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

Stopped Listening?

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

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

Examples From Scripture

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

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

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

My Situation

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

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

My Reaction

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

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

The Right Path!

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

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

Has this ever happened to you?

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

What are you going to do about it?

Photo by izustun / iStock

Proverbs 31 Advice

In my last post, I pointed out two pieces of advice we can pull from Proverbs 31. First, we looked at how verse 11 guides us to trust in our wives rather than withholding that trust to maintain control. We also noted how this advice can serve us well in the workplace.

In verse 23, we see that it is our responsibility as husbands and fathers to act in such a way as to earn the respect of those in our community over time. Our wives need to know that they can rely on this kind of behavior from us. Our employees and co-workers want the same consistency from us!

For today, I want to look at two more verses from Proverbs 31 that give us clear advice as husbands and fathers. In each case, we are able to apply this advice to our lives at home and at work. I pray you will do both!

Praise Her

Her husband also praises her:
“Many women are capable, but you surpass them all!”
Proverbs 31:28-29

Part of this advice to us husbands and fathers looks fairly obvious. We are to praise our wives. While it is simple, do you do it? Regularly? If so, give yourself a pat on the back! If not, why not?

Regardless of how close your wife comes to the pattern described in Proverbs 31, you must find those things she does well and you must praise her for those actions! Look for the good she does and recognize her for it. If you have children, then praise her in front of your children! They need to recognize all she does as well.

This same idea works for your employees or co-workers. Find the good they do and praise them for it. Don’t get stuck in the lie that praise will ruin them and spoil them. Praise them for their progress and watch that progress grow!

Subtle Aspect Of Praise

Don’t miss the part that is not so obvious. When the husband praises her in this verse, he says that she surpasses all of the other women. Do you think that is 100% accurate, that she is better than every other woman at all she does? I think it is unlikely.

However, his praise in this manner lets her know that in his eyes, the only ones that matter, she surpasses all the others. He lets her know that his eyes are only on her and that she is the only one he sees!

With employees, they need to hear something similar in that they need to know we still believe in them. They need to know that we are committed to them and that we are not looking elsewhere for their replacement every time they miss a target or make a mistake. Praise them in this way.

Give Her The Reward

Give her the reward of her labor,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Proverbs 31:31

Once again, part of this is obvious and part is a little more subtle. The obvious advice is that we are to reward our wives for the work they do. We are to reward them in ways that are specific to them. This is not a one size fits all kind of reward.

We need to get creative here and reward her in ways that communicate our appreciation for her commitment. This is not a once-a-year vase of flowers on Mother’s Day or her birthday. This kind of reward should be random, unexpected, and creative. It should reflect thought and planning, not just a last minute Hallmark card.

Our employees should get the very same treatment. They should be compensated in such a way that is equal to the work they do. But we should also work at rewarding them in other small ways in order to show them our appreciation for what they do. Again, these rewards are not the same for everyone, but they should happen in some way for everyone at one time or another.

Spread The Praise

The more subtle advice in this verse comes from the last part of the sentence… ”let her works praise her at the city gates.” What in the world does that mean? I will say that I am not positive, but I do have an opinion. Until I hear a better explanation, I am sticking to my own!

Think about it this way. How do those at the city gates find out about her works? Some of her works may spread by word of mouth from the marketplace, but I think it should come from us! If we husbands and fathers are the ones at the city gates, then we should be talking about how great our wives are. We should be praising them behind their backs!

Why not? Just because it is the cultural norm for husbands to talk down about the “old ball and chain” or their “old lady” in ways that make the wives out to be tyrants, does that mean we should do the same? NO! We should be singing their praises to those around us. Just imagine the swelling of their hearts if they hear from someone else how we were praising them in a crowd, behind their back!

The same is still true for our employees and co-workers. Praising them to people outside of our workplace will only increase their commitment to our company when word gets back to them. Doing this same thing to their spouses or children even multiplies the effect! Just give it a try and see if I am right!

What other advice did you glean from Proverbs 31?

What changes do you need to make to heed this advice?

Do you see the value of Proverbs 31 advice, even in the workplace?

Photo by Ivanko_Brnjakovic / iStock

If you have been following this series on the command to Christian business leaders to be teachers, then you have probably been waiting to hear exactly HOW we are to do this. While I cannot adequately cover ALL of the HOW of teaching in one post, I believe I can get you started on the right path. You can figure out the rest with God’s leading!

[This is the fifth and final post in a series about how Christian leaders are commanded to be teachers. In the first post, we looked at the actual command to be teachers. In the next post, we discussed what it means to be a skilled worker, correctly handling God’s Word. After that, we looked at being a godly example. In the most recent post, we determined our GOAL for teaching. Today, we will learn from Paul’s instruction on HOW we are to teach.].

Before we get into today’s post, I encourage you to read the last post if you have not already. The reason this is so important is that much of the issues we address today are caused by having the wrong understanding of our ultimate goal as teachers. The last post addresses this issue and should put you in the right mindset to be able to avoid the temptations we will discuss today.

Scripture Foundation

Let’s start by going back to the Scripture we have been using in this series. We are looking at 2 Timothy 2:14-26, breaking it apart into various pieces. Today, we will focus on the following verses:

But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness.
2 Timothy 2:23-25

Let’s dive in to the three keys to teaching!

Key #1 – Be Humble

Not necessarily going in the order that it appears in the verses, I want to start with our first point by looking at the beginning of verse 24 when we are referred to as the Lord’s slave. This is a key reference that we need recognize.

Sometimes we read right past critical parts of Scripture and miss key ideas. We cannot miss this one! In this case, Paul refers to us as slaves. This is very important because it is addressing a potential root problem with teachers. If we miss this, we could easily fall into a trap and undermine our own teaching.

Paul is making sure we know that we are to be humble and resist the temptation to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. When we begin teaching, it is easy to begin thinking we are smarter, more aware, or have greater insight than those we are teaching. We have to fight this tendency, remembering that we are indeed slaves.

Key #2 – Be Gentle And Patient

Paul tells us to be patient. He tells us twice that we are to be gentle. Why would he do this? Is it in our nature to be otherwise? Is it possible that he felt the urge to be less than gentle in his teaching moments? Take a look at the following example from Paul himself as he is writing to the members of the church at Corinth:

Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3

I think it is clear Paul was experiencing a desire to be less than gentle and patient. Can you sense that? Have you ever felt that way? Why is this true? For the answer, take a look at this verse from another teacher in Ecclesiastes:

For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.
Ecclesiastes 1:18

As you start to become more skilled with God’s word, your wisdom will grow. As this happens, not only will you be tempted to be proud in your wisdom (see Point #1 above), but you will also become frustrated with those you are attempting to teach. Paul knew this and made sure to warn us of this tendency!

Key #3 – Focus On The Truth

The final point from this passage is for us to focus on the truth and not get caught up in false arguments – or “foolish and ignorant disputes” as Paul calls them. Why does he instruct us to do this?

It is too easy to get drawn into arguments about insignificant issues and then lose track of the original intent of the discussion. As I was told growing up, we get too busy fighting alligators and forget we came to drain the swamp!

When we allow ourselves to be drawn into these side arguments, we lose our focus on the truth we are to be teaching. Church members are probably the best at this, but business people can hold their own in this category! We may not argue about the color of the carpet or the kind of music that is best, but we can still find petty issues to draw our attention away.

Instead of allowing this to happen, we are to “reject” these arguments altogether. Do not even enter into them. Instead, we are to maintain a focus on the truth we are to be teaching. Don’t give yourself permission to even entertain these irrelevant disputes.

Summary

Hopefully, you have learned more about your responsibility as a teacher of the Word of God through reading this series. I also hope you are encouraged by the material we have covered. I urge you to seek God’s leading on where you can ramp up your teaching. He is faithful to answer this request!

Is teaching something you enjoy or will you have to work at it?

With which of these three keys do you struggle?

Are you more open to teaching now?

Photo by Amanda Hobbs/Shutterstock

God’s Plans Vs. Ours

In my last two posts, I have been describing how sometimes God’s plans for us do not turn out like we had imagined. Sometimes we picture ourselves doing something amazing for God, only to see those plans come to nothing. It is easy for us to allow this to create problem-thinking in our minds and react in a way that can take us out of the game for a period.

By looking at an example from Scripture (2 Samuel 7:1-29), we have been trying to dig in and learn a few lessons. In this example, King David’s plans to build a great temple for the Lord are rejected in favor of his son. Instead of building the temple, David is only involved in gathering the materials needed.

God Chooses Our Use!

We discussed in the first post in this series that this is part of submitting to the sovereignty of God. He has wisdom that we will never understand. He has plans for us that may include sowing seeds when we wanted to be the one reaping the harvest. Maybe He wants us to water the seeds when we would rather sow them.

Whatever the case, we must recognize His authority and the fact that He knows best. David did this. He accepted that God was to use his son Solomon to build the temple. He submitted to God’s plan and went on to provide the materials for the temple.

Motives To Be Pure!

In the next post, we discussed how we often want to do for God, but we have impure motives. We say we want to serve Him, but sometimes we really want the respect and renown that comes with serving Him.

David was different. A man after God’s own heart, he had no signs of impure motives for building the temple. Instead, he thanked God for what He had done and promised to do. We need to follow David’s example in this.

David’s Reaction To Rejection

Today, I want to look at what David went on to do after the rejection. Unlike the toddler in the grocery store, David handled the rejection from God as very few can. Rather than complain and question God, David took it in stride. He did not react with a tantrum, only submission.

David did not step off to the side and sulk. He did not question his purpose or get distracted from his mission. In fact, in the following passage, he went on to gather the materials needed for the temple:

With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.

Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple…
1 Chronicles 29:2-3

God Uses David After “No”

Not only that, but you need to read 2 Samuel 8 as well. It is a laundry list of David’s victories and conquests after the rejection. God was not through with David when he rejected his plan for the temple. He just had other ways he wanted to use David.

Again, we need to follow David’s example in how he reacted to the rejection. If we can take “No” in stride and keep serving as David did, I believe God can use us in ways we cannot even imagine right now. We simply have to trust Him!

How have you reacted to God’s “No”?

Looking back, how would you change your reaction?

What have been the results?

Photo by Olesia Bilkei/Shutterstock

Bad Leader

What I do not see as often is information on what a bad leader looks like. So I thought I would make my own list. In my last post, I gave you the first five warning signs that you may NOT be a good leader. Here are the second five of my 10 warning signs (and brief descriptions). I have also included some Scripture references. Take a look and see if you have anything to worry about!

5 More Warning Signs You May NOT Be A Good Leader

6. You would not want to be an employee in your own company.

A good leader has built her team on based on integrity, excellence, teamwork, a learning attitude, and a number of other healthy values. Based on this, she would not mind working in that environment herself (as an employee, for another leader).

You are not a good leader if you have used other methods to build your team. Whether it is intimidation, secrecy (no sharing of information, vision, etc.), or micromanagement, these methods would not be acceptable to you if the roles were reversed and you had to work in that same environment as the employee. (Matthew 18:23-35)

7. No one is (sincerely) asking for your advice.

A good leader has shown himself to be a learner. He is open-minded and a great listener. As a result, people naturally gravitate to him seeking advice.

You are not a good leader if people are not coming to you in the same way. You may be guilty of always criticizing or it may be that you just do not listen. Maybe you are not approachable because of the ivory tower in which you work or it could be that you make it known you are not open to learning. Regardless, people are going elsewhere for wisdom and advice. (Proverbs 13:14; 14:7)

8. Your team does not know your vision for the company.

A good leader knows that she cannot hold her vision for the company close to the vest. She knows she needs other DNA carriers spreading the vision. Therefore a good leader over-communicates her vision and reinforces it with policy and process decisions.

You are not a good leader if your team cannot describe in detail your vision for the company. You have not done your job if they cannot recount how they are personally responsible for carrying out that vision in their particular job. Quit protecting it and get it out there! (Nehemiah 2:11-18)

9. You are more interested in your success than the success of your team.

A good leader knows that he can get anything he wants in life if he will just help enough other people get what they want in life (Zig Ziglar). A good leader seeks to remove obstacles from in front of the members of his team so they can be more productive rather that only focusing on his own issues.

You are not a good leader if you think someone has to lose in order for you to win. You are missing out on tremendous fulfillment when you love yourself first and foremost.
(Proverbs 11:24-25)

10. You are not following the right leader.

A good leader knows she is not the highest authority. A good leader recognizes that though there are certainly other good leaders out there, she puts her trust in God. By using the Bible as a guide for her leadership style, she makes sure she is operating as close as she can to what her Creator intended in the original design!

You are not a good leader if you are following anything or anyone other than God. Sure, their are other godly leaders from which you can learn. But if you are relying on them for your example, you are inviting disappointment. Put your trust in the only One worthy of your full trust!
(Psalm 146:3-6)

What warning signs would you add to this list?

Which of these is your biggest challenge?

What will you do to change it?

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• What would it cost you to travel to more than 50 locations?
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Photo by bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock

Bad Leader?

What I do not see as often is information on what a bad leader looks like. So I thought I would make my own list. Here are the first five of my 10 warning signs (and brief descriptions) that you may NOT be a good leader. I will cover the next 5 in my next post. I have also included some references in Proverbs. Take a look and see if you have anything to worry about!

First 5 Warning Signs You Are Not A Good Leader

1. You do not look in the mirror regularly.

I am certainly not referring to vanity. Instead, I am suggesting that it is a sign you might be a bad leader if you do not take the opportunity to regularly get feedback on how you are doing. A good leader seeks honest feedback on his performance from his supervision, peers, and direct reports.

You are not a good leader if you assume all is good and ignore opportunities to hear constructive criticism. (Proverbs 13:10; 15:12)

2. You are the smartest one in your company.

A good leader certainly needs to be smart. It is a great advantage for a leader to be able to keep up with the intellectual demands of the job.

However, you are not a good leader if you think you must be the smartest one on your team or in your company. Only hiring those that you feel are not as smart as you are will only cause you to miss out on a wealth of ideas and synergy that could result from removing this limitation. (Proverbs 20:18)

3. You think you are the smartest one in your company.

This is a different problem than #2. This bad leader does not limit the intelligence of new team members, but instead is guilty of failing to recognize the potential inherent in his team members or employees. A good leader can often recognize potential in others, sometimes even when they themselves are unaware of it.

Whether you intend to or not, you are not a good leader if you are blind to the abilities and intelligence of your team. (Proverbs 11:14; 12:15)

4. You do not remember the last time you read a book.

I believe strongly in the saying that “Leaders are readers.” As technology changes at a more and more rapid pace, and culture along with it, a leader needs to keep pace with the change. Good leaders can learn new things from reading history, current biographies, and even fiction. Obviously, we have already mentioned the vast numbers of books and blogs specifically targeted at becoming a better leader.

On the other hand, you are a not a good leader if you leave the learning to others. While reading books is legitimately difficult for some, there are other options such as audio books, conferences, and webinars online. (Proverbs 15:14)

5. Your idea of communication is a strong email.

Whether it is spreading the team’s mission and vision or just taking advantage of a coaching moment, communication from a leader is critical. A good leader knows this and spends much if his time making sure his communication is getting through to his team.

You are not a good leader if you use email as your main form of communication. Even if your team is scattered all over the world, there are much better options than email to make sure body language and tone are correctly conveyed. (Proverbs 15:23; 16:15)

What do you think so far?

Do you see any similarities between this list and your leadership style?

Have you been under a leader who was guilty of any of these?

What Would You Invest to Have 50 Biblical Mentors?

Imagine what it would cost to sit down to lunch with more than 50 different leaders to glean their wisdom for life.

• What would it cost you to travel to more than 50 locations?
• How much would you pay for hotels and food?
• What scheduling headaches would you encounter trying to make it happen?

Your costs would easily run into the thousands of dollars if you could pull it off at all. But 17BPS has done it for you.

Now you can have all this wisdom delivered when it is convenient for you for only a fraction of the cost.

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Photo by honglouwawa/Shutterstock

Lincoln’s Letter to Meade

Consider Abraham Lincoln’s response to a similar situation shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. General Meade of the Union Army had General Lee and his Confederate Army trapped against the river at flood stage. It was a significant opportunity to attack Lee’s army and likely put a quick end to the war. Instead, Meade delayed. Lee took advantage of the hesitation and escaped, prolonging the war almost two more years.

Upon hearing of this missed opportunity, Lincoln fired off a letter to Gen. Meade that clearly explained his anger and frustration. This letter accused Meade of being unaware of the “magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee’s escape.” Lincoln said that Lee was within Meade’s “easy grasp,” but that Meade “stood and let the flood run down, bridges be built, and the enemy move away at his leisure….”

Unsent Letters

How do we know so much about this letter? It was found years later…in Lincoln’s personal files. You see, he never mailed the letter. He cooled off and realized nothing good could come from chastising Meade. He decided he may have made the same decision shortly after losing more than 23,000 men in the recent fight in Gettysburg. Other similar letters were found among Lincoln’s possessions.

Wisdom When Angry

The learning here is that it is simply not wise to react and take action when angry. There are too many things that could go wrong. Our information could later prove to be incomplete or even completely incorrect. Because we are not thinking as clearly when we are angry, it is likely we will do or say something we will later regret. Consider this verse from Proverbs:

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man holds it in check. – Proverbs 29:11

Get Angry, Don’t Sin

This is not to say that you are wrong to get angry. Paul told the Ephesians to be angry, but not to sin (Ephesians 4:26). Getting angry is not a sin. It is our actions during our anger that constitute sin. As Christian business leaders, we are going to get angry. There are too many opportunities for this in business for us to avoid it completely.

Since that is the case, we simply need to lay out some simple guidelines for ourselves as to what we will and won’t do when we are angry. I have put together this list of things we should commit NOT to do when we are angry. Take a look and see if these make sense to you. Feel free to question any of them (or to add to them) in the comment section below.

7 Actions To Avoid When Angry

1. Make a decision to fire someone.

While there is a chance it is the right decision, you need to make sure you feel the same when you have cooled down. Wait a day. If you still feel the same, move forward.

2. Discipline an employee.

Though you may think this is an acceptable compromise from the decision above, it is still a bad idea to do it when you are angry. Write down your intentions and then review them when your mind is again clear.

3. Call a meeting to discuss a problem.

The situation that sparked your anger may warrant a meeting for team discussion or even discipline. Unfortunately you will most likely say something you will later regret or rush into a decision you would otherwise take slowly.

4. Send an email to someone who made a mistake. Call it after you are calm.

Take a lesson from Lincoln and hold your thoughts until you can rethink them. It is likely you will change what you say after some time passes.

5. Go home from work to your family.

This may seem like a good way to avoid saying something you should not say at the office, but if you end up taking your anger out on your unsuspecting family, what have you really gained? Drive around a while if you must.

6. Show your emotions.

A seemingly innocent walk through the office where everyone is at work may not seem dangerous. The problem is that your emotions are written all over your face and everyone notices. Even if they are not involved, their imaginations will run wild.

7. Go looking for more mistakes.

This is probably one of the worst things you can do. There is little doubt you would find something and the offender would bear the brunt of his mistake as well as the one that originally made you angry.

Other Options?

If this list makes you feel like your only option is to crawl under your desk and hide, then I apologize. That is not the case! At the same time, the wisest action you can take is to pray through it. Take a walk outside and pray as you go. Get away from your team until your emotions are under control. You will be much more effective then!

Have you taken any of these actions while angry? How did it turn out?

What actions would you add to this list?

What do you do to cool down?

Photo by Pressmaster/Shutterstock

Applying Scripture

In my last two posts, I have talked about applying Scripture to our business practices. In the first post, I described a personal example of how we did this in our business. In the next post, I described the 5-step process I used. Today, I want to add to those 5 steps. I want to add the practice of listening to the godly counsel of others as to how they have applied Scripture to their own lives and businesses.

As I described how we directly applied a passage in Proverbs, overhauling our sales and compensation systems, I mentioned getting this idea from Larry Burkett in his book, Business By The Book. It was in this book that I first heard of reading Proverbs as a business manual. That idea stuck with me.

Since then, I have listened to countless podcasts and sermons, searching to find a nugget of wisdom here or there. I love to hear how others have applied Scripture in their own lives. When they share personal examples of their experience in doing so, the godly counsel they offer is so much more meaningful to me.

Application Is Tough!

Folks, I have said this before and I will say it again. Reading the Bible is useless if we are not going to apply what we have read to how we live and operate our businesses. Knowledge without application is worthless. Of course, the hard part is the application, right?

I know there have been many times when I have read something in Scripture and understood it immediately. I did not have to struggle to read it or to understand what it meant. The struggle only came when I began to apply it to my life or business. The application is tough, especially when we are doing it on our own.

Godly Counsel Helps!

This process can be easier when we are not only reading the Scripture, but also learning from someone else that has already been down the path we are taking. When we can get godly counsel from others about how they have applied Scripture, the process of our own application of that Scripture becomes easier to handle.

I encourage you to take the time to find godly counsel from those you know who are successful at applying Scripture to their own lives and businesses. You can normally find these people in your local church or online with podcasts, sermons, etc. The key is to find those who are not just speaking in theory, but based on their own experience.

I am not disparaging anyone, but I personally get more from someone who has “walked in my shoes,” versus someone who has only studied the topic. Of course, it will take you some time and effort to perform the search. These people are not always easy to find. I get that, but I promise you it is worth the time and effort. The benefit you gain from listening to godly counsel is priceless.

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17 Biblical Principles

The product is called the 17 Biblical Principles of Success. In this package, there are 17 Biblical principles discussed in over 14 hours of audio interviews (choose MP3 download or CDs!). Each of the 17 principles is discussed by three different successful Christian leaders. That’s a total of 51 leaders offering their own personal experience in applying Scriptural principles to their lives and businesses!

I was honored to be given the opportunity to be one of the 51 people invited to participate. As a result, I have the privilege of offering this product for sale on this site. If you think this is something that could benefit you, I encourage you to check out this product by clicking the link below. I believe you will find it to be a very rich source of godly counsel.

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Photo by Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

Seeking Guidance

Hopefully I have your attention at this point. My prayer is that you sensed something a little off in the direction I appear to be taking. If so, you are not wrong. In fact, I believe we should ALWAYS seek God’s wisdom and guidance in ALL situations.

Unfortunately, there are some situations in which our asking of God does not make sense. It is in these situations that we are likely wasting our breath when we plead with Him to show us the way to go.

What situations could I possibly be referring to here? Let’s look at a quote from a favorite author of mine:

“ Does it make sense to pray for guidance about the future if we are not obeying in the thing that lies before us today? —ELISABETH ELLIOT

Wasting Our Breath?

Now do you understand? I agree with Elliot in this case. I believe we are wasting our breath with God when we continue to ask Him for guidance despite the fact that we are not obeying what He has already told us to do.

What if one of your employees came up to you and asked you what she should be doing. You give her clear instructions about the project you want completed and how you want it done. She runs off, presumably to carry out your instructions.

Now imagine she returns later and asks you what she should do next. First, you ask her if she completed the prior instructions. What do you do when she answers, “No”?

Do you give her further instructions? Do you assign her a bigger and better project? Do you trust her with more responsibility?

Obedience First

Then why in the world would you go to God for further guidance if you have not first carried out His last instructions? Why do so many of us presume to be disobedient in multiple areas of our lives and get frustrated when God will not take us further in our desire for additional responsibility, adventure, and reward?

If you are currently allowing practices in your business that are in conflict with biblical principles, your first task is to eliminate them. Immediately. You cannot move any further toward His vision for your business until you begin obeying in the basics.

You cannot move deeper in your personal walk with Jesus until you commit to become obedient in those areas where you already have conviction. He is patient, but He will not take you further until you prove you can handle what He has already given you.

Growth Later

Once you have shown the ability to handle His current instructions, He promises to take you further. Take a look at His words here:

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
Luke 16:10

I encourage you today to stop and take a hard look around. Do an in-depth assessment of your business practices. Determine which, if any, of your current practices are displeasing to Him. Those you find need to be changed immediately.

The Sleep Is Good!

I know you are likely going to say, “But you don’t understand…” I have had those practices myself. They seemed impossible to change or so deeply imbedded in the fabric of the business that removing them would risk the stability of the entire business.

I get it. I really do. I can only promise you that the choice to continue as-is will not achieve the results you seek. If you are sincere and seeking God’s will in your business, He will see you through the transition. It may be painful, but it will be worth it in the long run.

The best part will be how well you sleep once you have eliminated them for good. Take my word for it. It is good!

Are you aware of areas of disobedience currently holding you back?

Are you prepared to correct these areas before seeking more guidance?

If you do, what would this make possible?

Photo by Romain Fouchard – on Flickr

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