.

Get Out Of The Stands!

The worst you can do is to remain in the stands as a spectator. You are called to be a participant. Accept this call and climb down out of the stands. There is a uniform waiting for you!

Do you feel you know your role as a participant?

What steps do you need to take to be a participant?

When are you going to start?

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Are You A Spectator Or Participant?

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Football season is here again and I am excited! I love watching my favorite college and pro teams play each weekend. Even more exciting for me is that this year my son is playing for the local high school. I am not sure if there is anything more fun than being a spectator when your own kid is on the field.

spectator

Spectator Costs

If you will bear with me, I want to describe how it looks on a normal Friday night. First, we have already paid for the season tickets and the parking pass. Next, we will walk into the stadium carrying the stadium seat that bears the logo of the team. We purchased this from the school, along with various articles. Finally, we will likely spend a little on the various refreshments they sell at the concession stand.

All of this money spent is part of the experience and is acceptable because we know it goes to support the team, right? As spectators, it gives us a sense of pride that we can do our part to financially support the efforts of the local team. After all, we cannot very well go out on the field and contribute by playing, can we?!?

Football vs. Christian Faith

Before you think this post is about how expensive it can be to be a spectator at a football game, let me make the connection. The problem that I want to highlight here is that many Christians operate in this same way with their faith.

Go back to my description of a typical Friday night – change it to a typical Sunday morning. We go to church. We have paid our tithes and feel good about that. We watch the show and pay a little for the coffee in the cafe if our church has one. We may even add a little to the offering plate for the upcoming youth mission trip.

All in all, we feel good about our contribution because we know our money is put to good use. We know that we are supporting the ministry of the church when we do this, right?

Still A Spectator!

The problem with this is that we are still only spectators in this case. While we might get arrested if we attempted to suit up and run out onto the field of a high school football game, this is not the case with our faith!

Called To Participate!

Instead, we are actually CALLED out onto the field! With the Great Commission, we are COMMANDED to go out and be participants, not spectators! There is no limitation here, no security guards keeping us in the stands!

There is actually a Coach out on the field calling out our names and beckoning us to join Him. So, what is our response?

Don’t Stop There!

Before you get upset, I am not saying that financial support of the church is not critical. It is absolutely necessary. The only problem is that too many Christians stop here and think they have done something. In fact, many think they have fully met their responsibilities.

This is simply not right. Jesus is sending us ALL out to be participants. We are to step out of the stands and onto the field. We are to join the battle that is going on and we are to do so with a very clear objective.

For some, what you do as a participant will look different from the next person. Not everyone will have the same role. There will not be hundreds of quarterbacks out on the field. Each person’s talents and gifts are different and therefore their contribution will look different.

Spectator No More!

The bottom line is that there must be an active contribution. Simply sitting in the stands holding up the foam #1 sign is not enough. It may be all we can do in high school football, but more is expected of us when it comes to our faith.

So, what does this look like? How do we apply this idea to business?

I am glad you asked! I will try to take this analogy further in my next post by describing what some of the various levels of participation may look like and where we might fit in. I hope you will stay tuned!

Would you consider yourself a participant or a spectator?

What should you change to be more of a participant?

What are the risks of being more of a participant?

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Visual Fixation As A Strategy!

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Jesus tells us we are not to worry about the material things of this world, but are instead to focus on the eternal. He says we are to seek first His kingdom, not the temporal things of this world. That may be easy to do for a moment or two, but how are we supposed to maintain this fixation?

fixation

Visual Fixation

If you have ever ridden a motorcycle, you have experienced the dangers of visual fixation. Imagine riding a motorcycle on a narrow two-lane mountain road. You are enjoying the twists and turns of the trip up the mountain. At the same time, you are fairly nervous as you try to keep you and your motorcycle in the middle of your lane.

This is difficult because there are cars and trucks coming at you on your left. If you let your bike drift too close to the yellow line, you could easily find yourself catching your handlebars on their side view mirror (or worse!).

On your right side is a significant drop-off down the side of the mountain you are climbing. Sure, there is a guardrail that is supposed to keep you from falling, but you are not sure that would help if you ran into it. You are determined not to find out!

Visual Fixation Dangers

This is where visual fixation comes into play. See, if you allow your eyes to become fixed on either side – the yellow line OR the guardrail – then you and your motorcycle will naturally drift toward that point. It will not happen suddenly, but will sneak up on you before you know it.

In an effort to prevent this from happening, you are instead taught not to fix your eyes on any given point. Initially, you may not even take this instruction seriously. However, let your eyes fixate one time on that guardrail and you will quickly find out that this is no joke!

So what does this have to do with maintaining an eternal perspective?

Good question!

Turn To Your Advantage!

My answer is that I think there is a principle in this idea of visual fixation that we can turn to our advantage! Rather than avoiding a fixation on something, I am suggesting that we embrace the idea.

See, I believe that God desires our fixation on Him. I believe that Scripture points us to this fixation and calls us to embrace it. Take a look at these examples:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.
Hebrews 3:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2

The Enemy’s Strategy

I also believe the enemy knows this and is just as determined to prevent it.

If you think about it, everything that is thrown at you by the world is a distraction or decoy. Most often, it is not what it appears. At first, you are led to believe whatever it is will fulfill you, but in the end you realize it only disappoints. This is fine with the enemy. All he wants to do is interrupt your fixation on God!

Fixation On Jesus

If we can somehow use this visual fixation to our advantage, I think you can see what happens. Rather than allowing ourselves to be distracted by the enemy, we focus with more determination on fixating our eyes on Jesus and our relationship with Him.

Instead of getting sidetracked by the countermeasures thrown at us by the world, we choose to glue our eyes on the One that created us and will supply our every need. We do this simply by creating the disciplines in our lives that we know should already be there: Bible study, prayer, small group and one-on-one accountability, etc.

Maybe not suddenly, but over time we will begin to see our lives drift more and more toward God. Over time, our thoughts and actions will begin to reflect an eternal perspective rather than a temporal one. Before we realize it, we are locked in and seeing eternal fruit!

Examples

What would this look like?

You get a bonus in your paycheck and your first thought is not to spend it on a new toy. Instead, without even trying, your mind jumps to an opportunity you recently saw to help someone else. You act on it.

Someone asks to meet you for lunch to discuss a personal issue on the same day you had lunch plans with your best friends. You choose the person in need over your friends.

Business is not great and you are concerned about the end of the month results. At the same time, you are notified that your employee assistance program is paying out more than it is taking in. It doesn’t even cross your mind to shut it down or even decrease what it is paying out. You realize it is simply a cost of having an eternal perspective.

While I would not recommend trying this on a motorcycle, I think this visual fixation could really work in our Christian walk!

How do you maintain a fixation on Jesus?

Have you allowed your fixation to fade lately?

What action steps do you need to take today?

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Focused On The Eternal Perspective?

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When most of us think about the future, what we think about often depends on our age. So much of the focus of our thoughts depends upon what the world has told us we need to be thinking about at our age. Despite Scripture to the contrary, we worry about temporal things instead of focusing on things from an eternal perspective.

eternal perspective

God Will Provide

In my last post, we looked at a passage in Matthew 6:25-32 in which Jesus teaches us not to worry about the temporal things of this world. He tells us that God knows our temporal needs and that He will provide for us because of His love for us.

We discussed how difficult it is for us to avoid thinking (and worrying) about these things because our flesh is so weak. Knowing this is true, what are we to do?

First Priority

I think the first priority should be determining what we should be focusing on. If we want to get our thoughts off of the wrong things, it helps to know what the right things are, right?

To figure this out, let’s look at the next verse in that same passage, as well as two related verses.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:33

So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18

Fight the good fight for the faith; take hold of eternal life that you were called to and have made a good confession about in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12

Eternal Perspective?

Based on what you read here, what is it that you think you should be focused on right now? What perspective should you have as you go through this life here and now?

I think it is clear that our thoughts should be focused on the eternal perspective, not on the temporal worries of this life. Instead of worrying about our retirement or the travel we are going to enjoy, we should instead be focused on impacting other people for eternity by pointing them to God and sharing His love with them!

Somehow, we need to learn to stop allowing our minds to be occupied with the stream of material desires, social status, and career success. Thoughts of the kind of car we drive (hurts ME to say!) and the clothes we wear should take be replaced by thoughts of how we can best meet the needs of those around us in a way that points them to God.

Don’t Miss The Point!

The point of this is NOT to simply stop spending on ourselves and start giving it away to others. Not at all!

The point is that we should begin to look at our existence in light of a 1,000 year picture instead of the next 30 days, 18 months, or 5-10 years. This is the eternal perspective. When we do this, the worries of today fade and suddenly we begin to realize how meaningless these thoughts are in light of eternity.

When we realize that our actions today could mean the difference between someone else spending an eternity with God or separated from Him, our actions begin to change.

When we realize that 1,000 years from now it will be too late to share the love of Jesus with someone who does not know Him, our attitude toward money will change.

Eternal Perspective!

We we stop focusing on what is seen and begin to focus on what is unseen, then we are seeking first His kingdom. We are taking hold of the eternal life we were called to. It is then we are fighting the good fight. It is then we are seeing from an eternal perspective.

I realize this is easier said than done. I struggle with this myself, probably more than you do. At the same time, I am determined not to give up on myself. I am committed to continue training my thoughts to seek the eternal. It is not an easy battle, but it is one I will not quit fighting.

Stay Tuned!

In my next post, I plan to give some tips on how we can fight this battle. Stay tuned!

Do you have trouble seeing this life from an eternal perspective?

What is your biggest challenge in changing this mindset?

What are the potential downsides of seeing from the eternal perspective?

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What Do You Think About?

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When someone mentions “your future” to you, what is the first idea that comes to your mind? Depending on your age, it could be any number of things that pop into your head. The question I would pose is this…what should you think about?

think

What Do You Think About?

If you are really young (under 30 yrs. old), you probably thought of finishing school or starting a career. Maybe you thought about getting married or even beginning or growing your family. If you are more forward-thinking than the average person, you may have thought briefly about retirement!

Someone a little older (maybe 30-45 yrs. old) likely considered a promotion, funding college for their children, and maybe even what life as an empty-nester might look like. Travel probably entered their mind. Retirement likely registered, but probably still looks like it is a long way off.

For someone in their 50’s or 60’s, retirement is more at the forefront of their mind. Things like grandchildren growing up is probably on their mind. There is also the chance that a fear of the nation’s current financial strength is occupying their thoughts, possibly delaying their retirement or limiting their dreams of travel.

If you are in your 70’s or 80’s, your thoughts are different. Maybe you are concerned about the legacy you will leave behind. It could be that you are no longer concerned with many of the issues mentioned above, but are instead focused on enjoying every day to its fullest.

Worldly Thoughts

While I may have missed you in the descriptions above, I think you get the point. What we think about the future really depends on our age and our perception of how much longer we have here. The world has trained us to think about certain things at certain ages and we normally follow suit.

The problem is that this line of thinking, regardless of our age, is not in line with what we are told in God’s Word about the future. Think about the following verses for a moment…

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?

So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Matthew 6:25-32

What Is Your Response?

First, I am sure you are familiar with these words of Jesus. Most likely you have heard them before. You may have even heard a sermon preached on this passage. If that is the case, why are you still worrying about these things? Why do the temporary things still occupy your thoughts?

The truth is we can learn this principle, attempt to apply it, and within a short period of time we forget it. The pressures of this world break down our wills to trust God. Pretty soon we are back to worrying about the very things He tells us not to worry about!

We Cannot Give Up

Have you experienced this? I can promise you I have. In fact, despite the fact that I am posting about this very topic this morning, I will be guilty in some way of failing to live it out before the day is over!

Even though this is true, we simply cannot give up on trying to follow the instructions Jesus has given us. We cannot just chalk it up to weak flesh and quit fighting it.

So what are we supposed to do? What should we think about? How are we supposed to maintain that focus?

To Be Continued

In my next two posts I will try to answer those questions. In the meantime, I encourage you to be praying that God will reveal your heart to you. Pray that He will show you where you are failing in this effort and where you are doing well. Ask Him to teach you what He expects from you in this area!

Is your mind full of the things of this life?

Are these the topics you want to think about?

What would you prefer to think about? Why?

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More Advice For Onboarding New Hires

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The following post is written by Bill Higgins and is the conclusion to his last post. In addition to his last post, you may remember him from his previous guest posts. Bill’s following post gives us great insight into how a Christian business should approach onboarding new employees. I think you should get some great ideas from his post!

Onboarding

Onboarding New Hires

You have sounded the “All aboard!” in the form of a job offer, but it takes several other activities before new hires can settle in for the ride.

The scriptures will provide a backdrop and principles for planning your onboarding activities leading to employee integration and effectiveness. The following will present some guidance; whether you incorporate them through mentoring, an orientation class, e-learning, or a blending of several of these methods is up to you.

Onboarding Must Do’s

However you decide to do it, here are the remaining focus items you want to be sure are included in your onboarding activities:

People:
Some new hires will be so focused on their job, their tasks, they forget the people element. They forget they are part of a team. They forget their efforts or decisions impact people downstream. They forget people don’t always see things the same way they do.

That’s why the onboarding process must emphasize that people are important regardless what your job is. Remind them to learn to give and take criticism and to learn how to function as part of a team and call for help when they need it, or volunteer to help others when they need it also.

More people struggle with change than embrace it with excitement. Remind them of this as they start their new job. Some changes will be met with enthusiasm; others will be resisted and actually lobbied against. Don’t discount the feelings of those who make the plan work or those impacted by it. Feelings aren’t always grounded in reality. They’re just feelings, but they do affect the way people live.

People have all kinds or reasons for resisting. The reasons aren’t important, the people are. People need to be treated with respect, even if they oppose your ideas, plans, and changes.

Galatians 6:1-10 helps us understand the importance of people when it says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The word translated “burdens” here is a word that means a load too difficult for one person to carry alone. We are to watch out for people and help them through the difficult times. New hires need to learn to be aware of this.

Take think time:
One of the things we see from Paul’s action plan as documented in Galatians 1:15-18 is that he took three years to spend time with the Lord, thinking and praying before launching into anything resembling “productive work.” He wasn’t just converted and then launched into ministry.

It’s important for new hires to understand there is no substitute for taking time to think. One sage put it this way, “There’s never time to do it right, but there’s always time to do it over.” The difference between the two is often time to think it through.

There will be deadlines new hires will be expected to meet, but they must also get used to thinking about their job, the processes, the plans, and the way things are done. Out of this comes new, more efficient ways of doing things that often save time and money and improve quality.

Time with leaders:
Galatians 1:18 tells us when Paul was launching his ministry he went to meet the man who was the most recognized leader in the first century church, Peter. Leaders in organizations are tasked with aligning the business goals of their units to the overall goals of the organization. To do this may necessitate changes in structure, processes, or business relationships.

It’s helpful for new hires to hear directly from their business leaders, just as Paul did, what their perspective and long-term plans are. The leader can also provide insight to the organization to make the early days for the new hire more efficient.

Encourage new hires to reach out to their business unit leaders and supervisors to initiate meetings with them. Provide new hires with a list of topics they can include on the agenda to make effective use of the time. The following topics make a good list to start with:

    • How members of the team work together
    • Who on the team is expert in what subject
    • Who are the recognized team leaders
    • How the leader got to their position
    • Their long-range plans
    • How the new hire can best contribute
    • What will be good for them to learn

Good Onboarding Is Critical

Onboarding can be a foundational time that sets the tone and provides a baseline for new hires. To accomplish this, haphazard assignments just won’t cut it. The points outlined above, and in my last post, will give you ideas on how you can make the most of your onboarding of new hires.

Those early days set the tone, inspire, inform, and engage. Start them out in the right direction and “…when they are old they won’t depart from it.”

About the Author:
BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations. Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.