Please Pardon Our Progress

If you were to drive by our Honda dealership during the next week or so, you would likely see an empty lot (no cars), a vacant building, and a huge sign that says, “Please Pardon Our Progress!” The reason? We are beginning construction on a full renovation and upgrade of this building and are now housed in a modular office building a block away.

progress

Change Is Necessary!

This process began near the end of last year when we finally decided it was time to make the necessary changes to our dated facility. While it is certainly still functional, it just does not accomplish our purposes any longer. For that reason, we are making a change.

As you can imagine, it will be a major inconvenience to make this progress. It does not just happen overnight. There are many ripple effects to this progress.

Ripple Effects

Customers will be inconvenienced as we have to shuttle them from the Honda service department to a waiting lounge in one of the other buildings.

There will be frustrations galore for employees and customers alike as new and used car displays will not be as easily accessible as they normally are.

Progress Not Always Welcome!

People will likely have their own opinions about whether we should be making this progress in the first place! They won’t clearly understand what we are doing and why. Some will actually feel we should have left things the way they were!

In an effort to overcome some of the confusion, we have tried to go overboard on signage. We are also coaching employees to be aware that customers may be a little confused or frustrated during the progress. It is up to us to minimize their pain!

My Own “Progress” Sign!

You know what I wish I could do?

I wish I could wear a sign around my neck that said the same thing. I wish I could do something to indicate to those around me – at work, home, and in the community – that I am a work in progress!

I Need Improvement, Too!

See, I know I am not all that I should be. I know there are certain parts of my personality and mindset that need renovating and upgrading. Just like our Honda store, there are parts of me that are not accomplishing the purpose that God has for me.

I know this and I promise that I am working on it, but too often others around me are still inconvenienced, frustrated, or confused. I say things or do things that I do not like. I think thoughts that I wish I did not.

I wish I could just walk around with that sign around my neck to let everyone know that I am aware of the needed improvement and that I am working on it.

Minimize Ripple Effects

Until then, I am just going to do the best I can at making the continuous progress that I need to make and to be aware of the ripple effects on those around me. I will continue to try to minimize their frustration with my slow progress. Hopefully, they will begin to see improvement and cut me some slack!

What we cannot do as Christian business owners and leaders is to decide against making the progress. We cannot decide that the way we are today is good enough. We cannot determine that making progress is too tough.

Progress Is Necessary

God is calling us to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. While that is not an easy task, it is not optional for a true disciple. We must submit to the process and allow God to do His work on us.

Those around us will likely be inconvenienced, frustrated, or confused with us. Some will even think that we should not work to change, but should just stay the same as we were. While the short term may be easier if we agreed with them, the long term will not.

I encourage you to be a leader that is a work in progress. Wear the sign if you have to, but keep pushing ahead either way!

Are you a work in progress?

What areas are you struggling with the most?

Have you worked to minimize the effects on others?

Are You Guilty Of Fast Food Leadership?

In my last post, I told you why vegetables are good for you. Of course, I used vegetables as a metaphor for trials and struggles in our lives. In staying with the food theme, today I want to discuss fast food and how it applies to Christian business owners and leadership!

leadership

Terrible Diet!

As I have told you before, I am in the car business. While the car business is known for many vices that I will not mention here, there is one that I believe is certainly appropriate to learning how to better represent our Christian faith in our businesses and jobs. This vice is a terrible diet.

Because we are in the retail business, we always need to be available for the customer. Traditional lunch hours are typically nonexistent for us. We grab a meal whenever we get a chance. This is just the nature of the business and we accept it as so.

The result of this issue is that most of us live off of fast food. It is quick and cheap and we can eat it in the car on the way back from the drive-thru! We may think to ourselves, “Today will be different – I will eat healthy today!” but we wait until the last minute and only have time for the fast food!

Don’t Have Time

We would love to go to the more upscale restaurants and get a salad bar or some fish, but we simply don’t have the time. Not only is the healthier food more time-consuming, but it is also more expensive. Even if we had the time, we would go broke eating there often.

Sure, if we were on top of things, we could make our own lunch and bring it to work with us. Not only could we better manage our diet, but we could also eat for a lot less money! Unfortunately, it is rare to find someone that plans like this.

Leadership Is Similar!

So, what is the point of this discussion? My point is that this habit is very similar in nature to the way many of us do leadership with our teams (or families).

Think about that for a moment.

Intentional Leadership

We all know and have been taught at some point that we need to be intentional about developing our teams. In a perfect world, we should plan out our week to include frequent one-on-one time with each of our team members.

We should plan ahead to have a meaningful discussion about their strengths and their weaknesses. Certainly, we should spend time with them building a plan for them to follow to success. All of this sounds familiar, right?

Why Fast Food Leadership?

Then why is it that the majority of us resort to fast-food leadership? Why, instead, do we grab a quick ten seconds between customers to tell them where they need to improve? Why do we wait until the last minute to give them a tip or two on how they should prepare for success? Do you think this is how Jesus operated with his disciples?

We know that if we would do a better job of planning ahead and prioritizing our time by block-scheduling when we can, we would be much more effective in creating teams worthy of success. Yet so few do this.

Take Control Of Your Schedule!

Folks, it is the same story for all of us – regardless of our industry. We simply must take control of our schedule and make it work for us. It is not acceptable for us to know what we should be doing and not do it. As James 4:17 says, when we know the good we are supposed to do and do not do it, it is a sin.

Harsh words, but true.

I encourage you to commit to changing your leadership diet. Quit resorting to the fast-food leadership and start working toward leadership that comes from planning ahead. I think you will see the benefits!

For a good blog on time management, take a look at Life Of A Steward written by a friend, Loren Pinilis. He has great material from a the perspective of a Christian leader.

Additional Resources

Even though this post is not really about our eating habits, I could not resist including the following resources! Take a look and let me know what you think. The first is a blog by Stephen Skinner, a new friend of mine from LinkedIn. He owns and operates a health food store for the purpose of Christian ministry. He is the real deal and I recommend you check out his site –The Natural Pharmacist.

The other resource is a guest post by the wife of a friend I have never met, Tom Tarver. Tom and I are fellow bloggers on Christian faith topics (his blog is A Curious Band Of Others) and converse a lot online. Anyway, his wife Ellen wrote a guest post that must be read! Check out this link to read her post and enjoy – Ellen Tarver guest post.

How Do We No Longer Deny Jesus?

Let me start this post by confessing (again!). Over the past few posts, we have been looking at Peter’s decision to deny Jesus and what we can learn from it. This is a tough topic and may actually offend some people. I just want to begin by saying that I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I have not figured out how to completely avoid this behavior myself. At the same time, I am not going to let that stop me from trying to come up with a legitimate answer to the problem.

deny Jesus

No Longer Deny Jesus?

We have already discussed what it looks like for us to deny Jesus today. Next, we talked about WHY we deny Jesus. We have even talked about how we can be restored AFTER we deny Jesus. I think it makes sense for us to turn our focus now to how we can avoid this behavior altogether.

I will tell you up front that I believe I have our answer. I will also be transparent and tell you that I am not there yet. I have a lot of work left to do before I can testify that this answer has worked for me. I still deny Jesus.

At the same time, I believe I can show you how it has worked for others.

You Already Have The Answer!

The truth is that I have already given you the answer to this problem. It is my opinion that we deny Jesus for the simple reason that we do not know Him.

What I mean by this is that we know so little about the true greatness (our English vocabulary comes up short for proper adjectives) of this man named Jesus. Most of us can quote verses (or find them!) that tell us Jesus was fully God and fully man.

Head Knowledge

We can show verses that talk about the miracles He performed and how He created the earth. We can even show where the Bible says He was killed, but raised from the dead three days later.

So, what is the problem? We know a lot about how great He is, right?

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Not TRUE Knowledge

The truth is that we may be able to quote or point out facts from the Bible, but we are very far from KNOWING these things about Jesus. Most of us are a long way from being willing to take a loss because of this knowledge.

How do I know this? How can I be so bold and say this about people I do not even know?

The World Would Be A Different Place

Because if we REALLY did KNOW, down deep in our core, these things about Jesus to be FULLY TRUE, then the world would be a very different place. It is that simple.

If we were confident to the point of being willing to stake our lives on it, then our circle of influence would be dramatically impacted. Our neighborhoods would have no doubt as to where we stand. Our fellow employees would not question our allegiance to Him. Our customers would be wowed by our overwhelming love displayed through the way we conduct business. We would not be guilty of continuing to deny Jesus!

Solution?

But since pictures like this are so rare, it is clear that the majority of us only have head knowledge of Jesus. We may be able to answer Jeopardy questions about Jesus, but we cannot answer for our lack of allegiance to Him.

Assuming this is true, then what are we to do about it? What is the solution?

The simple solution is to get to KNOW Jesus.

Wow, that is insightful, isn’t it?

Actually, it doesn’t need to be complex to be right. It doesn’t have to be cryptic to be life-changing.

Peter’s Example

Take another look at Peter in Acts, chapters 2-4. Peter, the same man that had just recently made the decision to deny Jesus three times is preaching at the risk of his life. He is thrown into prison, questioned about his healing and preaching, and boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus. Even when warned to stop, he maintains his allegiance and keeps preaching!

Who is this guy? What happened to him? Didn’t he just deny Jesus?

The resurrection happened to him.

Heart Knowledge

What happened is that he went from knowing a lot about Jesus to KNOWING exactly who Jesus was – the Living God! He went from a head knowledge to a heart knowledge. All of Peter’s doubts were blown away after the resurrection. He was no longer confused, but was committed to the core!

That’s great and we do not argue that. But since we cannot take Peter’s place and be a first-hand witness to what he saw, how do we achieve the same results?

I know you are likely hoping for a silver bullet method that will rocket you to an intimate knowledge of and relationship with Jesus. I don’t have one.

Instead, what I have is nothing new, but it is proven.

Solution?

Here are your answers:

Trust Peter’s Account

While we cannot physically put ourselves in Peter’s place at the empty tomb, we can trust his eyewitness account. We can spend consistent time in prayer about what we read in the Bible.

Seek Heart Knowledge

We can be consistent about reading about Jesus in the Gospels. We don’t do this for the purpose of more head knowledge, but to get our hearts transformed by what we read. We can pray that the Holy Spirit will do to us what He did to Peter at Pentecost – giving us the same boldness through true knowledge of who Jesus is.

This is not a typical 3-point bullet list normally found in self-help books today. It is not an ointment we can rub on our heart. Instead, it is a commitment to dig deep and give up our desire for everything else until we find it.

Must Be TOP Priority!

Unless we want this more than ANYTHING else, we will not find it. Unless we seek it regardless of the cost, we will let other desires and distractions derail our efforts.

When we succeed at doing this, we WILL have a TRUE knowledge of Him that will make it impossible to deny Jesus. This knowledge alone will have more of an impact on your business, job, family, and life than anything else you can do. Try it and see what you find!

Are you prepared to commit to this venture?

Do you believe you can have the boldness of Peter?

Do you want it?

What Happens After We Deny Jesus?

In the past few posts, we have talked about the decision we often make to deny Jesus. We started with seeing Peter deny Jesus leading up to the crucifixion. We have also looked at how we deny Jesus today and why that happens. Today, I want to turn to a reassuring truth – what happens after we deny Jesus?

deny Jesus

Deny Jesus? Guilty.

We have agreed (most of us) that we are all guilty of the decision to deny Jesus on an almost daily basis. We have agreed that this is embarrassing to admit and it is something we desperately want to avoid. Many of us may have made decisions to start anew in our mission to truly KNOW the Jesus of the Bible.

Jesus Understands!

However, many of us may still be sitting at the starting line. For some reason, we are frozen by the recognition that we are as guilty as Peter in our decisions to deny Jesus. For some, the guilt is unbearable. For these, as long as the guilt is there, corrective action is impossible.

I understand. Better than that, Jesus understands!

Folks, He created us and knows our weaknesses. He is fully aware of the temptations we face and the magnetic effect they have on our hearts. Jesus knows the pressure we are under and the distractions vying with Him for our attention.

Don’t Take It Lightly, But…

Now, don’t relax and think that He is okay with all of this. Don’t begin to think, “Hey, maybe I don’t really need to worry about this after all.” It is still a serious offense and He still takes it seriously.

He does not like our choosing popularity over prayer. He hates our decision to prefer temporal pleasures over eternal rewards. He is disappointed when we take time for television over time with Him.

At the same time, He loves us despite all of this and is willing to forgive us for our choices. Not only does He forgive us, but He also restores us!

Peter’s Example

When we look at the example of Peter, we see this clearly.

Peter was a leader within the 12 disciples. He clearly had influence and was always leading the charge. After his decision to deny Jesus, Peter likely felt nothing would be the same again. In fact, he went back to fishing, most likely in a effort to return to something he was sure he could do. He probably thought his leadership days were over.

Then we read in John 21:15-17 where Jesus asked Peter if he really loved Him. Three times Peter answered that he did love Jesus. Then, three times, Jesus charges Peter to feed His sheep.

Not Only Forgiveness, But Restoration!

Jesus did not stop with, “I forgive you, Peter.” No, instead He restores Peter to a position of leadership. Jesus did not just remove the sin, but returned Peter to his place at the head of the mission.

He wanted Peter to know that he was restored to the position of leadership, to the position of leading the mission of the church. Regardless of Peter’s failures, Jesus was willing to use him. Despite his past, Jesus had plans for Peter!

Same Restoration For Us!

Folks, He will do the same for us!

We cannot ignore the times when we deny Jesus. We cannot blow them off and say Jesus understands. No, we must repent and be determined not to let it happen again. At the same time, we can rest in the knowledge that even when we mess up, Jesus is there to restore us.

And as a result, we need to let Him do so. Then we need to get back on the horse and get to work. There is much to do and we have a part in His plan!

Have you needed to be restored by Jesus?

Has guilt kept you from moving on?

Do you see how Jesus can end that for you?

Why Do We Deny Jesus?

In my last post, I asked some tough questions of everyone (myself included). The main question was the toughest – Do you deny Jesus? For more details about exactly what I was talking about, please read that post before reading further here.

deny Jesus

Why Deny Jesus?

Now that you are caught up, I am assuming that you are among the crowd of those of us who do, in fact, deny Jesus (to some degree) on a daily basis. That being the case, let’s move into the second question of this series – WHY do we deny Jesus?

To help us determine the answer to this question, I would like for us to look back at Peter. Let’s first try to figure out what caused Peter to deny Jesus. Maybe then, we can shed some light on why we do the same thing.

Misplaced Expectations?

It is clear from Scripture that many of the disciples (Peter included) and other followers expected Jesus to rise to some sort of military power and overthrow the Roman rule over the Jews. In fact, many Jews today still believe that way, which is why they do not accept Jesus as the Messiah.

In an effort to attempt to discern Peter’s motivations, let’s look at a couple of quotes from Peter in the book of Luke.

But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
Luke 22:33

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
Luke 22:49-50

Mistaken Identity?

In both cases, it appears Peter is expecting (and looking forward to) a fight! Do you think anything Jesus has said to this point would cause him to think that? Or is it more likely that this was how Peter had assumed (along with virtually everyone else) the Messiah would rise to rule from His throne?

I think the latter is the case. I think Peter truly thought Jesus was going to show His true authority with some sort of rebellion and Peter wanted to be a part of it. If this is the case, how would this affect his behavior when Jesus willingly submitted to His arrest?

Peter’s Thoughts

Do you think Peter was confused?

Disappointed?

Scared he had misjudged Jesus?

I think this would easily explain his fear and subsequent decision to deny Jesus that night. In fact, this idea seems to fit the more I think about it.

However, even if this line of thinking is way off base, I think we can all agree that Peter was afraid of something when he decided to deny Jesus. He may have been afraid he would also be arrested. Maybe he was scared of how his association with Jesus would impact his own family. We cannot really know.

BUT, there is one thing we can be sure of.

Misunderstanding

We can be sure that Peter’s decision to deny Jesus came from one root misunderstanding. It is this same misunderstanding that I believe causes you and me to deny Jesus on a regular basis.

What is the one misunderstanding?

Peter did not fully comprehend WHO Jesus was and WHAT His purpose really was.

Drink that in a moment.

What If…

IF Peter had FULLY understood that Jesus was truly God in the flesh…

IF Peter had COMPLETELY grasped that Jesus created the very earth he inhabited…

IF Peter had TRULY wrapped his mind around Jesus’ mission here…

Do you really think he would have even considered the decision to deny Jesus?

Our Problem!

Please take this slowly. This is not just about Peter. I believe this is OUR problem!

We act the way we do because we have yet to fully grasp exactly WHO Jesus really is!

We go about our every day tasks, errands, and work. We raise our families and hang out with our friends. We do all the things that people do everyday, but most of us do not really behave in a way that reflects Jesus for who He is!

Do we REALLY act like disciples of the Jesus that created this world? Do we act like followers of the One that died in our place? Are we sincerely allowing Him to be Lord over ALL parts of our life (work/job/business, family, school, etc.)?

What About The Difference?

If so, shouldn’t there be a significance between us and those around us? I am not talking about having a fish symbol on your car, either. I mean different to our core!

If you are that different, again I say, “Congratulations!”

If not, like me, then something needs to change! We need to be about the business of learning WHO this Jesus truly is. I am not talking about the Americanized Jesus. I am talking about the real Jesus – the One in the Bible.

Let’s take the time to completely understand the real Jesus and His mission (and by extension, ours) here. Let’s agree to no longer deny Jesus and start boldly acknowledging Him in everything we do!

I promise you that He deserves it.

What are your thoughts at this point?

Am I off my rocker or does this make sense?

What am I missing?

Do You Deny Jesus?

Reader Beware: Todays post may contain questions that are not appropriate for the weak or immature. Please do not read any further if you are not prepared to be challenged, even questioned, about your loyalty to Jesus. If you are one that doesn’t think you can deny Jesus, then be warned. Don’t complain later to me that you were tricked into reading this post. I won’t hear of it!

deny Jesus

Peter’s Big Mistake

The basis for today’s post comes from the passage in Matthew 26 when Peter is found to deny Jesus three times. We are likely all familiar with this passage (if not, read Matthew 26:31-75). In fact, it is just as likely we have all judged Peter as being weak in this passage.

I know we usually look to the future after Peter is restored. We see his boldness and we “forgive” him for this cowardly act. We still feel that for him to deny Jesus was almost criminal, but we see how God uses him later and we accept him. If you have never had these thoughts, then congratulations. More likely, you have never admitted having these thoughts!

What About Us?

So if this is true – if we call it cowardice to deny Jesus – what does that say about us?

What does it say when we go from Monday to Saturday every week without actively acknowledging our allegiance to Jesus?

What does it say when we look exactly like everyone else as we go through our normal work day – when there is no recognizable difference between us and the guy next to us at the soccer field or in the school or at the office?

What does it say when so few of our daily decisions clearly reflect our allegiance to Jesus?

Active vs. Passive?

Do you see a difference between a decision (like Peter’s) to “actively” deny Jesus and our daily decision to “passively” deny Jesus?

I have to say that I do not see a difference. I do not see Peter’s public decision to verbally deny Jesus when asked about his association with Him to be any different than our decision to go quietly about our daily work or other duties without a clear acknowledgement that He is our Lord.

In case there is confusion as to what I am saying, let me try to clarify.

Actively Deny Jesus

A decision to “actively” deny Jesus is usually pretty easy to recognize. In the most extreme cases, we picture one of the students at Columbine High School in 1999 being asked if she is a Christian. As the story goes, she answered that she was a Christian and it cost her her life. For her to answer otherwise would have been to deny Jesus.

In a less extreme example, maybe we are asked a simple question about why we choose not to drink alcohol or participate in other activities that others see as the norm. “Are you a Christian? Is that why you don’t drink? Are you a goody-two-shoes?”

Maybe it does not get asked exactly like that, but you get the drift. The idea is that we are put in a position where it is uncomfortable to acknowledge Jesus as our reason for our behavior. If we answer “No” to their question, then that is a decision to deny Jesus.

Passively Deny Jesus

For most of us, this type of opportunity to “actively” deny Jesus is not our problem. In most cases, we have a problem with the “passive” denial of Jesus.

Most of us would argue that this decision to “passively” deny Jesus is not as clear to most people, but I believe that is really just an excuse.

See, I believe it is our culture that has conditioned us to believe that an overt, bold statement about our allegiance to Jesus – whether through our work or through our family decisions – is taboo. It is not politically correct to be an active Christian in our society today.

Obviously, this is more true in some areas of the world and less so in others. But even right here in the “Bible belt” of the southeastern United States, this kind of behavior is not popular. Just as obvious is the fact that there are many reasons for this to be the case.

But my point is not about the reasons why it is like this.

Conformity = Deny Jesus?

My main point is to question whether we realize that when we accept society to be like this and we simply go with the flow, we are making the decision to deny Jesus. I don’t care whether this is an active or passive denial, in my mind it is a denial all the same! What do you think?

I want to talk more in my next post or two about HOW we deny Jesus, WHY we do it, and how we can turn from that behavior.

Your Homework!

In the meantime, I encourage you to mentally replay your last week. Think about all of your activities, decisions, and thoughts. Pray that God will first clear you heart and mind of all distractions. Then pray He would search your heart and show you where you are denying the very Son that bought your salvation with His life.

As I said at the beginning of the post, this is not for the faint of heart. This is tough discipleship and no one will know if you bypass this post and keep going on the path you were on before. At least no one else will know – outside of you and God.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what we are talking about here.

Do you think I am off my rocker or do you agree?

If you agree, are you guilty of the decision to deny Jesus?

Why are we so slow to call it a denial?

Are You A Missionary Or An Impostor?

For the past year or so I have been writing this blog, one of the ideas I have been trying to explain is that we are all called to play the part of minister or missionary. I believe that, as Christian business owners and leaders, we are just as called to ministry as those on the church staff. While I have argued this from several angles, the following quote from C.H. Spurgeon makes our mission clear!

Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.
– C.H. Spurgeon

missionary

Your Reaction?

What is your reaction to that quote? Do you say, “Yeah! I buy that!” or do you say, “Huh? That can’t be right.” when you read it?

I think most of us would agree that the truth of this quote rests on how we define one word – missionary. If we immediately assume that a missionary is someone living in a hut in the jungle of South America, then I would have to disagree with Spurgeon. I personally do not believe we are all called to leave our homelands and run off to some remote region for mission work.

Another thought from many is that a missionary may be someone that stays in their homeland, but they certainly quit their job and live off of the support of others. Maybe they volunteer full-time in a ministry or even live on the streets in an effort to reach those who have no other choice.

Dictionary Definition

What does the dictionary say?

missionary

Missionary = Leave Home?

Most people think that being a missionary requires leaving wherever they currently live and work to go somewhere else and spread the gospel. As you can see, this definition does not specify leaving anything. We can be missionaries if we are (1) on a mission, and (2) in a territory! Who says your “territory” can’t be where you are right now?

Most people have never considered this possibility that THEY could actually be a missionary without changing their address or their job.

I Felt The Same!

I have to admit I was a member of that group at one point! In fact, I went so far as to try to walk away from our family business because it never occurred to me that I could do ministry and business at the same time! Once God showed me the two can coexist, I have been a missionary in the marketplace!

In light of this revelation, I see Spurgeon’s quote as on target. If we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ, then a change has occurred in our lives. If this change is real, then there is no way we should be able to stay quiet about it. If the love of God is in us, then we cannot help but spread that love to those around us.

Changed By Impact!

David Platt described it this way. Imagine a friend of yours walked up to you and apologized for being late to meet you for dinner. Imagine they offered the excuse that they were changing a flat tire on their car when an eighteen-wheeler hit them from behind. They go on to tell you that though it really hurt, they got up, dusted themselves off, and finished changing the flat tire so they could finally meet you for dinner.

Would you believe them? Would you think they were nuts? Certainly someone that has been hit by an eighteen-wheeler would look and act differently after that impact, don’t you think?

Well, Platt asks, shouldn’t someone that has come face to face with Jesus, the creator of the universe, look differently as well? Should we not be forever changed as a result of our salvation?

Changed By Salvation!

If this is true, it would be reasonable to expect someone that experienced a life-saving experience with Jesus to share that experience with others, regardless of the setting or circumstances. Someone filled with God’s love should be eager to share it with anyone in their immediate circle of influence – and beyond!

Today, I encourage you to be a missionary right where you are! I am not suggesting you take a bullhorn to work, but that you start spreading the love of God wherever you go – work, school, or the soccer fields. Spread this love to anyone that needs it. You do this and you are full-fledged missionary!

Have you already realized this truth?

What are you doing differently now versus before?

What is God leading you to do next?

Are You Navigating By True North?

At Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, I was fortunate enough to hear a message from Bob Goff, attorney and best-selling author of Love Does. During his lively message, Bob shared the following story about his first long-distance sailing trip and true north. I think we can learn something from his experience. Below is his story, as I remember it, from his perspective.

true north

True North or Magnetic North

    I decided I wanted to sail from Long Beach, California to Diamond Head, Hawaii. The trip, just under 3,000 miles in total, would be my longest as a sailor. I decided to go to the marina and ask for a map. I knew I was in trouble when the clerk there told me it was not called a “map,” but was instead called a chart!

    Next, I put the “chart” on the table and drew a straight line between my home marina near Long Beach, California and the marina at Diamond Head, Hawaii. I thought that should be simple enough, right?

    Finally, I packed my supplies, including my trusty magnetic compass. Just before I was to leave on my trip, I decided to have a friend of mine check out my “chart” and make sure I would not get lost. Boy, am I glad I did that!

    His first question, after making fun of my straight-line path, was whether I was navigating based on “true north” or “magnetic north.” I had no clue what he was talking about! I showed him my compass and he started laughing! I waited for him to bless me with his knowledge…

    He explained that “true north” is based on the North Pole, which is in a fixed position. Magnetic north is not a fixed position, but is based on the earth’s magnetic field and shifts, depending on where you are on the planet.

    Evidently, the difference is greater when travelling long distances. If traveling from here to the parking lot, the difference in destination may only be a few inches. When travelling from California to the Hawaiian islands, the difference could cause me to miss the entire island chain! Boy am I glad I got that last minute advice!

No Laughing Matter

Folks, while I think this story was told somewhat in jest, I think the truth behind it is no laughing matter. In fact, I believe the truth behind this story could mean the difference between life and death.

If we are living our lives by chasing all that glitters and anything that brings us pleasure or fame, then we are following “magnetic north.” This “magnetic north” draws us to it and is tempting to use to navigate our lives. Unfortunately, by following this north, we will miss the whole point of this life we have been given.

True North

Instead, by following Jesus and using His life as a pattern for our own (1 John 2:6), we are following the “true north” and will hit the target we seek – the ultimate fulfillment and use of our lives. There is no substitute for this “true north.” I encourage you to check your “chart” and make sure you are not following the wrong compass!

Are you following true north in your business?

When have you been fooled by magnetic north and gone off course?

What do you need to do to get back on course with true north?

Do You Repeat The Same Mistakes?

mistakeOne of my favorite verses in the Bible is Matthew 15:16. The disciples are asking Jesus about a specific parable and what it means. Evidently a little frustrated, Jesus replies, “Are you still so dull?”

While I am probably wrong for laughing at this, I cannot help it. I even hear it in my sleep sometimes!

Why is this funny to me? I hear Him saying it to ME after one of my many mistakes!

Series On Joshua

We are getting close to the end of a series about business lessons we can pull from the story of Joshua and the Gibeonites. If you have not yet read this short story, you need to do so now. It won’t take long! You can find it here – Joshua 9:1 – 10:15.

In this story, the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and the Israelites into making peace with them. In doing so, the Israelites disobeyed God’s command to destroy all people groups within the Promised Land. In my last post, we discussed that Joshua was so easily deceived because he did not seek God’s counsel, but instead trusted his own senses.

What Is The Connection?

So, you may ask, what is the connection between Joshua’s mistake and my favorite verse in Matthew? Quite simply, Jesus’ reply in Matthew leads us to believe this was not the first time the disciples had asked a question that they should have known the answer to. Evidently, the disciples had repeated this mistake several times, trying Jesus’ patience with them.

Joshua’s Mistake

To connect this verse to Joshua’s situation, we need to go back to Joshua 6. In the beginning of this chapter, Joshua sought God’s counsel on how to attack Jericho. After that victory, the next city to be attacked was Ai. Unfortunately, Joshua did not consult with God about this one. He made his own plans and the Israelites were soundly defeated.

When Joshua finally did seek God’s counsel, he was told about sin among the Israelites that brought on the defeat. Had Joshua sought God before the attack, he would have learned of the sin and been able to address it before the defeat! Joshua should have learned his lesson right there – seek God before a decision.

Joshua Repeats His Mistake!

The problem is that Joshua did not learn his lesson. Instead, he repeats the very same mistake when approached by the Gibeonites. All he had to do was to seek God and he would have learned of the deception. Like the disciples in Matthew 15, and like many of us, Joshua repeated the same mistake and had to face the consequences.

Application To Christian Business

I think the application to Christian business is fairly clear. When it comes to trying to do it all on our own, we are certainly going to make mistakes. That is unavoidable. Even when we KNOW what God wants us to do in a given situation, we will likely fail in the execution at times.

However, we must push to mature to the point where we do not make decisions on our own! We have a God that created the world in which our business operates. He has all business knowledge and is willing to share it with us (James 1:5) if we will only ask!

I encourage you to learn from Joshua’s lesson. Burn it into your mind that God is your CEO and you will not make any significant decisions without consulting Him. Commit to asking Him for wisdom before committing to a decision. He is faithful to guide you.

Have you made this same mistake multiple times before?

Why do you think it is so hard to stop and ask for God’s guidance?

What do you need to do to prevent making this mistake again?

The Bible: Does The Enemy Know It Better Than You?

How well do you really know the Bible? If tested on your Bible knowledge, do you think you would score in the top percentile, in the middle of the pack, or would you likely be embarrassed at your score? If someone came to you today and asked where he should look in the Bible for instruction on a certain topic, do you think you could point him to the right spot?

bible

Bible Illiteracy

Unfortunately, too many Christians are not very familiar with the Bible, even though it is THE book upon which we should base our lives, both here and in eternity. While most recognize that this is a real problem, too few are actually willing to do anything about it. This is truly unfortunate – mainly because our enemy does not have the same problem.

This is my fourth post in a series of lessons from one story in the book of Joshua that we can take and apply in Christian business. The story is about the experience Joshua and the Israelites had with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:1-10:15).

Lessons From Joshua

We have already learned the following lessons from this story:

1. Don’t relax after a victory; be prepared to face the enemy. (Read here)

2. The enemy sometimes comes as roaring lion, sometimes as slithering serpent. (Read here)

Now I want to give you the third lesson we can learn from this story:

The enemy knows the Bible (better than you) and will use it to his advantage.

God’s Commands

Let’s look at how this lesson is illustrated in the story of the Gibeonites and their deception of Joshua and the Israelites. If you read Deuteronomy 7:1-6, you will see that God intended ALL of the nations of the Promised Land to be destroyed. Not a one of them was to be left alive. This is very clear.

However, if you read further in Deuteronomy 20:10-20 (especially v.15), you will notice that God allows for peace with other nations – those OUTSIDE the land that He is giving them as an inheritance.

Joshua knows this Scripture and is fully aware that he and the Israelite army must destroy all of the cities in the Promised Land. He is also aware that he must first offer peace with those outside of this area.

Gibeonites’ Knowledge

What Joshua did not know is that somehow, the Gibeonites also knew of this law. As a result, they used it to their advantage to achieve protection. Had they simply come in peace without a disguise, they knew they would be destroyed. Had they attempted to fight the Israelites, they figured they would end up destroyed like the other cities Joshua’s army had faced. Their only hope was to convince the Israelites that they were from outside of the land of inheritance, and were therefore eligible for peace.

Our Application

How does this apply to us today, as Christians in business?

If you are in business as a Christian, you already know that there are obvious ways to ignore the Bible and make more money. You probably know many ways you could bend a rule here or there and see quick results on the financial statement. You don’t do these things because you know they are wrong and the decisions are clear.

Unfortunately, there are times when the decisions are not so clear, when the enemy sneaks up on us and we are presented with decisions we are not prepared to make. Decisions made when unprepared are rarely the right ones. Too much is left to chance.

Jesus’ Example

When Jesus faced direct temptation in the wilderness, He answered with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). He was obviously prepared. If He is our model (1 John 2:6), then shouldn’t we be prepared in the same way?

In Deuteronomy 6:1-9, we are told to remember God’s commands, teach them to our children, and repeat them wherever we go. These commands are not to leave our hearts or minds. If that is the case, shouldn’t we take more time to learn them?

Our Responsibility

Having a ready word from the Bible can give clarity to an otherwise murky situation. On the other hand, if we are not familiar with Scripture, the enemy can use it against us. He tried this with Jesus, but was unsuccessful because Jesus was prepared. If the enemy were to come at you today in your business with a twist on God’s Word, how would you fare? Would you feel confident in your response?

Determine today that you are going to take action steps to improve in this area. If this is a strength of yours, turn to someone else and encourage them to join you!