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What Do You Think About?

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When someone mentions “your future” to you, what is the first idea that comes to your mind? Depending on your age, it could be any number of things that pop into your head. The question I would pose is this…what should you think about?

think

What Do You Think About?

If you are really young (under 30 yrs. old), you probably thought of finishing school or starting a career. Maybe you thought about getting married or even beginning or growing your family. If you are more forward-thinking than the average person, you may have thought briefly about retirement!

Someone a little older (maybe 30-45 yrs. old) likely considered a promotion, funding college for their children, and maybe even what life as an empty-nester might look like. Travel probably entered their mind. Retirement likely registered, but probably still looks like it is a long way off.

For someone in their 50’s or 60’s, retirement is more at the forefront of their mind. Things like grandchildren growing up is probably on their mind. There is also the chance that a fear of the nation’s current financial strength is occupying their thoughts, possibly delaying their retirement or limiting their dreams of travel.

If you are in your 70’s or 80’s, your thoughts are different. Maybe you are concerned about the legacy you will leave behind. It could be that you are no longer concerned with many of the issues mentioned above, but are instead focused on enjoying every day to its fullest.

Worldly Thoughts

While I may have missed you in the descriptions above, I think you get the point. What we think about the future really depends on our age and our perception of how much longer we have here. The world has trained us to think about certain things at certain ages and we normally follow suit.

The problem is that this line of thinking, regardless of our age, is not in line with what we are told in God’s Word about the future. Think about the following verses for a moment…

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?

So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Matthew 6:25-32

What Is Your Response?

First, I am sure you are familiar with these words of Jesus. Most likely you have heard them before. You may have even heard a sermon preached on this passage. If that is the case, why are you still worrying about these things? Why do the temporary things still occupy your thoughts?

The truth is we can learn this principle, attempt to apply it, and within a short period of time we forget it. The pressures of this world break down our wills to trust God. Pretty soon we are back to worrying about the very things He tells us not to worry about!

We Cannot Give Up

Have you experienced this? I can promise you I have. In fact, despite the fact that I am posting about this very topic this morning, I will be guilty in some way of failing to live it out before the day is over!

Even though this is true, we simply cannot give up on trying to follow the instructions Jesus has given us. We cannot just chalk it up to weak flesh and quit fighting it.

So what are we supposed to do? What should we think about? How are we supposed to maintain that focus?

To Be Continued

In my next two posts I will try to answer those questions. In the meantime, I encourage you to be praying that God will reveal your heart to you. Pray that He will show you where you are failing in this effort and where you are doing well. Ask Him to teach you what He expects from you in this area!

Is your mind full of the things of this life?

Are these the topics you want to think about?

What would you prefer to think about? Why?

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Culture Victory!

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Every once in a while I get frustrated with the business I am in. Either the month does not turn out like I thought it should or something goes wrong that I was not expecting. Whatever the case, it is always nice when something happens at the same time that makes it all worth it – especially when that something is related to the culture we are trying to create.

culture

Recent Culture Example

While I will not go into too much detail (in an effort to protect the innocent!), I will give you a rough sketch of what happened. Hopefully you can get some encouragement that your efforts in this area of culture will bear similar fruit over time!

One of our employees had a very critical, time-sensitive situation that required additional money they did not have. Hearing about this situation, a co-worker made the quick decision to seek assistance from our Impact Fund. As a result, the employee was able to successfully resolve their situation in a way they would remember for the rest of their life.

Without My Knowledge!

While this is pretty amazing to me on its own, the more incredible part of this situation is that I knew nothing about it until days later! We are not a huge company, but clearly I cannot always know what is happening in the life of every employee. None of us can.

At one point in time, this frustrated me because it meant we could not help those whose needs went unnoticed by me. As badly as I wanted us to be able to meet every need as it came up, it just wasn’t feasible. I knew there was not really anything we could directly do about it, but it bothered me just the same.

Culture & Process

What COULD be done was to engage the other leaders in the company and create a process that could address the individual needs of the employees as they came up. This process, reinforced with a culture of serving and giving, could address this overall need. That is what brought about our Impact Fund.

Effectively, this is a fund made up of voluntary contributions from employees. The money is deducted from their paycheck each pay period according to whatever amount they choose. Some give $2 per pay period and others give $50.

This money is accrued as given. It is only used to meet employee needs that come up in emergencies. It may be a family health crises or a community disaster like damage from a tornado. It could be as simple as supplementing their utility bill payment or putting gas in their car.

Victory!

It is not a complex process and fortunately does not require onerous paperwork or applications. If there is a valid need that can be met with a reasonable amount of money, the decision is made quickly and the funds disbursed immediately. Obviously, based on the recent situation I described, it is working as intended. To quote a friend of mine, “Victory!”

It is exciting to see results like this come from such a process. It is more exciting to see it happening without my knowledge. It is a reflection of the culture we have been working to create over many years.

It is also a reflection of the quality people we have working here. It makes me very proud to be a part of this company.

What kind of culture are you creating?

Is your culture constantly being reinforced?

What kind of culture victories have you seen?

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More Advice For Onboarding New Hires

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The following post is written by Bill Higgins and is the conclusion to his last post. In addition to his last post, you may remember him from his previous guest posts. Bill’s following post gives us great insight into how a Christian business should approach onboarding new employees. I think you should get some great ideas from his post!

Onboarding

Onboarding New Hires

You have sounded the “All aboard!” in the form of a job offer, but it takes several other activities before new hires can settle in for the ride.

The scriptures will provide a backdrop and principles for planning your onboarding activities leading to employee integration and effectiveness. The following will present some guidance; whether you incorporate them through mentoring, an orientation class, e-learning, or a blending of several of these methods is up to you.

Onboarding Must Do’s

However you decide to do it, here are the remaining focus items you want to be sure are included in your onboarding activities:

People:
Some new hires will be so focused on their job, their tasks, they forget the people element. They forget they are part of a team. They forget their efforts or decisions impact people downstream. They forget people don’t always see things the same way they do.

That’s why the onboarding process must emphasize that people are important regardless what your job is. Remind them to learn to give and take criticism and to learn how to function as part of a team and call for help when they need it, or volunteer to help others when they need it also.

More people struggle with change than embrace it with excitement. Remind them of this as they start their new job. Some changes will be met with enthusiasm; others will be resisted and actually lobbied against. Don’t discount the feelings of those who make the plan work or those impacted by it. Feelings aren’t always grounded in reality. They’re just feelings, but they do affect the way people live.

People have all kinds or reasons for resisting. The reasons aren’t important, the people are. People need to be treated with respect, even if they oppose your ideas, plans, and changes.

Galatians 6:1-10 helps us understand the importance of people when it says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The word translated “burdens” here is a word that means a load too difficult for one person to carry alone. We are to watch out for people and help them through the difficult times. New hires need to learn to be aware of this.

Take think time:
One of the things we see from Paul’s action plan as documented in Galatians 1:15-18 is that he took three years to spend time with the Lord, thinking and praying before launching into anything resembling “productive work.” He wasn’t just converted and then launched into ministry.

It’s important for new hires to understand there is no substitute for taking time to think. One sage put it this way, “There’s never time to do it right, but there’s always time to do it over.” The difference between the two is often time to think it through.

There will be deadlines new hires will be expected to meet, but they must also get used to thinking about their job, the processes, the plans, and the way things are done. Out of this comes new, more efficient ways of doing things that often save time and money and improve quality.

Time with leaders:
Galatians 1:18 tells us when Paul was launching his ministry he went to meet the man who was the most recognized leader in the first century church, Peter. Leaders in organizations are tasked with aligning the business goals of their units to the overall goals of the organization. To do this may necessitate changes in structure, processes, or business relationships.

It’s helpful for new hires to hear directly from their business leaders, just as Paul did, what their perspective and long-term plans are. The leader can also provide insight to the organization to make the early days for the new hire more efficient.

Encourage new hires to reach out to their business unit leaders and supervisors to initiate meetings with them. Provide new hires with a list of topics they can include on the agenda to make effective use of the time. The following topics make a good list to start with:

    • How members of the team work together
    • Who on the team is expert in what subject
    • Who are the recognized team leaders
    • How the leader got to their position
    • Their long-range plans
    • How the new hire can best contribute
    • What will be good for them to learn

Good Onboarding Is Critical

Onboarding can be a foundational time that sets the tone and provides a baseline for new hires. To accomplish this, haphazard assignments just won’t cut it. The points outlined above, and in my last post, will give you ideas on how you can make the most of your onboarding of new hires.

Those early days set the tone, inspire, inform, and engage. Start them out in the right direction and “…when they are old they won’t depart from it.”

About the Author:
BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations. Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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All Aboard! The Art Of Onboarding New Hires

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The following post is written by Bill Higgins. You may remember him from previous guest posts of his. Bill’s following post gives us great insight into how a Christian business should approach onboarding new employees. I think you should get some great ideas from his post!

All aboard! The conductor makes his last call and you hurry to your seat. You get oriented, pull out your ticket, locate the restrooms, and settle in for the ride. It doesn’t take long for you to get comfortable as the train pulls away from the station.

onboarding

Onboarding New Hires

Oh, that onboarding new hires in your company was that easy. You have sounded the “All aboard!” in the form of a job offer, but it takes several other activities before new hires can settle in for the ride.

The scriptures will provide a backdrop and principles for planning your onboarding activities leading to employee integration and effectiveness. The following will present some guidance; whether you incorporate them through mentoring, an orientation class, e-learning, or a blending of several of these methods is up to you.

Onboarding Must Do’s

However, you decide to do it, here are the items you want to be sure are included in your onboarding activities:

Know the corporation:
Part of Proverbs 22:6 reads, “Train up a child in the way they should go…” it literally says according to their bent or their way, the way they are made. Parents need to understand how their children are made; so too new hires need to know how their new company is made.

Cover the mission, vision, values, and the history that brought the organization to this point. This will give new hires a context and framework in which they will be expected to operate.

Take a long view:
The second part of Proverbs 22:6 reads, “…and when they are old…” This encourages both parents and business people to take the long view. When it comes to onboarding, help newcomers begin to grasp this perspective. Show them some things that have been started, some changes or plans that have been initiated, but that will take a while to be completed, take effect, or see results

Help them see that some of their own activities may not be implemented right away either, but not to get discouraged by this, but to rather be encouraged that the company plans to be around long enough to make the changes.

Work the details:
Luke 16:10 provides another point to focus on. It says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Help new hires understand that the details of any job are critically important.

None is too small to be concerned about or to take notice of. Whatever the task, it’s important to get down in the weeds to see that each of the details is addressed.

Count the cost:
Luke 14:25-35 provides another factor for your onboarding when it says, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower…” and “Suppose a king is about to go to war…” What’s the next part, “…will he not first count the cost.”

It’s important for new hires to learn to look at downstream impacts of decisions, investments, changes. New hires need to begin to see how their job impacts other people, other processes, and other products related to what they do.

Too often individuals, teams, and work is viewed discretely. But no one works alone and without impacting others. Viewing the cost helps to get a more global view of the work and a holistic view of the corporate team.

Worry:
From Matthew 6:25ff we learn another principle that will serve new hires well (as well as old-timers too). It’s the principle of doing your best on whatever you’ve been assigned and then leave the results in God’s hands.

The passage starts out, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,…” This passage is not telling us to forget planning or thinking down the road, but it is telling us not to worry about our plans. Worry accomplishes nothing, but gray hair.

So think, plan, apply your abilities and let God take care of the rest. You can’t foresee every eventuality and control the results anyway so you might as well learn to leave them in God’s hands.

Stay Tuned! In the next post, Bill will finish with the final three segments of his recommended onboarding recommendations. I am sure you will want to continue learning from him!

About the Author:
BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations. Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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How Do I Discern God’s Direction?

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If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have tried to seek God’s direction at some point. Whether it is a business decision, family situation, or personal question, we have all desperately wanted God to lead us in the right direction. The problem is that we often fail to get the direction we seek and end up frustrated or confused.

direction

Direction Exercise

In my last post, I described this kind of situation. I then went through an exercise in an effort to illustrate what may be part of our problem. While this exercise may be an oversimplification of the process of seeking God’s direction in our lives, I think you will understand the main point when we are done.

Compass Competition

To recap the details of the exercise, you are on a team in an outdoor scouting competition. The goal of the competition is to use a compass to quickly navigate a series of directions and to arrive at a designated location for your team. The first team to arrive at their designated location wins.

The twist is that many of the teams have also been given a magnet that is to be attached to the side of the compass and to remain there throughout the competition.

Because compasses rely on an attraction to the earth’s magnetic north pole, the additional magnet plays havoc on the compass needle. As a result, these compasses are rendered virtually useless and only serve to frustrate and confuse the teams using them.

Parallels

Now that you are caught up, lets move on to the parallels.

Assume for the purpose of the exercise that the direction we seek from God is represented by the magnetic north pole. For this analogy, this magnetic north is the truth, the leading we need.

Imagine the compass represents our efforts to discern God’s direction through the study of His Word, seeking advice from godly mentors, and prayer. Without any other interference, these efforts can often help us to find the direction from God that we seek.

Outside Influences

The problems arise when outside influences begin to affect these efforts. These influences are represented by the magnets we added to the compass. I can initially think of three categories into which these influences fall:

1. Desires – selfishness, greed, fame, wealth, respect, acceptance, power, independence

2. Busyness – work, social activities, children, ministry

3. Fear – loss of respect, physical harm, alienation, mockery, poverty, dependence

The more you think about the various influences we bring with us as we seek to gain direction from God, the more some of them may blur from one category to another. The fact remains that it is clear these influences can dramatically affect how we hear direction from God.

The more of these influences we bring with us as we come before God, the less likely it is that we will ever be able to hear His still small voice!

Example Of Influences

For example, imagine my work schedule is killing me and my wife is telling me I have to do something about it. I know she is probably right, but if I change jobs I will probably have to get rid of some of the expensive toys I have purchased lately because I won’t be able to afford them.

I attempt to read the Bible for answers on what to do, but I simply cannot stay awake. So I go to a godly mentor and ask for his advice. As I describe the situation to him, I leave some of the facts out because I don’t want him looking down on me.

He gives me advice to consider, but it is not as severe as it would have been if I had told him everything. Even what he tells me to do seems a little dramatic to me, so I tone it down before I implement it.

I then pray to God that He will bless this slightly new direction and thank Him for speaking to me through my friend. I head into the next day feeling pretty good.

Results?

What do you think happens?

Exactly. Not much in the way of improvement.

After weeks of getting the same feedback from my wife, I am so frustrated. I did exactly what my pastor told me to do. I read the Bible, got advice from a godly mentor, and prayed about it. What more can a guy do, right? My “compass” should be working fine, but something is wrong!

Looking back over this example, can you see all of the outside influences (magnets) I brought into the picture? It is no wonder my “compass” is not working!

What Are Your Magnets?

So the key question for you is this – what are your magnets?

When you begin to seek God’s direction for your life, are you coming with a pure heart? Are you coming to Him with ALL of your heart committed to Him and Him alone?

Are you willing to get rid of the influences? Are you willing to focus always and only on His voice, forsaking the rest of those around you?

Are you willing to hear what He tells you and then do it, regardless of the potential cost?

Scriptures To Ponder

I am going to leave you with the following Scriptures to read and meditate on. Notice that all of these promises from God are dependent on your full commitment to Him. No magnets allowed!

He rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13

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Want To Know The Will of God?

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I am sure you have heard it said before from a friend, spouse, or any other Christian you may know. In fact, I would bet you have said it yourself…recently! The statement, “I just want to know the will of God!” is a common one among Christians.

know the will of God

We Want To Know The Will Of God!

As Christian business owners and leaders, we are constantly coming upon situations in which we need to know the will of God about something. We want to know what direction He wants us to take, which job or applicant to choose, or how long to wait on an answer before moving ahead!

We pray, we ask mentors, and we read the Bible – all in an effort to know the will of God in our lives.

Something Missing

Yet, in many cases, there seems to be something wrong. We don’t always get the answer we seek. Sometimes we get what we think are conflicting answers. Then there are times we do not seem to get any answer at all!

We end up pulling our hair out in frustration because we think we are doing all we can do to know the will of God, but we do not feel we are making any progress. We feel stuck, confused, and exhausted – and without the answer we seek.

Similar Feeling?

In an effort to recreate this feeling, I want you to try to imagine you are in an outdoor scouting competition. In order to win the competition, you have to follow the instructions given to you and your team as they lead you to the specific location designated for your team.

Your instructions look like this – From the starting line, take 25 steps North, 30 steps West, 24 steps North, and then 18 steps East. In addition to these instructions, your team is given a compass. All of the other teams have been given a compass and similar instructions to a different designated location.

Given clear weather and no other obstacles, how do you think you would do? While most people have never been trained how to use a compass in survival situations, I think most have a general idea of how a compass works, right? Could you manage this exercise?

Here’s A Twist

Now, to throw in a twist, let’s assume your team was given additional instructions along with a magnet the size of a nickel. The additional instructions indicate that your team is to attach the magnet to the side of your compass with the tape provided.

You are instructed to attach the magnet before your team uses the compass to determine any direction. Once attached, the magnet is to remain in place until the competition is completed.

Confused?

Now, if you know anything about how a compass operates, you are likely confused. Why would anyone instruct you to attach a magnet to the compass? That makes no sense, right?

I agree. However, just for the sake of the illustration, let’s play it out.

Because a compass operates on an attraction to the earth’s magnetic north pole, attaching another magnet is only going to alter the direction of the compass needle. In this case, you would never find the correct location designated for your team.

Frustration Ensues

Instead, you would find yourself in full blown frustration while the altered compass led you in circles as the needle reacted to the additional influence of the attached magnet!

If your team was the only one given the additional instructions for the attached magnet, then your team would clearly lose the competition. However, can you picture the scene if nearly all of the other teams had magnets attached to their compasses? Chaos, right?

Only the team(s) who were allowed to seek their designated location without the influence of an additional magnet would have a chance to win. To them, your wandering would seem silly.

To Be Continued

Because I am out of space (ha!), I am going to wait until my next post to clarify the points I am trying to make in regards to how we can know the will of God…remember, that is where we started!

In the meantime, I would like you to think through this exercise and its implications. Get a magnet and compass if you need to – play with them and pray that God will reveal to you how this applies to you and your relationship with Him!

Can you connect the exercise to trying to know the will of God?

If so, what is your personal magnet?

How does Proverbs 4:10-11 fit this exercise?

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Jeremie Kubicek Book Give Away!

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[title color=”orange-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”georgia” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-7em”]Free Book Give Away!!![/title]

Kubicek

Another Free Book Give Away?

You read that right! I am offering a free copy of Jeremie Kubicek’s book, Leadership is Dead: How Influence is Reviving It!

How Do You Win?

If you scroll down just a bit you will see the Rafflecopter entry form which outlines a bunch of ways to enter the Leadership is Dead giveaway. Just complete as many as you would like to be entered to win!

Why Am I Doing This?

I started this blog in an effort to spread the message of integrating the Christian faith into our businesses. I want to see more Christian business owners and leaders begin looking at their businesses from an eternal perspective and running them as platforms for Christian ministry.

While I know my posts are written toward this effort, I thought I would try to step it up a notch for 2013. My plan is to give away one book a month for the entire year! All I am asking from you is to follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. As you enter, you will be helping me to spread the word about this blog at the same time. We both win!

This Month’s Book: Jeremy Kubicek’s Leadership Is Dead

Jeremie Kubicek is the president and CEO of Giant Impact and a founding partner of the GiANT Companies. He has been growing and leading domestic and international companies for two decades that value people over processes and integrity above all else.Today he leads the global leadership event and training company and has added key new partnerships with Dr.Henry Cloud, Pat Lencioni, Andy Stanley and Mark Sanborn along with Dr. John Maxwell.

Anyone can make an impact. All you need is influence—the most potent professional asset on the planet. The problem is that influence is also the most underused asset on the planet. This book shows that the key to effective leadership is learning how to influence in a way that engenders greater trust, stronger partnerships, and more impactful endeavors.

Enter The Give Away

Follow the instructions below to enter the Leadership Is Dead contest and then spread the word to others! The contest ends at midnight on Wednesday, July 31st and the winner will be announced on Thursday, August 1st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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New Or Old Lessons: Which Are Better?

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When is the last time you went to a training class? If you are like me, you probably heard some new things from the instructor. These are likely unique ideas or approaches to a common problem. You also probably heard a lesson or two that you already knew as great ideas, but had forgotten! Right?

lesson

Recent Training

Recently, I went to a sales training class given by a friend of mine. He did a great job and taught our sales team some fantastic new sales techniques. His creativity in finding ways to serve the customer and add value to their experience sets a high bar!

At the same time, my friend taught some older techniques that have been around for years – decades even, maybe longer! Keep in mind, he did not bore anyone with these methods. It was a good refresher for those of us that have been around a while!

Old Lessons Made New!

Actually, many of the students there were new to the business and were not familiar with these tools. In fact, it was fun to watch them “Oooh” and “Ahhh” at these techniques as if they were new!

The funny thing is this – even though some of his methods were familiar and older, they still work! Even funnier is the fact that many of us that have been around the business for years still need to be reminded of what we learned in the past!

Do you know what I mean? Have you experienced this as well? You laugh at something you hear because you think, “I have known that for longer than you have been alive, kid!” Then your next thought is, “Why did I stop using that technique? It used to work like a charm!”

Jesus Taught Old & New

Jesus actually taught a lesson on this same principle! Do you remember what He said?

Therefore, every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.
Matthew 13:52

Example Lessons

See, some of the lessons Jesus was teaching were very new to the ears of His listeners. They had never heard some of what He was teaching before.

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”
Matthew 5:21-22

At the same time, some of the lessons He taught came straight out of the old Scriptures. Some of His teachings were things they had known at one time, but had forgotten or neglected!

“Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13 (referencing Hosea 6:6)

Both Lessons Necessary!

He is instructing us to do the same when studying for ourselves AND when we teach or mentor those looking to us for development. We are not to limit ourselves with only the New Testament teachings. Nor are we only to focus on new, fresh ideas from Scripture.

We also need to dig into the Old Testament and uncover the nuggets of truth that we once knew, but have forgotten. Make sure we are maintaining our knowledge of the old while sprinkling in the new!

This will also work in your business. Go back and revisit some of the old (timeless) truths in your business. See which ones you have forgotten and return to those disciplines. Ask someone with more experience to help. Then turn and pass these on to someone coming along behind you.

Try it! You will be amazed at all you can learn (again)!

Which lessons do you prefer – new or old?

Have you re-learned a lesson recently?

What old lesson do you think is most needed today?

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How Do You Pray?

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Recently, I have been working harder at getting back to basics in my relationship with God. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had hit a dry spell because my times with Him had gone stale. In an effort to draw closer to Jesus again, I have renewed my efforts to pray, read His Word, and memorize it.

pray

My Prayer

Just last week, I was praying and trying to communicate the best I could that I wanted to get rid of any plans or desires in my heart. I was trying to tell Jesus that I wanted ONLY what He wanted for me. As I struggled with the words (it happens often!), the following thoughts came to mind. I want to share them in case they can help you do the same thing.

I wanted to tell Him that I was open to anything that He would ask of me and here is how my prayer flowed [and looking back, how I see it applies to business]:

Jesus, please give me…

    Open Hands – that I would be prepared to accept and use whatever it is You want me to have, but nothing else. I am not reaching, but receiving. Let these hands also be giving of whatever is in them.
    [Give me the resources You know I need to effectively run Your business. Help me not to seek more than You give and to be faithful to share whenever You send me opportunities to do so.]
    Open Eyes – that I would be able to see whatever it is You want me to see relating to where You want me to go or what You want me to do. I do not want to miss anything You are trying to show me. Make it clear to me where there are opportunities to act. Show me weak areas in me and help me to improve.
    [Give me insights into business opportunities, understanding the risks, but trusting Your leading. Help me to see through my leadership blind spots and to work to correct them.]
    Open Ears – that I would always be listening for that still, small voice. I want to hear all instruction from You. I want to be aware of all going on around me that You want me to notice.
    [Show me how to be still and listen to you, despite the noise during the work day. Give me the patience to wait on Your instructions, coming to You for my decisions.]
    Open Mind – that I would be willing to accept anything You ask of me, regardless of whether I understand it, agree with it, fear it, or feel equipped to do it.
    [My business mind is trained to think from a temporal perspective. Help me to mentally step away from my paradigms and to trust Your ultimate business knowledge.]
    Open Heart – that I would always be sensitive to Your leading and instruction to me regardless of my desires. I only want to seek Your will and renown, not my own.
    [Help me to beware of my own motives when it comes to business decisions. Remind me that You own this business and that I am only part of Your story, not the other way around.]
    Open Mouth – that I would speak any and all words You give me to speak. I always want to trust You to give me the words to say in all situations and want to hold my tongue until You do.
    [Please give me wise words to use when dealing with others at work. Give me the boldness to share the reasons for my faith in You and the awareness to know the right timing. Speak through me.]

Simply A Thought Starter

I do not share this as a comprehensive solution to your prayer life. I do not even share it as an example to follow with repetition over time. I am simply sharing this prayer as a thought starter for you.

Hopefully, it will cause you to see something you are doing (or need to do) from a different perspective. It is full of thoughts that I plan to pore over for a while. I want to take the time to hear from God in each case – hopefully gaining clarity and wisdom in the process.

What are your thoughts?

What would you add to this prayer?

Do you pray something similar at times?

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Are You Facing Giants?

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Have you ever watched a football game and wondered why none of the players on the offensive team’s sidelines appear worried about getting hit by one of the giants that are playing for the defensive team? In many cases, they are talking, laughing, even have their backs turned to the game on the field. Why are they not thinking about the possibility of getting hit at any given moment?

giants

No Danger On The Sidelines

Well, if you think about it, I am not asking a difficult question. The reason they are not worried or thinking about it is that they are not IN the game. When on the sidelines, they are not an active threat to the game that is being played out on the field. They are, at that point, harmless to the cause and efforts of the defensive team.

Recent Devotion

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been reading from Streams in the Desert lately and it has been good for me. While this is not replacing my time in the Bible, I am really getting some good insights from these short devotions. Here is a recent quote from this book:

We encounter giants only when we are serving God and following Him. It was when Israel was going forward that the giants appeared, for when they turned back into the wilderness, they found none (Numbers 13-14).

Many people believe that the power of God in a person’s life should keep him from all trials and conflicts. However, the power of God actually brings conflict and struggles.

Giants On The Battle Field

Just like the football players on the sidelines, we Christians are not in any danger of facing giants (trials, conflicts, etc.) when we are sitting on the sidelines of the spiritual war going on around us. When in this position, we simply are not a threat to the opposition.

However, if we step out onto the field of battle and begin fighting for God’s glory and the eternal salvation of those around us, we should expect to face giants! We become a threat to the enemy and he will react accordingly.

The Enemy Is Real

I am not one of those people who run around all the time blaming satan for everything happening to me. I do not give him credit (or blame) for my sins and I recognize that many of the situations I face are simply consequences of my prior poor decisions or misdirected desires.

At the same time, I AM one of those people that believes the Bible. I do believe it is God’s Word of instruction AND WARNING to us. I take what it says to be the truth and I try to live accordingly.

Scriptures To Heed

The following verses paint a picture that I believe we need to recognize as being real:

After they (Paul and Barnabas) had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:22-23

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:22

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Matthew 24:9

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
John 15:18-21

Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
1 John 3:13

Is that enough Scripture to give you a clear picture? If not, then let me add one more…

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8

Are You Facing Giants?

Hopefully, this makes it very clear that there are giants for us to face if we are out on the field of battle. The Bible is very clear about this and we should not ignore what is said about these giants.

So now the question is this – are you facing giants?

Are you seeing the opposition of the enemy as you go about trying to do business from an eternal perspective? Are you seeing evidence of the spiritual battle going on around you?

Confused?

Or does this post confuse you? Instead, do you feel everything is going along pretty easily? Has it been awhile since you last faced giants opposing you in your efforts at Christian ministry?

I certainly cannot (nor intend to) judge your circumstances or your own situation. All I want to do is raise the questions and let you prayerfully seek God’s face on this issue.

If you are not seeing giants coming at you in opposition to your Christian ministry efforts, then you at least need to consider that you are not on the battlefield. It is at least a possibility that you are instead on the sidelines, no longer a threat to the enemy.

Don’t Lose Heart

If you ARE facing giants on a daily basis, do not lose heart! You are not on the wrong path simply because it is so hard. The opposite may very well be true.

You also need to prayerfully seek God to make sure you are still headed in the right direction, but you do need to know that the giants you face are to be expected if you are out on the battlefield! I leave you with this encouragement:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

What do your giants look like?

How do you maintain your faith in the shadow of the giants?

If you are not facing giants, why do you think that is?