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Chris Patton

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Are You Missing Your Calling?

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Maybe it is the material I am choosing to read. It could be the kind of people I am around these days. Whatever the case, I am hearing more and more about life plans and finding a “calling” from God. I wonder if there might be a serious problem in these discussions that too many people are missing?

calling

Life Plans Are Good

First of all, I do not want anyone to think I believe life plans are bad! I have one myself that I tweak and clarify every year. I have written a great deal about being intentional in living out or lives for eternal impact. A solid life plan can be a great tool in this process.

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Who Do You Teach First?

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Assume for a moment that you only have enough tuition money to engage a teacher for yourself OR for your children. What do you do? If you are a Christian business leader, this same question could apply to you OR your employees. Who do you teach first?

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Teach Yourself First

In his book, Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money, Rabbi Daniel Lapin refers to Deuteronomy 11:19 to give us the answer.

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The Slowest Way To Build A Reputation

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Whether you are trying to run a business or build a subscriber base for your blog, reputation is something that concerns you. It is no secret that a good reputation increases your likelihood of success in either situation. What is too often forgotten is that when you really need the good reputation, it is most likely too late to build it.

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Handling Sin In The Camp – Part 2

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There is no real question as to why business, as an industry, is seen by much of the general public as less than trustworthy. So many business leaders are more interested in power, wealth, or winning than they are in doing the right thing when crisis hits. As Christian business owners and leaders, we are called to a higher standard. We are called to deal with the sin in the camp, regardless of the potential consequences.

sin in the camp

Sin In The Camp – Part 1

In my last post, we looked at how Joshua performed in a tough situation. If you missed that post, it would be helpful to go back and read it first. In that post, I took you through the first three of six steps for dealing with sin in the camp:

    1. Set Clear Guidelines
    2. Stay Close To God
    3. Trust God’s Provision

Today, I want to cover the last three steps. Hopefully, you can then see the actions Joshua took and how we can apply them to our current business situations. I would love to hear your thoughts on these steps in the discussion area at the end of the post.

Step 4 – Identify Sin In The Camp

Early on the morning after the defeat at Ai, Joshua got up and began the process of determining who among the Israelites had violated the covenant with God by taking the sacred items (Joshua 7:16-23). He followed God’s instruction to the letter and the guilty party, Achan, was selected. He quickly confessed to his crime.

When we face situations like this, we likely will not have specific instructions from God on how to select the guilty. At the same time, it is clear we are to investigate and dig until we find the truth.

Waiting it out or hoping someone will come forward on their own – these are not viable methods. We must be proactive if we expect to find the truth. We must see the urgency and dig in.

Step 5 – Act Immediately

After narrowing the search down to Achan and hearing his confession, Joshua acted. He did not hesitate. He did not waffle. He did not try to rationalize Achan’s actions. He simply acted (Joshua 7:24-25).

While the punishment was severe and extensive (including Achan’s family), I don’t see that to be the point of what we should learn here. In a business environment, we are not going to stone the guilty. At the same time, our commitment to our core values is on display in these moments.

If your core values include integrity, honesty, truth, or other similar ideals, then dealing decisively with violations of these values is not optional. Clearly, you must weigh the violation and determine the appropriate discipline. Just remember that others are watching to see how your scales work. How “core” are your values?

Step 6 – Remember

The crisis was over and the Israelites were likely ready to move on. The Promised Land was ahead of them! However, this is when Joshua’s leadership stands out even more. In Joshua 7:26, we see that the Israelites erected a large pile of rocks over the body of Achan.

This was not simply a grave. This act was in addition to the norm. This was an act of remembrance. In fact, the place was known going forward as the Valley of Trouble. Joshua wanted to make sure that Achan’s actions were remembered and not repeated.

I don’t see us putting up a plaque on the wall to commemorate a dishonest manager and his termination. I do, however, think that we need to follow Joshua’s thought process. We need to figure out the best way for us (and those we lead) to remember how crucial our core values are to our success.

Constant communication about our core values is a must. Talk with new hires about real consequences of infractions. Don’t let the memory of the crisis completely disappear.

Summary

This can be a tough passage to read due to the extreme punishment delivered. Don’t let that keep you from learning from Joshua and his handling of the crisis. If you read on past this passage, you will see the continued success of the Israelites against Ai and other cities.

God honored their faithful elimination of the sin in the camp. He will do the same for us if we will learn and apply the wisdom found here. He is faithful.

What other advice would you offer someone facing sin in the camp?

Which of these 6 steps is toughest for you?

Are you prepared to effectively address sin in the camp?

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Sin In The Camp – 6 Steps To Deal With It

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You are a Christian business owner or leader and you are suddenly confronted with an ugly truth about your business. It appears there is “sin in the camp” and you are not sure how to deal with it. You want to do the right thing, but that is not always easy to determine. How do you deal with it?

sin in the camp

Sin In The Camp

In the book of Joshua, chapters 6-7, we read about Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. First, there is the miraculous defeat of the mighty city of Jericho. Spirits among the Israelites are high until they are subsequently defeated by a much weaker city of Ai. What happened? Why the reversal of fortune?

It turns out someone among the Israelites had broken the covenant God had made with them during the attack on Jericho. As a result, God left them to their own against Ai and they were sorely defeated. Now, the morale of the people has fallen and they are scared to death.

Learning From Joshua

Joshua is the (fortunate?) one that God has given the task of replacing Moses as leader of the Israelites – a TOUGH job! How does he handle this similar situation? What can we learn from him?

I encourage you to read the whole account on your own, beginning with Joshua 6:1 and ending with Joshua 7:26. There is much more to learn from this passage, but I have broken Joshua’s actions into the following 6 steps that I believe we can apply to our current business challenges.

Step 1 – Set Clear Guidelines

There is no grey area in Joshua’s instructions to the Israelites prior to the attack on Jericho. In Joshua 6:17-19, he clearly tells them what is to be done with the city, its inhabitants, and and everything in it once the city is in their hands. The sin that followed was not due to misunderstanding!

We must do the same in our businesses. It is our responsibility as the leaders to make sure the rules and expectations are clear to everyone. New hires must receive clear instruction regarding your policies or they cannot be held accountable to them. Everyone must know our guidelines if we expect them to comply!

Step 2 – Stay Close to God

Joshua did not receive instruction from God and then run off on his own to carry it out. He remained close to God. As soon as he learned of the defeat at Ai, Joshua fell before God in submission (Joshua 7:6-10). He did not know the reason for the defeat, but he knew he had to seek God first. God answered by telling Joshua there was sin in the camp.

Our response must be similar. Don’t get caught up in the fact that Joshua had such an obvious defeat that clued him in to the trouble. Instead, recognize that Joshua had remained so close in his walk with God that his very first reaction was to seek God’s face.

Joshua did not question his general about strategy or even question his own decision to send a smaller force of 3,000 men. He went straight to God as an instinctive reaction. If we are in close communion with God, our instincts will be similar.

Step 3 – Trust God’s Provision

In Joshua 7:10-12, God tells Joshua about the sin in the camp. He makes it clear that He will no longer be with the Israelites unless the sin is removed. At this point, Joshua does not hesitate. He does not look for other options. He acts decisively when he delivers the instructions to the Israelites (vv. 13-15).

I don’t know what Joshua could have feared when making this decision, but I know how these kinds of decisions have affected me. When I have caught wind of impropriety in our business, fear has often flooded my mind. Will an investigation lead to a top performer? Will I be forced to terminate someone that is critical to our success?

Joshua may have had similar fears, but he acted anyway. He trusted that his provision was only from God. We must have the same trust in God. If the removal of sin in the camp causes the loss of a top performer, then we have to trust that God will make up the difference. He is faithful.

Stay Tuned!

In my next post, we will cover the final 3 steps for dealing with sin in the camp. I hope that you can see the business application of this passage. Again, I encourage you to read it on your own and see how it speaks to you. I think you might be surprised at what you find!

Have you experienced sin in the camp with your business?

How did you deal with it?

What would you do differently next time?

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God Is Silent – Why?

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There have been many times in my career when I sought God for answers. I needed wisdom for choices I faced. Sometimes, He seemed to answer me in a very clear way. Other times were not as clear and it took much prayer for me to discern the direction He was giving me. And then there are those times when God is silent. I used to hate those times!

God is silent

God Is Silent?

Have you ever experienced times when God is silent in responding to your prayers? Maybe you were facing a huge business decision with enormous consequences and you needed His wisdom more than anything. You could have been mulling a difficult choice between career moves or candidates to hire.

Your decision might have been as simple as choosing office locations or the wording on your resume. Whatever the case, we have all likely experienced times when we felt we really needed to hear from God, but He did not respond. This is especially tough for those who have received clear answers from Him at other times!

Have You Wondered Why?

Have you ever wondered WHY God is silent? Have you experienced periods of self-doubt when you wondered if He even cared about you? Have you questioned whether He was interested in your struggle anymore? Have you fought these thoughts until you could no longer fight, giving up in the process?

Well, I have been here and lived to tell about it. If you are like me, you answered yes to at least one of the questions above. If that is the case, I have some good news for you…God loves you! He IS interested in you! He loves you more than you can imagine! He wants you to stop fighting and relax.

He Has His Reasons

God is not sitting on His throne laughing at your struggle. He is not too busy to help. He has not forgotten you or your struggle. Instead, there are other, legitimate reasons that might explain why God is silent in response to some of your prayers. Knowing these possible reasons has made it so much easier for me to handle it when God is silent.

However, the following five reasons are not exclusive. There are likely more reasons God is silent, but these should cover the majority of your situations. I do not promise that your specific situation falls into one of these categories, but I encourage you to pray through them to see if it does.

1. The Timing Is Not Yet Right

There are many times in the Bible when one of God’s people was facing circumstances that drove them to prayer. In some of these cases, God is silent for a time. It might be years later before He answers and gives them direction in their specific situation.

In these cases, His answer was simply delayed because circumstances were not yet ready for His perfect timing. It is not our place to question His timing. We are only to trust Him in this. If we are faithful to wait, He will answer when the time is right.

2. He Has Already Given You The Answer

There are two different ways that this reason can apply. First, if you are asking Him to help you with a question that He has already answered in His Word, then you should not be surprised at His silence.

Too often, we want to skip reading the directions and jump immediately to the help line! We should read and study His Word to the extent that we are not constantly asking for help He has already provided.

Other times, we actually go back to God for answers that He has already shown us on previous occasions. Maybe we have forgotten these answers or maybe we are hoping for a different answer! Whatever the case, He might remain silent until we realize His answer will not change.

3. He Is Pushing You To Mature

This is one that I really struggled with. There was a time in my walk when I felt God was giving me step-by-step directions for the path I was to take. I followed in faith and expected those clear directions to continue.

When I faced new choices, I expected more step-by-step directions. When they did not come, I got very frustrated. Then I read how Paul described those Christians that were still feeding on milk when they should be maturing to eat solid food (Hebrews 5:12-13).

It could be that God is silent in your current situation because He is helping you to develop your decision-making muscles. He is trying to help you along in the maturing process.

Don’t fight it! Consider all He has shown you along the way and make the best choice you can. He is faithful to walk with you through the process and give you strength as needed.

4. Sin Is In The Way

This reason is difficult as well. It is hard because we are so often blind to our own sin. Unfortunately, God is not. He has provided a way for us to get rid of it (through forgiveness based on Christ’s blood and our repentance).

However, if we are blind to the sin or enamored with it to the point of clinging to it, then we are not going to be heard in our prayer. If God is silent with you, pray instead that He would reveal to you any sin that is between you and Him. Then repent of this and move forward in relationship with Him!

5. He Doesn’t Care

Before you jump, hear me out! Clearly, this reason is not what it seems at first. Sure, God cares about you and the decision you are facing! What I mean instead is that maybe He is giving YOU the choice.

God has given us free will and an unbelievable life to experience. In some cases, I believe He simply wants you and me to decide for ourselves which way we would rather go. Either choice is fine with Him!

If both choices line up with Scripture and pass THIS TEST from my previous post, then you might just be free to take either path with God’s blessing! Don’t let the freedom scare you – embrace it!

Have you experienced His silence?

How did you react? What were your thoughts?

Do any of these reasons for His silence help to ease your mind?

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5 Lies Too Many Christians Believe

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Every once in a while, I like to stop and take a look around at the world we live in and the assumptions we make every day. I like to think about ideas that we have heard for years and those we just accept as truth. It is especially good to compare these very ideas to Scripture to test their validity. Today, I want to discuss five of these “lies” that I think too many Christians believe.

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Do You Believe These Lies?

Be warned: you may believe some of these! In fact, you may be tempted to stop reading once you see one that you believe is absolutely true, one that you are very comfortable with believing. I encourage you not to stop reading, but instead to take a look at the Scripture I reference and pray about it.

I will tell you that I have done this over the years and it is life-changing. Once you stop accepting what you have been taught all of your life and begin comparing it to God’s Word, you will likely see that you have been operating on a shaky foundation in some areas. You will begin to seek more of God’s truth and how to apply it to every area of your life.

Let’s jump in!

Lie #1. God doesn’t care about my work.

    This is a very common lie that trips up many people in their Christian walk. If we begin to believe this lie, then we can basically do anything we want on the job and it should not impact our relationship with God. This idea is an escape from accountability on the job. Before you decide whether it is true or not, take a look at the following from Colossians 3:23-24…

    Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Lie #2. Getting fed at church on Sunday morning is enough.

    This is another common belief, but it is very far from the truth. Folks, we need more of God than we can possibly get from a couple of hours a week. We need to be reading His Word and praying for His guidance. We need accountability from other believers. We need community and relationships within the family of faith.

    While some of this happens on Sunday, it is simply not possible to get all of it accomplished in such a short time. We need a daily quiet time when we are alone with God. We need to participate in some sort of community group. For a great model of this behavior, take a look at Acts 2:42-47.

Lie #3. My customers will be offended if I…

    I have addressed this one in an earlier post, but it bears repeating. Too many Christian business owners think that the media today is the best indicator of how their customers would react if they were open about their faith. Read this post, with data from a research study by the Barna Group to back it up.

Lie #4. Faith and work are to be kept separate.

    I do not have to look far to find Scripture to refute this lie. In addition to Colossians 3:23-24, you can certainly see from Matthew 22:37-40 that God is not just interested in part of our lives. He will not settle for a portion – He wants it ALL.

    This does not mean we all have to be paid staff members in the church (addressed next). Instead, it means we are to surrender our entire life to God, job and/or business included. There is no half-way here.

Lie #5. Christian ministry is someone else’s responsibility.

    For many years, Christians, and some pastors included, think that you are only a Christian minister if you are on staff at a church. As a result, most Christians leave the job of ministering to those staff members of their church. This simply is not how God designed it.

    When defining ministry as “the service or functions of a minister of religion,” we are all included! While we may not draw our compensation from a church, we are still responsible for carrying out the service and functions of our faith.

    Paul called us Christ’s ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about how every member of the body of faith is to play a role and every role is important. Let’s start acting like we believe this!

Other Lies?

Well, there they are! I am sure you could come up with others if you started thinking about it. I actually encourage you to do just that. Take a quiet time one morning and ask God to reveal to you some similar “lies” that you believe. Ask Him to show you assumptions you make on a daily basis.

Then take the next step and begin removing these assumptions from your life. Ask Him to show you what you should be doing differently now that you are seeing more clearly. If you will do this exercise, I think you will be shocked at what He shows you.

Do you believe any of these lies?

Which lie will be the toughest for you to overcome?

What other lies came to mind?

Original date of post – September 30, 2012

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Pursue The Gifts You Have, Not The One’s You Want

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gifts

The following post is based on a lesson on using your gifts from Dave Anderson’s book How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK.

David And Goliath

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

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

What Can We Learn?

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

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

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

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

Gifts From God

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

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

Lessons For Leaders

As leaders, we must do the same.

    1. Discover your gifting
    David quickly found that Saul’s armor would not work. You need to determine your gifting. There are tools to accomplish this, but you can also ask those who know you best. Pray for God to reveal it to you.
    2. Embrace that gifting
    David did not hesitate to reject Saul’s armor and revert back to his own tools. Once you know your gifts, embrace them! Know that the Creator of the universe chose you specially for those gifts! They are worthy of honor!
    3. Learn how to best apply that gifting
    David spent years learning accuracy with his sling and stones. Do not expect overnight results in your gifts. Developing these gifts take time. Through prayer, application, and learning from defeats (as well as successes), you will grow in these gifts.
    4. Go to battle!
    David went boldly into battle with his tools. Do not be afraid to fight the battles with your gifts. Do not forget you represent God and He has your back!

Now, go out there and use your own armor!

What are your gifts?

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

What battles are you fighting?

Original date of post – November 9, 2011

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What Do You Do For A Living?

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If you do much traveling or meet new people frequently (outside of work), then you likely hear this question on a regular basis. “What do you do for a living?” You have heard it asked. You have asked it yourself. Whether we like it or not, people associate us with our occupation. We do the same thing.

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Common Question

So, what is wrong with this? I am sure there are psychological reasons that we should not necessarily do this. I would even agree that associating people with what they do for a living could cause us to jump to conclusions about them, their preferences, their lifestyle, etc.

You don’t think people often get the wrong idea about me when they find out I am in the car business?!? Of course they do!

Regardless of what you think about this question, we would all agree that it will continue to be asked into the foreseeable future. We are not likely to get this question eliminated from the habits of millions of people today.

Opportunity?

So, how can we use this question to our benefit?

Have you ever thought about how you could turn this question into a perfect opportunity to tell the inquisitor something special about you and what you do? If you know people are going to ask you, “What do you do for a living?” then why not plan ahead to take advantage of it?

Here is what I am thinking…I think this is the perfect opportunity to break the ice about our faith without being offensive or pushy. I think we should take this chance to share what it is we do, but from the spiritual side of things.

Example Response

Let me give you an example and see how you would respond. When someone asks me this question, my prepared answer is this:

I work for a very unusual company. It is a car dealership group that is a Christian company. We are trying to learn, and to show, how Jesus would run a business if He were the boss.

Lead In To More Conversation

Hopefully, I have said this in such a way that they are not uncomfortable with my answer. Likely, I have had a moment or two for them to get an idea of my sincerity before I toss this out there.

Assuming this, what kind of response do you think I will get? Where do you see the conversation going from here? Is it possible that I have offended them or more likely that I have intrigued them? Will they probably follow up with more questions?

Salt And Light

I guess my whole point here is that we are called to be salt and light in the world. I am a huge proponent of doing this by taking your Christian faith to your work or business. At the same time, there are opportunities outside of work that we can use to our advantage.

Our whole goal is to point people toward God. If we can take a few moments and do that with someone that is curious about our work, then why not do that?

Simple Response, Deep Conversation

In many cases, this kind of response will open the door to a spiritual conversation where you can witness to them without using a bullhorn! You may be surprised at how God can use a simple response like this to initiate a deep conversation very quickly.

While possible, this response is probably not going to offend the other person and cause them to react negatively. Granted, where I live (Southern U.S. – Bible belt!), this response is less likely to offend. It is more probable that the person asking the question is also a believer or associates themselves with the Christian faith. Great!

That just means I now have an opportunity to talk to them about why they should be taking THEIR faith to the workplace! Either way, I have a chance to have a spiritual conversation with someone that God can touch through it.

Unexpected Blessing

A final, sometimes unexpected benefit, is that YOU may be the one more blessed by the resulting conversation. So often, I have thought I was going to minister to someone else, only to find them ministering to me! I love it when that happens!

Try this idea for yourself. First, take the time to prepare a response that fits what you do. Wordsmith it, but make sure it is comfortable for you. You don’t want to appear like you are giving a robotic answer! Pray first, and God will give you the words you need!

Now go and look for opportunities to use it!

How could you explain how you make a living this way?

Do you feel uncomfortable with this? If so, why?

Have you tried this before? What were the results?

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Where Is Your Happy Place?

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I got a text from my wife recently. The first line, “At my happy place!” let me know exactly where she was. I knew she had left town with one of our daughters and was going out to eat. When I got her text, I knew exactly which restaurant they (she) had chosen!

happy place

Her Happy Place

I knew this because this particular restaurant is the one she and I visit the most often when we are in that area. I knew if she was within a few miles, that was where she was going. The food is healthy, but very tasty. The atmosphere is clean, energetic, and bright. The service is great and the prices are good.

All of the right conditions exist in this restaurant. That is why it is her happy place!

Your Happy Place?

Do you have a happy place? Can you picture it right now? Describe this happy place and why it makes you feel so good. What are the conditions like there? Is it sunny, breezy, warm, but not hot? Are the sounds soothing?

Most of us know what we mean when we talk about a happy place. It might be an actual place (this restaurant) or it might be something in our mind. Regardless, it is a place where the worries of the world fade. Conditions which make us happy are at the forefront.

So, what happens when we return from our happy place? When normal comes roaring back into the picture, what happens to our disposition? Do we change? Does our countenance darken? Are we a little on edge? More than a little?

Does Joy Remain?

Let me ask this from a different perspective. Is your happiness (or better said, joy) attached to, or dependent upon, where you are or the circumstances you are in?

Unfortunately, I think too many of us would have to answer, “yes” to this question. Too often, we allow our joy to be dictated by circumstances rather than coming from within, from our relationship with God.

We stop looking at our reasons for being “here”. We begin to focus on the circumstances that are characteristic of “here”. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that there is a serious problem with this line of thinking.

Go Back To Your “Why”

So, how do we change it? How do we fight back against the disappearance of the joy in our happy place?

I think the key is to go back to our “Why”. We have to return, in our minds, to our reasons for being where we are. This is true even when “here” includes circumstances and conditions that we would prefer to avoid.

God Is In Control

That’s because we know that God is still in control. We know that He has a plan for us and that our current “here” is not our final destination. It is only a way station on a much bigger journey.

We must remind ourselves that He has us here and it is for good reason. Until He moves us on, we must find our joy in knowing He loves us and is taking care of us.

Joy Despite Circumstances

We must also make the most of every opportunity while we are “here”. There are people around us watching. They want to know if the faith we claim is any better than going without it. They need to see us full of joy, regardless of the circumstances.

This does not mean we are without grief or anger or frustration. It simply means that they can see something else in us that they do not have. The joy that fills us regardless of conditions around us – that is what they want.

Pray To Find It!

Do we have it?

If not, I encourage you to pray that God would show you how to find it again. He is faithful and will show you where you left it. Try Him. You won’t be disappointed!

Do you have joy in all circumstances – happy place or not?

What typically causes you to lose it most often?

When you lose this joy, how do you normally regain it?