Monthly Archives: November 2011

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Reconcile and Forgive Immediately!

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This post is based on material from Dave Anderson’s book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK. It is the final post in a series of five in which we will address common character issues for leaders. The character issue we are addressing concerns the ability to reconcile and forgive immediately.

forgive

My Confession

I have a confession to make. In fact, I really do not even want to cover this subject. Unfortunately, I would feel even worse if I cut Dave Anderson’s five point list down to four and moved on! And so I plow on…

My confession is this – I have a backpack that I carry around most of the time that has a pocket on it just for grudges! These are not huge, unwieldy grudges that cause a sore back and aching muscles.

My Grudges

No, these are nice and compact little grudges that fit perfectly in the pockets of the backpack. They are very quiet grudges and do not make their presence known except in certain circumstances. Sometimes I forget they are even there.

These little grudges are born for me when someone local goes out of town to purchase a vehicle from a competitor. I do not have an issue when someone, even a friend, buys a car from another local dealer. I would love to sell everyone a car, but I know I will lose some deals. That is just part of doing business.

However, when I see a dealer’s drive-out tag from an out-of-town competitor on a local car, my blood boils. Just ask my wife. She cringes when she sees one, hoping I will miss it! Unfortunately, my radar rarely misses one of these!

I am completely wrong and embarrassed to admit it, but I cannot deny it.

Holding Grudges

Dave Anderson says that competitive business people are known for holding grudges. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, he gives the following examples of when we might create these grudges:

  • When an employee makes a mistake
  • When an employee leaves the organization for reasons we do not like
  • When competitors take away our business (already mentioned above!)
  • When coworkers wrong us
  • When family members do not appreciate or support our career

So what is the problem with this? I am sure I am not the only person that carries these little grudges around. Some people carry bigger ones than I do! So if this is common, why do we need to address it? Why is the ability to reconcile and forgive – getting rid of these grudges – so important?

What Does Jesus Say?

Let’s take a look at Jesus’ own words. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says the following:

So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
– Matthew 5:23-24

Later in the same speech, Jesus said this:

For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.
– Matthew 6:14-15

So what do you take from these words? Is this something we should take casually? Is this something we should just skip over? Or is this a topic that we should address immediately, with great urgency and effort?

Forgive and Reconcile

I believe there are two reasons for us to act now!

First, Jesus tells us to forgive and to reconcile. It really is that simple. If Jesus is this clear and emphatic about something, it is best we take heed and act on it.

Second, we are the one’s that are hurt by this practice. Even if we are completely justified in the way we feel, the other person is rarely aware of our feelings. Even if they are, I promise they do not think about it as often or for as long as we do!

Stop Chasing The Snake!

Think about the illustration of the venomous snake that bites you. Which do you attempt first – killing the snake or removing the venom? Too many Christian business leaders start chasing the snake to kill it, causing the venom to spread faster and leading to a quicker death. This simply makes no sense. This only hurts you, not the snake.

Stop chasing the snake!

Dave’s Challenges To Us

Here are Dave’s challenges to us:

  1. Bring closure to past offenses. Identify amends you must make, with whom, and do it quickly.
  2. Practice forgiving quickly. Realize it is the responsibility of the more spiritually mature in a relationship to make the first move toward reconciliation and restoration.
  3. If someone continues to offend or hurt you, practice praying for them the qualities they seem to be lacking. This follows the Biblical promise to bless your enemies and the promise to receive a blessing in return.

I encourage you to pray over this topic.

Ask God to reveal any blind spots and resolve to act on them immediately!

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Do You Give False Impressions?

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false impressionsThis post is based on material from Dave Anderson’s book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK. It is the fourth post in a series of five in which we are addressing common character issues for leaders. The character issue we are addressing today concerns giving false impressions.

False Impressions

When it comes to business, giving false impressions is a broad topic. While not exactly full-blown lying, this behavior dances close to the line. As we will see, it can happen in so many different ways…

  • advertising that makes customers think the deal is better than it really is
  • exaggerating one’s degree of involvement in a project to gain undue credit
  • leading a job applicant to believe there is more opportunity, compensation, etc. than is realistic
  • downplaying the damage done by a mistake made
  • deceiving a vendor to think you have a better offer from a competitor
  • using flowery language to cover the truth

A humorous example is the description taken from a Youth Specialties illustration about a family history album in reference to the family’s “black-sheep” Uncle George. George was actually executed by the state for murder. Here is how the family history described it:

Uncle George occupied a chair of applied electronics at an important government institution. He was attached to his position by the strongest ties, and his death came as a real shock.

False Impressions = Lies?

When you look at the exact language used in giving false impressions, it is usually not difficult to find truth in it. Giving false impressions is not eliminating the truth or even adding to it in a way that turns it into a lie. Instead, it is masking or painting the truth in a way designed to change how it is received by someone else.

It is not the same thing as an outright lie. This is likely why most people guilty of doing it do not see the harm in it.

What Does The Bible Say?

In order to ensure we are staying true to Scripture in our effort to strengthen our character as Christian leaders, let’s see what the Bible has to say.

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. – Psalm 34:13

This verse seems to clearly say we are to avoid deceitful speech. What exactly is deceitful speech? Let’s look at the following definition of deceive from Dictionary.com:

false impressions

When you use this definition, it helps to clarify what we are to avoid…false appearance or statement. It is the false appearance part that trips us up most often. Whether by using language that misdirects or by omitting parts of the truth, we regularly face the temptation to give false impressions. Unfortunately, this behavior can destroy our witness as Christian business leaders.

Hypocrisy

Regardless of our reasons for giving false impressions, we must stop. It is this behavior that is one of the top reasons given by Christians and non-Christians alike when asked why they do not go to church. They give it another name – hypocrisy – but it is the same thing. Dave Anderson’s definition of hypocrisy is appearing to be on the outside, something you are not on the inside.

Jesus was hardest on the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Do you not think it applies to us the same way?

Here are Dave’s tips on getting rid of false impressions:

  1. Stop any misleading advertising that you may be engaged in.
  2. Stop spinning the feedback you give to make someone feel they are doing better or worse than they really are.
  3. Stop misleading potential job candidates or employees about realities concerning their job advancement, compensation, etc.

Where are you weakest when it comes to false impressions?

Do you acknowledge this to be a problem?

What are you going to do to fix it?

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Do You Have A Thanksgiving Chair?

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I am taking the rest of the weekend off from my normal posting, but I wanted to share a powerful video, Thanksgiving Chair, that I saw at church this past Sunday. Take a look and see what you think…

We need to follow Paul’s advice in 1 Thessalonians 5:18,

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We also need to teach the next generation to do the same!

Show them the Thanksgiving chair!

Thank you for reading! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Do you have a Thanksgiving chair?

Do you always give thanks in all circumstances?

If so, how do you remember to do so?

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There Is No Traffic Jam On The Second Mile!

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This post is based on material from Dave Anderson’s book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK. It is the third post in a series of five in which we will address common character issues for leaders. The character issue we are addressing is going the second mile.

second mileOne of my favorite people in the whole world is Zig Ziglar! If you have ever met him or listened to him, it is likely that you feel the same! First of all, how can you not love his southern drawl?

But even without that, he just knows how to say things in a way that cuts to the heart of it all. The title of this post is a quote of Zig’s, “There is no traffic jam on the second mile!”

What Does The Bible Say?

To get a complete understanding of how this applies to us, let’s take a look at Scripture first. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed his listeners that just doing the minimum required was not enough to be His follower. He gave them several examples of this kind of behavior.

One of these examples referred to a Roman law that required a Jew to carry a Roman soldier’s heavy pack for the distance of a mile. Jesus told his listeners in Matthew 5:41 that they were to carry the pack for a second mile.

Why The Second Mile?

Now why would he ask this? Well the Bible does not specify, but we can infer a likely possibility. Imagine the thoughts of the Roman soldier as he walked alongside the Jew carrying his heavy pack. He and the Jew both know that the obligation is for one mile.

What do you think the soldier’s thoughts would be as he neared the one mile mark and then continued past? When the Jew continued to carry the pack beyond that, don’t you think the soldier would be curious? Do you think he might ask what was going on?

Open Door for Witness and Influence

It is at this point that I believe the Jew would have the opportunity to explain his reasons, starting with Jesus’ teaching and how it had changed his own life. I believe the Roman soldier would then be wide open to hearing more from the Jew simply because he was willing to go the second mile, beyond his obligation.

So how does this apply to leadership? I think it is very applicable! As Christian leaders, I believe it is our goal to gain influence and to use that influence to point others toward Jesus. In his book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK, Dave Anderson says the following…

Going the first mile fulfills an obligation. By going the second mile, you earn the right to witness and influence.

Unlike The Majority

If we truly want to influence others by operating a Christian business, then we simply cannot just fulfill our obligations. We cannot do only what is required or necessary. This is expected! Zig’s quote is so powerful because he is saying that the vast majority of people stop at the first mile and skip out on the second mile! We cannot afford to be like the majority.

If we are serious about pointing others to Jesus, then we must open the door to opportunities to speak into the lives of others. This second mile behavior will help us do just that! When we go beyond our obligation in whatever the circumstance, we will get the attention of others. People will ask “Why?” and give us the opportunity to tell them!

Dave Anderson’s Tips

Here are Dave Anderson’s tips on going the second mile:

  1. Accept the concept that each day you do less than you can, you become less than you are: personally, and in the eyes of others.

  2. Embrace the promise of Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

  3. Realize that you may be one phone call away, one discipline away, or one effort away from your next breakthrough. Make it your goal to be totally used up when you die, leaving this world with no regrets.

So what part of this idea speaks to you?

Do you have any examples of open doors from going the second mile?

What can you do today that would open a door with someone?

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How To Keep Your Commitments

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This post is based on material from Dave Anderson’s book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK. It is the second post in a series of five in which we will address common character issues for leaders. The character issue we are addressing is how to keep your commitments.

keep your commitments

Casual Commitments

How often do you tell someone else that you will call them later? Do you? What about those you told you would pray for them and their family? Did you keep your commitments and actually set aside time to pray for them?

Many leaders take lightly the “casual” commitments such as promises to call or offers to pray. They make these commitments without actually planning to keep them. Their intent is not malicious or deceitful. Maybe they actually want to make good on the commitment at some point, but they really do not take it seriously. In fact, within minutes of making the commitment, they have often forgotten it completely!

Scandalous Behavior?

While this behavior is certainly not what any of us wants to confess to, it is not the stuff that scandals are made of, is it? I mean, how often do you hear this type of broken commitment broadcast on the evening news? How many times are you confronted for failing to keep your commitment when it was only said in passing? Everyone knows these are not promises sealed in blood, right?

So what is the big deal? Well, let’s go back to the Bible again. In fact, we will look at the same verse that we did in my last post on little white lies. Here is what it says in Luke 16:10…

Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.

Slippery Slope

So there it is…the Biblical description of the infamous “slippery slope” with which we are all familiar! If we make casual choices to tell little white lies, then we will soon find ourselves telling bigger and bigger lies. If we choose to make quick commitments that we do not take seriously enough to fulfill, then we will eventually find ourselves failing to honor bigger commitments.

Folks, it always starts with the small stuff. Satan rarely comes at us with the huge temptation right off the bat. He slowly draws us toward them with the small temptations. Eventually, we will have slipped so far down the slope, there is no return.

Keep Your Commitments

As a leader in Christian businesses, you must keep your commitments. The problem with this truth is that it really only tells one part of what you need to do. You see, once they are made, the only option for you as a Christian leader is to keep your commitments.

The real question is how to avoid making those commitments that are painful to keep. Well, once again we can turn to the Bible for advice. Below are some tips from Dave Anderson’s How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK. Check out the Scripture associated with each one.

  1. Count the cost (see Luke 14:2-30). Before committing to anything, make certain you can live with the worst-case scenario.
  2. Seek God’s wisdom before deciding (see Joshua 9:3-15, especially v.14). Check with trusted counselors who have nothing to gain or lose, either way, from your decision.
  3. Follow through (see Joshua 9:16-10:14, especially 9:19) . Do what you said you would do – regardless of the cost!

Joshua’s Commitment

This story of Joshua’s poor decision to make peace with the Gibeonites is the perfect illustration of the whole idea I am trying to convey. He failed to seek God in his decision. He failed to count the cost. As a result, he was deceived into a tough commitment.

But when Joshua realized what had happened, he stuck to his word. Not only did he not attack the Gibeonites when he found out about the deception, but he also went to their aid when they called upon him and the Israelites. This is true leadership!

Did you read the last part about God making the day stand still? If you will keep your commitments like Joshua did, I believe God will honor your behavior just like He did for Joshua.

What commitments are you guilty of taking casually?

What can you do to change that behavior?

Have you seen God act on your behalf when you have kept a tough commitment?

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But it was just a little white lie…

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This post is based on material from Dave Anderson’s book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK. It is the first post in a series of five in which we will address common character issues for leaders. Our first character issue is the little white lie.

white lie

Just A White Lie?

“But it was just a little white lie, right?”

How many times have you heard (or thought) this? I know we have all told someone they looked good when, in fact, they may not have. Maybe you told someone you liked their haircut or their new pair of shoes. You get the idea. I am not here to argue that point. I want to know if this behavior is okay in your business. Is it okay to tell white lies as a Christian in business?

Let’s try another line with which you may be more familiar…

“Who is it?…Just tell them that I am not here.”

If you have an assistant or receptionist, I am sure you have said something like this before. If not, congratulations! If so, can you justify saying something like this when you know it is not true? If your people see or hear you saying things like this, what effect do you think it has on their opinion of you? What effect does it have on their own behavior? If it is left unchecked, what behavior does it eventually lead to?

The white lie is so common in our world that most people do not even realize they are telling one. It can take many forms. Some of these may seem harmless (or even helpful) at the time. Some of them are a little more dangerous, but they are justified as being safer than telling the truth (at least at that moment!). Regardless of the rationalization, I think we need to take a long, hard look at this topic.

What Is The Expectation?

So what are we to do as Christian business owners and leaders? What is the expectation of us?

Well, as you probably guessed, I think we need to turn to the Bible for our answer. If we look at Ephesians 4:25, we will see the following verse:

Therefore, putting away all lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

Obviously, I could point to many other verses that make it clear that we are not to lie, but to tell the truth. This is God’s expectation of us. It is not dependent upon circumstances or conditions. It does not apply only to some people, but to all who claim the name of Jesus.

Good Advice

In How To Run Your Business By The Book, Dave Anderson gives the following key advice:

  1. Tell the truth even when it is not easy, cheap, popular, or convenient.

  2. Tell the truth because it is right, it pleases God, it protects your personal integrity, and honors, rather than diminishes, everyone who hears what you say.

  3. Never, ever ask someone to sin for you by instructing them to lie on your behalf. This is an abuse of your power, position, relationship, and friendship and can destroy your witness as a Christian.

I will leave you with this verse from Luke 16:10…

Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.

I encourage you to start watching what you say. Increase your awareness of your words and make sure you are not falling into this trap.

Have you been guilty of little white lies?

Do you see the danger in where they lead?

What is your plan to change this behavior?

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When Should You Say No?

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In a previous post about the Pitfalls of Running A Christian Business, one of the specific pitfalls I mentioned was that many people think a Christian business should never say no to anything! They evidently believe that having a Christian philosophy means we should agree to help anyone with any cause they have. I am not sure of the basis for this feeling, but I have seen it repeatedly exhibited since we began to attempt to integrate our faith into our business.

say no

WHY Say No?

Before we look at WHEN you should say no, let’s answer another question – one that is central to this post. WHY should you say no to some opportunities? I mean, within reason, shouldn’t we always be prepared to help others? If we say no, are we not turning away those in need? If we say no, are we not missing some good opportunities to impact people?

The truth is we are. When we say no to some opportunities, we are turning some away that are in need and we are missing some good opportunities to impact people. The problem for most people is that they cannot see that it is critical to say no to some good opportunities in order to be available to take advantage of the best opportunities.

Good vs. Great?

Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, said that good is the enemy of great. He says we have too few great schools because we have too many good ones. We do not have enough great businesses because we have too many good ones. The same goes for churches, organizations, etc. The problem is that too many people and organizations settle for being good rather than striving for being great!

Rather than saying “Yes!” to every good opportunity that comes along, we should instead save our efforts for the best ones. Rather than spreading ourselves too thin by taking on every good project, we should focus on those that are the best. In this way we are maximizing our effectiveness. We are also leaving those “good” opportunities to someone else that may have a “best” fit with them.

What Next?

So, let’s say you get this philosophy and you agree with it. Now you want to know what to do next. How do you take this philosophy and execute in the Christian business? How do you apply this to your life as a Christian leader?

Let’s look at a few key steps in this process.

    2. Determine your mission

      In what area(s) are you going to focus? What is your purpose?

    3. Determine your resources

      How much time, money, effort, etc. do you have to give to your various roles?

    4. Build in some cushion

      Do not forget to build in some cushion or margin when determining available resources. You should maintain this margin for those times you underestimate a need or when you simply cannot say no!

    5. Be proactive

      Don’t sit and wait on the best opportunities to come to you. Go find them! Create them! Begin investing your resources for an eternal return!

You can use this same list as your litmus test for opportunities that come your way. Does this opportunity fit your gifts? Is it within your mission’s area of focus? Do you have the resources to take it on? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you should think hard about saying no to the opportunity.

Still Unsure?

If you are still unsure, ask yourself this question. If the opportunity fits at least two of these criteria, is it important enough to you that you would be willing to spend some of your cushion in the third category in order to take it on? Sometimes there are simply reasons we know we should not say no. If we have the margin to spend, it can sometimes make sense to say yes.

What first came to mind when you thought about something you should have declined?

Have you had a successful experience saying no?

What are the obstacles to you saying no?

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How Do You Become A Ministry Superstar?

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Average is all around us. If you don’t believe me, just take a look around and see what you find. It is simply uncommon to see a superstar, someone performing at levels that most people think are beyond their own reach. Whether you are looking at sports teams, businesses, schools, or churches, average is just too common. So what does it take to break from average and become a ministry superstar?

ministry superstar

In my last post, I talked about how our desire to be an impact player is often not matched up with our preparation. So many people want to be great, but are not willing to pay the price. Others may be willing, but not sure what to do.

I will not even attempt to tell you everything you could do to prepare for greatness. I will instead share three simple, common traits most often found in those people who have shown greater consistent impact in ministry. Buck Jacobs, founder of the C12 Group, calls these people “ministry superstars.” These three traits come from his observations during his decades of experience working with Christian business leaders.

A God-focused Mission Statement

The first trait of Buck’s ministry superstars is that they have a God-focused mission statement. Regardless of the size of the organization, those with a mission statement that honors God have greater ministry impact. The same is true for businesses or individual leaders. As I described in a previous post, mission statements capture the organization’s purpose or fundamental reason for existing. A God honoring mission statement sets the path toward greater ministry impact.

They Lead!

The second characteristic of ministry superstars is that they lead! Ministry superstars recognize that ministry does not just happen. They know they cannot sit around and wait on ministry opportunities to come to them. They are intentional with their time, talents, and treasure. They know what they are to be doing and they do it. They also enlist others in the effort. These ministry superstars draw others to them because of their focus.

Intimate Daily Quiet Time With God

The final trait of Buck’s ministry superstars is that they have an intimate daily quiet time with God. This is not a quick verse-of-the-day calendar and prayer-headed-out-the-door type of quiet time. This is not a once or twice a week devotional reading when the mood strikes.

No, the ones who consistently make the greatest impact in ministry are those who spend consistent quality time with their Creator. God is personal and wants a personal relationship with each of us. He has given us His Word and told us to hide it in our hearts. Jesus lived as our model in this as he did nothing other than what He heard from the Father. He could only do this if He spent regular time in prayer. We are to do the same.

While this is certainly not the only way to spend quiet time with God every day, Buck offers the following structure as an option.

    1. 30 minutes reading the Bible (always include a Gospel chapter)
    2. 15 minutes reading marketplace ministry materials
    3. 15 minutes in prayer
    4. 15 minutes to journal

Ministry Superstar?

If these three traits are supposed to be indicators of ministry superstar potential, do they match up with Scripture? I would consider the Greatest Commandments and the Great Commission to be our Scriptural benchmarks. When I compare Buck’s three traits to these mandates, I think they fit. As we said earlier, this is certainly not an exhaustive list of traits. At the same time, I believe we would do well to start here and make continuous progress.

What does your quiet time look like?

Do you lead or do you wait for ministry to happen?

Is your mission statement God-focused?

What do you need to change today?

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Are You an Impact Player?

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An impact player is someone who changes the game when he or she steps onto the court. You know the kind I am talking about. When it appears they may have been injured, the crowd gasps! The team does not want to lose them, even for a short time. These are the players that we all strive to be in our fields…at least that is what we say.

impact playerRecently, my daughters tried out for and made the local middle school girls basketball team. Now they are athletic, but they have not actually played organized basketball in several years. Soccer has been their dominant sport. In soccer, they have been impact players for years!

My Surprise

Last night, I watched something that surprised me. Last night was their first basketball game of the season. I truly do not know what I was expecting to see. Maybe I thought it would be a slight step ahead of the last time I saw them play (when they were 7, now they are 12). Maybe, I just pictured a cute game of basketball because dad’s think that way about their daughters. Regardless, I did not see what I was expecting to see.

Not Prepared

I witnessed a game that was MUCH faster paced and more aggressive than I ever imagined! I was blown away. Because my girls had not played organized ball in several years, they were told to watch the first game and get a feel for the flow. I am glad he held them out of this game. They were simply not prepared. Neither was I!

After the game, we talked. They were frustrated with not being starters and not even getting to play. We discussed what they needed to do to catch up. They are so athletic and competitive that they can if they put their mind to it. Each of them can be an impact player!

Preparation To Come

Fortunately, we also have a friend that was a hometown hero and star on her high school girls basketball team. She still holds scoring records there after more than ten years! She has agreed to spend some time with my daughters, giving them some one-on-two coaching. She knows what to do and I believe they can do it. It will take work on their part, but I know they can pull it off.

What Is The Point?

So, what is the point to all of this? My point is that many of us go to work every day expecting to make a difference. If you are a regular reader of this blog, then I assume you also go to work hoping to impact people there for eternity. I will assume we all want to be an impact player that makes a difference in God’s Kingdom when we step into our everyday roles.

Let me ask you this…if that is the case, how are you doing at your preparation? What does your quiet time with God look like? How much time every day are you spending with your Lord to grow spiritually so you can fight the battle at the level it is being fought around you?

Results Without Preparation?

Would it have been reasonable for me or my daughters to have expected starting positions on the basketball team with little to no real preparation? Is it reasonable for you or me to expect different results in life?

How is it that so many people can go out on a day to day basis, expecting to change the world for Jesus, without spending significant time in Bible study, prayer, and one-on-one seeking of God’s will?

I guess it is understandable when we occasionally get off track and skip our quiet time or let it get stale. I know none of us are perfect.

Impact Player?

What is not understandable is when we are shocked at the results we see! We are genuinely surprised when we trip and fall into temptation. We are stunned when things begin to unravel around us. We just don’t understand why the people we want so desperately to reach will not listen to what we have to say. Is this consistent with being an impact player?

How can this be?

In my next post, I will give you some suggestions on how to power up your ministry impact! In the meantime, I am going to leave you with these questions.

On a scale of 1-10, how would God rate your quiet time with Him? Consider quantity and quality!

If your score is less than you think He would like it to be, what are you going to do about it?

What is your very next step?

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How To Measure Spiritual Value Added

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spiritual valueAs owners or leaders in Christian businesses, we should be looking at our businesses from an eternal perspective. Profitability is a must and team development is critical to our success, but the impact we have on eternity (spiritual value) should be our primary concern. Quite simply, nothing else will last.

Spiritual Value Added

When all is said and done and we stand in judgment, nothing material from this world will count. Only what we have done that survives the fire will matter. While there are no metrics that fully capture this eternal impact we desire, I believe we must do the best we can to track our efforts in this area. Let’s look at Spiritual Value Added (SVA) from C12’s Tri-Value model.

As the final component of the Tri-Value Model from the C12 Group, SVA consists of three elements (a.k.a. “The Three S’s”)”

    1. Salvation – those coming to know Jesus for the first time
    2. Sanctification – helping believers to grow or be strengthened in their faith
    3. Service – giving money or service to those in need, especially the “least among us”

Each of these elements requires different actions from us. Each has different results that we can expect. If we are serious about evaluating our performance from an eternal perspective, then we need to measure both our actions and the results they produce. We need to do this for each of The Three S’s!

Salvation

Let’s first look at Salvation. The first thing we must realize about this element is that we cannot make it happen! Nothing we can do will save anyone…that is the job of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, we certainly can make sure that we are spreading the Word – teaching people about the gospel message. Here are a couple of examples of when this could happen:

    1. Chaplain is given permission by employee to share the reason for his faith
    2. Gospel-centered devotion is shared with all employees
    3. Gospel is shared at company-sponsored Boy’s & Girls Club Christmas party
    4. New Testament given as gift after a transaction with a customer

Rate you and your team are doing in this area on a 1-10 scale compared to your potential. You will also want to have a system to gather the results – those who actually turned their lives over to Jesus. This is probably the most difficult to track because you may never find out about some decisions. Other times you may have just planted the seed and someone else will be there to see it harvested. Regardless, start counting those you are aware of and see what happens.

Sanctification

The next “S” is Sanctification. The activities in this area can range from Bible studies or classes offered to employees, customers, or anyone you choose. Any work done to teach, strengthen, or support believers in their walk with Christ should be counted here. Some examples include:

    1. Lunch-and-Learn video series offered to employees, customers, vendors
    2. Small group studies held at lunch or before/after work
    3. Classes offered to employees and their families on financial or marriage issues

Again, rate you and your team on a 1-10 scale compared to your potential. For the results in this area, you want to count how many people participated.

Service

The final “S” is Service. There are many ways you and your team can give to those in need. Get creative and include as many employees as possible. While it may be easier to just write a check at the end of the year and be done with it, you will miss incredible blessings if you do. here are some examples:

    1. Sponsor a Thanksgiving meal at a local shelter & enlist employees to volunteer
    2. Sponsor a team of employees in a local event like the March of Dimes walk-a-thon
    3. Sponsor a kids organization with Christmas toys & let employees do the shopping!

Rate yourselves on a 1-10 scale the same as before, comparing your actions with your potential. The results here are fairly easy to track. Whether you count the money given in dollars or percent of net profit, either works. I would also count the number of man-hours your employees log.

So there it is – Spiritual Value Added – the final component of the Tri-Value model series. Get started evaluating your performance and let me know how you are doing. If you are at all disappointed at your current performance, remember this is not a sprint! Just decide to make a change for the better and get on your horse and ride!

Looking back over all three assessments (TVA, EVA, SVA), where are you the weakest?

What will it take for you to see improvement when you do this assessment again next year?

What is your first step?