Author Archives

Chris Patton

Posted on

Ministry Action: Resource Library for Employees

by

Do You Have A Resource Library…?

As a Christian business owner or leader, you are most likely a life-long learner. Whether you read books, blogs, and magazines or listen to podcasts or other audio materials, you most likely consume teaching resources on a regular basis. You may even have your own resource library. I bet you consider the expense of learning to be necessary – just a part of being a leader.

resource library

…For Employees?

My question is this – do you give your employees the same opportunity? Have you even thought about this? Obviously you see the benefit of constant reading and learning for your own growth. Don’t you think the same is true for your employees or team members?

ministry actionWhat I am suggesting here is not a program that forces them to read. I am not talking about forcing them to do anything.

First, it may be that no one else has ever before emphasized to them the importance of reading. Their lack of reading could also come from a lack of the financial resources. Regardless, for those that see the benefits of continuous learning, you can certainly offer your support.

Recently, I posted about easy ways to do Christian ministry in the course of doing business. Now I am about to add another one – a resource library for your employees. There is nothing complicated about doing this at all. In fact, it may be easier than you think.

How To Set Up A Resource Library

Here are some of the steps we went through to set up our resource library:

    1. Decide where you will locate it.

      It needs to give them easy access while also being monitored so it does not turn into a hide-out or junk collection point.

    2. Decide who will approve the material and the guidelines they will use.

      Depending on your purpose, you need to make sure there are guidelines for what you will and will not include. Our guideline is simple – it must not conflict with our mission statement.

    3. Decide how it will be funded.

      We fund ours through the business, but I am sure you could come up with any number of ways to raise the money to make this happen.

    4. Solicit book donations.

      Allow your employees to bring some of their favorite books and materials and donate them or loan them to the resource library. They need to understand the risk of loss, but most are fine with this.

    5. Begin with basic materials.

      I would suggest you start with your own books – those fitting the overall purpose – and then adding those resources you think will meet the basic needs of your people.

    6. Accept requests from employees.

      In the event an employee sees a book they would like to read, have them submit a request for it. If it fits your criteria, buy the book and add it to the resource library.

    7. Add your own twists.

      a. We stock several translations of the Bible. In the event an employee wants a Bible, we will buy it for them. In this case, they get to sample the various translations and choose one they like. This is one book they do not have to return to the resource library. It is theirs to keep.
      b. We also stock multiple copies of several more popular books. We encourage the employees to share these copies with anyone they meet that is interested. This is especially true with the Christian books.

As a reference only (not necessarily a guide), the following is an estimate of the mix we currently have in our resource library.

resource library resource library

Do your employees have access to a resource library?

How hard would it be to establish one for them?

What benefits do you think you would see?

Posted on

Crisis – An Advisory Board In Action

by

advisory boardAs Christian business owners and leaders, we are virtually guaranteed to face a crisis in the course of doing business. In fact, the odds are we will face more than one.

Are You Prepared?

Depending on your experience, you may or not be prepared for it when it hits. If it is big enough, even your years of experience may not help. This is where the combined godly wisdom of a good advisory board is critical.

Advisory Board in Action

In a recent C12 advisory board meeting, one of the members shared the crisis he is currently facing in his business. His crisis was actually a conglomeration of several difficult issues involving family, business, and faith. To protect the innocent, I will not go into details!

The Crisis Defined

I will tell you that in all my years of business, I have not faced anything like this business owner is facing. It quickly became clear in the group that the same was true for the rest of the members. This situation was a doozy and had more hair on it than Bigfoot! Quite simply, there was no clear and easy solution.

It took the member 30-45 minutes to finally get all of the pertinent facts onto the table because he was so distraught over the situation. He bounced from issue to issue, trying to describe all the details. We were asking clarifying questions the whole time because he was so scattered in his thoughts and words. It was a painful effort just getting a clear picture of the whole situation.

Action Plan Established

From there, it was amazing to watch the minds of eight godly, Christian business owners jump into action. In a flurry of more questions, debate, and brainstorming, our advisory board group came up with a solid action plan for the member to execute.

Here are some of the advisory board contributions:

    1. Detailed the timeline for his action plan.

    2. Debated the best approach to each step of the plan.

    3. Outlined possible break downs in the plan and how to respond to them.

    4. Discussed the potential pitfalls to shortcutting various steps in the plan.

    5. Gave advice relating to legal issues he will need to further investigate.

    6. Tested our recommendations against Scripture throughout the process.

    7. Questioned him on various decisions he had made up to this point.

    8. Gave him contact info for key people that could meet various needs.

    9. Prayed over him and the whole situation – asking for wisdom, peace, strength, mercy, forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation for all parties involved.

Now Fully Prepared

At the end of the meeting, it was clear that the member was in better spirits and fully equipped to face the crisis head on. While, the tough time was still in front of him, he knew he was on the right path and had a solid game plan. He also knew that we would continue to pray for him through the process. That does a lot for one’s confidence.

Advisory Board Structure

I encourage you to contact C12 if you are interested in visiting a group meeting to get a feel for how it works. Of course, the C12 Advisory Board structure is not the only way to accomplish this process. In my conversation with Mark Cress a couple of weeks ago, he explained how his advisory board consisted of a unique blend of personalities and experience. This board is the actual Board of Directors for Corporate Chaplains of America (CCA).

Though there are some significant differences in the responsibilities of his board when compared to the C12 advisory board, the benefits discussed in this post are the same. An example of this is how the CCA board has played a critical role in creating Mark’s succession plan over the next several years. Their combined wisdom will ensure a smooth transition of leadership over CCA, as well as position the organization for significant growth in the future.

You Need An Advisory Board

The bottom line is that regardless of the size of your business, you need an advisory board. There are too many potential problems you could face that will require more wisdom and experience than you have. Whether you seek a paid advisory board or one that volunteers their time, you cannot afford to go it alone.

Consider these verses from Proverbs as your encouragement to get started:

Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.
-Proverbs 11:14

Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.
-Proverbs 15:22

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

…wage war with sound guidance – victory comes with many counselors.
-Proverbs 24:6

Do you have similar access to the godly wisdom an advisory board offers?

What are some other benefits you have seen?

If not, when are you going to get started?

Posted on

Christian Business: 7 Easy Ways To Integrate Faith And Work

by

Christian businessI am a strong believer in the great need for Christian business owners and leaders to begin integrating their Christian faith and their businesses. I do not think enough people are thinking this way, so I write this blog in an effort to get the message out.

As part of this effort, I often include practical ways to do ministry in the normal course of doing business. The following is a list of 7 easy ways to get started. Each item on this list is something we are already doing and is further described in separate post. The link to each post is included in each brief description. At the end of this list, I will tell you how to find another 101 ideas!

7 Easy Ways To Integrate Faith and Work

1. Christian mission statement

    This is so crucial that it really should be the first thing you do. A mission statement that acknowledges your business as a Christian business not only tells others what you are about, but also serves to keep you on track for years to come. Read more here – Mission Statement – Step 1 in a Strategic Ministry Plan.

2. Impact Fund

    Your employees will get into the giving spirit if you lead the way. Creating a fund that allows them to support their co-workers in times of need is a huge opportunity to lead. They will surprise you with their response! Read more here – How Could a Business Help with Employee Hardship?.

3. Gospels in the lounge

    You do not have to hit people over the head with the Gospel to spread it as a Christian business. Simply placing these simple Gospel messages in your customer areas is a great way to sow seeds. Let God do the rest. Read more here – Ministry Action: Gospels in the Lounge.

4. Employee Newsletter

    Communication is critical for any business. This is especially true for a Christian business. You can easily improve your company-wide communication through the use of a company newsletter. Using even the simplest of newsletters to convey a Biblical message or promote Christian values can bear fruit. Read more here – Advice from Coach Wooden.

5. Message at company gatherings

    Company gatherings, such as Christmas parties, can be an excellent opportunity for the Christian business owner or leader to reinforce the mission of the company. An easy way to do this is to carve out 10-15 minutes or so and tell a story or interesting illustration that conveys the Gospel message. While the first time may be uncomfortable, God will honor your efforts. Read more here – Christ and the Company Christmas Party.

6. Message to customers

    Different companies will have varying opportunities to share the Gospel with customers. For us, including a copy of the New Testament, with a cover that reads “Owner’s Manual For Life”, in the glove box of every car we sell seemed like an easy way to accomplish this. Read more here – Taking Action: Owner’s Manual for Life.

7. Chaplain program

Don’t Delay!

You should have no excuses to delay. Pick one or two ideas to get started, grab a couple of your key people to help, and lay out your plan. I promise you will not regret taking action!

Do you see any ideas you can implement immediately?

What can you add to the list?

What results have you seen from your efforts?

Posted on

Have You Thought About Walking Away?

by

Walking AwayI made a new friend recently. During our conversation, he told me about his decision to walk away from a very successful business because he felt God calling him to something different. He did not know where God was calling him, but he knew he had to follow. I think you can draw inspiration from his story – whether you have ever considered walking away or not.

Mark Cress’ Story

In 1993, Mark Cress was part owner of an Inc. 500 company. At 37 years old, he was extremely successful and it appeared he had nothing but blue skies ahead. But then he started to realize that God was calling him to something else. Once he and his wife made the decision to follow God’s call, things changed rapidly. Within months, he was walking away. He had sold his business to the employees, sold his house on the lake, and enrolled in seminary. In less than a total of three years, he had started the organization that is now Corporate Chaplains of America.

Corporate Chaplains of America (CCA) now ministers to more than 800 different business locations. Those locations represent thousands of employees served on a weekly basis. Can you imagine the impact God is having through this organization?

My Story

As I listened to Mark tell his story, I saw a few clear parallels to my own story. At the same time, God sent us down different paths.

All of my life, I had been working toward taking over my family’s business, an automobile dealership group in Georgia. In 2001, I was General Manager of two of our seven locations. I planned to expand and take the company to new heights!  I had visions of grandeur and everything looked like it was headed that way.  But when I began spending time in God’s Word, I realized that everything I wanted and was working for was only temporal.  None of it would really matter in 1,000 years.

My Revelation

I realized I was only giving God the Christian requisite one day per week (actually, just Sunday morning) and an occasional Wednesday evening.  The rest of the time was spent trying to juggle my job in the car business and my family at home.  Even when I added the daily quiet times, God was still not the central focus of my life.  This was not the way He wanted it!

Searching For Answers

I began searching for answers.  If God wanted all of me, what would that look like?  I had heard of people getting “called” into full-time ministry, but I did not feel that call.  I knew of others, like Mark Cress, that were “called” into the mission field, but I did not feel that either.  What exactly was God asking me to do? What was I created to do?

Was I Walking Away?

To tell the truth, I did not have a clue!  I only knew I was not comfortable with the status quo and had to change it. I sat down with my father and explained that I was walking away from the business.  Because I was already in a significant leadership position within the company, I told him I did not want to do it effective immediately.  I wanted him to have time to replace me and make any other arrangements that may be necessary.  This would likely involve downsizing the business and could take a couple of years.

I did not feel God calling me to leave right away, only to let go and be prepared to walk away.  I had no idea where I was going or when.  I only knew I wanted to be spending more of my time working for God – whatever that entailed.

Called To Stay In The Business!

Fast forward eleven years, and I am still in the business! It was almost two years after that conversation with my father that God showed me where He wanted me. Though I thought I was walking away, He showed me that He had placed me in the position I currently held for a purpose and a season. He wanted me to do all I had envisioned in ministry, but He wanted me to do it through the business. As a good friend recently told me, God wanted me in the car ministry!

So that is exactly what I am attempting to do. I have said it many times – I do not have it figured out. Yet I keep showing up. I am determined to allow God to have the eternal impact He desires, through this business. I am only the steward of this business for now. Until He changes my direction, that is the role I will play.

Eternal Impact Either Way

See, Mark Cress followed God’s plan and he is enjoying the fruit of that decision. There is incredible eternal impact coming from his decision to step out of his business and start CCA as a non-profit organization. For me, walking away is not in the cards (at least for now!). God has called me to stay in business and I expect there will be eternal impact from that decision as well.

My point is this…regardless of where God calls you, you can have an eternal impact. There is no reason to think that you have to be a paid staff member of a church to do ministry. Seek God’s guidance, but know that He just may want you doing ministry right where you are!

What would you do?

Do you think this move was too drastic?

Have you thought about walking away?

Posted on

Do You Make These 9 Christian Leadership Mistakes?

by

Over the past seven months, I have been telling you about the various actions you should take in order to run your business based on your Christian faith. I have discussed behaviors and attitudes you need to exemplify if you want to excel in Christian leadership. I have even given you tips on Christian ministry projects you should consider.

Christian leadership

Christian Leadership Contradictions

Too often, I hear about (or even witness) professing believers in Christian leadership positions who are behaving in a way that contradicts their words. Worse, some of these leaders are getting caught in compromising situations or scandals that end with them being removed from their Christian leadership positions.

The fallout from these situations is disastrous. Not only is their career often ruined, but the damage done to those following them is incalculable. The wounds can last for years. I have seen it firsthand.

Something Worse

As bad as these events can be, I think there could be something worse. Consider the 30-40 year career of someone in business. Assume they profess to be a Christian and hold a significant leadership role or even own the business. Potentially, their eternal impact could be tremendous – in a positive or negative way.

Now picture that nothing happens like I described above. They do not get caught in a situation that ruins their career. There is no “Evening News” expose` that causes their reputation to come crashing down. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Something Missing

Unfortunately, I think you could be missing something. Instead of a sudden explosion causing the damage, there is something going on that could cause just as much damage, if not more, over the long haul. Rather than doing anything extreme, they are simply not walking their talk.

From a distance, this person looks like a model citizen. They talk about their faith and preach to those around them about integrity and other Christian values. Their motives are even good. For these reasons, they are more likely to stay in this damaging position for a longer period of time.

But instead of living out what they are saying, they are making some crucial mistakes. Unfortunately, these mistakes, when made over time from a position of Christian leadership, can have devastating effects on those who are close enough to see the truth.

Higher Standard

See, as Christian leaders, we are held to a higher standard. More is expected of us. Right or wrong, when we make mistakes, the price is higher. When we step out and declare our faith in Jesus, we associate our name with His name. We tag His reputation with ours.

Then, when we make mistakes and live in a way that does not reflect God’s love to those around us, we run the risk of turning people away from Him. Even though we may not blow up our reputation with a single news-worthy event, we can do just as much harm. The only difference is that it is spread out over a longer period of time.

What Does Jesus Say?

I promise you, Jesus is crystal clear on what He thinks of this kind of behavior.

But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!
Matthew 18:6

Common Christian Leadership Mistakes

Rather than complain about the too-frequent public scandals, let’s do something about our own contributions to Christian leadership. Take a look at the following list of common mistakes made by leaders like us. Then let’s commit together that we are going to live the faith we claim.

    1. Pray before meetings, curse afterwards

    2. Tell crude, off-color jokes or laugh at those that do

    3. Preach about faith, panic when stressed

    4. Tell someone you will pray for them, forget about it

    5. Promote forgiveness, carry grudges

    6. Require accountability, fail to acknowledge your own mistakes

    7. Expect loyalty, treat the employees like numbers

    8. Demand integrity, cheat on your taxes

    9. Talk about family values, but encourage workaholism

Take Action

I would suggest reading through this list a couple of times. Make sure that you ask God to search your heart and reveal to you any inconsistencies between your words and actions. Then share your findings with someone you can trust to hold you accountable to changing.

Do you agree with a higher standard for Christian leadership?

Do you make any of these mistakes?

Which mistake do you need to work on first?

Posted on

What Must Tiger Woods Do To Win The Masters?

by

Last week, Tiger Woods pulled off his first win in more than 30 months. After a series of life storms have blown through his life over the past couple of years, it was good to see Tiger get his groove back. While I am not a golf expert, I know there is one thing Tiger accomplished in this past tournament that he must do again if he wants to win the Masters in Augusta next week.

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods Fan?

Whether you are a Tiger fan or not, you have to admit it is more fun to watch a golf tournament when he is playing than when he is not. He just has a quality that raises the playing level of all those around him. There is more pressure, more suspense, and more excitement when he is in the hunt.

So what is it that Tiger Woods did that allowed him to win last week? What must he do to win the Masters?

Show up.

Now hold on a minute…don’t look at me like that! I know this seems obvious, but I really do have a point. Not only that, this point applies to every one of us.

You Must Show Up To Win

Quite simply, there is no way to win at golf if you do not show up. You must first show up for practice. Then you must show up for the tournament. You must show up for every tee time, regardless of how you played the day before. You must show up to every tee box, even if the last three drives have gone in the water. You must show up for every shot even if your back or knee has started to ache.

I think you get the point…while it is a simple idea, it is not easy.

We Must Show Up

The same is true for us. As Christian business leaders, we know there are going to be things that go wrong. We know there is an enemy. We know that not everyone will support our positions. We know that some of our best efforts will result in delayed rewards.

And yet, we cannot forget that we are called to keep showing up. God knows our frustrations. He sees our disappointments. He feels our pains. Even so, He expects us to continue to show up.

We Get The Crown

See, He knows that if we will continue to show up for the race, we will eventually get the crown. Now only does he know this, He promises it to us in His Word (2 Timothy 4:1-8). He knows it is difficult, but He also promised that He will be with us through it all (Matthew 28:20).

Additional Benefits

There are other benefits to showing up that we sometimes overlook. I am not sure Tiger Woods even recognizes this. One additional benefit is in the impact it has on our followers. Folks, when you continue to show up day after day, despite the headwinds and pitfalls, your followers will notice. Not only do they notice, they draw strength from it and seek to emulate it.

This does not only affect your followers. Those you serve, especially the least of these, feel a sense of acceptance when you continue to show up. This acceptance may have escaped them their entire lives.

Jim Reese talked at Catalyst about how many of those served by Atlanta Mission have experienced a life of people failing to show up. It could have been parents that disappeared or well-meaning volunteers that failed to show back up after the first couple of visits.

Keep Showing Up

Regardless of how or why, Reese told leaders that we too often underestimate the impact we can have by simply continuing to show up. Like Reese, I want to encourage you to keep showing up.

Times will get tough and situations will not go your way. Do not give up. Remember that if you want to win like Tiger Woods, you must continue to show up!

Have you been consistent in showing up?

Have you seen benefits to showing up?

Where do you need encouragement to show up?

Posted on

10 Pitfalls To Running A Christian Business

by

Have you prayed about how you are to run your business?  Have you sought God with intensity on the question of running your business for Him?  If not, I would suggest you not read any further until you do. The pitfalls I describe below will not help you with your decision until you have prayed about this.

pitfallsI know I am probably breaking several “Rules for a Successful Blog” when I tell you not to read further, but I cannot help it.  If you think you can get enough information on which to make a solid decision in this area without first seeking God in prayer, then you are mistaken.  In fact, if you simply look at the facts through your own eyes, you will almost certainly decide against running your business this way.

Praying and Thinking

If you are still reading, then I assume you have prayed (and continue to do so) about this decision.  You may have read my posts on the 5 Reasons to Run Your Business According to Your Christian Faith.  It makes sense to you, but you are still not sure whether you should proceed or not.  Good.  I am glad you are thinking about it.  I want you to think about it.

As with any major decision, I believe we are to go to God’s Word.  What does the Bible have to say about making a major decision like this?

For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.
– Luke 14:28-30

Count the Costs

I will tell you, from my personal experience, that this decision is bigger than it even looks.  There are pitfalls, and benefits, that you have not even thought of.  It is just not what it appears.  Therefore, as Jesus taught in this Scripture, we must count the costs.

I realize that your experience in making this decision, and then implementing it, will not necessarily mirror my own experience.  At the same time, because I have already been through this process, I can share about my journey.  My hope is that I can help you avoid, or at least be prepared for, the following pitfalls (as well as those not listed!).

I will give you the list of pitfalls like Solomon might have done it in Proverbs.  Here are ten pitfalls of running a Christian business, eleven hazards you will face when basing your business on your Christian faith…

The Pitfalls

First of all, this is not an exhaustive list.  Secondly, I believe the benefits outweigh these pitfalls!

Now, some of these are self explanatory and some require further clarification.  While I will not do a continuous series of eleven posts on these pitfalls, I will take each of these topics and expand on them in the coming weeks and months.  I hope you will follow along and participate in the discussion as we go.

Do you disagree with any of the above?

Are you truly praying for God’s will in your business?

Are you willing to give it to Him despite the apparent costs?

This post originally published on 9/9/11.

Posted on

What Do Cancer, Children, Car Shows, and Chaplains Have In Common?

by

Just before Christmas this past year, one of our long-term employees took her 14 yr. old son to the doctor to have a knee injury checked out. What they thought was simply swelling turned out to be a mother’s nightmare – a rare form of bone cancer. Obviously, this is a life-changing event. It poses the question: What ministry responsibilities does a Christian company have in responding to this kind of situation?

ministry

Ministry Through Business

Now, I will be the first to tell you that we are not the perfect Christian business. Not even close. There are so many ways we fall short of where we want to be. I am sure we miss ministry opportunities every day.

On the other hand, we give it a lot of effort and I am proud of what God has accomplished in our company over the past eight years. In fact, this blog is an attempt to share some of what He has done to change this company’s focus. So, when a situation comes along that exemplifies this kind of ministry, I feel compelled to share.

Flexible Schedule

First and foremost, we wanted to make sure that this mother had full freedom to be with her son at every possible moment through the medical maze of full diagnosis, planning, and treatment. Though she is in a critical role within our company’s accounting department, we gave her the freedom to effectively set her own schedule.

She worked when she could (occupying her mind) and she was with him whenever she needed to be. In this case, we took Andy Stanley’s advice and did for one what we wish we could do for everyone. While our employee handbook does not exactly deal with this situation, we made sure we gave her every freedom we could. We cannot allow everyone this freedom all the time, but we can bend the rules when we have to.

Employees Engaged

Next, we had several employees step up in various ways from providing gas for her multiple trips to Atlanta (60+ miles each way) to chipping in with her work responsibilities and even helping her set up an account at the local bank for donations toward medical expenses. Everyone did their best to show their support through encouragement and prayers. She has never been in doubt that we were supporting her and her family.

One of the sales departments had the idea of hosting a car show, with the profits going to help out with medical expenses. This idea gained support and that department really put hours of effort into pulling it off. The event drew 60 cars, raised close to $1,500 for their medical expenses, and even served as the capstone to her son’s birthday party!

Chaplain

Finally, and likely most importantly, our company chaplain has been able to give her and her family the spiritual support they need. In addition to his normal support through weekly visits, he has been able to provide focused support for her and her family throughout the process so far.

Yesterday, the chaplain was able to sit with the family as the son went into surgery to remove the tumor from his leg. He was able to pray with them before and after the surgery and to wait with them until the doctor came back with the results. In fact, he was there to hear the doctor report that the surgery went better than expected! It appears that all of the cancer has been removed and that the leg is going to look great and operate normally!

This situation is not completely over for this family. We will need to maintain the support and continue to look for ministry opportunities. Our prayer is that our actions will help to get them through to the other side of this situation with their family intact. We also hope that their faith is strengthened as a result. The main goal is that God gets the credit for all that is done.

Eternal Impact

As far as can tell, there is not a book that specifically addresses how a Christian company is supposed to respond to an employee crisis like this one. I believe we are simply to seek to honor God and love our neighbors as ourselves. Regardless of the crisis, this behavior will have eternal impact!

How has your company responded to similar situations?

Do your employees have the opportunity to engage?

What more could you do next time?

Posted on

Tortoise and the Hare

by

A Friend’s Transformation

A very good friend of mine recently started working on his own blog. Well, let me put it this way…he is finding out how much he has to learn about the technical aspects of building a blog, website, and the like! He is in the middle of the process and realizes he drastically underestimated the learning curve.

tortoise

At the same time, I know he will come out on the other end of this process with a successful blog. I know this because I have watched him do the same thing in other areas of his life. Before I tell you more about his story, let me tell you what has been on my mind as of late.

Dave Ramsey’s Recommendation

Dave Ramsey, in his recent book EntreLeadership, talked about a great business book someone had recommended he read. Ramsey, like me, loves to read great business books and then apply the truths learned in his own business.

In this case, the recommendation came from a billionaire (that’s a “B”) in business. When someone with this track record recommends a book, you should listen. So, what was the title of the book?

Tortoise [title color=”red-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”georgia” style=”oblique” size=”scmgc-1em”]The Tortoise and the Hare![/title]

That’s right! Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare is at the top of a billionaire’s business reading list. In fact, he told Ramsey that he reads it to his top people every year! Evidently, he sees some value in the book, right? As for me, that is enough reason to take time to study it.

Learning From The Tortoise

So, study it I have. And while the moral of the story is simple – Slow and steady wins the race, it is not necessarily common. In fact, I would go as far as to say it flies in the face of the majority of what I see around me today.

In my business, and likely yours as well, the common focus is on 30-day or quarterly results. If you cannot produce results in the immediate future, then you likely won’t have a job for long. Most people just don’t work and wait for long-term results anymore.

Spiritual Hares?

This is not only true in business, but in virtually all facets of life. Take our spiritual lives. How many times have you gone to a conference (like Promise Keepers) or a revival and come away feeling like you are on the mountaintop? We all have! And we have all wished we could stay there.

Even Peter felt this way in Matthew 17:4. We all have a natural desire to rush to the top of the mountain and stay there. We want quick and easy and our society shows it. We are certainly paying the price for this mindset.

Solution: Tortoise Game Plan

So what is the solution? The game plan of the tortoise! Spiritually, it is a daily quiet time and consistent prayer and Bible study that, over time, gets the best results. In business, it is Biblical principles applied on a consistent basis with hard work and persistence.

My Friend’s Decision

Back to my friend with the upcoming blog. The reason I know he will be successful is that I have watched him change his entire being over the past 14 months. You see, at the end of 2010, he weighed 300 lbs. and was drinking heavily on a daily basis. He was a believer, but there was no real evidence of his faith.

And yet, one day he just decided he wanted to be someone different. Actually, he realized he was someone different and wanted to go back to who he really was – to who God created him to be. So he changed everything.

Tortoise Transformation

He did not buy a lottery ticket. He did not go to the internet and research the best pill for weight loss. He did not order the Hawaii chair.

Instead, he stopped drinking. Cold. He stopped eating junk and began eating healthy. He started exercising. Regularly.

Now this sounds too easy. It sounds a little too perfect. Maybe, but it is true. I watched him do it. His solution was not an instant one. Nor was it an easy one. It took him a lot of sweat and tears…literally. But he made it. He made it with tortoise-like persistence.

Now, 14 months later, he has lost 115 lbs. and has not had a drop of alcohol since that day. He has participated in multiple triathlons and has a 5 year plan to do the Ironman. He is also spiritually awake and growing each day.

Same Solution

For his blog, the solution is the same. He needs to keep hammering away at the process of learning this new skill. He will most likely not see overnight success in his blog. But if he stays the course and progresses a little each day, he will come out with something he can be proud of.

For now, I am proud of his progress. We can all draw inspiration from his example. When his blog is ready to go live, I will have him guest post and let you get a taste of what makes him tick!

Where are you trying to be the Hare?

Have you seen success with the Tortoise game plan?

Where do you need to be like the tortoise?

Posted on

Why Do Business From An Eternal Perspective?

by

Healthy Debate

I had a great meeting this past week at C12. We discussed challenges that we are all facing in regards to trying to run our businesses according to our Christian faith. The funny thing is that even within a group like this, opinions can differ. While there is a part of all of us that wants everyone to agree with us, I know that is not possible – or healthy. Engaging in healthy debate, even about things like eternal perspective, is a great way to grow.

eternal perspective

As I attempted to explain my beliefs regarding how we should run our businesses from an eternal perspective, I realized I have never formally prepared a well-thought-out, Scripture-supported basis for my position. I have certainly studied verses and passages that have led me to believe, and therefore act, the way I do. What I have not done is to lay out my beliefs in an organized argument so that I can respond appropriately when asked about my “Why?”

My Project

So, I am going to work on this. I will give you a few of my thoughts in this post, but I promise to come back later with the results of my work. I cannot promise a bullet-proof thesis, but I will present my prayed-over thoughts in a way that you can understand and validate through Scripture.

I do not expect everyone to stop, applaud, and agree with me on every point. As I said before, that is not reasonable. However, I do hope to spur you on to do some of your own thinking. I hope to encourage you to think about the Scriptural basis for what you do. For now, I just want to pique your interest a little and hopefully get some feedback and/or suggestions.

Applying Scripture

First, I realize that it is not necessarily wise (with some possible exceptions) to take one verse, or even passage, and base all of your beliefs on it. An understanding of the whole of Scripture is most often needed before trying to apply single verses or passages to your life. It is for this reason that I have several verses that come to my mind when I start thinking about why I run my business from an eternal perspective.

Basis For Eternal Perspective

Having said that, if there is one central Scripture to my beliefs in the area of doing business from an eternal perspective, it is the following passage from the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

I did an earlier post on this passage, and I talked about those temporal things so many of us pursue to one degree or another. All of these will burn in the fire mentioned by Paul above. I, for one, do not want to spend my life working for anything that will only last for a short time. I would much rather be focused on producing fruit that will not rot – that will last for eternity.

What Will Survive The Fire?

See, the way I look at this passage, the only things that we can build while we are here on earth that will last beyond our lives here are not things we can touch. Anything I can physically touch will be burned up in the fire. I cannot think of a single item that will not burn up in the fire.

On the other hand, those relationships we build will last. The memories we have will last. The souls we pointed toward a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will survive the fire. While the businesses we operated will burn, the impact that we had through our businesses will last.

Methods Vary

Obviously, the way we choose to impact others will depend on the way God designed us and the choices we make. Some may impact others through teaching, others may choose serving. There will be those who give and those who comfort. God wired each of us differently.

However, while the method can vary, the fire will not. It will be the same test for all of us. No one is exempt from the testing fire. If that is truly the case, then I think it makes the most sense for us to focus our energies on maximizing our efforts in areas that will produce fire-proof, eternal fruit.

My Application

For me, that means I make every effort to run my business in a way that produces the eternal fruit, not the kind that will rot or burn.

As I said before, stay tuned for a more detailed and organized argument for doing business from an eternal perspective. If you have any feedback either way, please submit it! I would love to have perspectives from other people. When possible, tell me the Scripture on which you are basing your belief.

Have you thought through why you do business the way you do?

Is your motivation based on Scripture or something else?

What do you think will last through the fire?