Recently I had a conversation with Kevin Monroe on the Higher Purpose Podcast where we explored some of the important lessons I’ve learned as I’ve tried to live an authentic, integrated life centered around purpose and faith. (more…)
I have quit my job and I am actually walking away from my family’s business. Even as I type this, I get emotional at the thought of it. In my entire life, I have only had one job outside of our family business – waiting tables the summer after college. Now, I have made the decision to take a new path and I can tell you…it is a thrilling (and scary) path!
In my last post (you really need to read it!), I explained how Pastor Julio, a man I had just met, had listened to my story about following God’s lead in my family business. He listened to me tell him how I knew I was on the right path and committed to it regardless of the cost. He paid attention while I described the hardship I was enduring. Then he asked if he could give me some advice.
Have you ever made a significant decision to follow God’s lead to do something out of the ordinary? Have you ever taken a large risk because you knew down deep that God was calling you to do it? If so, were you willing to persevere even when the path turned difficult? Did you decide to dig down and stick it out no matter what happened, because you just knew you were on the right path?
Years ago, I lost a good friend and exceptional employee. He was 46 years old and died of a heart attack in front of me at work. Shortly after that, I lost another friend and employee of another dealership at age 42. He was in a motorcycle accident. We lost another great employee the next year. He would have turned 22 years old the next day, but he committed suicide. Sadly, these situations are not all that uncommon.
I regularly get the privilege of welcoming new employees into our company. As part of our orientation and new hire training process, I go over our company history (three generations!) along with a deep dive of our company’s mission, vision, and core values statements.
In business, we are constantly being tested. Whether it is tough personnel decisions, investment opportunities, or even when hiring new team members, we are consistently challenged to have the right answer. For Christian business leaders, I think there might be more to each test than we realize.
Imagine for a moment that you and I are friends and have a fairly long history together. Based on this history, you trust me and typically believe what I say. Assume I have approached you about a business idea that I say will be very profitable for anyone involved. Would you believe me? What if I followed up with a request for you to invest your life savings in this business idea? What now? How would you respond?
What is the purpose of business in general? Have you ever stopped to think about that? What about the purpose of your business? Are you clear on what that is and how it affects your job? One final question – what do you think God’s purpose is for your business?
God is powerful and He is awesome, right? If that is true, then why is it so hard for us to believe in Him? Why are we so prone to doubt God? I don’t know about you, but there are times that I doubt Him. I don’t start out thinking that way, but when I analyze my thoughts, that is the real conclusion. There are times when I simply do not believe God can handle what I am facing.