I have quit my job and I am actually walking away from my family’s business. Even as I type this, I get emotional at the thought of it. In my entire life, I have only had one job outside of our family business – waiting tables the summer after college. Now, I have made the decision to take a new path and I can tell you…it is a thrilling (and scary) path!
What is the purpose of business in general? Have you ever stopped to think about that? What about the purpose of your business? Are you clear on what that is and how it affects your job? One final question – what do you think God’s purpose is for your business?
Have you ever been to the beach on vacation? One popular activity with children is to build sand castles down near the water. You will sometimes find the parents helping them, but more often the parents are sitting back watching or reading a book. I believe it is a subconscious dislike of meaningless work that causes this. Have you considered that?
Easter is upon us, causing an old question to pop into my head recently. This question is one that used to plague me as a kid. See, I grew up in the church and heard all about the life of Jesus from the time I could walk. The one question I could never answer was this – why didn’t Jesus use His power for personal gain?
I was 13 years old, working for my father in the Parts Department of our family automobile business. Surrounded by grown men, mostly auto technicians, I was eager to fit in. I desperately wanted to shed the image of the typical “boss’s kid.” Unfortunately, at an inopportune moment, I did not expect my father to appear. My reaction was predictable!
I had recently been initiated into an ongoing game between the technicians and the parts employees. The technicians took their grease rags, balled them up, and wrapped them in tape. Anytime a parts employee left the window open between the two departments, the technicians would bomb the opening with rag balls.
Take a few minutes to stop and look around at the world we live in today. In doing this, you will see that there is no shortage of images that define success for us. Regardless of the category you choose, the world peppers you with its own definition of success. The problem is that Christians should be seeking a different kind of “success” altogether. So what IS it we should seek? How is Biblical success defined for us?
I am not a mathematician, but I have always liked the simplicity of math – especially those formulas that are clear and easy to understand. Though you will not find this in any math textbook, I think I have found a formula that clearly and simply explains our lives here on earth. See if you agree.
I was recently approached with a need and opportunity to carry out a significant upgrade to our business facility. While the long term results are positive, the significant upgrade comes with a significant price tag. Assuming the need was real and the funds available, what would you expect my answer to be?
In my last three posts, I focused on a five-question decision making process. At the very outset of the decision making series, I explained my belief that any decision made from anything but an eternal perspective fails to honor God. One reader, Bernice, commented that she agreed with this, but that I should also point out that there is a cost associated with this line of thinking!
Have you ever stopped to consider what is the main purpose of Christian business? As business leaders, the very purpose of our businesses should be very clear to us. Otherwise, we will likely make decisions and take actions on occasion that oppose this purpose, right? If we are not clear on this purpose, how can we achieve it?