David And Goliath

Do you remember reading about David and Goliath? Do you remember how Saul tried to make David wear armor that would not fit him? I laugh when I try to picture David as a youth trying to walk around in Saul’s armor, potentially bumping into tent posts and stepping into the campfires scattered around. It may not have been as close to a scene out of the Carol Burnett show as I have it pictured, but I imagine there had to be some humor in it.

Finally, David threw off Saul’s armor and wore his own shepherd’s clothes. He left Saul’s weapons in the tent and chose to use the sling and the stones he already knew how to use. These fit him. While he had never fought in a war with other soldiers, he had certainly seen his battles protecting the flocks from predators. Instead of using someone else’s armor and weaponry in this new battle, he went with what was familiar to him.

What Can We Learn?

Apparently, he made the right choice. So what can we as leaders learn from this episode? How do we apply it to what we do on a daily basis?

The first place I think to look is back in the Bible. Let’s consider Romans 12:6-8. In this passage, Paul is telling the Romans that different people receive different gifts from God.

When we receive specific gifts, we should use those gifts according to our faith. If one is given the gift of teaching, then they are to teach. Another may be given the gift of encouragement; they should encourage. You have probably read this and understand it.

I believe this is directly related to the story about David and the armor. You see, Saul was trying to get David to wear armor that was not his. It was not fit for him. It was not comfortable to him. It simply would have been a burden to David. It would have hampered his effectiveness against Goliath.

Gifts From God

The same is true about gifts from God. If God has given me the gift of encouragement, but not the gift of leadership, should I try to lead? Just because I want to lead does not mean that is what I should do. In fact, if God has not gifted me in that area, I will only cause problems if I try to do it anyway. If I am not gifted to teach, but I insist on doing so, what kind of results will I get? I may like the idea of teaching, but if God has not gifted me for it, that is not where I will be most effective.

Look at 1 Corinthians 12 and see more discussion on this. In this passage, Paul takes it further and uses the human body and its parts to illustrate his point. Each part has its job to do. Each job is just as important to the health of the body as the next. All deserve honor. None of the parts should aspire to be another part. Instead, each part should embrace the role they have been given and do the best they can at being that part.

Lessons For Leaders

As leaders, we must do the same.

1. Discover your gifting

David quickly found that Saul’s armor would not work. You need to determine your gifting. There are tools to accomplish this, but you can also ask those who know you best. Pray for God to reveal it to you.

2. Embrace that gifting

David did not hesitate to reject Saul’s armor and revert back to his own tools. Once you know your gifts, embrace them! Know that the Creator of the universe chose you specially for those gifts! They are worthy of honor!

3. Learn how to best apply that gifting

David spent years learning accuracy with his sling and stones. Do not expect overnight results in your gifts. Developing these gifts take time. Through prayer, application, and learning from defeats (as well as successes), you will grow in these gifts.

4. Go to battle!

David went boldly into battle with his tools. Do not be afraid to fight the battles with your gifts. Do not forget you represent God and He has your back!

Now, go out there and use your own armor!

What are your gifts?

Are you embracing them and growing in your application of them?

What battles are you fighting?

Original date of post – November 9, 2011

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?

Sunscreen Battle

If you have kids, you have probably experienced the sunscreen battle. You go to the beach, pool, or lake and plan to spend the day. One of the first actions you take is to slather them up with sunscreen – the highest SPF you can find, right?

After you have been there for several hours, you ask them to come to you so you can apply more sunscreen. They whine and attempt to refuse, saying they have sunscreen. “Remember? You put it on when we first got here!”

One Application Not Enough!

Of course, with a calm and measured voice you ask again, explaining that the initial application you gave them has now washed off and they need more. Back and forth you likely go until they are close enough for you to physically reach them.

Then, like a frog’s tongue, your arm streaks out and grabs them. You pull them in and apply the cream as they wriggle and squirm. If you have missed this experience, then you at least have witnessed this scene unfold with others around you, right? You know exactly what I am talking about!

How Is This Related?

Of course, you may be familiar with the scene, but you are likely still wondering what this has to do with using a business as a platform for Christian ministry. You think I may have gone a little off track.

Actually, I think this picture has a lot in common with our discussion on Christian business. Before I get into the details, let’s look back at the first four recommendations in this series.

Recommendation #1 – Pray for vision

Recommendation #2 – Read Proverbs as a business manual

Recommendation #3 – Become an expert

Recommendation #4 – Join a group

New Christian Business Advice

In each of these posts, I have attempted to describe what I believe are the most critical actions you can take if you are interested in running a Christian business. While each of the first four posts were distinct, I am going to risk repeating myself a little in this fifth and final post.

Going all the way back to Recommendation #1, I suggested you pray for clarity of purpose, strength, and commitment. I also suggested you give thanks for the position into which God has placed you. Of course, I believe these prayers are critical to your ministry.

At the same time, I believe that prayer has a lot in common with sunscreen. One application is NOT enough! Prayer is something that we need to reapply every day! Paul tells us to pray constantly…does that sound like one application?

Recommendation #5 – Pray Again!

Let me repeat that again: One application of prayer is not enough! Instead, you need to accept the concept that you will need an ongoing commitment to pray. For those who are serious about seeking eternal impact from the operation of their business, the commitment to pray is an absolute must!

When we pray, we commune with the Creator. He created us and He created business itself. Given that, does it not make sense that He can best direct us in a way that will produce the greatest impact?

Pray For Specifics

While I could just leave off there and have made my point, I will go on to give you specific topics that I believe are critical for you to cover when you pray. Again, my list is not exhaustive. Hopefully you will add to it over time. At the same time, you will be ahead of the game if you start with these.

Clarity of Purpose – Yes, this was already covered in Recommendation #1. The difference this time is that you are praying for God to keep this clarity in the forefront of your mind. You should pray for reminders in your spirit of the “Why” that drives you and gives you the energy to continue.

Strength and Commitment – Again, this was already covered before. Again, it will become more and more necessary as you progress into the territory of the enemy! Your quest is one of conquest and the opposition will intensify! Be prepared for this and make sure you pray for the necessary endurance.

Humility – At some point, you will likely see success in your efforts. It may happen instantly or it may take more time than you ever expected. Either way, pride is an easy trap to fall into. It will be tempting to take credit or accept praise when your ministry begins to bear fruit.

This is when you have to go back and read John 15. This is a reminder that you are only the conduit that Jesus is using. You are not the source of the fruit – He is. Keep that in mind and you will maintain a healthy perspective. You will also remain teachable.

Wisdom – You are simply crazy if you do not pray for wisdom. In both James and Proverbs, we are clearly told we will receive wisdom if we ask for it. If Solomon asked first for wisdom when faced with leading God’s people, then we should follow his example in our business.

Romans 8:29 – While most people like to quote Romans 8:28, verse 29 is one that I think is more important to remember. God wants to conform us to the likeness of His Son. We should pray that He is doing this on a daily basis. We should pray that we are allowing ourselves to be molded in that way. The more He is able to do this, the greater our impact will be in all we do.

Matthew 25:21 – Keeping the end goal in mind is a tremendous motivator. That is part of the reason to pray for clarity of purpose. But another way to do this is to pray this verse from the Parable of the Talents – when Jesus is talking to the servant that multiplied his talents.

Jesus says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” If we will pray regularly for the opportunity to hear the same thing, then I believe our decisions, motives, and actions will fall more into line with His will.

What would you add to this prayer list?

Are you consistent in praying like you think you should be?

What should you change about your prayer life?

Recommendation #1 – Pray

In my last post, I tried to lay the foundation for this series of posts. I also gave you my first recommendation – to pray! While I admitted this recommendation may not sound earth-shattering, I also pointed out how critical it is for you to pray earnestly about your situation and the future to which God is calling you. If you have not read that post, now is the time to do so – read it here!

Now that we have covered the first recommendation – prayer – let’s take a look at the next one.

Recommendation #2 – Read Proverbs

If you have been a Christian very long, someone has told you about the easy daily devotion plan of reading one chapter in Proverbs every day for a month. Since there are 31 chapters, it fits well into a calendar month. If you have not done this, then you are missing out.

At the same time, I am going to give you another chance to read Proverbs. Whether you choose to read one chapter a day or not is up to you. All I am asking is that you change your glasses.

Change Your Glasses

Now, do not assume that I am speaking about a literal pair of glasses. No, I am instead referring to a figurative pair of glasses. These glasses are your business glasses. They are the glasses you look through when you think about your business and how you are to operate it.

Rather than reading through Proverbs the way you normally would, I want you to read it as a business manual. That’s right! If it helps, assume it is the latest Jim Collins volume or that Jack Welch wrote the intro. Whatever you need to think in order to pique your interest in this way, I am fine with it.

Of course, the truth is that the true Author of Proverbs is the original Creator of business. He knows all there is to know about business and has shared much of this truth in this book. It is freely offered to you. All you have to commit is your time.

Pray first

Before you start, remember Recommendation #1 – Pray. Pray that God will speak to you through the words you read. Pray that He will pour His wisdom into your heart and mind in a way that directs you as you lead the business. Pray that you will gain insights through the various readings and that you will know exactly how to apply them to the operation of your business.

No Other Aids

I am not recommending a study guide or a workbook in this case. While they may exist, I think this strategy works best when it is just you and the Author and His words. I believe you will gain understanding you never imagined. I believe you will get much more from the experience if you limit the text to Proverbs alone and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work.

What will you find? Honestly, I have no earthly idea! Sure, there are obvious examples I could cite that easily apply to business. You don’t need me to tell you that. No, the insights I am referring to will come straight from God.

A Personal Example

Just to prime the pump, I will share the first example that came to me when I began to read Proverbs this way. Keep in mind that this was God speaking to ME. You may see something different in this passage than I did. That’s fine! I will simply share what it said to me and how I applied it.

I began reading Proverbs as a business manual while reading Business By The Book: Complete Guide of Biblical Principles for the Workplace, by Larry Burkett. It was an amazing experience for me for a couple of reasons. First, I had never thought of the idea. It made sense, but was completely new to me. Second, God started speaking to me through the very first chapter! That was enough to hook me!

Here, Use My Glasses!

I want us to take a look at the passage, but first I want you to put on MY business glasses for a moment. I am in the car business. Our industry is plagued with a bad reputation (often earned and deserved!) for taking advantage of people when they are trying to buy a car. Car salespeople are notorious for getting rich off of others and often characterized as sharks, right?

So, at the time I read this for the first time with my business glasses on, I was aware of the reputation of our industry and was desperately trying to figure out where to start in cleaning it up in our business. I knew it had to be done, but I was not sure where to start.

Proverbs From My View

With these glasses on, read this excerpt from Proverbs 1:

My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t be persuaded.
If they say—“Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush and kill someone.
Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!
Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol,
still healthy as they go down to the Pit.
We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.
Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share our money”
my son, don’t travel that road with them
or set foot on their path,
because their feet run toward trouble
and they hurry to commit murder.
Proverbs 1:10-16

What are your thoughts at this point? Do you see the parallels between this picture and a car deal? For me, it was like a lightening bolt in the heart. I knew this was a fair (though somewhat extreme) characterization of a traditional car deal. At least the intents were similar. I also knew I had to change that.

Our Response

As a result of this revelation, we went on to completely overhaul our entire sales process. Based on another verse later in Proverbs, we established a system where the pricing was pre-discounted and fixed and the salespeople were no longer paid to extract more profit from the customer.

The transition was expensive and difficult. And while this change may not be for everyone, it was clear to us that we had to take dramatic action to align with Scripture.

God Will Speak!

As I said, your experience will likely be different from mine. God will speak to you in ways that are specific to your situation and challenges. While I cannot tell you what He will say, I can promise that He will say something. And you will be amazed!

Have you ever read Proverbs in this way?

What have you found that you could apply to your business?

Are you willing to give it a try?

My Prayer

Just last week, I was praying and trying to communicate the best I could that I wanted to get rid of any plans or desires in my heart. I was trying to tell Jesus that I wanted ONLY what He wanted for me. As I struggled with the words (it happens often!), the following thoughts came to mind. I want to share them in case they can help you do the same thing.

I wanted to tell Him that I was open to anything that He would ask of me and here is how my prayer flowed [and looking back, how I see it applies to business]:

Jesus, please give me…

Open Hands – that I would be prepared to accept and use whatever it is You want me to have, but nothing else. I am not reaching, but receiving. Let these hands also be giving of whatever is in them.

[Give me the resources You know I need to effectively run Your business. Help me not to seek more than You give and to be faithful to share whenever You send me opportunities to do so.]

Open Eyes – that I would be able to see whatever it is You want me to see relating to where You want me to go or what You want me to do. I do not want to miss anything You are trying to show me. Make it clear to me where there are opportunities to act. Show me weak areas in me and help me to improve.

[Give me insights into business opportunities, understanding the risks, but trusting Your leading. Help me to see through my leadership blind spots and to work to correct them.]

Open Ears – that I would always be listening for that still, small voice. I want to hear all instruction from You. I want to be aware of all going on around me that You want me to notice.

[Show me how to be still and listen to you, despite the noise during the work day. Give me the patience to wait on Your instructions, coming to You for my decisions.]

Open Mind – that I would be willing to accept anything You ask of me, regardless of whether I understand it, agree with it, fear it, or feel equipped to do it.

[My business mind is trained to think from a temporal perspective. Help me to mentally step away from my paradigms and to trust Your ultimate business knowledge.]

Open Heart – that I would always be sensitive to Your leading and instruction to me regardless of my desires. I only want to seek Your will and renown, not my own.

[Help me to beware of my own motives when it comes to business decisions. Remind me that You own this business and that I am only part of Your story, not the other way around.]

Open Mouth – that I would speak any and all words You give me to speak. I always want to trust You to give me the words to say in all situations and want to hold my tongue until You do.

[Please give me wise words to use when dealing with others at work. Give me the boldness to share the reasons for my faith in You and the awareness to know the right timing. Speak through me.]

Simply A Thought Starter

I do not share this as a comprehensive solution to your prayer life. I do not even share it as an example to follow with repetition over time. I am simply sharing this prayer as a thought starter for you.

Hopefully, it will cause you to see something you are doing (or need to do) from a different perspective. It is full of thoughts that I plan to pore over for a while. I want to take the time to hear from God in each case – hopefully gaining clarity and wisdom in the process.

What are your thoughts?

What would you add to this prayer?

Do you pray something similar at times?

Samuel’s Farewell Speech

In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites. he has been their spiritual leader for many years and is now turning that duty over to Saul, whom he anointed as king. Samuel is warning the Israelites against turning away from God as they transition to following a king.

At the end of this farewell address, Samuel makes an interesting statement that directly relates to our topic of praying for those we lead. Here is what Samuel said…

As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.
1 Samuel 12:23

A Sin Not To Pray?

I am not sure it gets any more clear than that statement right there. Samuel clearly understood it to be a sin for him to fail to pray for those people he was leading. However, my initial question after reading this passage was, “Where is that in the Bible?” I could not remember a verse that said it was a sin NOT to pray for someone.

Well, here is what I have concluded after a little studying.

Samuel’s Vow To Pray

First, in 1 Samuel 7:5, Samuel vows to pray to the Lord on behalf of the Israelites. It is not clear whether this vow was intended to be an ongoing promise to pray, but it makes sense that it might. Either way, Samuel had seen it to be part of his responsibility to pray for those he was leading.

See Good, Do It!

Second, we can look to the New Testament in James 4:17 for more support of this idea that we are responsible as Christian leaders to pray for those we lead. Here is what James said…

So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.
James 4:17

I Am Convinced!

Folks, that is enough for me. I am convinced that it is a responsibility of mine as a Christian leader to pray for my team. I look to men like Samuel as examples of great Christian leadership. If Samuel saw it as a sin to refrain from praying for his people, then I see it the same way.

So, assuming you agree with me, what are we to do? Well, I am sure I will leave something out, but I will take that risk and give you a list of what I think we should be praying about. If you think of additional items for this list, please let me know in the comments section!

What To Pray?

1. Pray first for you to be the godly example and leader they need.

2. Pray for their salvation (and that of their families)!

3. Pray for their minds and hearts to be open to growing in their faith.

4. Pray for their daily needs to be met.

5. Pray that they would forgive and know forgiveness.

6. Pray for their strength when facing temptation.

7. Pray they find fulfillment in their jobs (current or future).

8. Pray they would find (and develop) their own area of leadership.

My Commitment

As I said at the end of my post on being unable to delegate prayer, I am going to give more energy to my prayer life. As part of this, I commit to pray for everyone in our business according to the list above. I can’t wait to see the results!

Do you agree with our responsibility to pray for those we lead?

What prayers would you add to this list?

What other thoughts do you have on this topic?

First of all, you may actually receive positive feedback from the departing employee!  Don’t be shocked!  If you are doing some things right, be excited and appreciative for the compliments.  However, for the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on the not-so-positive feedback.  What do you do with that?

• Do nothing at all.

  I am just kidding!  (Just out of curiosity, did you find that to be ridiculous advice in this context?)  Unfortunately, that is exactly what most people do with this information.  If they even complete an exit interview at all, it is most likely done to complete a checklist of termination paperwork.  Then the potentially valuable information is discarded as unworthy of their time!  Or maybe the feedback was painful and difficult to face head-on.  Regardless of the reasons, this is NOT a recommended step to take!  Read on…

• Validate the feedback.

  Sometimes you will simply get sour grapes from a disgruntled employee.  While this is sometimes true, it is a mistake to assume it will always be that way.  Take what you heard, sift through the emotions (yours and theirs!), and find the nuggets.  If you have not observed the issues yourself, consult other employees that you know to be objective.  Get their perspective.  Simply put, do your homework and find out if there is validity to what you heard.  Pray for wisdom and discernment as you do this!

• Determine if there is a pattern.

  What if you find the issue(s) to be true?  Okay, so something went wrong or a part of your business did not meet your standards.  Maybe you received negative feedback about you or your style.  What next?  Find out if it was a one-time problem or, more likely, a pattern.  Is it the result of a broken process or an isolated personality conflict?  Don’t gloss this over.  Dig through the rubble or smoke and determine the root.  If it is an isolated situation, move on to the next issue.  If it is a pattern, read on…

• Find the best solution(s) and correct the problem.

  While this sounds simple, it is too often left undone.  Even if you remained objective through this whole exit interview process, it is possible that remaining employees may not.  They may be holding the sour grapes!  Whatever the situation, if the issue you have uncovered is legitimate, you need to push through to correct it and make sure it does not reappear.

• Follow up with the ex-employee – thank them!

  Why not?  Do not allow pride or busyness keep you from thanking them for their productive feedback.  Let them know of your appreciation as well as your efforts to take action.  You do not have to go into detail about what you found.  Just let them know that their words did not fall on deaf ears.  They will appreciate it and you will be blessed as a result.

• Commit to 100% execution of exit interviews in the future!

  Assuming you followed the whole process from beginning to end, then you can see the benefits of completing exit interviews with every departing employee.  If your company is too big for you to do them personally, then assign the responsibility to someone else, but make sure they grasp the value of the process.  Communicate to them the importance you place on the feedback.  Set up the process to make sure there is accountability in its execution!

What is your experience?

Are there any steps you would add?

Have you committed to exit interviews?