Tag Archives: Christian business

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Do Not Ask WWJD!

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Charles Sheldon’s book, In His Steps, introduced Christians to a powerful question more than 100 years ago. Since then, Christians have been asking “WWJD?” (What Would Jesus Do?) when faced with difficult choices or deciding what action to take. I am a huge fan of that book and it is on my recommended reading list. In fact, I believe every Christian should read it, but it is my recommendation that you NOT ask this question. Let me explain.

WWJD

Sports Hero?

In an effort to create a visual illustration of my thought process, I want you to think of your favorite sports figure. Picture in your mind a scene where they are exhibiting the height of their skills in a single move.

Maybe you are picturing a wide receiver in football making an unbelievably acrobatic, one-handed catch while diving for the end zone. Maybe it is a batter in baseball reaching for the outside curveball, getting just enough of it to send it over the infield and into the outfield before dropping to allow the game-winning run.

I could go on with examples, but I believe you get the picture. The idea here is that this athlete is doing something that you would love to imitate. If you could, you would put yourself into his or her position and do the same thing, right? Haven’t you dreamed about something similar at one time or another?

You Are Not Prepared

Here is the problem. You and I are not prepared for that situation. We have not put in the hours of practice, workouts, stretches, and training that this particular athlete has given. The move or play that you saw them make was the culmination of thousands of hours of preparation.

For you or me to be given the exact same opportunity and expect to be able to make the same play as our favorite athlete – that is somewhat crazy, don’t you think? While I am perfectly okay with a fantasy like this, I do think we need to recognize that it is just that…a fantasy.

Hours Of Work Required!

The only way you or I could truly be ready to execute the same play would be to prepare in the same way, right? We really would need to put in the hours of hard work, practice, and training if we wanted to be able to direct our bodies to respond the same way.

This idea is no different in business, right? It would be naive for us to expect to be able to have the insight or acumen necessary to identify and exploit a huge profit opportunity in the market without having the years of experience and learning in that particular industry.

Why Different When Imitating Jesus?

So why is it that we think we can simply ask the question, “WWJD – What would Jesus do?” and get the answer we need? Why do we think we can wait until the heat of the moment when faced with temptation, tough moral choices, or other decisions before we ask this question?

Put Jesus in the place of the athlete in the earlier illustration. Like them, He prepared for a lifetime. As a man, He spent his life seeking the will of His Father. He was constantly withdrawing to a quiet place to be alone with His Father and pray. He was totally and completely focused on living out His mission on earth, not allowing distractions.

More Than Asking WWJD!

In the same way, if we truly want to imitate Jesus, we must do more than simply ask what He would do in any given situation. Instead, we must be willing to dedicate the time, energy, and effort necessary to prepare as He prepared.

If we really want to run our businesses the way Jesus would run them if He were the boss, then we must focus our minds and hearts on learning all we can about Him and His actions. We cannot simply hope the answers will appear just because we ask the WWJD question.

Disciplined Discipleship!

We must commit the time in the mornings to read His Word. Studying the Bible and how it applies to each of us today is critical. We must memorize Scripture so that we can quote it in the face of temptation, just like He did.

We have to prioritize time alone in prayer with our Father the way Jesus did. If we are not constantly communicating with God in a way that allows us to become intimately familiar with His overall will for our lives, then we will have no clue what Jesus would do in a given situation.

Time With Sinners?

We also need to spend our time around sinners and those in need. While you may not immediately see how this can be helpful, I promise that it is. First of all, this is something Jesus did so that is really all you need to know. If you will just do it for a while, you will begin to see why it is necessary.

But since you are impatient, I will tell you that spending your time around these people will increase your sensitivity to the needs of the world around you. You will be better able to see that this life is not all about you, but is about God and communicating His love to everyone. Doing this will enable you to feel the compassion Jesus had for those around Him.

Answers From Preparation

When you combine all of the above over a period of time, you will find that the answer to your question (WWJD) will come more easily. The more you prepare like Jesus did, the more you may find you don’t even need to stop to ask the question – the answer will already be there.

What are your thoughts about asking WWJD?

How prepared do you feel you are to ask the question?

What should be your next step in preparation?

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15 Killer Ideas For Christian Ministry

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In my last post, I described a house that had gas cans, lit candles, and exposed wiring throughout. We agreed that the owner of this house is clearly trying to create conditions for a fire to break out. We also looked at how this same idea applies to Christian ministry in our businesses if we are looking for eternal impact by pointing people toward God.

Christian ministry

Examples Of Christian Ministry

Today, I would like to give you some specific ideas about how we take this same approach in our business. I do not have the space to fully describe each item on the list. Instead, I will give a brief description and then, when possible, direct you to another post on this site that goes into more detail.

My hope is that you can take even just a couple of these ideas and adapt them to your business. If you have any questions or want to discuss them further, please comment below or send me an email. I will respond as quickly as I can!

    1. Mission Statement
    God is central to our company mission statement and core values.

    2. Chaplain program
    We offer chaplain services to our employees on a weekly basis through Corporate Chaplains of America. This service is incredible and has too many benefits to list here!

    3. Owners Manuals For Life
    We put a New Testament Bible in the glove box of every vehicle we sell. The cover says “Owners Manual For Life” and we have a note inside that explains how we believe it is the greatest book they will ever read. We don’t point it out to the customer, but let them find it later.

    4. Christ in Christmas Party
    We celebrate and have fun like other companies, but we also make sure there is a story or illustration at the end of the party that contains the gospel message to keep our focus on the real reason for the party.

    5. Christian magazines, Gospels of John in lounge
    We keep Christian magazines like “TwoTen” on the tables in the customer lounges at each of our stores. We also keep pocket-sized copies of the Gospel of John stocked there.

    6. Bible Studies
    Our chaplain (and sometimes our Controller) leads a weekly Bible study in the employee break room. We do one at lunch and one at breakfast so everyone has the opportunity to come, regardless of work schedule. We provide the food and we watch a video series followed by discussion.

    7. Devotions
    I go around to each department once a month and tell a quick story or illustration with a business and spiritual message woven in. These take five minutes or so and stay very light, but get great responses!

    8. Employee Newsletter
    I write an article for our employee newsletter once a month. In this article, I follow much the same pattern as the devotions mentioned above.

    9. Library
    We have a couple of library areas across our locations where we keep books for use by employees. Topics range from spiritual to family to parenting to business. If they are looking for a book we don’t have (and it fits our mission), then we will get it.

    10. Sponsorships
    We sponsor a number of faith-based organizations around our community. While these are mostly financial sponsorships, there are also opportunities to help with things other than money. Use of facilities, social media marketing, etc. are some examples.

    11. Car wash
    We host faith-based organizations on our parking lot and provide all necessary materials for them to hold a car wash fundraiser. They provide the labor and keep the revenue from the customers. We give a per-car donation as well.

    12. Open meetings with prayer
    We take time at the beginning of our sales meetings to open in prayer.

    13. Employee recognition
    We recognize employees who go above and beyond expectations outside of their job with a couple of awards – the RPM award and the Lightning Strike.

    14. Christian music
    Our overhead and on-hold music comes from a Pandora station with upbeat Christian music. It is not overwhelming, but provides a great atmosphere in the showroom and around the dealerships.

    15. Pay for volunteering
    We provide opportunities for employees to volunteer during community events we sponsor and pay them for half the time they spend doing so.

Not Everything

This is not everything we do to create the potential for eternal impact, but it should give you some ideas about what you can do in your business.

The idea I want to make sure I convey is that all of this does not happen at once. This is an accumulation of over ten years of intentional thought and action. We started small. You can do the same.

Progress Over Time

If you work at it over time, your business will look like the house described in my last post. Everywhere you turn, you will see potential for Christian ministry to happen. You will also realize that it is good for business!

Comment below and let me know what you would add to this list! Have a question, ask it! I would love to engage in conversation about this.

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Danger: Highly Flammable!

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Let me ask you a question. What would you think if you walked into someone’s house and saw gas cans scattered all over the place in seemingly random places? What if you looked closer and began to notice exposed wiring sticking out of various holes in the walls? If you also noticed lit candles and other flammable materials sitting on various tables and shelves, what would your thoughts be?

flammable

Extreme Picture?

Clearly, this is an extreme picture and one that is not likely to happen. However, if you did walk into a house that looked like this, what would you conclude? Would you assume the owner of the house had a death wish or that he was looking for a big insurance payoff?

Regardless of his final goal, you would have to conclude that he was interested in starting a fire, right? There would be no other reasonable conclusion that I can imagine. In fact, if it WAS his goal to have start a fire, you would probably give him an “A” for effort, right?

There Is A Point

I know this is a silly illustration, but there is a point that I want to make. In our businesses, I believe it is to be our goal to bring glory to God. While business is a worthy pursuit by itself, I believe the reward we receive at the end of this life will be based on our impact on eternity, not on the size of our business.

For me, this means that I want to run a profitable business that is healthy and growing, but I want to do this for the purpose of pointing people to God. I love business and know that God has placed me in a family business because that is where my talents can be used.

Bigger Purpose For Business

At the same time, I believe there is a bigger purpose for our business. I believe I will hear, “Well done” from Jesus at the end of this life if I have successfully run the business in a way that maximized eternal impact. This idea is my “Why” and is what drives me from day to day.

So, if that is the case, what does this have to do with a house full of highly flammable materials apparently laid out in such a way as to maximize the chances of fire breaking out? Actually, the answer is simple.

Spiritually Flammable!

I believe we can do the very same thing with our businesses. I am not talking about trying to burn them down. No, I am saying that we should sprinkle spiritually “flammable materials” around our businesses that will increase the likelihood of this eternal impact happening.

Think about it. All it takes is for us to think strategically about how we can impact people for eternity through the uniqueness of our business. We can just start small and take it slow. It does not have to happen all at one time. The little things will add up over a period of time!

Start Small

Maybe the first step is a process or policy that goes beyond the norm in taking care of your employees or coworkers. Maybe it is simply the presence of a Bible in the waiting area or a Bible verse on your business card. Get creative!

Whatever the starting point, be intentional and persistent over time. Eventually you will look around and see potential for impact everywhere. Before you know it, God is working through these “flammable materials” to draw people to Him, sometimes without your knowledge!

Positive Impact

Nothing I am recommending should be a negative impact on your business. In fact, many of those “flammable materials” that you initially wonder about will eventually prove to be a positive impact on the business. God has a way of making this happen!

I guess the bottom line is that we have to see the spiritually “flammable” potential in our business. Regardless of the nature of your business, I guarantee you can come up with ways to do this if you will take some time to brainstorm it. Pray for wisdom in this area and see what God will do to answer that prayer.

When He does, trust Him and act! Start small, but start. Don’t look back years from now and regret all of the missed opportunities you had to point people toward Him!

Do you see your business as having this kind of potential?

If not, isn’t it time you started?

If so, what spiritually flammable materials have you spread in your business?

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You Won’t Believe This Culture Victory!

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Every once in a while, something happens that really catches my attention and gets to my heart. Recently, this very thing happened in our company and validated the culture we are trying to create. I feel I have to share, especially since it actually relates back to my last two posts!

culture

Background

Two posts ago, I shared how we see our community as a critical part of the answer to the question, “Why does our business exist?” Our answer to that question, also our mission statement, is that our business exists to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community.

In my last post, I gave a specific example of how we attempt to create a culture of impacting the community by hosting monthly car wash events to benefit local, faith-based organizations. To get the whole picture here, you really need to go back and read these posts first.

Blanket Drive

About a week or two after our last car wash event for the year (due to the weather getting colder!), we held an employee blanket drive for Emmaus Women’s Shelter, a local homeless shelter for women and children. With the cold weather quickly approaching, they had a need that we wanted to help meet.

In order to deliver the 100+ blankets we collected from employees, we enlisted the help of one of our Clean-Up department employees, “Joe”. He was eager to help and the blankets were delivered without incident, or so I thought!

Surprise Twist

The next day, “Joe” came to me and asked if he could have a minute to share something. I quickly agreed. What I heard was incredible to me! He told me that he had helped to deliver the blankets to the shelter and was shocked to find children there. He could not believe there were so many children that were homeless.

Keep in mind that “Joe” is in the most “entry-level” position in our company and has more financial needs than most. He went on to tell me that he could not get the children off his mind, wondering what they were going to do for Christmas. He said he wanted to help make sure they had gifts at Christmas.

He then asked if we could do another car wash event where we asked people to bring toys instead of paying for the car wash. I then asked him who would actually work the event, washing the cars, since that was typically the job of the organization we were helping. He said he would get other employees to volunteer their time (their Saturday off) to do it.

Another Car Wash?

My first reaction (transparency here – it wasn’t culture!) was to think about the cold weather (this was mid-November) and many other reasons it would not work. I really did not think we would have many employees volunteer to give up their time off to do it. I am not knocking them, but that is a big deal when they work so hard during the week.

To check his commitment level, I gave “Joe” a test. I told him to go create a sign-up list and see how many employees he could get to volunteer for this car wash event. I told him we would talk further when he came back.

Less than 90 minutes later, he was in my office with a list of 25 employees willing to staff the event! I was shocked!

Not The Best Conditions

I have to tell you, I still did not know what to do. Thanksgiving was less than two weeks away and people were not going to come out in droves for a car wash. It could be snowing that day (it’s possible!) or raining and cold.

My mind continued to flood with excuses. The problem was that I had a very committed employee in front of me, and whether he knew it or not, he was calling me on my commitment to real ministry.

I told him it was a done deal. We would hold the event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, hoping that the natural shopping traffic would help our cause. We posted details about the event on Facebook and our normal channels.

Not satisfied, “Joe” got another employee to create a paper flyer for him and he went from gas station to grocery store and to the WalMart parking lot, passing them out. He did this by himself!

Culture Victory!

The day of the event was cold…maybe not cold for some of you, but sub-40 degrees. That is cold enough when you are washing cars with hoses, buckets, etc.! The traffic was not overwhelming, but it was decent. My brother and I joined in and worked the whole event right there on the hoses! We were soaked and exhausted, but I can’t remember being more fulfilled recently.

The end results amounted to roughly $1,200 raised along with a truck load full of toys donated! “Joe” ran the entire event and delivered the toys and the money. He was on cloud nine (and deserved it).

He single-handedly motivated 25 employees to volunteer their time washing cars in the cold and provided Christmas for a crowd of homeless children. In fact, when we later recognized his efforts with a “Lightning Strike” award at the company Christmas party, everyone in attendance gave him a standing ovation!

Tough Question

Folks, I still get emotional thinking about the impact that one guy had on so many people. He had the least to give, but produced amazing results. What about you and me? In anyone’s book, we have so much more to give than “Joe” does.

So the question is this:

What are you doing with your time, treasure, and talents to impact eternity?

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Best Practice: Community Car Wash!

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car wash

Over the years I have been writing this blog, I have tried to focus on action rather than theory. Sometimes I have been successful with this and other times I drift. Today’s post is pure action. While a community car wash might not make sense in your particular circumstances, I hope my description of what we do will spur your creativity in coming up with an idea of your own!

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Would Your Community Miss You?

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We recently hired some new employees in the sales department. As part of their orientation, I spent a couple of hours talking with them about the history and philosophy of our business. Of course, I went into detail about our Mission Statement, Core Values, and Vision Statement. In doing so, I tried to give them a clear picture of the vital part we believe we play in our community.

community

Community Is Crucial

I don’t know about other companies, but we see our community as a crucial part of the answer to the question, “Why does this business exist?” You probably already know this, but this question is the one you are answering when you create your company’s mission statement. For us, this question also influences our core values and our vision statement as well.

See, we believe we are simply stewards of this business and that God is the actual owner. As a result of this belief, we see our roles as running the business in a way that brings honor to Him and impacts others for eternity, pointing them to Him. For our family, that is why our business exists.

When looking at the purpose of the business through this lens, it becomes clear that our community is a huge part of our mission. No, we are not a church and could not fill that role if we wanted to. However, we still feel our business practices and our involvement in the community can impact everyone around us in a way that leads them to Him.

Execution Will Be Different

The execution of this kind of mission will be different for one business than it will for another. A business with 10 or fewer employees will carry out this mission differently than one with 100 employees. A service business may approach this from a completely opposite angle than a manufacturing business. The “How” is not as important.

What is important is that we strive as Christian business owners to make our businesses such a vital part of the community that we would be sorely missed if we were to disappear. Can you imagine what that would look like? Is your business already there? Even if so, can you now relax?

Pray For Wisdom

If this is new to you, then I encourage you to stop and pray about it. Ask God to show you how to start down this path. Ask Him to give you insights as to how you can leverage the influence of your business to bring Him honor. Pray for wisdom in starting down this path.

If this is not new to you, then I would suggest you stop and take an inventory of what your business is doing to accomplish this mission. Is there more you could do? Are there new and creative ways you could impact the community and earn customer loyalty at the same time? Have you asked your employees for ideas? How are they involved?

In my next post, I will describe for you an example of how our business attempts to do this in our community. We certainly don’t have it all figured out, but maybe our idea will spark something with you that will turn into a successful effort. Until then, take some time to brainstorm this.

What are some ways your business impacts your community?

Does your community recognize your business as one involved in the community?

What would your community miss the most if your business were to disappear?

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Anger Without Madness?

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If you have not been full of anger to the point of expressing it in a way that you later regret, then it is likely you have not been in the business world very long. If you are a business veteran and have never overreacted in anger, then you are to be admired. For the rest of us, this is something we likely need some help with on a regular basis!

anger

Anger At Work?

When was the last time you got angry at work? More important than what caused your anger to come to the surface, how did you handle it?

Looking back (maybe even just minutes ago!), are you proud of the way you acted or do you wish you could have a do-over? Would you be okay with a quick video of your reaction showing on the news tonight or being shared all over Facebook and Twitter? Or more likely, would you prefer everyone who witnessed your actions would forget all about them?

If you are in the majority of us that on occasion allow their anger to get the best of us, then maybe you need to stop and take a look at this issue with me. I can promise that you are not alone, but at the same time that is not a valid excuse anymore than jumping off the bridge because everyone else did!

The Right Topic

The Bible is pretty clear when it comes to anger and how we express it. In fact, I will share quite a few verses that address this very topic. However, before I do this, I want to make sure we are addressing the right topic.

While you may think the topic of anger should be fairly self-evident, there is actually more to it than you might think. See, anger is not the problem. In fact, anger by itself is not a sin. There is nothing in the world wrong with anger.

God is perfectly holy and without sin. Yet throughout the Old Testament, there are descriptions of God’s anger – always in response to sin (Deuteronomy 11:16-17). Jesus walked this earth without sin, but we all know about the scene at the temple when, in anger, he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and those selling animals for sacrifice (Matthew 21:12-13).

Anger Without Sin

Anger is simply an emotion that God gave us. We can experience anger without committing sin. God can use our righteous anger to drive us to improve conditions around us that do not honor him. Pure (sinless) anger can motivate us to act when other emotions cannot.

The problem is when we add other emotions or motivations into the mix. For example, when we add pride to anger, we are driven to verbally abuse an employee or coworker because their performance made us look bad. Adding jealousy to anger may cause us to lash out at someone else on our team that is getting more credit for their work than we are.

Of course, not all sinful anger is acted out by the tongue, but I think this is probably the most often used tool for expressing anger – especially in the workplace. The tongue can bring healing, but it can also cut and seriously injure those around us when not controlled (James 3:3-12). Unfortunately, it is not easily controlled!

Closed Loophole

Before you think you have found a loophole, I want to close it quickly. Whether you are using a smart phone, tablet, or a computer, your keyboard is also a tongue! Sometimes we kid ourselves and think that we can lash out with our texts, emails, or social media posts and that this is somehow different than using our tongue. Sorry, but that won’t fly.

We simply cannot allow our anger to drive us to sin. We are instead to be shining examples of mercy, forgiveness, and grace. We are Christ’s ambassadors in the marketplace and we cannot afford to dishonor His name. We CAN get angry if we will make sure that anger remains controlled and is directed at injustice or evil in a way that honors the God who gave it to us!

Avoid The Madness!

In a recent discussion on this very topic, a wise friend of mine described it in a way that makes it clear to me:

Don’t let madness come into play with your anger!”

In your free time, read through the following verses and see if you have any further thoughts on anger and how it affects you. Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Ephesians 4:26-32

Matthew 12:36-37

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Colossians 4:6

1 Thessalonians 5:11

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Is Your Plate Too Full Or Too Small?

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You have most likely heard the expression (and probably used it many times), “My plate is too full!” Maybe you used the “full plate” as an excuse to say no to someone recruiting leadership for your industry’s state association. Maybe it was something else. Either way, I think your perspective is off.

full plate

Not More Tasks!

First of all, this is not a post about taking on more tasks or duties than you can handle. I am not a proponent of over-scheduling and hoping for the best. That “full plate” behavior is probably one of the most detrimental to a sane quality of life. I promise I am not advocating that at all!

Instead, I want you to think back over the past several months or years. Do you remember any ideas, thoughts, or urges coming to mind that excited you, but as you looked at all you were already trying to do (with not enough success), you decided your plate was too full?

If you took the time to get away and really brainstorm some of these types of ideas, do you think you would come up with any that would just seem too big given your current circumstances? Maybe they would require too much time, energy, or resources?

Can’t See Adding To Full Plate?

Do your dreams sometimes get brushed aside because you are looking at a full plate and cannot see a way to add to it without something else falling off? If you have had these thoughts, then you are not alone. Fortunately, I think I know the problem (and solution!).

As you look over your “full plate” and see it crammed full of stuff (some of it is really good stuff!), you are likely doing some sort of math in your head and quickly determining that your time, energy, and resources (the size of your plate) will barely hold your commitments. Sometimes you even realize you are overdrawn!

Your Plate Is Too Small!

The problem is not that your plate is too full. The problem is that your plate is too small! You heard me, you simply have to get a bigger plate. If you could only snap your fingers and dramatically increase the size of your plate, then you could suddenly be able to handle more. Your dreams could be bigger and your accomplishments could multiply.

If your plate was bigger, your eternal impact could be greater!

See, I told you I knew what the problem was! Aren’t you glad I shared that with you? Now you can run right out and get a bigger plate, right? You might want to try Bed, Bath, and Beyond or even Home Depot or Sam’s Club. Don’t you think they would have them?

Okay, you are right. That is not going to help. So, what is the real problem? And what is the real solution?

You Are The Problem!

The problem is right there in the mirror. You are the problem. You are the problem because you are only considering your own time, energy, and resources when you determine the size of your plate. You have decided that your plate is effectively the same size as the sum of your time, energy, and resources.

That thinking falls short of the truth. Sure, you need to consider your own resources, but there are infinitely more resources available to you if you are just looking for them. And no, these resources cannot be purchased at the local big box retailer.

God Is The Solution!

The solution I am talking about is God. Quite simply, your full plate is too small because you are only considering your own resources and not including those of an all-knowing, all-powerful God.

Assuming your goals and desires are aligned with His will, then the solution to your problem is to begin enlisting God in your efforts. While that seems overly simple, it is the truth.

Instead of assessing a task, strategy, or dream based on your own ability to achieve it, begin asking God if it is what He wants you to do. Forget the fact that you feel like your plate is full. Trust Him to lead you in the direction He wants you to go and watch Him provide the necessary resources to accomplish it.

Allow God…

If you will begin allowing God to inspire your dreams and trusting Him to accomplish them THROUGH you, the size of your plate will grow exponentially! Of course, then you had better buckle up! The ride is about to get wilder than you can even imagine!

The real problem is with the size of our faith. Like I said in an earlier post about “practical atheism,” we don’t often back our talk of faith with a real walk in faith. Too often, we say we believe, but our actions suggest that belief is not strong enough to take us very far.

Reconsider Your Dreams

Take some time and think about your recent (and not-so-recent) dreams. Did you brush them off due to a full plate? If your plate suddenly tripled (or more) in size, would you reconsider those dreams? If so, start praying that God will build your faith in Him to the point where you can accept the plans He has for you!

Has your full plate kept you from following God’s leading?

Do you see how your full plate could simply be too small?

What would you do with a larger plate?

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Why Are We Surprised At Trials?

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Not too long ago, friends of mine went through an intense personal experience that completely shocked them. They were not expecting to ever have to deal with this particular issue, but there it was staring them in the face. As we talked about the issue and the possible outcomes, none very pretty, I thought about why we are surprised at the trials we face.

trials

Protected Life?

It’s is as though we think life should be smooth once we accept Christ. We look at the world outside of our faith and believe that “they” (non-believers) are unfortunate because they have to live in such a messed up world. On the other hand, we think we are immune to the problems associated with a fallen world.

Sure, when pressed, we will admit that we know God sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, but we really don’t think the worst will come to our door. We somehow believe we have a pass that keeps the big stuff away from us. Have you ever felt that way (even if you haven’t realized it)?

So, what is the truth?

There Is An Enemy!

The truth, as found in Scripture, is that there is an enemy. He is real and he passionately desires the destruction of anything and everything related to God. He does not work alone.

Just so you don’t take my word for it, take a look at the following Scriptures:

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
Ephesians 6:12

However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
John 15:19

You will have suffering in this world.
John 16:33

Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.
1 Peter 4:12

Truth Can Be Uncomfortable

For some of you, this is not comfortable to read. I get it. I am not comfortable writing it. Unfortunately, that does not change the truth. And if we continue to ignore this truth, we will continue to experience trials and challenges that shock us.

This is a big deal – not because of the surprise of the trials, but because we can do something about them in advance…if we are willing!

When it comes to trials in business, we can prepare with increased cash reserves and strategic emergency plans. When it comes to spiritual trials, the preparation is not much different – at least in theory.

Preparation For Trials

If we accept the existence of a spiritual enemy that is bent on our destruction, we can begin preparing our defenses as well as emergency plans. Ongoing prayer, Scripture memory and Bible study will build faith and wisdom reserves that will sustain us during the storms we will face.

Building relationships with fellow believers – both those that are ahead of us in their faith journey and those coming behind us – will create sources of wisdom, comfort, and prayer support that we will certainly need when the trials sweep over us.

We Must Face The Truth

The bottom line is that we cannot continue to ignore the fact that there is a war going on and we are on the battlefield. Under these conditions, there should be no shock when we are hit with the “fiery ordeal” mentioned above. Instead, because we have prepared, we should immediately execute our emergency plan.

Drawing on our own faith and wisdom reserves while seeking the guidance and support of fellow believers, we begin our difficult walk through whatever it is we are facing. At the same time, we should also “consider it pure joy” that we are facing these trials because we know that God is using them to make something tremendous out of us!

Have you ever been truly surprised at a significant trial?

Do you agree that we should actually expect trials in life?

How do you prepare for the trials you know you will face?

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The Success Edge – Marketplace Christian Podcast!

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In place of a post today, I am sharing a link (below) to my first Marketplace Christian podcast. Actually, I am just a guest on Tyler McCart’s podcast! Tyler has a website called The Success Edge where he uses interviews of people from all walks of life that also happen to be Christians in the marketplace. He sees his goal as helping Christians in the marketplace be inspired, be a light, and succeed! Here is his intro video:

Meeting Tyler McCart

Tyler and I met through LinkedIn and he invited me to be a guest on his podcast. Folks, I can tell you he was professional from the very start. I was very impressed with his preparation and the way the entire process went so smoothly. He is truly driven to excellence in what he is doing…and this is not even his full time job!

I encourage you to click over to his website (thesuccessedge.biz) and check out all of his interviews. I think you will be impressed with what you find! Here is a summary (from his site) of what you will find:

We look forward to bringing you podcast interviews from successful Christians in the marketplace as they share their business victories, failures, turning points, ah-ha moments, and more!

You will also find topical podcast episodes to help you grow in your Christian walk and career. Thank you for joining us on this journey, and as we say here at The Success Edge, we’ll catch you on the flip side!

Of course, I also would like for you to check out Episode 53 in which Tyler interviews me. Let me know what you think by commenting below! [CLICK HERE for podcast!]

We had a good time! I am sure you see immediately that he has a lot of energy and passion around what he does. Make sure to spread the word about what he is doing so more of us can learn from his efforts!

You can connect with Tyler here (click on each to connect):

Itunes Podcasts

Stitcher Radio

Facebook

Twitter