Tag Archives: Christian ministry

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Why Does God Allow Poor Leadership?

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poor leadership

As followers of Jesus, we often look around at the culture in which we live and wonder how it has become this bad. We look at poor leadership at whatever level – whether in our businesses, community, or even in the nation overall – and we wish for better. We wonder what it would be like if our leaders also followed Jesus.

Why Allow Poor Leadership?

In my last post, I talked about how we should behave when working in an environment where the open sharing of our Christian faith is either limited or even prohibited altogether. We looked at the example of David in 1 Samuel 24:1-7 to see how he handled remaining under Saul’s authority as king, even though he had been anointed to follow Saul as king.

Today, I want us to think about the various reasons that God may have for leaving Saul in authority as long as He did. Have you ever thought about that?

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Working For A Non-Believer?

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If you have been reading this blog for long, you realize that the majority of what I write is directed at those people that are followers of Christ AND in a position of leadership in business. Unfortunately, some disciples of Jesus are working for a non-believer or are otherwise in a position where they feel they are limited in their ability to exercise their faith. What are you to do if in this position?

Not One Size Fits All

First, I want to make sure to tell you that the following ideas will not necessarily apply to every situation like this. In some cases, you may need to get out of your situation. In other cases, God may have you exactly where He wants you. It is these latter situations that I want to address today.

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Is Some Sin Unavoidable?

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I was raised to believe in free will. I was taught that God gives us complete and total choice in our actions and behavior – therefore no sin is unavoidable, right? Well, evidently this is not completely true. It appears that there is unavoidable sin.

sin

Unavoidable Sin

According to Proverbs 10:19, this unavoidable sin comes into play when we talk too much. Take a look at the verse and see what you think:

When there are many words, sin is unavoidable,
but the one who controls his lips is wise.

The way I read this verse, some sin is unavoidable. At the same time, I think this is really more about timing. If you think about it, the author is saying sin becomes unavoidable WHEN there are many words.

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5 Often-Overlooked Truths for Christian Business Leaders

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Christian business

The days get faster and faster.. Deadlines and headaches rush at us at a high rate of speed. We do well just to survive to fight another day, right? It is in this kind of environment that Christian business owners or leaders can get so busy and we forget some key truths about our ministry. Hopefully, this post will remind you of some ideas you need to revisit.

Christian Business Leader Truths

1. You must live by example and to a higher standard.

As the owner or leader of a Christian business, you are the example to follow, whether you like it or not. You are the head of the business and your employees are going to look to you for the example. What do they see?

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Do You Remember Your First Love?

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When I say, “First Love”, what is the first thing to come to mind? If you are like most people, your mind goes back to high school and that first love or first kiss. For others, a certain type of food comes to mind! There are even those who think of their first car! Whatever the case, almost everyone has some clear association with the phrase “First Love”.

first love

First Love Forgotten

In my last post, I talked about how I had read a passage from Revelation that resonated with me – up to a point. Jesus was praising the church at Ephesus for their works, labor, and endurance.

But then He turned and criticized them severely for forgetting their first love (Him!). Evidently, this church was doing good works, but their motives were out of whack. As I began to assess my own motives, I realized there was definitely room for improvement!

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What is Christian Ministry?

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Christian ministry

Have you heard anyone say, “I think I am going to quit my job and go into the ministry!” Have you ever heard a pastor talk about so-and-so that left the business world to go into full-time ministry? Has anyone ever told you that you should not be in business, but should be in full-time Christian ministry?

“The” Christian Ministry

So, what is all the fuss over “the” ministry? What exactly do you have to do to qualify for Christian ministry? What exactly is full-time ministry? Is it something you must be called to do?

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5 Lies Too Many Christians Believe

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Every once in a while, I like to stop and take a look around at the world we live in and the assumptions we make every day. I like to think about ideas that we have heard for years and those we just accept as truth. It is especially good to compare these very ideas to Scripture to test their validity. Today, I want to discuss five of these “lies” that I think too many Christians believe.

lie

Do You Believe These Lies?

Be warned: you may believe some of these! In fact, you may be tempted to stop reading once you see one that you believe is absolutely true, one that you are very comfortable with believing. I encourage you not to stop reading, but instead to take a look at the Scripture I reference and pray about it.

I will tell you that I have done this over the years and it is life-changing. Once you stop accepting what you have been taught all of your life and begin comparing it to God’s Word, you will likely see that you have been operating on a shaky foundation in some areas. You will begin to seek more of God’s truth and how to apply it to every area of your life.

Let’s jump in!

Lie #1. God doesn’t care about my work.

    This is a very common lie that trips up many people in their Christian walk. If we begin to believe this lie, then we can basically do anything we want on the job and it should not impact our relationship with God. This idea is an escape from accountability on the job. Before you decide whether it is true or not, take a look at the following from Colossians 3:23-24…

    Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Lie #2. Getting fed at church on Sunday morning is enough.

    This is another common belief, but it is very far from the truth. Folks, we need more of God than we can possibly get from a couple of hours a week. We need to be reading His Word and praying for His guidance. We need accountability from other believers. We need community and relationships within the family of faith.

    While some of this happens on Sunday, it is simply not possible to get all of it accomplished in such a short time. We need a daily quiet time when we are alone with God. We need to participate in some sort of community group. For a great model of this behavior, take a look at Acts 2:42-47.

Lie #3. My customers will be offended if I…

    I have addressed this one in an earlier post, but it bears repeating. Too many Christian business owners think that the media today is the best indicator of how their customers would react if they were open about their faith. Read this post, with data from a research study by the Barna Group to back it up.

Lie #4. Faith and work are to be kept separate.

    I do not have to look far to find Scripture to refute this lie. In addition to Colossians 3:23-24, you can certainly see from Matthew 22:37-40 that God is not just interested in part of our lives. He will not settle for a portion – He wants it ALL.

    This does not mean we all have to be paid staff members in the church (addressed next). Instead, it means we are to surrender our entire life to God, job and/or business included. There is no half-way here.

Lie #5. Christian ministry is someone else’s responsibility.

    For many years, Christians, and some pastors included, think that you are only a Christian minister if you are on staff at a church. As a result, most Christians leave the job of ministering to those staff members of their church. This simply is not how God designed it.

    When defining ministry as “the service or functions of a minister of religion,” we are all included! While we may not draw our compensation from a church, we are still responsible for carrying out the service and functions of our faith.

    Paul called us Christ’s ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about how every member of the body of faith is to play a role and every role is important. Let’s start acting like we believe this!

Other Lies?

Well, there they are! I am sure you could come up with others if you started thinking about it. I actually encourage you to do just that. Take a quiet time one morning and ask God to reveal to you some similar “lies” that you believe. Ask Him to show you assumptions you make on a daily basis.

Then take the next step and begin removing these assumptions from your life. Ask Him to show you what you should be doing differently now that you are seeing more clearly. If you will do this exercise, I think you will be shocked at what He shows you.

Do you believe any of these lies?

Which lie will be the toughest for you to overcome?

What other lies came to mind?

Original date of post – September 30, 2012

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What Do You Do For A Living?

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If you do much traveling or meet new people frequently (outside of work), then you likely hear this question on a regular basis. “What do you do for a living?” You have heard it asked. You have asked it yourself. Whether we like it or not, people associate us with our occupation. We do the same thing.

living

Common Question

So, what is wrong with this? I am sure there are psychological reasons that we should not necessarily do this. I would even agree that associating people with what they do for a living could cause us to jump to conclusions about them, their preferences, their lifestyle, etc.

You don’t think people often get the wrong idea about me when they find out I am in the car business?!? Of course they do!

Regardless of what you think about this question, we would all agree that it will continue to be asked into the foreseeable future. We are not likely to get this question eliminated from the habits of millions of people today.

Opportunity?

So, how can we use this question to our benefit?

Have you ever thought about how you could turn this question into a perfect opportunity to tell the inquisitor something special about you and what you do? If you know people are going to ask you, “What do you do for a living?” then why not plan ahead to take advantage of it?

Here is what I am thinking…I think this is the perfect opportunity to break the ice about our faith without being offensive or pushy. I think we should take this chance to share what it is we do, but from the spiritual side of things.

Example Response

Let me give you an example and see how you would respond. When someone asks me this question, my prepared answer is this:

I work for a very unusual company. It is a car dealership group that is a Christian company. We are trying to learn, and to show, how Jesus would run a business if He were the boss.

Lead In To More Conversation

Hopefully, I have said this in such a way that they are not uncomfortable with my answer. Likely, I have had a moment or two for them to get an idea of my sincerity before I toss this out there.

Assuming this, what kind of response do you think I will get? Where do you see the conversation going from here? Is it possible that I have offended them or more likely that I have intrigued them? Will they probably follow up with more questions?

Salt And Light

I guess my whole point here is that we are called to be salt and light in the world. I am a huge proponent of doing this by taking your Christian faith to your work or business. At the same time, there are opportunities outside of work that we can use to our advantage.

Our whole goal is to point people toward God. If we can take a few moments and do that with someone that is curious about our work, then why not do that?

Simple Response, Deep Conversation

In many cases, this kind of response will open the door to a spiritual conversation where you can witness to them without using a bullhorn! You may be surprised at how God can use a simple response like this to initiate a deep conversation very quickly.

While possible, this response is probably not going to offend the other person and cause them to react negatively. Granted, where I live (Southern U.S. – Bible belt!), this response is less likely to offend. It is more probable that the person asking the question is also a believer or associates themselves with the Christian faith. Great!

That just means I now have an opportunity to talk to them about why they should be taking THEIR faith to the workplace! Either way, I have a chance to have a spiritual conversation with someone that God can touch through it.

Unexpected Blessing

A final, sometimes unexpected benefit, is that YOU may be the one more blessed by the resulting conversation. So often, I have thought I was going to minister to someone else, only to find them ministering to me! I love it when that happens!

Try this idea for yourself. First, take the time to prepare a response that fits what you do. Wordsmith it, but make sure it is comfortable for you. You don’t want to appear like you are giving a robotic answer! Pray first, and God will give you the words you need!

Now go and look for opportunities to use it!

How could you explain how you make a living this way?

Do you feel uncomfortable with this? If so, why?

Have you tried this before? What were the results?

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9 Simple Hacks For Better Leadership Perspective, Part 2

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As Christian business owners and leaders, we need to have a clear perspective on what is going on around us. If we do not know where we are personally strong or weak, then we will not be able to effectively lead our team or company. The question is how to best gain that perspective!

perspective

Improved Perspective

In my last post, I went through the first four simple “hacks” that will help you gain the perspective you need on your own leadership style, strengths, and weaknesses. Today I want to go through the last five. My prayer is that you are inspired to implement at least a few of these hacks so you can continue to improve as the leader God called you to be.

As I did in my last post, I will warn you! When anyone tells you something is simple, don’t assume it is easy! There is a big difference! I have these 9 “simple” (not easy) hacks for anyone that is committed to seeing themselves more clearly for the purpose of being a better leader. Gaining perspective in these ways is not complicated, but neither is it easy. You are warned!

Not Easy Or Fool-Proof

I will also remind you that none of these “hacks” are fool-proof. None give the entire picture. None can be relied on by themselves. We need a minimum of two or three of these views if we want any semblance of the truth! Take a look at each and determine which will work best for you.

Keep in mind, you may not like what you hear from some of them. In some cases, you will need to face feedback that is difficult to hear. In other cases, you may need to exclude feedback that may be contaminated with less-than-pure motives. You have to be the judge of which is which…or you could get some help with that as well!

#5 – 360 degree survey

A 360 degree survey is one completed by those who answer to you, those who you answer to, and those on your same level. If you are at the top of your org chart, then you can go outside of your organization to those you feel have enough information to answer in a helpful way.

Setting this one up is the key. Those who answer to you (or think they might one day) are not inclined to give you criticism if they fear retribution or damage to the relationship. They MUST be in a safe position with you before you will get any honest feedback from them.

#6 – 3rd Party Assessments

These assessments (personality, strengths, emotional iq, etc.) are worth their weight in gold! They can give you insights into what makes you tick and why you behave the way you do. Prepare to be wowed as you are trained in how to read and interpret these assessments.

Tip: don’t do them all at once. Take one at a time and learn about that one. Implement the changes recommended over time before you move on to the next one. If you ignore this advice, prepare to be overwhelmed.

#7 – Your Spouse

You had to know I would include your spouse! For many, this one can be the toughest. Unfortunately, the reason for this is the dangerous lack of transparency most people experience with their spouse.

If you can handle it, ask your spouse for his or her honest opinion about a struggle you are having with someone at work. See if they can tell you what it is about you that might be contributing to the problem. There is gold in this source of perspective as well, but there may need to be some serious time spent in prep work first!

#8 – Your Children

Obviously, this source of perspective has its limitations. Depending on the age of your children, it may not yet be possible for them to offer you leadership perspective. At the same time, you may be surprised at what they can offer.

Build a relationship with them that gives them the freedom to be honest with you. The way they see things may shock you with its wisdom. Give it a shot! What do you have to lose?

#9 – Bible Study & Intimate Prayer Time

I saved this one for last because it may be the most difficult to execute. If you are great at studying the Bible and diving right into intense prayer about what you have read, then you are already experiencing the perspective gained here. If not, this is a practice you will have to work at over a period of time.

While it may not come quickly, when you do get the hang of it, you will be blown away at the effectiveness of this method. God is faithful and will teach you as much as you are willing yo learn about yourself. You are the only limiting factor in this method!

What else do you do to gain perspective?

Which of these have you used? Share your experience!

Which of these would be the toughest for you?

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Don’t Believe These 5 Myths, Part 2

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While many people we meet might have a general understanding of the Christian faith and a familiarity with business, few fully understand what it means when we combine the two. In fact, there are many myths that rise out of this lack of understanding what we mean by Christian business.

myths

Common Christian Business Myths

In my last post, we looked at two of the five most common myths about Christian business. We discussed how a Christian business owner should not hire just anyone that applies for the job(s) they are offering. We also talked about the fact that we will simply have to say “No” to some requests.

Today, I want to look at the final three myths and how we should dispel them. If you have any input on these or other myths you have encountered, I would love to hear from you in the comment section at the bottom!

Myth #3 – Christian Businesses Should Never Terminate Anyone!

To some, this may sound crazy, but I have actually had it said directly to me more than once. I guess people believe that since Christians are supposed to turn the other cheek and forgive 70 X 7 times, they should never fire anyone. Unfortunately, this is poor logic.

Folks, employees are not always going to do what they are supposed to do. Sometimes they will make a poor decision and steal or cheat the business for various reasons. Sometimes they will make too many mistakes because they are preoccupied or not taking their job seriously.

Other times their behavior is due to poor fit for the job (bad hire) or lack of training. Regardless of the reasons, there comes a time when their continued employment is bad for them or the company or both. Therefore their employment needs to end. This is a must if your business is going to remain healthy, providing opportunities for those that do fit.

Myth #4 – Christian Businesses Should Give Away Products or Services!

I think the fact that people associate Christians with giving to charity, they leap to the idea that Christian businesses can and should do the same…with everything! Now before you laugh, this is no joke! I have had people tell me that I am responsible to give them (fill in the blank) because we are a Christian business.

If pressed, they may not think we should do it for everyone, but they clearly believe it should be true for them. As business owners, we know this is crazy, but we still struggle with our pricing, margins, and good will decisions. Sometimes we buy into this myth without realizing it.

The bottom line is that we have to make a healthy profit if we want to continue to be in business. We cannot “give away” our products and services as a habit. Sure, we can (and should) designate a portion of our proceeds to help out those in need around us. However, this charity should not work its way into our everyday transactions. We cannot afford it!

Myth #5 – Christian Businesses Are Complacent!

I am not sure if this is more prevalent among people outside the business or inside it. Too many Christian business owners have allowed themselves to think they should not have to work as hard or drive for excellence because they are doing their work for God. Hopefully, this sounds backwards to you, but many actually think this way!

Folks, we are to work harder and drive for greater excellence for the very reason that we answer to the Lord as the true owner of our business. We should never become complacent, thinking He will understand or that He should just be glad we are doing all of this for Him. That is very dangerous thinking!

We owe Him our everything! We are commanded to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We cannot do this and be complacent at the same time. These two ideas are polar opposites!

Seek God’s Help!

Hopefully, you recognize these 5 ideas as myths and have not fallen victim to this kind of thinking. However, if you struggle with any of them, I encourage you to seek God in prayer about them. I think you will come to realize the truth and see them for the myths they are!

Have you struggled with any of these myths?

What other myths have you encountered?

How do you combat these myths?