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What Can We Learn From A Deception?

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Have you ever had a stretch of time when you just knew that God was teaching you things, one after another? Have you ever been through extremely difficult challenges, but you were actually able to embrace them because you knew that God was using them to prepare you for something great in the future?

deception

New Series

Well, I am going through one of those times right now. I have been alluding to this for weeks now and I have already written several posts directly from my recent experiences. Today, I want to start a series that comes from Scripture I have been reading during my morning quiet times. I believe there are some clear lessons that can be applied to Christian business.

My Renewed Quiet Time

Back at the beginning of June, I began to sense a change coming. I was not sure how long before it would take place, but I knew it was coming. I decided to mix up my quiet time and jump into a book of the Bible. My plan was to slowly progress through the book at whatever pace was comfortable.

Knowing I was likely headed into a storm, I chose the book of Joshua. For some reason, the words, “Be strong and courageous” were ringing in my mind and I knew these words were repeated often in the beginning of Joshua. So that is where I started. I also chose to read a mini-commentary on the book of Joshua called, Be Strong (Wiersbe, W).

Storm, Lessons Came Quickly

Very quickly, things began to happen at work and I knew the storm was already upon me. The cool thing was that I began to see clear lessons coming almost immediately from my time spent going through Joshua.

Gibeonite Deception

The story I want to focus on in this series is called the Gibeonite Deception. This particular story is told in Joshua 9:1 – 10:15. If you want to get the full effect from this story, I strongly recommend you read it first. Today, I will give you a little background on the story. I will also give you some questions to ponder until the next post.

Background

We pick up the story with Joshua leading the Israelites in the conquest of the Promised Land. Moses has already led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness for 40 years. Moses turned over his authority to Joshua right before he died. Since then, Joshua and the Israelites have conquered Jericho and, in a second effort, the city of Ai.

After the second battle of Ai, Joshua and the Israelites built an altar to the Lord. They were fresh off of victory and it appears their head was in the game – especially after the disaster they brought on themselves immediately after Jericho with the sin of Achan (Joshua 6:18-19; 7:1-26).

Deception Is Birthed

As we start reading in Joshua 9, word is getting around about how God is with the Israelites. Other kings are beginning to realize that their cities are in serious danger. Many are melting in fear. However, the Gibeonites were not cowering. They were resourceful.

They put together a team of men from the city and went to great lengths to disguise the fact that they were local. They wore dirty, old clothes and patched sandals. They carried moldy bread and cracked wineskins. Acting as if they were a delegation from a distant country, they approached Joshua and asked for a peace treaty.

Deception is Successful

Joshua and the Israelites questioned the Gibeonites, but finally decided they were genuine. Joshua agreed to the peace treaty and ratified it by an oath.

It was only three days later when someone in the Israelite camp heard that the Gibeonites were in fact living nearby. When questioned about why they had deceived the Israelites, the Gibeonites responded that they had acted out of fear. They said they knew God was with the Israelites and was planning to wipe them out like the other cities.

Knowing he had no choice but to honor the treaty, Joshua let them live and did not allow the Israelites to attack their city. In addition, when called on soon after, Joshua and the Israelites came to the defense of the Gibeonites. This was a valid response to their treaty.

Multiple Lessons

That is the basic story. Over the next several posts, I am going to pull out lessons that I believe apply to us today as we attempt to run businesses as platforms for Christian ministry. I expect that you will see how we can take the actions of Joshua, the Israelites, and the Gibeonites, and learn timeless truths that are meaningful today.

Read back over the story and then ponder the following questions. Each one will help you to better understand the lessons we will pull from this story.

Questions To Consider

1. Why is the timing of this story significant to the actions of Joshua and the Israelites?

2. How did the Gibeonites’ approach differ from that of the five kings later in Joshua?

3. Why did the Gibeonites return to their cities without fear after the treaty?

4. What did Joshua do wrong when questioning the claims of the Gibeonites?

5. What was Joshua’s main mistake in agreeing to the peace treaty?

6. Why is this mistake significant at this time in his leadership?

7. What redeeming action(s) did Joshua take after the mistake of the treaty?

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Are You Prepared?

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You are walking into a classroom and the teacher at the front of the room asks everyone to take a seat as she announces that she is handing out a test. Maybe it is a pop quiz or just a regular test that you forgot about. It really is irrelevant – you know you are not prepared. Immediately this sense of dread comes over you and you wonder what you will do. Then you wake up.

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The Dream

I am sure you have had the dream. Everyone has likely had it at one time or another, in one form or another. Some even experience it as a recurring dream. It is certainly not a dream that you enjoy having because of that intense feeling of dread that always comes with a knot in the pit of your stomach.

Unless you just enjoy that feeling, you hate these dreams. The one thing you know you would hate even more than one of these dreams is for this to happen in real life. To face a test in real life, knowing that you are not at all prepared, is a scary thought.

Application?

Even if this is true, what does it have to do with Christian business owners and leaders?

Actually, this dream has a lot of application in the lives and businesses of Christian leaders. Before we discuss that, let’s first take a look at Scripture.

Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4

A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. – James 1:12

Testing Our Faith

If you are not familiar with the first chapter of James, then you need to take a couple of minutes right now and read it HERE. As you can see, James starts right out talking about trials and testing of our faith. Then, in verse 12 above, he mentions the reward we will see when we pass the test.

If you have taken the step of faith and committed your life to following Jesus, then you are not a stranger to trials or tests. As Christians, we face them all of the time. In some cases, these tests are small ones. Other times, the tests seem like they are going to crush us.

We Are Being Prepared

What I am not sure most Christians realize is that these trials and tests we face daily are actually meant to help us get prepared for future tests and trials! And those are designed to get us prepared for more tests in the more distant future. It goes on and on!

Final Goal

Look at James 1:4 again. James says that that final goal is for us to be mature and complete, not lacking anything. In Romans 8, Paul says that God’s goal for us is to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. That is a tall order!

To be honest, I am not a Bible scholar and cannot tell you exactly what that means. I do think I understand that the general idea is that God is using the trials in this life to mold us to look more like Jesus.

If that is true, then we really should face our trials with joy, knowing they are moving us closer and closer to the end goal of looking more like Jesus. While it sounds crazy, this really should be our approach.

Pray To Be Fully Prepared

Let me add another facet to this idea. Following James’ instruction to consider these trials as joy is not our only responsibility. As hard as that is, I think there is a tougher step we can, and should, take. This step may seem unrealistic to you, but I am sincere in offering it as heartfelt advice.

I believe we should pray for God to expose us to the full extent of the trials He has in mind for us. While this sounds like asking for punishment, I actually see it as a sincere effort to be fully prepared for a future test.

Not To Be Found Short

Just like the dream I mentioned earlier, we all hate facing a test that we are not prepared to face. In the same way, I do not want to face a future test or trial for which I am not prepared. If the trial I am facing right now is meant to prepare me for that future test, then I want to go through the full preparation I can!

That means I want the full extent of this current trial so that I am not found short later. I want all the preparation He has in mind for me so I am ready for whatever lies ahead.

Does that make sense?

Prayer Changes, Too

If you understand my reasoning and agree with it, then this means your prayer life should likely change dramatically. Not only should it change your prayers involving the trials you are going through, but it should also change your prayers for others.

Rather than praying for God to lift suffering and stress from our lives, we should be praying that He gives us the strength to go through it. Rather than praying for relief, we should pray for endurance through the trial and understanding that we are being prepared for the future.

Application to Christian Business Leaders

Assuming you are still following me with this line of thinking, let’s quickly apply it to Christian business owners and leaders.

First, we will face many tests and trials in the course of trying to run a business. The world does not like Jesus and every effort we make at spreading the Gospel through our businesses will be met with serious opposition (think Chick-Fil-A). If we are going to face these trials, then we really need to be prepared for them.

Second, while these trials may not be any tougher on us than what others may face, our trials often have consequences that affect many more people. If we are diligent in facing these current trials with the mindset of being prepared for future ones, we will have greater impact for eternity on those around us.

Finally, if we will face these tests with joy as James instructs, those that are watching us today will gain hope. Whether we recognize it or not, people are watching. Whether we like it or not, we have a responsibility as Christ’s ambassadors to represent our King in the best way we can.

I am really interested in your response – what are your thoughts?

Can you see yourself praying for the full extent of a trial?

Have you already experienced this? Tell us about it.

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Is Competence Really Critical In A Christian Leader?

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Over the past 60 days, I have been going through a lot of resumes for key positions within our company. In doing this, I have realized that our discussion about the key building blocks to Christian leadership is a very timely topic for me! Depending on the position, I am likely looking for these very characteristics in the candidates I interview.

Christian leader

Credible Christian Leadership

This is my fifth and final post in the series on credible Christian leadership. In this series we have been looking at the four building blocks of Christian leadership proposed by James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book, Credibility. We started with honesty, followed by being forward-looking, or casting vision. Then, in my last post, we looked at being inspiring. Today, we will focus on the fourth and final building block, competence.

Some Incredible Claims!

As I mentioned earlier, I have been going through stacks of resumes to find the right candidates for some very key roles in our business. As I go through these resumes, I marvel at the variety of ways people can express incredible, performance-based claims. Reading some of these, you would think the candidates would be better served writing fiction than they are in managing people!

Don’t get me wrong. Not all of them are like this. Some are very factual and some even back up their claims with various means of proof. Some don’t make the outrageous claims. They simply state facts about their work experience and accomplishments.

What is my point?

Competence Is Critical

Well, my point is this – I am looking for solid leaders, those that others will want to follow. I am looking to fill roles that are critical to the success of our company, and by extension, our ability to impact eternity. If I hire only for honesty, vision, and inspiration – forgetting about competence – then I am doomed to failure!

On the surface, many of the resumes I have reviewed look good. However, I obviously won’t choose them based solely on this. I must find out if they are competent as well. If not, the people in our organization will not follow them. The truth will come out quickly.

Folks, we simply cannot get by with mediocre if we truly want to be Christian leaders that point others to God. We cannot accept just showing up for the job. Even if we have great personalities and extensive knowledge of the industry, we are not going to succeed if we are not competent at what we are called to do!

What Action Do We Take?

So, what does this mean to you and me? Assuming we agree on the absolute need for competence in our roles as Christian leaders, what does that mean we need to do about it?

The bottom line is that we are to be learners. We are to be students of our industry. We should be investing time on a regular basis to grow our skills and our understanding. We can not pass muster if we are not growing constantly.

There are too many resources available today for any excuses. If you work at it, you can even find plenty that will not cost you a penny! All you have to be willing to invest is your time! Don’t let complacency slip up on you…go learn something!

Summary

I pray you have gained something from our discussion of the four building blocks of Christian leadership. I also pray that you are taking something you have learned and are applying it. I have a quote stuck to the bottom of the monitor on my desk. Here is what it says:

Knowing is not enough; I must apply.
Willing is not enough; I must do.

What 3 leadership books have you read this year?

Are you working on your competence in your job?

Do you require the same from your team?

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Christian Leadership Based On A True Story!

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I am a movie buff. I am often known to quote from a wide variety of movies at seemingly random times during the day. Weird? Maybe. I just enjoy movies and often see how they tie into real life in odd ways. Today, I want to show you how they tie into Christian leadership…in what I hope is a clear way!

Christian leader

Credible Christian Leadership

This is my fourth post in the series on Credible Christian Leadership. In this series we are looking at the four building blocks of Christian leadership proposed by James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book, Credibility. So far, we have talked about honesty and being forward-looking, or casting vision. In this post, I want to discuss what it means to be inspiring, the third building block of Christian leadership.

Favorite Movies

At the risk of being too transparent (I have been accused!), I am going to share with you a few of my favorite movies. While these particular movies alone do not give you a complete picture of my movie tastes, they do fit my purpose for this post.

Christian leader

Just by looking over this group, can you tell me what they have in common?

As you probably guessed, all of these movies are based on true stories!

Why is this important?

Inspiring = Great Speeches?

Well, we are talking about how the need to be inspiring to those you lead is a building block of Christian leadership. When most people first think about being inspiring to those they lead, they think about giving a hair-raising speech that brings the crowd to their feet. Their next thought is usually that they are not gifted in that way.

Actually, it is true that most of us are not gifted with the ability to give highly motivational speeches. Fortunately, being inspiring is more about what we do than it is about what we say!

Simply Live Out The Values

See, while you may not be able to give a rousing speech to your team, you sure can live out the values that you claim as a Christian leader. You may not be able to motivate your team to scale a wall with your pep talk, but you can exhibit the selfless qualities that reinforce what you teach.

People are much more apt to be inspired by watching a true story than they are by one that is scripted for Hollywood. Those that you lead will be more inspired by what you do – day in and day out – than they would be by what you may say.

Rudy’s Example

Think back to the movies I listed. Let’s take just the first one – Rudy. If you have seen this movie, you will remember that on or off the field, Rudy lived for Notre Dame football. He gave his heart and soul to the pursuit of playing football for Notre Dame. He went through punishment, sacrifice, and heartache to achieve this goal.

It took him years to finally see this goal realized. As a result, he made believers out of everyone that watched him. Some scoffed and others were convicted when comparing their own lack of commitment with Rudy’s passion for his goal. In the end, his achievement was truly inspiring!

We Can Be Inspiring!

Folks, this is not about having your life made into a major motion picture! Our goal is not the spotlight.

No, my point is that if we will simply and passionately live out the Christian leadership qualities that Jesus modeled for us in the Bible, then we will be some of the most inspiring people out there! The inspiration that results from our lives may not reach past the city limits of our small town. That is not important.

What IS important is that we follow the example laid out for us in Scripture. It IS important that we do this regardless of the potential consequences we may face in this world. As we do this, the people that are carefully watching us will be inspired. There is no doubt about that!

Do you have an example of Christian leadership that inspired you?

Are you trying to live out Christ’s values in an inspiring way?

How could your example be more inspiring to those watching you?

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How Is Vision Critical to Christian Leadership?

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Probably one of the top five books I have read in the past ten years is called Visioneering by Andy Stanley. In my mind, this book ranks with classics like Good to Great by Jim Collins and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

vision

In Stanley’s book, he goes into great detail about why vision is so important to Christian leadership. He also gives solid advice about how to go about casting that vision to your organization. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it! I would loan mine to you, but someone borrowed it several years ago and has failed to return it. I am hoping they read this post and get the hint!

This is my third post in the series on Credible Christian Leadership. In this series we are looking at the four building blocks of Christian leadership proposed by James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book, Credibility. We started with honesty in my last post. Today, we are talking about being forward-looking, or casting vision.

Vision From Two Perspectives

Anyway, let’s talk about vision from a couple of perspectives. First, we need to discuss why it is important as a building block for Christian leadership. Second, we need to address what it looks like in a Christian leader.

People Want A Big Vision

If you read much about employee engagement, you will find that compensation is not always the most important issue affecting job satisfaction among employees. In many cases, the desire to work for something that is bigger than themselves turns out to rank higher than compensation for employees.

People want to be a part of something. That is one reason the Olympic Games are so interesting to people in all walks of life. When they watch the events on TV, they feel a part of the team. Americans, regardless of economic status or job position, feel like they are a part of a national team. It is invigorating to most everyone and the vast majority are not participating in any way other than as spectators.

If you want to tap into this passion with those you are leading, then they need to know you are looking into the future. They need to know you are seeing a better picture ahead and showing them how they can be a part of this vision.

What Should Vision Look Like?

Assuming you want this, let’s take a look at what this should actually look like from a Christian perspective.

For a Christian leader, our vision for the future cannot simply include things like more money and a comfortable retirement. If this is all it is, then we are showing them nothing any different than what the world is showing them. This just cannot be.

Temporal And Eternal Vision

Instead, this vision, coming from a Christian leader, needs to extend into the future on two levels – both the temporal (this life) and the eternal (the life to come). If we can cast a vision of a better future on both levels, we will have people eager to follow we and hear what we have to say.

Just like Jesus did with those He ministered to, we do need to provide for their physical needs in our vision. We cannot expect to lead people with no consideration of their physical existence and the needs that go along with it. If we ignore their physical needs when we are casting our vision for the future, then we will end up walking alone.

Stretch Their Picture

The difference for the Christian leader is that we are not painting a picture for them that only includes their own needs. We are instead showing them a larger picture that includes the needs of those around them. We want to show them that they can be a part of improving the community in which they live. This community includes their coworkers, neighbors, etc.

Eternal Vision

At the same time we are casting the vision for a better life here and now, we should also be casting the vision for a better life to come. As Christian leaders, we should be leading them to consider their life beyond this life.

In July’s C12 segment, the author describes it this way:

We need to believe, in our own hearts, that this earthly life is one of struggle and that the good life awaits us in Heaven. We lead based on the eternal perspective.

If we can cast this dual vision in a compelling way, we will draw people to God. Again, we are not looking for the spotlight. Instead, we are looking to cast that spotlight on Him and give Him the glory for it all.

Do you have a vision for a better future?

If not, are you praying for God to reveal it to you?

If so, are you casting this vision on both levels?

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Building Blocks of Christian Leadership

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Are you the Christian leader you were created to be? Do you really even have a good feel for what that looks like? What are you doing on a daily basis to improve as a Christian leader?

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Christian Leadership Defined

As I described in my last post, I am not defining Christian leadership by the size of your social media platform. I am not defining it based on the number of people you lead or by the number of books you have read or written. It has nothing to do with the spotlight.

Instead, I am calling a Christian leader someone who follows the example of Christ and does so in a way that influences others to do the same. You could also call someone like this a disciple-maker or a Great Commission Christian or any other label you want to use.

The only difference here is that I am describing this person in the context of the business world.

Called To Influence Through Business

My point is that, as Christian business owners and leaders, I believe we are all called to influence others toward an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ. We are called to do this through the operation of our businesses and the execution of our jobs.

Assuming you are in agreement with me at this point, let’s dig into the building blocks of effective and credible Christian leadership. I am taking much of this information from the July segment of the C12 Group material.

How Effective Leadership Works

Recently, educators James Kouzes and Barry Posner wrote a book, Credibility, in which they explored how effective leadership works. In preparation for this book, they did extensive research with thousands of interviews to come up with the basic building blocks.

Out of a list of 20 components, they selected four as the most critical components of effective leadership. While this was not a Christian endeavor, I believe you will quickly see that these same four components of effective leadership can be supported with Scripture. In fact, during His brief time on earth, Jesus modeled each of these for us.

First Building Block: Honesty

The first of these building blocks of effective Christian leadership is honesty. Almost 90% of those surveyed cited honesty as the single most important component of effective leadership. Does that surprise you?

There are very few things that people hate more than being lied to. I could give several recent examples of being lied to in my business. When that happens, I usually decide very quickly that I cannot “follow” those individuals in any endeavor. Their influence with me is destroyed. I am sure you likely have had similar experiences and may feel the same.

The problem here is that our human nature makes it so easy for us to lie. Whether it is a little white lie or one that is more significant in our minds, we all face opportunities every day to tell something other than the truth. If we choose to something other than the truth, regardless of whether we see the significance at the time, we are destroying our influence.

Other Ways To Breach Trust

Before you start to relax and think that you don’t struggle that much with lying, let’s look at some other ways that Christian leaders can breach trust with those they are attempting to influence.

    1. We believe, but our business practices do not show it.

    2. We don’t mention Christ as the basis for how we conduct business.

    3. We talk about the Lord only when things are really difficult.

    4. We act as if problems never happen in the Christian life.

At first glance, these are likely not the first examples you thought of when I mentioned honesty. But, if you will think about each of them, you can quickly come to the conclusion that they fit. And they are common.

What Do We Need To Do?

So, if we are striving to improve the effectiveness of our Christian leadership, how do we strengthen this first building block – honesty?

I think there are several recommendations I can make. None of these are likely new to you, but that does not change their necessity.

Recommendations

First, I would strongly urge you to pray that God would search your heart and make known to you the areas where you are less than honest. He is faithful to do this.

Second, I would begin to spend more time in Scripture. Based on what God shows you in step one, I would look for Scripture that addresses your problem areas.

It could be pride that causes you to exaggerate. Maybe it is insecurity that makes you feel the need to protect yourself with denials. It may even be greed that drives your habit of manipulating others.

Whatever the issue, Scripture can address it. Once you find the particular verses that address your particular struggles, commit them to memory. If Scripture was Jesus’ response to temptation, don’t you think it will work for us?

Finally, I strongly urge you to find an accountability partner that can hold you to your commitments. Share your struggles with them. If you can be honest with them, that is a great first step toward doing so with everyone else.

Increased Influence

Don’t forget, if you can establish this first building block, your influence will soar over time. This influence, in the hands of a committed Christian leader, will have significant impact on eternity.

Stay tuned for the other three building blocks in my next posts.

Do you struggle with a lack of complete honesty?

Have you considered how being less than honest affects your influence?

What are you doing to correct this issue?

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Where Are The Christian Leaders?

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How many of you are disillusioned by the overall lack of Christian leadership in our world today? Where are the Christian leaders? First of all, I recognize there are exceptions. Folks like Dan Cathy (CEO of Chick-Fil-A) are still out there standing up for what is right, but they are clearly the minority.

Even in our government and schools, there are exceptions. These are not the people I am talking about today. They are doing their part.

Christian leader

Where Are The Christian Leaders?

My question is really targeted at the Christian business leaders today. Why are there so few bold Christian leaders in the business world these days? Why is Dan Cathy’s stand so uncommon? What has kept potentially bold Christian leaders from stepping onto the field and making a difference for eternity?

I must confess I am not sure of the answers to these questions. It could be fear on several levels. Maybe it is uncertainty about what to do and how to do it. It could even be simple laziness. I really do not know.

What To Do About It?

The better question for us is this – what are we doing about it?

See, I get a lot of grief from my extended family because I really do not pay much attention to the news. I am frequently the last to know about things going on in the world around me. When I learn about current events, they are not so current!

Right or wrong, I am like this because I feel like it is mostly a waste of my time to watch things happen when I feel I have no opportunity to influence them. I would rather spend my time working on things I can impact. I would rather read or learn something that I can apply tomorrow in a way that impacts someone for eternity.

Get Intentional!

I am not advocating everyone boycott the news (necessarily), but I am saying we all need to spend more time intentionally becoming the people God created us to be. I do not believe God created us to be people who know all that is going on in the European economy, but are doing nothing here to impact people for their eternal life.

So…having said all of that…let’s get back to the question at hand:

What are we going to do about the lack of effective Christian leadership in the business world today?

We Are The Christian Leaders!

It is my humble recommendation that we do everything we can do to add one more Christian leader to our own surroundings – ourselves! We cannot shirk this responsibility and hope someone else sees the need. That has not worked so far!

No, instead we must become the most effective Christian leaders we can be with the talents and strengths God has given us. For some, you are in a position of leadership over hundreds or even thousands of people already. For others, you may be the only person under your leadership right now. For most, you are in between.

A Journey That Takes Time & Effort

We do not become effective Christian leaders by climbing on a desk and announcing to the world that we are finally ready to take on that role. No, the process of becoming effective in your Christian leadership is one that takes time and effort. In fact, there is seldom an announcement. More often it sneaks up on you after years of preparing.

Please remember that our model for this journey has never been on TV, has not written any books, and is without a social media platform. Those people that had waited generations for Him to take the helm as their leader instead rejected Him almost as quick as He opened His mouth to cast the vision. The ones that ended up following Him were mostly rejects themselves.

If you are up to the task, follow along with me for the next several posts. We are going to be looking at material from the C12 Group that will give us some basic building blocks of effective Christian leadership. While there is no silver bullet for becoming the leader God designed you to be, the building blocks I will share with you should get you headed in the right direction.

Are you on the path to becoming a Christian leader in your circles?

What are you doing to intentionally move down that path?

Can you give an example of a Christian leader you are modeling after?

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Broken Is Better!

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A friend of mine told me today that he is going to have a doctor take a look at his foot next week. Evidently, he has been experiencing pain for the past several years due to one of his toes being misaligned with the rest of his foot. As painful as that sounds, the solution sounds worse. To fix his problem, his foot will have to be broken and the toe realigned!

broken

My Business Is Broken

If you have been following this blog for the past few weeks, you may have noticed the several times I have mentioned the challenges I am facing in my business. I am not going to take the time to go into the details about the trouble I am experiencing. Instead, I am just going to say that my business, in a way, is broken.

I have lost two key members of our team and had to shift three others into new jobs. All this has taken place in the last 30 days. We are not in any significant danger, but we are certainly facing headwinds that make it tougher to see the bright side right now.

During all of this, my day-to-day role has changed dramatically. Rather than being in a position to cast the vision and guide the ship, I have had to move to the engine room to help with the basic operation of the business.

Temporary Limitations

The role change I have experienced is not life-threatening. In fact, there have been some benefits to getting involved at a deeper level in the operation. The problem is that I have not been able to spend the necessary time on the bigger picture issues where I believe God has called me to focus.

When I think about this picture in the short-term, it is easy to get frustrated. I know God has called me to impact people for eternity through this business. He gave me strengths and talents that can be used to accomplish this. Unfortunately, while I am knee-deep in the details of the day-to-day operation, I cannot operate in these strengths.

In the short-term, it looks like God is taking me out of the game. Is it possible He made a mistake in allowing our company to be broken?

Broken Foot

Let’s go back to my friend with the foot problem. The doctor is telling him that he has a solution to his problem. The solution is for his foot to be broken and the bones realigned. Then the doctor will put that broken foot in a special boot for six to eight weeks to heal.

If my friend goes through this process, he will wake up after the surgery being in worse shape than he was before the surgery. Activities that just caused a little pain before the surgery will now be impossible to do. His mobility will be much more limited for those six to eight weeks of healing than it was before the surgery.

Does that mean the doctor was wrong?

Long-term vs. Short-term

No! It is clear to all of us that my friend must look past the recovery period to see the reward. He is not going through this procedure for the short-term. His goal is to enjoy a long-term picture without the limiting pain he was experiencing before.

Folks, the same is true of my business. I cannot see into the future to know what God has in mind for my ministry through this business. I have no idea exactly what He is up to in allowing it to be broken for this time.

What I do know is that He is up to something. In the meanwhile, He is giving me peace and support from those around me that I have not experienced to this degree before.

What Is Broken Will Be Fixed

It is crystal clear to me that what is broken now will eventually be fixed. Not only that, but it will be better than it ever was for His purposes! I must suffer through the short-term limitations and frustrations just like my friend in the boot. However, when the pieces come back together, I believe our impact will increase exponentially!

One last point…our lives work the same way. Often, life throws us unexpected challenges. Things happen and we are broken in ways we never imagined.

While it is easy for us to lose hope and fall into desperation, we should instead press into God and have faith that He is going to put us back together. God is faithful to do it. Not only that, but we will be better after the surgery than before!

Has your business (or life) been broken?

Can you see the long-term benefit?

If you have been through this, will you share with us?

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What Is A Ministry Superstar?

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Recently, I wrote a post called, “How Do You Become A Ministry Superstar?” that generated a variety of responses. Some of the comments and responses questioned the idea of a “superstar” and the negative characteristics that are commonly associated with that term. In an effort to clarify my picture of a ministry superstar, I thought a follow-up post was in order. I hope the following will shed more light on how I see a ministry superstar.

ministry superstar

C12 Group Material

In my earlier post, I borrowed the following three characteristics of a ministry superstar from a talk given by Buck Jacobs, founder of the C12 Group. In this talk, Jacobs was trying to communicate the need for Christian business owners and leaders to step up and use their businesses as platforms for ministry. Here is how he described those who have done this in a huge way:

    1. Ministry Superstars have a God-focused company mission statement. These mission statements point to God as they clarify the reason for the existence of the company and serve as tools to aid in the decision-making process.

    2. Ministry Superstars lead! These stand-outs are not the type to stand back and wait for direction from someone else. They are intentional and choose to take action on their faith. You will not find mere pew-warmers in this group!

    3. Ministry Superstars have an intimate, daily quiet time with God. Someone that fits in this category does not allow dust to accumulate on their Bible. They are so in tune with God because they are intentional about reading and studying the Bible and spending time in prayer every day.

What Other Qualities?

Assuming this is a valid list of characteristics, what type of person do you think you will find in this group? If these qualities are present to a fairly high degree in the members of this group, what other qualities do you think you will find?

Well, this is not an exact science, but I have an idea of what other qualities I think we would find. We are looking at a group of individuals who spend daily time reading and studying the Bible, truly seeking to do God’s will in their lives. As a result, the odds are high that these people recognize the need to follow the example of Jesus (1 John 2:6).

Other Ministry Superstar Traits

Following that logic, let’s take a look at the rest of the traits we could use to describe these ministry superstars.

1. They have an eternal perspective (John 6:27).

2. They submit to the Holy Spirit to seek and save that which is lost (Luke 19:10).

3. They are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

4. They are obedient – fulfilling the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandments.

5. They come to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28).

Though this is not an exhaustive list, I think you can get a good picture of what a ministry superstar looks like. We are not (necessarily) talking about someone in the limelight with media attention focused on their ministry.

No, these people that we are describing could be business owners with just a handful of employees or they could have thousands. The size or fame of their ministry activity is totally irrelevant! It is more about their effort and activity in relation to their God-given potential.

Willing To Trade

A true ministry superstar understands that this life is a small segment of their eternal existence. They are willing to trade immediate reward for eternal treasure. They accept that, while still on earth, the following may or may not result from their Christian ministry:

    1. Recognition, here and now.

    2. Prosperity, here and now.

    3. Friends / Reputation, here and now.

    4. Rest / Comfort, here and now.

While any (or all) of these results may occur for the ministry superstars during their life here on earth, these are not their focuses or goals.

Ministry Superstar’s Ultimate Goal

The ultimate goal of a Ministry Superstar is really only one thing. It is one simple phrase spoken by Jesus when telling one of his many parables.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.” – Matthew 25:21

Do you consider yourself to be on the path to becoming a Ministry Superstar?

If not, what parts are you missing?

Do you know a ministry superstar from whom you can learn?

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How Do You Plan For Victory?

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Over the past two weeks, I have been posting about victory in our lives. As a result, I have had some great comments from various perspectives. These comments have led me to write this final post about victory and how we should be planning for it in our lives. I hope you will join in the conversation.

victory

Clarification

In an effort to first clarify my point in doing this series, let’s revisit what I believe should be our primary focus in discussing victory – the definition.

Victory, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “achievement of success in a struggle or endeavor.” For the sake of this discussion, I am looking at victory in our Christian businesses (and lives). That means I am talking about seeking success in the endeavors that make up our Christian walk.

Eternal Perspective

As I said in the first post of the series, we need to base our definition on an eternal perspective, not that of our culture and the world around us. Our view of victory should come ONLY from our complete and absolute surrender to God.

By following the Greatest Commandment, we are to love God with our ALL, leaving no room for any other loves (including fame, wealth, power, etc.)! Whatever He decides is victory for each of us should be good enough for us. Nothing else should matter!

Planning For Victory

Now that we have cleared that up, let’s turn to how we need to plan for victory in our Christian businesses as well as in our daily lives. The simplest description of this issue I have ever seen comes from someone who died more that 100 years ago.

J. Hudson Taylor, a missionary who spent over 50 years of his life in China, gave us this description. Keep in mind that he saw countless opportunities to experience both victory and defeat during his time in the mission field.

The organization he began (China Inland Mission), was responsible for bringing more than 800 missionaries into China and starting 125 schools there. These efforts resulted in more than 18,000 Christian conversions! I think he knows the taste of victory!

Taylor’s 3 Methods

Here are the three ways to do God’s work, according to Taylor:

  1. Make the best plans we can, and carry them out to the best of our ability.
      2. This is probably the most popular method of all. Unfortunately, this one also leads to the most trouble. This is the plan of the world. Aren’t we supposed to stand out from the world?
  2. Having carefully laid our plans and determined to carry them through, we may ask God to help us, and to prosper us in connection with them.
      3. Probably the second most popular method overall, it is likely the most popular among professing Christians. In fact, too many churches follow this method as they erect building after building and seek victory through facility size while ignoring the unmet needs of the world around them.

      Not to be outdone, we do the same thing as Christian business owners, thinking financial success is the best indicator of God’s favor.

  3. Begin with God, ask His plans, and offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes.
      4. This method is likely used less often than any other method. Why, I cannot explain. Maybe we feel the need to be in control. Maybe we are impatient and cannot wait on God’s timing.

      Whatever the reason, it is a travesty. We simply must get back to basing our actions on Scripture. Even Jesus, the very Son of God, followed this method when He said He only does what He hears the Father tell Him to do (John 12:50). The cross is the ultimate picture of this.

More Capable Than Jesus?

Do we really think we are more capable of doing it on our own than Jesus is?

Folks, that is simply not true.

It all boils down to this…if you can consistently follow Method #3, you will see victory. It will look different than the victory depicted on TV, but it is true victory.

If that is what you are after, that is what you will find. Expect it!

What thoughts do you have after this series?

How often do you use the third method? Are you consistent?

If so, share how you manage to stay that way!