Tag Archives: Christian ministry

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You May Not Reap The Harvest!

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One of the most rewarding aspects of doing yard work in the heat of the summer is the feeling of accomplishment you get when a project is completed. You know what I mean – even if you do not do yard work. We all want to see completion, or a harvest, from the work that we do. Even God is like this in Genesis 1 when He looks at His work and sees that it is good!

harvest

Back To Basics

Because of my recent dry spell, I have determined that I am going to dig back into God’s Word and get back to the basics of my relationship with Him. In the process, I have begun to see a little more light at the end of the tunnel. While not yet a flowing river, I can sense a new trickle of communication flowing into my heart.

Jesus Talks About Harvest

In a recent quiet time, I was reading about Jesus and His interaction at the well with a Samaritan woman. In describing the unfolding scene to the disciples, Jesus uses the analogy of a harvest. He talks about how the people that need to hear about Him are ripe and ready for the harvest of accepting the gospel.

Then Jesus said something that I did not understand at first:

For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.
John 4:37-38

It Applies To Us!

When I looked at a commentary on this passage, I realized how much this statement applies to me (and you) and should give us hope! Let me explain.

It is very likely that Jesus was referring the disciples to the Samaritan woman’s knowledge of the Messiah (John 4:25). The only way she could have known about the Messiah (she was not a Jew) was to have read about Him in the Scriptures or to have been told by someone who did.

They Did Not See Harvest!

As Jesus explains to the disciples that others have sown the seeds and labored, He is likely referring to the authors of the Scriptures. Think about those prophets that never saw the harvest of people accepting the Gospel.

Think about the hardship they endured as they lived through heartache, disappointment, and frustration – speaking God’s message to deaf ears! Yet despite this, they continued on. In the process, they sowed seeds that would reap a harvest many hundreds of years later!

Jesus was trying to point this out to the disciples. They needed to understand that they were benefiting from the work of others as they witnessed to these Samaritans coming out from the town.

Same True For Us!

Jesus is also speaking to us!

He is telling us that there are going to be times when we are the ones fortunate enough to reap a harvest for which someone else has sown the seeds. Maybe this is a new employee that comes to us, already asking questions about why we have committed our businesses to God.

Maybe we will have the opportunity to run a business that was built by someone else – giving us the resources and flexibility to do kingdom work that otherwise would not be possible!

The Opposite Is Also True!

He is also telling us very clearly that sometimes it is the other way around. While we may want to be the one bringing in the harvest – putting points on the board – it may be that He has ordained us to simply sow the seeds.

Neither job relating to the harvest is worth more than the other. The harvest will not come without the seeds. Both jobs are fully reliant upon the other.

Someone Else’s Harvest?

My application is that there are times I really feel like I am not gaining any ground for the kingdom. When the harvest appears to be drying up and my efforts seem to be for naught, I must remember that I may only be in a season of sowing seeds. The harvest may be ordained for someone else.

If I can remember this truth, then it is easier for me to have hope in my work. It is easier to keep giving my full effort despite the apparent lack of results. Maybe the same is true for you.

Simply Follow Jesus

So, regardless of the appearance of a harvest or not, it is our job to follow Jesus. We are to sow seeds when it is time and reap the harvest when it is time. We are not to look around and wonder why it looks different for others – we are to follow Him!

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Which Relationship Is More Important?

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Have you ever known what you should do, but decided against it because it would affect a relationship you have with someone else? Have your relationships ever led you away from God, when hindsight would later show you the error of your path? Maybe you knew of a change you should make in your business, but it would cost you a relationship so you passed on it?

relationship

Nehemiah’s Situation

I have been studying Nehemiah in my quiet times and came across a similar situation to this. In this story, Nehemiah has come back to a Jerusalem that is in shambles. The city walls (crucial to a city’s well-being at that time) were completely destroyed and useless for protection. Nehemiah has come to lead the Israelites to rebuild the wall and begin to reestablish Jerusalem as the city God intended.

As he strives to complete this monumental task, he faces many obstacles. He certainly faced those who completely opposed the Israelites and any rebuilding they might attempt. This was to be expected.

Unexpected Opposition

At the same time, he also faced opposition from within the people of Israel! Some of the Israelite people actually turned on him and fed information about the project to a man named Tobiah, a leader of the opposition!

During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6:17,19

Treasonous Behavior?

When we read about this from our perspective, their behavior seems incredibly treasonous. At first glance, I cannot imagine what they were thinking when they chose to undermine the work that Nehemiah was leading – work that was clearly God-ordained!

But when we read further, Nehemiah explains their rationale.

For many in Judah were bound by oath to him (Tobiah), since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
Nehemiah 6:18

Relationship Confusion?

Their reasoning for their alliance with Tobiah was that they knew him, were related to him, or wanted to be known by him. Their relationship with Tobiah, whatever the basis for it, was more important to them than the work God was doing.

Of course, it is easy for us to sit here in judgment. It is not difficult for us to question their faith and criticize their behavior as weak. The problem is that these very words can come right back and be applied to us many times.

I Am Guilty, Too!

I will not accuse you, but I am certainly guilty of allowing personal or business relationships to cloud my vision or even alter my behavior at times. There are times I have wanted to broach a spiritual topic with a friend or family member, but decided against it in fear of ruining a relationship.

Other times, I have failed to speak up in a meeting here or there about something I felt God was leading me to say, simply because I was too concerned about what the others in the meeting might think.

I am sure there are even times I cannot remember or was not even aware of due to a blind spot where I disobeyed God or opposed His work in favor of another relationship. Maybe you feel the same way.

Jesus On Relationships

Folks, we need to remember the words of Jesus when it comes to situations like this. While we should not “hate” in the traditional sense, I think the message is clear…our relationship with Him comes first.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:26

Are you guilty of placing other relationships ahead of Jesus?

What evidence do you see in your life, job, or business?

What do you think would be different if you chose Him instead?

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Truett Cathy 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]

Truett Cathy

Another Free Book Give Away?

You read that right! I am offering a free copy of Truett Cathy’s book, Wealth: Is It Worth 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 Wealth: Is It Worth It? 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: Truett Cathy’s Wealth: Is It Worth It?

Truett Cathy has experienced poverty and plenty. Though the founder of Chick-fil-A, Inc., prefers times of plenty, he hopes never to forget the lessons he learned growing up poor.

No overnight success story, Truett Cathy worked with his wife, Jeannette, for 21 years behind the counter of their single mom-and-pop restaurant before he opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant at the age of 46. His latest book, Wealth: Is It Worth It? explores the opportunities and responsibilities that accompany success.

Enter The Give Away

Follow the instructions below to enter the Wealth: Is It Worth It? contest and then spread the word to others! The contest ends at midnight on Sunday, June 30th and the winner will be announced on Monday, July 1st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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3 Lessons From “Follow Me!”

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As I described in my last post, Jesus has just told Peter that it was not really his business what John was going to be doing. Jesus made it clear that Peter had his own, unique call on his life. Jesus restated His call to Peter in this way, “If I want him (John) to remain until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me!”

Follow Me

Attitude Adjustment Needed!

When I heard this recently in a sermon, it stopped me in my tracks because I had been asking questions similar to those of Peter’s. I had been asking God why others were getting to experience the ministry opportunities I thought He had called me to perform. I wanted to know why my call appeared to have stalled while their’s was running at high speed!

The more I thought about Jesus’ words to Peter, the more I realized several ways I needed an attitude adjustment. The more I realized this, the more embarrassed I was at my behavior. I had been acting like a child.

Imagined Promises

First…sure, I had acknowledged His ownership of our business and began to try to use it to impact others for eternity. That’s great! I still believe that is what I am supposed to do. However, no where in that call was there a promise of the business prospering or succeeding beyond those around us.

Even though we were determined to use profits for eternal purposes, He never promised that the business would run smoothly and produce profits like we had experienced in the past. Nor did He promise that we would become a large-scale model for other businesses to follow. That may happen, but it was not promised.

Actual Promises

In fact, the only thing that He did promise was that He would be with us. He did not promise a lack of opposition (in fact, He promised the opposite), but He did promise that He would never leave us or forsake us.

As I thought about these things, I realized I had been following something similar to the prosperity Gospel. I was so frustrated at this because I KNOW better. Yet, that does not seem to stop me from making this same mistake over and over again.

I Can Be Blind

The second lesson I gleaned from this experience is that I can be pretty blind at times! Maybe you do not have this problem, but I have it in spades.

As I began to look around at the ministry God is already doing through His business, I quickly recognized that I was being greedy. While I wanted so much more to happen in that area, much already was.

Ministry Happening!

Our chaplain program is awesome and impacting 100 employees every week. We are sending out roughly 200 Bibles every month in the glove boxes of the vehicles we are selling. Employees are studying the Bible together before work and at lunch, learning how to have an eternal impact themselves!

As for a global impact on thousands, maybe not. However, God has used this blog to reach into India and impacted people there. People are learning more about how to (and how NOT to) do ministry in the marketplace! Maybe we cannot give as much as we want, but we are seeing a lot happen with what we do have!

Delayed Lesson

The third lesson from this experience came a week later, after my last post. In fact, exactly one week from the last sermon that hit me between the eyes, another one hit home.

The Scripture is found in Romans 12:15. Here it is:

Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

We are often good about weeping with those who weep. We come by their side and bring comfort food! We cry with them and pray for them as they go through tough times.

Rejoicing Or Jealousy?

Unfortunately, the opposite is often true about rejoicing with those who rejoice. Too often, we look at others who are celebrating something – even in ministry – and we get jealous. Rather than celebrating with them, we pitch a fit and wonder why God gave THEM the success when WE should have received it!

As ridiculous as this is when I see it in someone else, I hate it even more when I see it in me. I should have been celebrating with those other business owners at the recent conference. Instead, I was questioning why God had not done the same for our business.

Don’t Follow Me!

Even putting this in black and white right now is painful. Obviously, I have not been the example I want to be. However, if it will help someone out there avoid this pitfall (and not follow me!), then I am happy (well, at least willing) to do it.

Can you think of another lesson I should be learning here?

Since Jesus said to you, “Follow Me!”, have you questioned Him?

What have you learned from that?

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Jesus Said, “Follow Me!”

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For the past 9+ years, I have been trying to run our family’s business as a platform for ministry. I jumped when I heard Jesus say,”Follow me!” To be honest, it has been much more difficult than I thought it would be. In fact, there have been times I have seriously questioned Him about the difficulties.

follow me

Path Is Not Easy

If you have ever tried to do work for Jesus – whether in the church, in the community, in the business world, or in the foreign mission field – you have met challenges and difficulties. This path is not an easy one and in many ways, we understand that going in.

At the same time, I often find myself questioning this path. While I know there will be trouble, I still have this picture of what I think the results will look like. I still have a sort of “end of the rainbow” mentality that says if I will just persevere, all will end up like a fairy tale!

Worth It?

What I often allow to drive me is the belief that all the trouble is worth it as long as I end up at the picture I have imagined is the end of the path. Does this ever happen to you? Do you ever have these feelings?

One problem with this line of thinking is that the picture I have imagined is hardly ever the picture that God has in mind. I think the results will look one way and He has something totally different in mind. My frustration begins when the path I am on begins to veer away from the path I had pictured.

“Wait God! Aren’t we supposed to be heading that way over there?” I imagine He smiles and then continues leading me away from my picture and toward His. When I am close to Him in relationship, I can handle this. When I have strayed a little, this part is really tough.

Tougher Problem!

However, I will tell you that I have a much easier time in handling a different picture than I do with another problem that crops up. This other problem is all about timing.

See, in this other situation, the path does not necessarily head off in a different direction than I had originally imagined. The problem instead is that it appears to go nowhere at all! That is because, with this problem, it appears that I am supposed to wait on Him.

I cannot tell if I am on the path headed to where I imagined or somewhere else that He has in mind. I cannot tell because I AM NOT MOVING! I feel like I am smack in the middle of Groundhog Day, the movie, and every day is the same as the one before.

Stuck?

I feel like I am stuck and cannot seem to catch a break to move forward at all. This problem seems to plague me more than any other. Maybe it is because I am impatient. Maybe it is a control thing. Maybe it is a combination of these and other issues God is trying to force me to deal with.

Whatever it is, I really have a hard time with this one.

I like progress. I like to be moving forward and seeing forward motion. I do not like to be stuck, sitting still, apparently going nowhere. I KNOW the Scripture that I SHOULD be reciting, but it is still difficult for me to handle. I know that God’s timing is not mine, but I still struggle!

I Finally Broke!

I recently had an “episode” or “tantrum” when I was away at a meeting. I was surrounded by a huge group of like-minded businessmen that were doing incredible things with their businesses to impact people for eternity. I am not talking about 5 or 10 people. I am not talking about just in their community.

No, these Christian business leaders are having an impact on thousands all over the globe – the very things that I have imagined God would be using ME to do as well! [Note: I recognize some of this IS happening in our business, but you have to bear with me…I am having an immature moment here! Likely, you’ve never done this!]

I listened and listened, but I finally broke. I finally got off by myself and questioned God directly. I asked why things were so hard in our business. I asked why we were not seeing the progress we wanted to see. I wanted to know why these other businesses were put in a position to impact so many and we were stuck. I asked over and over, “WHY?”

No answer. Nothing.

At least not right then.

As is common with Him, He just listened.

And waited.

He Finally Answered!

It was not until almost a week later when I was sitting in church that He gave me the answer to my questions. When He gave it to me, it was one of those moments that sticks with you. It was one of those moments that you just cannot get out of your mind.

I will not go into the detail of the whole message, but I will describe the setting of the Scripture He used to get my attention.

Follow Me!

Jesus has just asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Each time, Peter tells Jesus that he loves Him! Each time, Jesus then says for Peter to feed his sheep. Then Jesus foretells the manner in which Peter will die. He ends by telling Peter, “Follow Me!”

Jesus has basically given Peter his marching orders and Peter is trying to understand exactly what it means. Maybe he is even asking himself what it will cost him. I don’t know.

Whatever the case, Peter’s next question resembles the questions I was asking God earlier. He points to John and asks Jesus, “What about him?” Essentially, He basically wanted to know what Jesus was going to have John doing while all of this was happening to Peter.

My Answer

It was Jesus’ response to Peter that made my hair stand on end. It caught in my throat and took my breath. As I heard the pastor read it and followed along with him, I instantly knew God was using this passage to answer my earlier questions.

“If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.”

To Be Continued…

When Jesus said, “Follow Me!” to you, what did you think it would look like?

Has His call to “Follow Me!” turned out the way you expected?

How do you react when His “Follow Me!” takes you where you do not want to be?

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Do You Understand God’s Training?

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I am not asking much. I simply want to know what God is doing in my life to prepare me for whatever is down the road. I don’t need to know everything, but I would like for Him to explain His purposes for the frustration I often experience. If He would just explain His training plan to me, then I think I would be able to handle it better!

training

True For You?

Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever just wished God would explain your suffering (or training) and how it will play into His plans for you in the future?

If so, you are not alone. In fact, I would imagine that all of us have felt this way at one time or another. It is human nature to want to understand. Not only do we think it would help us to do better in the training itself, we also want to see that there is a higher purpose for the training.

Example From The Karate Kid

If you ever watched the movie The Karate Kid (the original or the remake!), then you have seen this dynamic illustrated. If you have never seen the movie, then I recommend you watch it.

In the movie, an older karate expert (Mr. Myagi), agrees to teach a teenager (Daniel) about karate for the sake of defending himself. Rather than take Daniel into a karate studio for training as expected, Mr. Myagi begins giving him various chores to complete around his house.

Included in these chores are sanding the floor, waxing his cars, painting the house, and painting the fence. Each chore is exhausting and takes several days to complete. The further along Daniel goes in doing these “chores”, the more frustrated he gets until he finally blows up at Mr. Myagi.

Training Revealed

It is at this point that Mr. Myagi shows all that Daniel has been learning about karate while doing the chores. Daniel’s training had been going on all along, but he was unaware of it. Not only did he do a good job of overhauling Mr. Myagi’s home, he also gained invaluable training in the basics of karate.

Same For Our Lives

Folks, it works the same way in our lives – whether in business, at church, or with family. God is training us for the future. In Romans 8:29, Paul describes it as conforming us to the likeness of Christ. In Jeremiah 18:1-6, this training is compared to a potter and his clay. In Malachi 3:1-4, it is described as a refining and purifying of silver.

In each case, this training we will endure can be very painful and difficult. We will not understand it at the time and will likely push back in one way or another. We will question God. We will pray for relief and ask Him to deliver us from it. We will probably even share our frustration with our small group and ask them to pray with us.

God Understands

Fortunately, God understands. He is not frustrated by our blindness. He does not give up on us, despite our weakness. He never stops loving us, even if we shake our fist at Him for our situation.

At the same time, He does not relent. He does not stop the training just because we are not comfortable with it. He does not deliver us from the training when we beg or get angry. No, He continues.

Why?

God’s Character

Because He is good. Because He loves us. Because He has plans for us.

God would be doing harm to us if He stopped the training. He would not be looking out for our best interests if he removed us from the struggle. He would be thwarting His own future plans for us if He relented when we asked.

So what is the answer to this?

Our Part

Trust.

Trust that He is good. Trust that He loves us. Trust that He has plans for us.

Simply trust God on a daily, even hourly, basis. Trust Him even when He does not reveal His plans to you. Trust Him and you will eventually see that the results of His training are worth it. Trust in His goodness, love, and vision. Then, when the training is complete, you will see the fruit of all He has done in you.

Is this easy? NO!

Don’t Forget!

No, this is something that we have to remind ourselves of over and over. It is not a once and done type of thing. It is something that you will understand this moment and forget the next. That is part of being human.

The cool part is that He has given us His Word as a reminder. If we will bury ourselves in the Bible on a daily basis, we will often come across His promises and we will get the reminder we need for that day! If we will bury His Word in our hearts, we can draw from it whenever we need it!

What training are you experiencing right now?

Have you asked God to explain?

Do you trust God’s character?

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Do You Believe In The Mentor Process?

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I recently had the opportunity to participate in an interview process that was unrelated to our business. During the interview with a candidate, he mentioned one of the main desires he had for the job he was seeking. This main objective was to be mentored by his more experienced boss in a one-on-one setting. He felt this was the only way he would ever grow into the person he wanted to become.

How often do you hear that in an interview?

mentor

Still Learning!

I had another experience recently where I needed some advice from an older, more experienced friend in the business. As he responded to my questions, he included some ideas he had recently learned in a seminar he had attended.

Remember that I was seeking advice from him because he is older, wiser, and much more experienced in our industry. And yet he is still being intentional about his continued learning! I was impressed!

Not Impressed?

Maybe these examples are not that impressive to you. Maybe you already understand the importance of being mentored so that you are always learning. Maybe this idea is something you have experienced many times and you are looking for something new.

Well, I think I may have something for you.

What about BEING the mentor?

As Christian business owners and leaders, I think we can all agree that continuous learning is critical to our success. There are very few, if any, solid Christian leaders that would argue against continuous learning – whether by being mentored or self-taught.

Now A Mentor?

Unfortunately, you will likely get a very different answer if you ask those same Christian leaders if they are actively mentoring someone else! Of course, you will get many excuses and reasons for the lack of activity in this area. I can even come up with a few good ones myself!

Consult Scripture

The problem is that these excuses do not hold water when compared to Scripture. Just looking at one verse in Paul’s second letter to Timothy will shoot holes in these excuses:

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:2

While that may be enough to convince you to intentionally become a mentor, let’s also take a look at the following verses:

One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
1 Peter 5:2-3

I think you are getting the picture.

Learning Is Not Enough!

The point here is that it is NOT enough for us to be always looking for opportunities to learn more. While this is certainly something we should seek, there must be more. To follow Scripture, we must also be seeking out those who are eager to learn. We must be willing to mentor them, teaching them what we already know.

Paul taught Timothy and then told him to go teach others that would be qualified to do the same thing! We need to do this as well.

Different Formats

For some, this will mean a regular one-on-one meeting schedule with someone not as far along in their business or their walk. For others, this may mean leading a group study or teaching through a blog!

It really does not matter the format. What matters is that we are making the effort to pass on our knowledge and wisdom to those who can learn from it.

Nor does it matter if we can teach them everything they need to know! Most likely, we cannot. The good news is that we are not responsible for filling their tanks with knowledge. We are simply responsible for emptying ours!

Pray About Your Role!

I encourage you to pray this very day about who you need to mentor and how you should go about doing it. Do not put this off or it will never happen. This must be an intentional effort on your part.

If nothing else, at least begin praying that God would show you the path to being the mentor He wants you to be. I promise you He will answer if you are willing to be used!

Are you actively mentoring someone else right now?

If not, why not? What is holding you back?

Are you willing to pray about it?

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6 Keys To Graceful Employee Terminations, Part 2

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When running a business, there are many things you will enjoy doing! Termination of an employee is most likely NOT one of those things. While it is not enjoyable, it is sometimes necessary.

In my last post, guest poster William Higgins wrote about the pain that can be caused with a poorly handled employee termination. William gave us his first 3 Keys in that post. The following continuation of this guest post from will give you the remaining 3 great tips on how to execute terminations with grace. William is Founder and Managing Director of Mindware, Inc., a performance development, consulting, and publishing organization.

termination

What Should You Do?

As an employer, there are numerous valid reasons for termination of an employee’s business relationship, and you cannot stop the pain the person experiences. The pain is real. The experience hurts. It’s condescending and degrading to just ask them to trust God and know it will all work out for the best. While it’s true God will work things out, that kind of observation minimizes their feelings.

You will want to be sure you coordinate with your Human Resources department to be sure you are abiding by federal and state laws. While you cannot sidestep the pain of a termination, there are things you can do to terminate with dignity, value, and grace.

Keys 4-6 For Graceful Terminations

4. Be affirming.
A termination can feel very demeaning to the individual being laid off. It’s like what they were doing wasn’t of value, like their time invested with the organization was wasted. Whatever the reason the person is being terminated, there is always something in them that can be affirmed. At one point they contributed something of value to the organization. Find that and reflect back to them the value of that contribution. Or, identify what you see as strengths they have at the present, and tell them about those.

If they’re being terminated for performance reasons, be sure to let them know their performance is not what it once was, with examples to demonstrate your point, and that they still have something to contribute to another organization. 1 Corinthians 12 is a chapter devoted to this purpose; everyone in the body of Christ has a purpose and is of value. So it is in your organization. Mirror that back to the individual being laid off.

5. Be helpful.
Provide resources to help the person move on with their life. They may feel like it’s the end of life as they know it when they hear the news, but you need to let them know they still have skills and abilities to contribute elsewhere. Be sure they understand that God has not deserted them just because they are now unemployed. When Jethro spoke to Moses in Exodus 18, he didn’t just tell him he was not being as efficient as he could be, he also provided resources in the form of counsel on how to delegate some of the responsibility to others.

Be sure the individuals impacted understand what their severance package includes; continued medical and other benefits, lump sum, continued salary period, etc. Provide all details in writing so they can refer to them later after the shock wears off. Also review work completion expectations and plans to transition their projects.

The person you are terminating requires resources to both affirm their faith and provide practical assistance in moving forward. Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search does just that. This book integrates biblical guidelines and strategies with cutting-edge techniques to give the reader a spiritual advantage in their search. Outplacement assistance with Christian career coaches is also available for individuals and groups based on this book.

Go to www.MindWarePublishing.com for more information on the book or to Contact Us regarding outplacement service.

6. Be open.
Survivors need to know what the future holds. Let them know why this action was necessary, and how it will enable the organization to move forward to achieving the goals that have been established. Let them know the resources you are providing those individuals laid-off, to help them see that you’re not dismissing people without caring for their future well-being.

When Christ was preparing for the crucifixion and to leave His disciples He let them know what was going to take place, the resources they were going to receive in the person of the Holy Spirit, and how they were to move forward. In John 14-17 we read how He helped them understand that, while things were not going to be the same with Him gone, they were going to move forward in power.

While terminations are sometimes necessary as economies shift, suppliers change, product lines are altered, and organizational objectives transition to reflect other changes, a termination does not have to be a demeaning, distasteful, and destructive experience. It can launch the impacted individual into a whole new adventure with God, but it needs to be handled sensitively, with grace, and with the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

As a leader you model the person of Christ in your organization. How would He handle a termination? Actually He did. Read how He handled Judas in Matthew 26:20-25 and you’ll see He practiced what we’ve been discussing.

You can too.

I would love to hear what you think about this approach to handling employee terminations.

What do you think was the best tip of the six?

What struggles have you had in termination of employees?

Did you learn something here that will help in the future?

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The Most Dangerous Source Of Misinformation For A Christian Business Leader

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In my last couple of posts, we have been looking at sources of misinformation for a Christian business owner or leader. We have looked at worldly wisdom and fleshly lusts, both of which are dangerous sources of misinformation. Today we will look at the one source that may be the most dangerous of all – Satan’s deception.

misinformation

Intentional Misinformation

Before I go any further, let me make sure I differentiate this misinformation from the two prior categories. When discussing worldly wisdom and fleshly lusts, I am assuming no direct influence from the enemy. I am only considering the kind of misinformation that we either create ourselves or receive from someone else. This misinformation is neutral in its intent. There is no malice in this misinformation.

On the other hand, misinformation that falls under this third category – Satan’s deception – clearly has malicious intent. Based on what Scripture says, there is no doubt at all that Satan is out to destroy us and our witness. Take a look at the following Scriptures:

    The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. – John 10:10
    Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8
    Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12

If you are not convinced by these verses, then you may as well skip the rest of this post and come back on another day. No offense taken. Just know that you do it at your own risk!

Satan’s Opposition

Hopefully you are still reading. If so, please know that Satan is real and he is in total opposition to anything and everything we want to do to glorify God. If there is any part of our business that is having an impact for eternity, then he is going to come against it. This is a very intentional enemy.

Okay, maybe you agree that Satan is against us, but does he really actively deceive us? Is he intent on, or even capable of, giving us misinformation? In response to those questions, consider some more Scripture:

    You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44
    But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
    – 2 Corinthians 11:3

Hopefully, you are now convinced that Satan is fully and completely against us, using deception and lies as misinformation in an effort to destroy our eternal impact. While we know he cannot take us from God’s hands and steal our soul at this point, he can prevent us from influencing anyone else to turn back to God. He can ruin our witness to the point that we are completely ineffective in our ministry efforts.

What Are You To Do?

Since you know all of this to be true, what are you to do about it? How in the world are we supposed to fight against an enemy that we cannot see? How do we defend ourselves from the one who is out to destroy us?

I am glad you asked! While I cannot give you a 100% money-back guarantee that my advice is fool-proof, I can tell you that it will work to the extent that you are committed to it. This advice is only as good as you make it by how far you take it!

Rather than giving you a 5-point plan on how to defend against the misinformation of Satan, I am going to make it very simple for you. I am going to base all of my advice on one idea. That should be easy enough, right?

Well, I actually said “simple,” not “easy.”

Simple (Not Easy) Solution

The idea I am referring to is found in John 10:1-5, 27-29. In this passage, Jesus is describing how His followers are like sheep that follow Him because they listen to and know His voice. These sheep, Jesus says, will never follow a stranger because they do not know the stranger’s voice.

Folks, we are these sheep. We are the followers of Jesus and we are supposed to listen to His voice. We are supposed to know His voice. We are supposed to know it so well that we can discern it from a stranger’s voice.

This is a HUGE idea! Please do not miss this point. Read it again if you have to.

Dark Room Illustration

Imagine yourself in a dark room. Imagine you are not at all familiar with the layout of the room and it is full of dangerous items. You are charged with crossing this room in pitch black darkness without getting hurt. Oh yeah, there is someone else in the room trying to hurt you!

Now imagine you hear a voice telling you to follow. Do you? How do you know if it is friend or foe? If you were to clearly and without hesitation recognize the voice as a friend, would you then follow? What if it was not a voice you recognized at all?

This may be a poor analogy of this life, but it fits. We are moving through this life as if in a dark room, unaware of the dangers we are facing from all sides. Our only hope is to have a Friend lead us. It is that voice of Jesus that we want to hear when we are facing such danger. It is His ability to see what we cannot that we want to trust.

What About You?

So here is the $50,000 question.

Do you recognize His voice?

Do you have such regular and intimate conversations with Him that any other voice would stand out as a stranger? Do you know His voice so well that you could easily recognize it above the other voices of misinformation being cast your way?

If so, good for you! If you are confident in this, then you are in great shape to make wise and effective decisions. You are much less likely to fall victim to misinformation from Satan’s deception.

Why Not?

If not, why not? Why are you not so familiar with His voice that it calms your every fear and silences your every doubt?

If this is you, I am fairly certain I know why. You are not familiar with His voice because you do not talk to Him very much. Or maybe it is because you ONLY talk to Jesus, but never listen.

Another possibility is that you are not reading, studying, and memorizing His Word. To know His voice, you have to know His heart. Often, other voices may sound similar, but the message is off. If the message does not match His Word, then it is not His voice.

The bottom line is that we MUST be students of His Word and regularly listen to Him in prayer. We cannot expect to recognize His voice at a critical time if we rarely hear it. That just won’t work.

What are your thoughts about this source of misinformation?

Are you familiar with this?

Are you one that recognizes His voice?

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Another Dangerous Source Of Misinformation For A Christian Business Leader

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Have you ever faced a decision or an opportunity that seemed right at the time, but later proved to be completely wrong? At the time, there were so many facets of the opportunity that appeared to fit. The more you thought about it, the more right it felt! Later, nothing fit and you were amazed at how different it looked. This is how it often goes when misinformation is clouding your vision.

misinformation

Fleshly Lusts

In my last post, I described how misinformation can make already difficult Christian business challenges even more troublesome. In that post, I went into detail on worldly wisdom, the first of three sources of misinformation that we can face in Christian business. Today I want to talk about the second source of misinformation – fleshly lusts.

Real-Life Example

Years ago, my father had an opportunity to purchase a particular dealership. At the time, he was in a growth mode in his business and was looking for deals. This dealership was much further away than he thought was ideal. It was also much pricier than he originally had decided he could handle. In fact, its purchase would likely have stretched his resources.

He went to his father and described the deal to him and asked for his advice. As more and more questions were thrown his way, the truth came out. My father was most interested in this dealership because it included a Porsche franchise! He had always had a love for Porsche’s and now he had the opportunity to have a dealership full of them! This would allow him to drive his dream car as part of his job!

Blinded

This is an example of allowing a fleshly lust to serve as misinformation and drive a risky decision. Looking back at this decision later, my father could clearly see the danger, but at the time he was blinded. At the time, he saw Candy-Apple Red (his favorite color Porsche!) rather than a clear picture of business pros and cons.

This may be an extreme example and a large decision, but the danger is just as big in the little decisions we make every day. Our fleshly lusts can be sources of misinformation across a variety of categories.

Many Lusts

Obviously, the first lust most people think of is sexual lust. Certainly, that is a deadly one. But there are many more kinds of lust that can bring misinformation into our decision-making process.

How often do people make poor decisions because of the lust after a get-rich-quick scenario? What about lust after a prominent job title or house on the golf course? Even something as simple as the lust for respect in the community?

Immunity?

We are not immune to any of these! And all of these can serve as misinformation that can cause us to make poor decisions. If we do not work to avoid them, we will end up being ruled by them!

As I said in my previous post, I am quick to say that I do not have this source of misinformation defeated. I am a victim of fleshly lusts as much as anyone else. I fight it, but it is a deceptive pitfall. Just when you think you have it beat, it sneaks in another door!

Misinformation Awareness Is Key

All I can tell you is that awareness of this misinformation and the damage it can do is the beginning of the battle. I am not sure we can ever get to the point where it is not a danger, but we can certainly fight it with the power of the Holy Spirit.

God says we will not be tempted beyond what we can handle and He will always provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). We have to trust Him in this truth and make sure we are putting up defenses where we know we are especially weak (Ephesians 6:11-17).

By the way, I need to finish my story about my father’s dealership opportunity. He did not purchase the store. In fact, he followed his father’s advice. His father told him he was crazy – it would be much cheaper to just buy a Porsche car than it would be to buy the whole dealership!

Have you been blinded by a fleshly lust in business?

What defenses do you use for avoiding this?

Do you see how an accountability partner can help identify misinformation?