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Chris Patton

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Great Leadership Advice From My Dad

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My Dad’s advice is still coming in handy after all these years! You likely remember similar words of advice in your life, whether it was from your father, a teacher, or even an Andy Griffith show! Even after many years, some advice continues to apply in our everyday lives.

advice

Dad’s Advice

I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was heading out on a date in high school and Dad wanted to give me some final advice. His wise words still ring in my head some 25 years later.

Son, make your decision about what you will and won’t do right now. Whether is it drugs, alcohol, or sex, you cannot wait until the heat of the moment to decide. It will then be too late.

Of course, then I was too cool to let him know that I was listening! Fortunately, I was listening and made (mostly) wise decisions during those years. I knew he was wise then, but I had no idea I would still be following (and giving!) that advice these many years later!

Good Advice?

What makes this advice so good?

Well, in my mind it is ALL about timing. If we go through life waiting to make decisions until we face certain circumstances, then, as my Dad said, it will be too late. The emotions of the circumstances will override our logic and cause us to lean toward immediate gratification rather than deferred gratification. Making these decisions ahead of time allows us to think more clearly and to consider all consequences.

Example Situations

I think the picture was fairly clear in the high school example. Let me give you some examples of situations we may face as adult Christian business owners and leaders to illustrate what I am talking about.

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  • If you have not decided ahead of time how much money you will give or how you will give it, then what do you think you will do when the profits start rolling in or your income increases?
  • If you have not decided what you will do in advance, what do you think you will do if shown a “grey area” loop hole by your financial planner that he describes as “commonly used” by others?
  • If you have not made up your mind beforehand, what will your response be when offered a chance to go alone to a business lunch with a very attractive rep from one of your vendors?
  • If you have never planned your response to an opportunity to tell a little white lie to cover up a mistake you made, what do you think you will say?

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As you read through these examples, one or two of them probably stood out to you. You may have already faced these circumstances. If so, whether you made the right choice or not, you know what I am talking about. You also know that the likelihood of a good decision without advance planning is very low.

Applying The Advice

So how do you make the right decisions in advance?

You may be thinking that you cannot possibly be expected to anticipate EVERY potential circumstance when you would have to make such decisions. If so, you are right. I do not expect you to do that at all. In fact, that would be ridiculous.

No, I have a few simple thoughts that should put you on the right track. Take a look at these and see what you think.

1. Ask God to search your heart and show you where you are vulnerable. (Psalm 139:23-24)

    It is very likely that you are stronger in some areas of your walk and weaker in others. If you will ask God to point these weaker areas out to you, He will be faithful to do so (Psalm 145:18-19). It is these areas where you need to focus your attention.

    You do not need to worry about EVERY possible scenario in these areas. Take the most likely decisions you could face in each area and start with those.

2. Take these weaker areas and plan out your responses. (Proverbs 12:5)

    Take these weaker areas that God reveals to you and think about potential pitfalls. What kinds of decisions could you face that might throw you off your game? What decisions would you want to make in each area if you could write the script? Now begin doing exactly that!

    Make the decisions in these areas NOW so that you do not have to try to think about it when it is too late and you are under pressure (Proverbs 1:10-19)!

3. Use Scripture as the strong foundation for these decisions. (Psalm 119:11)

    If your vulnerable decision is about giving more money even when the temptation is there to spend more on yourself, try 1 Timothy 6:17-19 or Luke 6:38. If your weakness is maintaining your integrity when preparing your taxes, then use Psalm 119:36 or Proverbs 11:3.

    You get the idea. The point is to use an easy-to-remember verse from which to rally when put in a tough spot. Memorize the appropriate Scripture and call on it when challenged.

Do you remember similar advice from years back?

How does this advice apply to your work today?

What advice would you give to someone else today?

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11 Benefits of Living Out Your Vision and Core Values

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I have posted recently about some issues going on in our business and how one of these issues related to one of our core values: Integrity. Well, I want to talk about the other situation a little more in depth at this point. This situation is related to another of our core values: Employee Development.

core values

Not A Good Time

As I mentioned in a recent post, a key, long-term member of our company’s leadership team (my inner circle) gave me their resignation. While there is never a good time for this to happen, this announcement came at a particularly bad time for me.

We are less than 60 days away from beginning a total renovation of our Honda dealership facility and this leader was to be one of the key drivers of this project. He was also a leader in ensuring the smooth transition into the temporary location from which we will operate during construction.

We are also just over six months into a new management team under his leadership. This leader has played a critical role in their development. Though the team has shown amazing progress during this six-month period, there is still a distance to go before this team truly realizes their full potential.

As I said, this is not a good time for him to leave.

Employee Development

At the same time, one of our company’s five core values is Employee Development. We describe this core value this way:

We strive to create an atmosphere that inspires and enables people to reach their full potential.

Moving People

In addition to this core value, our Vision statement is “Moving people.” We explain our vision by first pointing out the connection between “moving” and transportation – in our case, selling and servicing automobiles. But the true meaning of this vision applies to the people that come into contact with our business – the stakeholders. These people fall into three categories – employees, customers, and community.

We want anyone, from any of these three categories, that comes into contact with our company to be better off having done so. We want to help “move” them from one position into another, better position as a result of their interaction with us. We want every decision we make to reflect this vision.

Key Leader Resignation

Let’s go back to the leader that has now resigned. When he first told me, he generously offered to work a month’s notice. He was willing to help in the transition in any way I wanted. He explained how this new business opportunity was not one that he sought out, but was simply too good for him to ignore.

As he explained the opportunity, I quickly saw that he was right. I realized that I could never offer him the same chance to reach his full potential in our company as he could reach in this new job. I was disappointed in losing him, but I could not blame him for saying yes to the offer.

Living Out Core Values?

It was at this point that I had a choice. I could get angry and do what the majority of owners would do in our industry – tell him to pack his things and go ahead and exit immediately. I could cut off his compensation and benefits that very day and do only what I was legally bound to do.

OR, I could embrace our core value of Employee Development and our “Moving people” vision. I could congratulate him on his tremendous opportunity and begin laying out a plan that would maximize his effectiveness while he worked his notice, benefiting both of us in the process.

I chose the latter. In fact, I used the opportunity to reinforce our commitment to our core values by going to every department individually and explaining the whole situation. I tried to show, by example, that we are indeed serious about these core values and our vision.

The Results

The results? Well it has not been long enough yet to give a full report, but I can give you some of the immediate benefits…
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    1. Other leaders have immediately stepped up to fill in the void caused by his departure
    2. Employees have seen we are committed to our core values – “moving” them whether that means they are moving “up” in the company or “out!”
    3. Our company’s relationship with this leader is fully intact and will bear fruit by maintaining an open line of communication in the immediate future in case we need help tying up loose ends (or accessing a lost password!).
    4. We were able to have a going-away party to show him our appreciation for his contributions and to allow closure to those employees closest to him.
    5. I believe his transition into a new job will be easier because we eliminated any stress that could have come from a messy separation.

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As I began listing these immediate benefits, I realized that there are longer-term benefits as well. Here is a short, not exhaustive, list of these benefits…

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    6. The remaining leaders in the company will be stronger in the long term due to stepping up their game in the transition and beyond.
    7. Other employees may realize we are serious about employee development and our other core values. Hopefully, they will work for similar opportunities in their own career. While some may move “out,” they will be better off having worked here. Still others will move “up” and make us a stronger company as a result.
    8. Our ongoing relationship with the departing leader will bear fruit in many other forms as he will be working on cutting-edge ideas and processes in his new job. We will have the inside track access to what he is learning.
    9. His future job performance will be better due to the ongoing relationship with our company. We will likely serve as testing grounds for some of his ideas and projects.
    10. His personal relationships with some of the employees, hampered while here due to working relationship, will likely blossom without that hindrance.
    11. I will maintain a friendship with him. I already look forward to hearing how his new job is going and how he is using the skills and talents God gave him to impact others.

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Have you had similar opportunities to live out your company’s core values?

What would you have done differently?

What benefits did I overlook?

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How Should A Christian Business Respond To Legal Issues?

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[box]Today’s post is a guest post by Dave Moser, who blogs at Armchair-Theology.net. Dave brings up a great question that more and more Christian business owners may face in the not-so-distant future. Read about the shocking story Dave discusses and think about how you might respond if your Christian business faced these legal issues.[/box]

legal issues

Legal Issues Facing Christian Business

In the realm of religious political discourse in the US, contraceptive/abortifacient funding and gay marriage reign supreme. These push other issues to the side – legal issues that have a huge impact on Christians in the workforce.

What if the government forced you to vindicate sin?

As a photographer, strongly considering photography as a source of income in seminary and if needed as a bi-vocational pastor, I couldn’t help but be touched by this story:

Elane Photography… received an email from a woman in a same-sex relationship inquiring about prices for shooting her and her partner’s “commitment ceremony” in Taos. The photographer knew that she could not in good conscience use her artistic skills to photograph a ceremony that communicated support for redefining marriage. Although the same-sex couple found another photographer for their ceremony, one of the partners filed a discrimination complaint with the state, subjecting the owners to a trial before the Human Rights Commission.

The owners explained that they tried to operate their business according to their higher principles, including those on marriage. The commission rejected their First Amendment defenses, found the company guilty, and ordered it to pay $6,600 in attorneys’ fees. The case is now on appeal and awaiting a decision by the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
– Santa Fe New Mexican (emphasis added)

The Human Rights Commission requires Christians in business to sponsor sin.

Not Just Homosexuality

This isn’t a rant against homosexuality. There are a myriad of business scenarios this type of ruling could impact:

  • The construction company which refuses to build an abortion clinic.
  • The cleaning service which refuses to clean a strip club.
  • The newspaper which refuses to run advertisements for a casino.
  • The doctor who refuses to conduct abortions.

If the government prevents Christians from recusing themselves from business deals based on moral grounds, we could find ourselves required to perform actions we abhor.

How Can Christians Respond?

Christians have many options in responding to this trend. I’ve listed some here along with some of the difficulties I see them presenting. I’m not saying that these are the only options or the best options. Neither are the considerations complete. This isn’t legal advice. It’s a starting point for thought and discussion.

1. Civil Disobedience

The first option is to knowingly disobey such orders. Knowingly abstaining from sinful actions and bravely submitting to the consequences is a powerful witness.

Considerations:

    This is dissimilar from the race-focused civil rights movement of the mid-20th century on one major factor: the momentum of cultural perception. God created all humans in His image so race-based discrimination is an affront to the very character of God. The civil-rights movement of the 1960’s was a movement towards biblical truth.

    However, abortion, gay marriage and similar issues are anti-biblical. Western culture is moving away from, not towards, a biblical truth. Culture will be against us, not for us. We will not be cheered for this, we will be jeered for this. Go down this path with eyes wide open.

2. Political Change

The western societies characterized by policies like this (or on their way to it) are also characterized by some form of citizen government. As such, citizens have the ability to affect change in their government’s policies.

This is exactly what the Alliance Defense Fund is doing in the case of Elane Photography. ADF is going to the courts to defend Elane Photography with the intention of establishing court rulings favorable to conscience-driven business practices.

Other avenues include:

  • Ballot measures to make concience-driven business practices legal
  • Nominating, promoting and voting for politicians friendly to the cause

Considerations:

    Much like civil disobedience, these measures are going against the momentum of the present culture. You might lose business, reduce social standing, receive threats or even be attacked for your stance.

3. Change Your Product

The business of photography is driven by specialization. No one is simply a “professional photographer.” There are:

  • Maternity photographers
  • Advertising photographers
  • Landscape photographers
  • Fashion photographers
  • Photojournalists
  • Infant photographers
  • Architectural photographers
  • Sports photographers
  • Wildlife photographers
  • …and a whole host of other specializations

No one sues a landscape photographer for not shooting their wedding.

Would Elane Photography be in this trouble if the service they provided was specifically “photographic documentation of Christian weddings”? Christian weddings have different customs, symbols and points of emphasis than civil ceremonies, marriages for other religions and other family events and is therefore a legitimate specialization. If that is the specialized service you provide, chances are much lower that you will be sued for not providing services in conflict with your morals.

Considerations:

    1. Offering more specific services will limit your potential pool of clients. This could have obvious impacts on revenue.

    2. The laws of your jurisdiction may not provide legal shelter with a simple rebranding of services. Consult a lawyer before rebranding your services for legal protection.

4. Use The Opportunity For the Gospel

Perhaps Elane Photography could have used this as an opportunity to advance the gospel. If the final photographs delivered included Bible verses that proclaimed the gospel or posed challenges to sinners, might God have been served?

This also gives a Christian to hold a relationship with the non-Christian instead of avoiding them. Not only your product, but your words and actions are a witness to the unbeliever.

Bake the gospel into your product and your dealings with the world.

Considerations:

    1. This method involves actually conducting the practice with which you disagree. It is, without question, a grey area. It risks directly sinning or putting a stamp of approval on the sin.

    2. You must be completely transparent about what service you are going to provide. If the photo book you deliver is going to be saturated with Scripture, this can’t be a surprise when the customer takes delivery. Make sure your contract explains that the photos will be accompanied by relevant Bible verses.

    3. Your work represents Christian business to the world in a special way. Your product must display excellence or it will tarnish the name of Christ with the labels shoddy, lazy, unrefined and substandard.

    Jesus is a treasure. Represent him that way.

What Next?

How would you respond if you were in Elane Photography’s place?

What other considerations are there for the options I listed above?

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Are You Celebrating Freedoms Or Taking Them For Granted?

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I was going to take the day off from posting to celebrate with my family, but I could not resist giving you a couple of thoughts about the freedoms we are celebrating here in the US.

freedom

Thank God For The Sacrifice

First, we need to thank God for the sacrifice of the men and women over the years that have served, fought, and died for our freedoms. We have so many freedoms that we take for granted every day. The majority of the world yearns for the freedoms we have. God has certainly blessed our nation.

Taking Freedoms For Granted?

This leads to my second thought. Assume for a minute that you live where you have none of these freedoms. Assume you have never had these freedoms, but you have been told all about them. You pray and pray for these freedoms, but nothing happens.

Now imagine that one day, you are given the freedoms you sought for so long. You are given the freedom to worship whenever and wherever you want. You are given the freedom to talk about your faith with others…at school, work, the grocery store, etc. You are no longer limited in how you exercise your faith in God. You are free!

What do you think you would do? Would you exercise this new-found freedom or would you remain quiet? Would you begin openly talking about your faith in the workplace or would you continue with sealed lips? Would you publicly acknowledge God and all He has done for you or would you keep all of that to yourself?

What Is Holding You Back?

Think about it. If you live in the US, you HAVE these freedoms right now. God has placed you in a nation that allows you (for now) to worship when and where you please. You can openly share your faith and you do not have to keep quiet about God’s role in your life!

So the question is this…are you exercising these freedoms or are you taking them for granted and virtually ignoring them?

Don’t rush on – stop and think about the answer to that question.

Our Responsibility

My final thought – this blog is currently read in 138 countries worldwide! In fact, one out of every four readers of this blog are from outside of the US. I do not know how many of those readers are limited in their freedoms either by law or by persecution or both. I do know that many of them would love to have the freedoms we take so lightly!

That being the case, I truly believe it is our responsibility to stop being so lazy or scared (or both) and start exercising these freedoms! Step up and take your faith into the workplace. Talk with someone about your faith and what God has done in your life. Move out of your comfort zone and trust God!

You will be glad you did and you will be stronger for it.

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Employee decisions: Rigorous or Ruthless?

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Employee Decisions

As Christian business owners and leaders, we are usually very involved in employee decisions on a consistent basis. In fact, that part of our job can absorb a majority of our time. Our ability to handle these employee decisions well can also be one of the biggest influences on the success of our company, as well as the ministry we desire.

employee decisions

Assuming this is true, then it is clear that we must devote time to learning how to best handle these employee decisions. While we all agree that issues concerning people often account for the majority of the time and energy we spend in our jobs, many Christian business owners fail to spend much time thinking about their approach to this important subject.

Ruthless vs. Rigorous

As I have said before, I love to hear great quotes and can often have a hard time getting them out of my head. Last fall at Catalyst, Jim Collins had several meaningful quotes over the course of his presentation. Anyone who has read his books or heard him speak can likely attest to his ability to do this.

One of Collins’ quotes actually applies to employee decisions and can be supported with Scripture. Here it is…

There is a big difference between being rigorous and being ruthless in making and carrying out people decisions.

First, let’s look at the definitions of the two words.

    Rigorous: extremely thorough, exhaustive or accurate

    Ruthless: having or showing no pity or compassion for others

What Does Scripture Say?

While there are likely some business schools that teach the necessity of being ruthless, I think it is clear from the definition above that this is not a behavior that matches well with a Christian business – especially when applied to employee decisions. Just in case you are not certain, let’s look at some Scripture to back up that assertion.

Read Matthew 18:21-35. This quote captures the essence of the parable:

Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed.

On the other hand, I think we can make a great argument for being rigorous. Let’s take a look at some Scripture that can give us some clarity here.

The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor. – Proverbs 21:5

Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.
–Proverbs 20:18

Differing weights and varying measures – both are detestable to the Lord.
–Proverbs 20:10

So what exactly do these two ideas look like in action?

The Ruthless Leader

A ruthless manager or leader can face tough employee decisions just like anyone else, but the way they may approach these decisions is what sets them apart. A ruthless leader looks only to the bottom line and sees nothing else. Nothing gets in his way.

If someone makes a mistake, there is no second chance with the ruthless leader. If someone is not performing to standard, he cuts them from the team without mercy. If an employee needs time off for emergency family issues, this ruthless leader refuses the request. When goals are not met, heads roll.

The Rigorous Manager

On the other hand, the rigorous manager is different. Though she may also face difficult employee decisions, her approach is easily recognized to be different. Her view of the circumstances is not limited to the bottom line, but includes other factors.

A rigorous manager sees that an employee’s mistake may indicate poor working conditions or fatigue due to unusually long hours. She recognizes that substandard performance may show the need for more thorough training or upgraded tools. She is willing to consider a family emergency as a legitimate exception to the rule. She also looks further than the simple missed goals to determine if she has the right people in place.

Don’t misunderstand. The rigorous manager is anything but a pushover! She still sets clear expectations and holds her people accountable to those standards. She expects her people to stretch themselves to meet their targets. She does not tolerate patterns of variance from the standards. This manager can cut someone from the team just as quickly as the ruthless one, but she requires more information in order to make that decision.

Bible Calls For Excellence

Nowhere does the Bible tell us to be weak and spineless in our employee decisions. Instead, we are called to excellence and should not settle for less. The excuse that we should not push as hard for excellence because we are a Christian company is absolutely ridiculous!

However, pushing for excellence does not require ruthless behavior. It does require rigorous behavior.

We are called to serve Jesus. He is the King of kings and is not satisfied with our second best. We need to maintain our eternal perspective and do everything in our power to represent Him with our best!

Do you see any ruthless behavior in your employee decisions?

What would your employees say?

What steps can you take to become more rigorous?

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Obedience From A Weak Position!

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If you have been in business long, you have likely found yourself in a weak position from time to time. Maybe key personnel left for other opportunities or a new competitor came onto the scene. Whatever the case, you knew your organization was vulnerable. What if God asked you to do something right then that could potentially wreck your fragile situation? Would obedience be easy for you?

obedience

Fragile Situation

Not too long ago, I had a key, long-term member of our company’s executive leadership team come to me and resign. His reasons were valid and I supported his decision though I did not want him to leave.

While there could have been worse times for this to happen, it was certain to cause massive change within the organization. I was seriously concerned about the ripple effect it would have on others in the company. I knew I had to tread lightly through the transition to minimize collateral damage.

A Choice To Make

Unfortunately, within days of this news I had to face another, more significant issue which violated one of our core values. This issue, if addressed, had the potential to do tremendous damage to the entire organization – especially in its weakened position! If ignored, there was a good possibility that nothing more would come of it – at least in the near term.

I prayed about the decision. I sought godly counsel. I wrestled with it from every angle. God’s answer became clear.

The problem was that certain circumstances muddied the picture. Whenever I looked at all that was involved in this picture, I got confused. It was easy to rationalize actually sweeping the whole thing under the rug without many people even knowing it ever happened. That was certainly the easiest thing to do.

Obedience?

I had the choice between obedience and ignoring the problem altogether.

Based on the feedback I received from godly counsel, the answer was simple. I must address the issue and face it head on. I had sought godly advice and received it. I had prayed about it. The only step remaining was obedience.

Similar Circumstances For Joshua

While the circumstances are not exactly the same, take a look at Joshua 5. The Israelites have just entered the land God had promised them. Unfortunately, it was still enemy territory. They were just miles from Jericho and everyone in that town knew they were coming to attack.

It was at this point that God told Joshua to have ALL the men circumcised! If Joshua followed God’s direction, his army would be incapacitated and completely vulnerable to attack (see Genesis 34). This condition would last for several days. How could he even consider doing this?

Just like me, Joshua found himself in an extremely vulnerable position. God gave him clear instructions. He had the choice between obedience and rebellion.

Choosing Obedience

Joshua chose obedience. God honored that choice.

In my situation, I chose obedience as well.

I truly hated the decision I had to make, but I hated the alternative of ignoring God even more.

God Is Faithful

Now that I am on the other side of the decision, I promise you that God is faithful when we choose obedience. None of the fears I had ever materialized. In fact, I found out my team is even stronger than I imagined.

What I really found out (again) is that God honors our faith in Him when we choose obedience. I cannot guarantee I will always choose the right path, but I know I will remember this particular situation for years to come. I encourage you to do the same and see how faithful our God truly is.

I recently read the following quote in Wiersbe’s study on the book of Joshua, called Be Strong.

It has been well said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence but obeying in spite of consequence.

How do you see this quote applying to your situation?

What does it say to you?

Where do you need to choose obedience despite the consequences?

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Where Is Your Dependence?

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As I continue to deal with storms at work, I keep going back to the Bible for guidance. What is funny is how certain verses or passages pop up in unusual places to give me the encouragement I need. Just a few minutes ago, as I was scrolling through my notes for future posts, I came across the some verses (Psalm 33:13-22) that remind me where my dependence should be.

dependence

For context, let’s look at verses 13-15 first.

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from His dwelling place.
15 He alone shapes their hearts;
He considers all their works.

Here The Lord is looking down from heaven and it is clear He is complete and total control. He is observing us and considering our works.

Then come the key verses (16-19) for us…

16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.
18 Now the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.

Let’s break that down a little so we do not miss a single morsel of value from it!

1. A king is not saved by a large army.

    There are numerous accounts throughout Scripture and other historical accounts of kings being soundly defeated despite having the advantage of a larger army.

    The lesson here is that we cannot depend on the apparent strength of our company to save us in tough times (or good ones!). If we place our dependence on the strength of our company, we risk failure.

2. A warrior will not be delivered by great strength.

    Just like above, too often the strong warrior has gone down despite appearing invincible. Just consider at Goliath. God is clearly telling us here that we are not to rely on our own strength to win the day.

    We may be brilliant in business or in our specific field, but we are not God. There are too many factors that are out of our control. We should not place our dependence on our own strength.

3. The horse is a false hope for safety.

    The horse was a great advantage in battle for centuries. If you were on a horse, it was much less likely that you would be killed. Unfortunately, even this advantage is not enough to guarantee safety.

    What is your horse? Do you have a can’t-miss product or service that you feel can carry the day and keep you out of financial trouble for years to come? Maybe your horse is a portfolio of “solid” real estate investments from 5-10 years ago? If so, I am sorry, but I think you get the message. Do not place your dependence there!

4. (The horse) provides no escape by its great power.

    Though we addressed the horse above, this line actually takes the advice a step further. Not only does the horse not provide safety, now we are told it provides NO escape.

    This is kind of like an exclamation point on the previous line. Just in case we did not get a clear enough picture in the first line, the second line comes along to blow away all the smoke. Obviously, our “horse” is not where we want our dependence!

Rest of the Picture

So, what is the rest of the picture? Other than telling us what NOT to do, what is the author saying?

I think the next two verses (18-19) will answer your question!

18 Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.

He Wants Dependence On Him

These verses give us a picture of what God is looking for. God is seeking out those who fear Him – who place their entire dependence on Him and His provision. God wants us to seek Him for deliverance from death and provision in famine.

A similar verse (also one of my favorites) is found in 2 Chronicles 16:9…

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

He Wants Dependence In ALL Areas

A consistent theme throughout my blog is that we must be FULLY committed to God. Our FULL dependence must be on Him. We cannot say that we are committed to him and only include him in our church life.

He must be our focus throughout every segment of our lives. Obviously, my passion is about teaching others how to do just that in the marketplace. I hope you are inspired to begin this very journey.

He may ask you to get your feet wet from time to time, but I promise you it is worth it!

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Are You Getting Your Feet Wet In Following God?

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As I have mentioned several times in my posts lately, I am going through some storms at work. I am sincere in my efforts in following God and His lead so I am redoubling my commitment to spend more time in His Word and in prayer. It is amazing the insights He gives me when I do this!

following God

Be Strong!

Just this morning, I was reading in Joshua. I started here because I remembered God’s charge to Joshua to “Be Strong!” I felt I needed a little of that kind of encouragement!

Step Out In Faith

So anyway, I was reading in Joshua 3 when I came across what I think is a critical passage for us as Christian business owners and leaders. No matter who you are or where you work, there are going to be times in your relationship with God that He asks you to step out in faith. Following God will sometimes require that you step out before you know what you are stepping into!

That is where the faith comes in!

Crossing The Jordan River

Take a moment to read this short passage (Joshua 3:9-17).

Joshua is instructing the Israelites in how they are going to cross the Jordan River to finally enter the Promised Land.

Major Miracle

Now keep in mind that the Jordan River is typically 100 feet wide for most of the year. However, at the time of this passage, the Bible says it was at the spring season flood stage. That means it was swollen to as much as a mile wide!

They have no boats and yet they are being told to prepare to cross this mile-wide river. This is not just a few people either. The Bible said there were 600,000 fighting men that crossed at this time. Based on that, and including other men, women, and children. scholars estimate the total number of Israelites that crossed the Jordan at roughly 2.5 million!

This was no small miracle, but it was not like the similar crossing of the Red Sea. In this case, the priests had to step out into the water before God acted to stop the flow.

Big Deal with God

You may not see that as a big deal, but I think it IS a big deal with God. He does not always do it the same way. Sometimes he just moves (like with the Red Sea) and then we know what to do next – it is clear.

Other times when following God, He asks us to move first.

Examples with Abraham

Consider a couple of situations when Abraham was following God. God asked Abraham to leave his home to go to a place to be named later. Abraham had no clue where he was going, but he was obedient. Later, God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Again, Abraham was obedient without knowing what the outcome would be.

Stepping Out of the Boat

Even more appropriate, look at Peter. In the boat with the other disciples, he is called out by Jesus to step out and walk on water! Peter likely could not envision exactly how it would work or what it would look like. Plus, he was in the middle of a storm!

As we all know, Peter took the steps of obedience and was given the thrill of walking on water! Of course, it did not last long because he quickly lost his focus and went down. But Jesus was right there to pull him out. That is another whole lesson in itself!

Following God

Folks, when you are truly following God and seeking His guidance in your business, or any other part of your walk with Him, you need to be ready to get your feet wet. Pray that He would give you the boldness and faith you need to step out and trust His lead.

You will not regret it!

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In This World, You Will Have Trouble!

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troubleOne of my favorite verses in the Bible is found in John 16. Jesus and the disciples have just finished the Last Supper. Jesus is soon to be arrested.

In between these two major events, He is teaching the disciples some of His most critical lessons. He knows He is near the end and I feel the intensity is climbing. Then He says it…

“In this world, you will have trouble.” – John 16:33

Am I sick or out of my mind? Why in the world would I see that as one of my favorite verses? I must be missing a screw somewhere, right?

    Because I am guest posting today for Kari Scare over at her blog “Struggle to Victory,” you can read the rest of this post by clicking on the link below. Make sure to give Kari your comments on this post!

Read the rest of this post by clicking here.

Also, be sure to check out other posts on Kari’s blog! A couple of my favorites are listed below:

A Foundation with No Building is Just a Swimming Pool

Do You Need Vision Therapy?

Do You Have Broad Shoulders?

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Solomon’s 8 Steps to Discovering God’s Will

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Recently, I have had an avalanche of fairly significant issues overtake me. Fortunately, God gave me (a little) advance warning that the storm was coming! As a result, I have been able to prepare myself by refocusing on my morning quiet times and devoting more energy to my prayer life! My ultimate goal is to allow God’s will to direct my decisions as I navigate this minefield.

God's will

Proverbs’ Advice

In thinking about this, I remembered some applicable advice in Proverbs 2 that addresses seeking God’s will. Starting in the first four verses of Proverbs 2, Solomon gives us eight directives. Read these verses slowly and pick them out.

1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 listening closely to wisdom
and directing your heart to understanding;
3 furthermore, if you call out to insight
and lift your voice to understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it like hidden treasure,…

Solomon’s Eight Steps

If we are truly looking to align our lives with Scripture, then this passage is ripe with opportunity. Like a machine gun, Solomon quickly rattles off eight action words or phrases. If you are not paying close attention, then you could miss one or more of them. Each of these phrases is a directive to the reader.

1. Accept my words

    I have to first accept that the words given here are absolutely true, not up for discussion. If I am unsure of this, then there is no need to read on.

2. Store up my commands within you

    I have to memorize these words (along with other Scripture) for the purpose of recall when needed.

3. Listen closely to wisdom

    When it is offered or available, I must listen to (Godly) wisdom and be prepared to apply it. There should never be a time that I ignore it.

4. Direct your heart to understanding

    I need to point my heart in the direction of understanding. It also means to “stretch out” toward understanding. The path of my heart needs to be headed toward understanding.

5. Call out to insight

    I need to actively call out (prayer) for insight. Waiting on it to be downloaded into me is not enough. I need to be vocal to God!

6. Lift your voice to understanding

    I need to increase the intensity of my voice as I cry out for understanding from above.

7. Seek (understanding) like silver

    I do not need to just sit still and call out for understanding. I also need to be active in going to where I will find it! Whether by reading Scripture, seeking wise counsel from other believers, meditating, etc., I must not be content without it.

8. Search for (understanding) like hidden treasure

    Sometimes understanding will not be in obvious places. I must not allow that to stop me. I must look with intensity as though I am searching for something hidden (that I am confident actually exists!).

Additional Emphasis

Notice how Solomon knows that not everyone will heed his words here so he begins by saying, “if you…” three times – typical in Jewish teachers for emphasis and effect. Let’s make sure this effort is not in vain!

Sincere About Seeking God’s Will?

If we are sincere about seeking God’s will for our lives, our businesses, then we must not ignore the advice Solomon gives. We must heed his words and follow with action! I encourage you to apply this advice to the situation in which you most desire to know God’s will for you.

Rest Of The Story

Now that you understand what you are to do, I will let you in on the rest of the story! This is my favorite part of this chapter! The cool part is what follows in verses 2:5-22, when Solomon describes the results of taking this action. Like before, read this section slowly and think about how nice it would be to see all of these results in your business!

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up success for the upright;
He is a shield for those who live with integrity
8 so that He may guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of His loyal followers.
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and integrity—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your mind,
and knowledge will delight your heart.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you,
12 rescuing you from the way of evil—
from the one who says perverse things,
13 from those who abandon the right paths
to walk in ways of darkness,
14 from those who enjoy doing evil
and celebrate perversion,
15 whose paths are crooked,
and whose ways are devious.
16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,
from a stranger with her flattering talk,
17 who abandons the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death
and her ways to the land of the departed spirits.
19 None return who go to her;
none reach the paths of life.
20 So follow the way of good people,
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those of integrity will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous uprooted from it.

Source Of Energy

I don’t know about you, but these results of seeking God’s will with intensity excite me! I know I have a long way to go and many storms to face, but at least I have instructions on how to proceed. I hope you get the same energy as I do after reading this chapter!

Does this chapter excite you as much as it does me?

In what situation could you seek God’s will like Solomon advises?

Who else do you know that could use this advice right now?