David understood one of the essential qualities of a leader, as we see in 2 Samuel 23:3. Anyone who wants to lead well must fear the Lord. When we talk about fearing God, we are not talking about a wrong kind of fear. We are talking about the reverential fear that causes us to bow in His presence and even to prostrate ourselves before Him and say, “My God, there is none like You; Whom shall I fear? If You are for me, what can man do to me?’

The apostle Paul wrote something in Galatians 1:10, He said, “Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).”

We know Satan firsthand uses rejection to prevent us from going forward with the call of God on our our lives. Have you ever been attacked with rejection? The devil uses this very effective tool to keep us from making progress.

How many of you have gone to the bank to get a loan for your business and were turned down? Wanted more money to expand? Wanted to hire a few more people? How many people were skeptical when you told them you were starting a business, or joining a partnership with someone, or told you all of the reasons why they failed in business and why you would too? It’s very difficult to go on when you are being rejected by someone you love and care about or others who have the power and ability to help but do not buy into your vision. I know what that feels like when you take the leap of faith and do what you believe you have been called to do. I shudder to think what I might have sacrificed had I bowed down to the pressure and the weight of rejection. Everywhere I went for help they told me no, or I didn’t qualify, but thank God I didn’t give up.

Have you ever been in a situation when the devil leveled an attack against you at the same time when God was trying to promote you into the next level of what he has for your life?

Anyone who is going to do the will of God must have more fear of God than of man. We all want acceptance and for others to support our dreams. It takes courage to live your dreams. And you have to be willing to lose everything to do it. What does that mean? The trials and storms of life will come. They must. Do you stay and fight for the dream and the desire that you believe God has placed on the inside of you, or do you turn in defeat because it’s just too hard?

Anyone who is going to do God’s will must remember what Jesus told His disciples: “A servant is not greater than his master…If they persecuted Me, they will also persecut you” (John 15:20). He was saying, “If they reject you, in effect they are rejecting Me.” I believe the Lord takes it personally when people reject you because you are trying to do the right thing. He knows how you feel about being rejected, because He felt the same thing. He is your Vindicator; your reward comes from Him, and you must reverentially fear and honor Him more than anything or anyone else.

As you have made the decision, for God I live, and for God I die, know that God is equally commited to the promise as well. Romans 8:31,32 “What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] [Ps. 118:6]

32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

God approved of you before anybody else ever got a chance to disapprove. Do not spend your time playing it safe in the illusion of a down economy (because millionaries are being made everyday, banks are still giving corporate execs million dollar bonuses) don’t buy into the hype! Safety is very comfortable, but it may keep you from God’s perfect plan for your life.  If we want to continue to succeed in this environment, our focus must be customer focus coupled with outstanding customer service. Not because it will keep your customer and repeat business, but if you never see them again, the honor and privilege is in being in a position to serve.

Trust His Word and keep your heart willing and ready to obey. Be willing to try new things, especially if it is something you have never done before. You will find throughout your life that God regularly calls us out of our comfort zones and into new places of faith and growth in Him.

On the way to your destination, enjoy the journey.

Linda Dillard

Founder/CEO & Relationship Strategist for Power In Progress, LLC & Creator of the “CEO Method”

As a Christian in business (see my previous article) I talked about the need for congruency between life outside of the office and the way in which we as Christians should do business.

How do you then be in the world but not of the world?

How do you not bow to the idols of the world and keep strong in your resolve that that the relationship with God is honoured through all that you do in and out of the business life you lead?

“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.” 1 John 2:15-17 (The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)

When you first made that life commitment before the Lord to follow Him and trust Him for all things, the ‘first love’ led you to go after Him with all you had.

Many Christians, not all, loose this ‘first love’ mentality when they get secure in their own life, family, home, church, the same seats each Sunday, attending the same small group week in week out… and if they are not careful it becomes tradition and even religion.

Each day we should try to remind ourselves of our first love encounter with Jesus and how this changed our lives for the better. This should motivate us to continually ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the decisions we make in business., moving forward with the want for this same joy every day.

This message from John tells us that if we love the way of the world and rely on it and it’s ways, the the love of the Father will be squeezed out – do you want Him ‘squeezed’ out of your life or your business?

Every area of your business should be aligned with the values you hold and this need for God to be in it all.

Think about your finances – how you manage them, how you give back into the Church from this income, where you bank it, how you steward this well and don’t waste this provision.

Think about the way that you treat staff – Jesus came as a servant King, do strive to be like Christ in all you do, do you serve your staff well?

Think about suppliers – do your printers use environmentally friendly processes, do they only use FSC paper, what is their recycling policy, is the correct stewardship of the Earth and creation important to them and it should be for you? …the list could be endless.

Acting this way and ensuring that every decision you make is in-line with biblical principles will ensure that you are putting God first in your business. Putting His ways above the ways of the world “is set for eternity” – are you set for eternity?

Suggested Reading:

Just Business

Alexander Hill. IVP Academic 2008, Paperback, 276 pages, $10.00

About My Father’s Business

Regi Campbell. Multnomah Books 2009, Paperback, 240 pages, $7.43

I am always disturbed at just how rude Christians can be in the name of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ. You’ve seen these people I’m sure. They are the ones who are invited to a company party and scold a person for having a beer. They are the ones who at the same party remind everyone that they are a Christian and don’t do the things the rest of them do. Their very presence is annoying at best and when they discover that people do not like them too much, they tell everyone what a martyr they are for Jesus. You might think I am exaggerating here but this happens all too often in many different scenarios in both the workplace and social gatherings. A Christian should live a separate life and not partake in the sins of the world but a Christian should also be a diplomat when it comes to advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ so his or her word might be listened to and respected rather than just shut down.

Let me illustrate this. In Acts 17:21-31 the Apostle Paul in his journeys visits with some folks in Athens on Mar’s Hill (KJV). Paul notices that the people in Athens are very religious and seeking something to believe in. They had on display many items that they worship (or “devotions” as it is referred to in the KJV). And just to cover all bases, they had a devotion to the UNKNOWN GOD. Paul seized this opportunity to share the gospel in verses 22 and 23 (KJV):

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

Take note of how Paul used diplomacy to be a witness. Other translations of the Bible use the word “religious” instead of “superstitious.” Paul gave these people respect and in doing so he was able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

Being a diplomatic witness does not mean you do the same things others do when they are partaking in illegal, unhealthy, or immoral behavior. It means that you are tactful or use strategy that is considerate of others. The Old Testament is full of stories of those like Joseph who did their best to be tactful with the rulers that were placed over them even though they would not abandon their faith.

Being a diplomatic Christian goes a lot farther than being a rude Christian. Think about it.

What do we mean by a flexible Christian? We mean the Christian who can take the waves and winds of life and not break. Life is full of problems and just because you are a Christian it does not mean you will be problem free. Your reaction to the problems when they come is what is going to either defeat you or allow you to keep going. Some Christians get extremely angry and “lose it” with those around them when they are hurting while other Christians will respond to situations through prayer and trust in God. This is also known as the reaction to stressors and different reactions can produce different results. Always having an angry reaction to stress can cause health problems not to mention hurt your relationship with God. The Christian must be flexible in order to weather the storms of this Christian journey.

Few of us have been through the storms weathered by Job in the Old Testament. Job lost his entire family except for his wife and lost all his riches in one day. Most of us lose these over time if it happens to us but he lost pretty much everything all at once. Was he heartbroken? You can be sure of that. Was he full of grief? Yes, absolutely. Did he have sin in his life? If you read the first part of the book of Job you will see God was very pleased with him. Did Job pray for God’s help? Yes he did. Did he see answers right away? No he did not yet God was still working. Job’s response when this tragedy happened was found in Job 1:21 (KJV):

And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Wow! What a reaction. Few of us react that way when life’s storms hit but it should be something we as Christians try to model. And God had a purpose in this and it was to show Satan that Job was strong in his faith even when blessings were removed from him. The whole experience probably made Job stronger too.

One of the great things about being in a church among a group of believers is that many times there will be prayer groups that get together and pray for those they know in need, having a difficult time, or sick. If you are in a church that does not encourage prayer for those suffering you might want to seriously consider changing churches. But let’s just assume you are in a church with an organized prayer program. Typically what happens in these prayer meetings as they are called is a leader will have people share prayer requests and then everyone breaks off an prays. But did you know that if you are not careful, you could be actually be sharing gossip about someone in these meetings? We are told in the Bible not to gossip and not to be busybodies. Be careful how you present prayer requests because they could be gossip.

It’s Okay to Have an Unspoken Request

If making a prayer request would reveal too much embarrassing information about the subject of the prayer then present it to the group as an unspoken request.

Don’t Reveal Personal Information about a Subject

It’s okay to tell everyone that so and so is in the hospital after being in a serious automobile accident and they need prayer. It’s not okay to tell everyone that so-and-so is dealing with a drug or alcohol problem and needs prayer. You will destroy that person who is trying to overcome a bad habit for the better.

Don’t Talk About Your Kids’ Faults

Most every parent is going to have to deal with the rebellious child. It is a helpless feeling and naturally the Christian parent wants help for his or her child through prayer. But all too often we think because we are parents that we can air our dirty laundry about our kids with everyone. Don’t embarrass your children. It does not help to embarrass them.

The church should be a place known to care about people—not embarrass them so much that they never return. Everyone has problems and when you have problems you will certainly want the church to pray for you. But think about how you would feel if you confided in a Christian friend and this same friend gossips about your personal and private problems to everyone in the name of prayer. You wouldn’t like it much would you?

This Christianity thing can be pretty cool until the topic of giving your tithe pops up. All types of messages will be passed around on the topic of tithing. The favorite verse quoted in the Bible on tithing is found in Malachi 3:8 (KJV):

Are you robbing God?

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

You’ll hear those who claim that tithing is for the Old Testament era only and does not apply today. You’ll here those who say tithe off of your gross pay and others will say tithe off of your net pay. Then you’ll look in the New Testament and find nothing really about tithing. It is so confusing really. You are struggling as it is and now you are told by your pastor to give 10 percent? What are you to do? What you should do is give something—even if it is only 1 percent. Just get in the habit of giving a portion back to God what he has given you.

Give 1% in Tithes

Okay, some will probably like me for what I am saying (give 1 percent) and others won’t be too happy at the advice I am giving Christians because some of them could be their church members. Let me explain myself.

Some of us when we become Christians have some baggage we bring with us before becoming believers. By baggage I mean all the consequences of poor decisions. Oftentimes those consequences were the result of bad financial decisions. To put it bluntly, we ran up debt. We ran up debt so high that giving 10 percent of even our take home pay is impossible however giving 1 percent will at least get you in the habit of giving.

Think about the Pastor

Also consider this. For those Christians who are part of a church. Think about your pastor. This person has a family to take care of and a church to operate. The only way this happens is through regular donations from the membership. Your pastor does not have the time hold down a full-time secular career and why should he or she? Their career is being a pastor. When you give what you can give—even if only 1 percent—you make it easier for the financial people of your church to at least plan a budget. A budget is critical to the financial health of the church.

Consider this verse found in 2 Corinthians 8:12 (KJV):

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

I take that verse to mean that you give from according to what you have to give. And when you give, give with the right heart. God is pleased with all that you give with the right heart.

If you are a believer and do not have a daily personal time when you study God’s word, pray, and meditate on what you read then you are robbing yourself of a close relationship with God.

Consider this verse in 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

You need to get to know your Bible because this is how God shares truths with you. But too often, there are excuses from Christians as to why they cannot have Bible devotions. And you should not have devotions just to “punch a ticket” either. But let’s look at some of the barriers to having regular personal devotions and a solution to each.

Barrier 1: I don’t have enough time.

This is a very valid reason for not having devotions and one we have to fight all the time. We don’t have enough time in our society today. I always recommend to the person without a lot of time to just pick one verse, read it, and meditate on it as you commute to work.

Barrier 2: The Bible can be boring sometimes.

If you are reading the genealogies or something equivalent to that you be certain it is boring. Reading the Bible completely is not always the best way to get the Christian involved in devotions. Use a daily devotional guide (there are free ones on the internet) with a commentary that has personal application. That way you can stay interested and engaged.

Barrier 3: I don’t understand the Bible.

You’ll hear people tell you to only use this version of the Bible or that version of the Bible. Use the version you understand. I like to use the King James Version only because of preference and nothing more. But if I need clarification on something I don’t hesitate to go to the NIV or some other translation where the wording is more contemporary.

Barrier 4: I don’t like to carry my Bible around or I haven’t bought a Bible yet.

The internet has great free online Bible sites where you can read the Bible anywhere you have a computer. Plus, many of these sites have multiple translations (like KJV and NIV) where you can have one centralized Bible study location.

The most important thing you can do is read a verse every day. And if you miss a day, don’t worry about it. Pick it up the next day.

Many business owners and entrepreneurs, like you, find that their business revolves around them and that it just would not be the same without them at the helm. True. As a start up business it is normally the owner of the business that does all the sales, marketing, project work, administration, finance and so on. The light soon comes on upstairs when they realize that they can’t do everything on their own and they need to employ staff or outsource to do the many jobs needed. After all if you were good at making widgets before you started your business and now focus on marketing or human resources more than making widgets – is this right? You went in to business because you were good at making widgets, and widgets you should make!

The only real way to succeed in business is to treat the business as if it is an entity in its own right – let it become a business that you are serving in rather than a business all about you! As a Christian I firmly believe in the Bible as the true Word of God and feel that acting in this way, giving the business over to God has led to our success in Creative Rush “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Prov 16:3 (NIV).

In doing this, handing the business over to the Lord, then not telling anyone – are we are hiding the answer from the world? If Christ can beat sin and death – a recession, credit crunch or downturn is relative small fry!

Keeping our life as Christians hidden from our business life it just not cricket! We should be seeking to build our business on biblical foundations just as we do for the rest our lives. Then in turn should we not live this out in the public domain, showing others how and why we do what we do?

Should we not display the fact that we have built our business, and continue to run our business, on the Word of God and act in many circumstances with faith more than human action or decision first?

In the fast-paced modern-world of business, it is especially important to realize that God’s Word should be, and remain, the cornerstone of your personal life and that of business. God’s Word gives all the insight into how we should run our businesses and with that comes wisdom. (Prov. 2:6).

Christians in business – ensure your life values and business values are entwined with each other and the practices of both mirror these values. Hand your business over today in your prayers and see that the ultimate provider and creator is near at hand.

Today is the day you decide to pay off your credit card debt. Or maybe you make your mind up that your passion or hobby could prove to be profitable if you formed a business around it. Perhaps you have an interest in leading a healthier lifestyle. Whatever your aspiration, it is important to set a goal and have a plan of action that accompanies it. The bible says in Proverbs 21:5 (NIV) the plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

How many times have you heard that “you have to do something differently in order to get something differently”? I’ve heard it too many times to count, but the relevant point here is that goal setting helps us identify what things we need to do differently in order to make our goals a reality.

So if you have to do something differently (i.e. something unfamiliar), how is it that the title of this article is “You’ve done this before! Kind of…”? Consider the following scenarios:

• Have you moved to a city or town where you knew absolutely no one?
• Did you ever take a job without knowing or being proficient in all of the tasks required of you?

If you can recollect any such memory then you, my friend, have done what is necessary to set and achieve a goal. If you moved to a new city, you started chatting with your colleagues, or researching what your new locale had to offer and you stepped out and explored. If you took on a new job with responsibilities you were not completely familiar with, you increased your exposure to resources (ex. Colleagues, articles, Google) that made you comfortable with executing these tasks. My point is that you would not have otherwise done these things, but since becoming acclimated to your new environment or keeping that new job was important, you did a few things differently. You went out of your way and in the end, you made it happen.

So what if you don’t know where to start? Don’t fret. Open your mouth and start asking some questions. You’d be surprised at how many people would be willing to help you achieve your goal (and hold you accountable to it). Importantly, these folks can share their experiences of achieving similar goals. Also, do some research; there is no shortage of publications touting ways to eliminate debt, start a business, be healthy, or do whatever it is that you want to do. Sort through these ideas, and be careful not to “analyze until you’re paralyzed.” Achieving your goal ultimately requires action.

As a die-hard fan of Golden Girls, I can’t help but recall a moment when Dorothy says to Rose “If you take a chance in life, sometimes good things happen, and sometimes bad things happen. But if you don’t take a chance, nothing happens.” Take a chance at succeeding. Set a goal, be realistic about how you will achieve it, and act!

As Christians we walk be faith and not be sight, so at times we’ll have to take that chance in trust in the lord. Peter in the disciples were on the boat crossing the Sea of Galilee and saw Jesus approaching them walking on water. Though they were afraid, Jesus told them to be of good cheer, but Peter wasn’t happy of just that. He took a chance and told Jesus if it is you let me come to you via the ocean. Jesus, but as always our faith falters just as Peter’s did because he took his eyes off of Jesus but as soon as he cried out to Him, He saves us from our troubles. Just keep that in mind when you take that chance in life, keep your eyes on Him and he’ll lead you to victory.

Suggested Reading:

Goals! How to Get Everything You Want–Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible

Brian Tracy. Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2004, Paperback, 291 pages, $7.30

If someone asks what you do, how do you answer? Normally people give a job title or a brief description of their work. Rarely does anyone answer that they work for Christ, unless perhaps they work in ministry or as a missionary. Consider, however, that each Christian is urged in Ephesians 4:1 to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” Paul is asking believers to take up a lifestyle that reflects Christ in every respect, including the work that they do.

It’s unfortunate that many Christians view their work life as separate from their spiritual life. During the Reformation of the 16th century, Martin Luther made the case that the shoemaker working at his bench was doing God’s work just as much as the priest in the church. It is by our actions out in the world, particularly on our jobs where we spend so many hours, that Christ is made known to others.

Whatever your chosen occupation, your everyday work can indeed by sacred work. If you provide an honest day’s work for your pay, market a product at a fair price, do a job that improves the lives of others, or just plain insist on treating others honestly and respectfully, then you can consider yourself as working for Christ. In this modern, complex world, jobs unsuitable for Christians do exist. However, most modern career fields are excellent opportunities for doing God’s work.

When you head to work, consider yourself heading off to work for Christ. Your every action and word reflect your divine boss to your co-workers. Even in work environments where open discussion of your faith is unwelcome or against company policy, you still have the opportunity to work for Christ. In fact all your words are worthless, if your actions don’t back them up. Colossians 3:17 reminds us that whatever you do in word or deed, “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

The next time you’re asked what you do, consider answering that you work for Christ as an accountant, a salesman, a nurse, a teacher, a waitress, a student or whatever your current occupation.

(all scripture references taken from the New American Standard Bible)