His in the marketplace 002

Philippians 4:19 ESV
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Need - that's a tough word.  

In business "need" extends across a broad range of things.  From marketing to payroll to customer service - and all the minutia those demand.

This isn't some willy-nilly flesh oriented promise but a boots on the ground, shoulder to the wheel promise.  But more than that, it is a conditional promise.  These needs are provided, "according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."  

Now I don't believe there is any such thing as a "Christian" business.  There are Christian men and women who have and do business but a business is not a person and therefore can not be "Christian."

So, it all comes down to, well, you and your relationship with Him.  Certainly if you are a Christian who owns or runs a business the principles of your faith can be the template for that business.  However, if you do business for a company that is not based upon the principles of the faith, it's really just you.

So the primary issue is the efficacy, efficiency and effectiveness of your walk - the living out of your faith.  I have come to believe that defining the "needs" is more important than we have thought.  If we do not define the "needs" of doing business according to our faith we have created a gross disconnect that may well cost us more than we think.

The fundamental need of every believer regardless of whether or not they are in business is to honor and glorify God.  Everything we do should contribute to that end.  If it doesn't, we have a problem.  Which brings me back to you - just you (well, you and Him).

How often do you pray for your business to glorify and honor Him?  The believer I have worked with all pray for the bottom line,  repeat customers, low overhead, expansion, ect. but many have confessed that they have prayed more for these things than for His glory and honor.   

It's not an easy thing - but being His in this word isn't and won't be.  A sound understanding of the faith, an understanding of yourself and an understanding or Him are critical.  So is the practice of the disciplines of the faith.  The, if you will, duties of the soldier of Christ.

Just some questions to reflect on and pray about:
Are you regularly attending worship - even when out of town?
Are you praying broadly enough concerning your business?
Are you growing in your knowledge and understanding or His Word and Will?
Are you supported by other believers in your work?
Are you aware of your dependence (and of course that of your business) upon Him?
Are you tithing? 

Consider those questions prayerfully.  They are some of the main and plain things of the believer's life and so are essential for being His in the marketplace.


Philippians 2:14-16 ESV
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, [15] that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, [16] holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

His in the Marketplace 001

His in the Marketplace  001

It's nothing new that confessing believers find it difficult to "live out" their faith in the workplace.  Even in the book of Acts we can find instances where the "market place" was not a very accpeting venue for being part of the Church.  So what can we do to stay engaged in our faith as we work in the world?

The first thing I would suggest is a ramping up of our private (as the Puritans called them) duties.  Yes, I'm talking prayer and study (not just reading).  If we are not engaged in "practice" we will not do well in the "game."  It is in those one on God exesizes that we hone our knowledge, understanding and skill.  Not to mention realizing more and more fully our dependence upon His mercy and grace.

Being a believer is a work of grace.  Growing as a believer is a work - well, of work.  You will never grow in faith by accident or ozmosis.  You grow on purpose - depending upon Him.  

I'm a fan of Vince Lombardy and find his quotes encouraging.  Of course I've read that his faith was a daily thing - he went to Mass daily.  So I don't find it hard to use his insights as I learn to live out my faith.

Vince once was quotes as saying:
"Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”

Now if this is true of football, how much more true is it of our calling?  We did not have to pay a price to become God's children but we do have to pay a price to grow as His children.  

Vince also said:
"Winning is a habit. Watch your thoughts, they become your beliefs. Watch your beliefs, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character.”
And
"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.”

All this he said about football - but underneath it all and where I believe He primarily applied these ideas waas in his exercise of his faith.

“I believe in God.”
“I derived my strength from daily mass and communion.” 

Now Vince and I might never have agreed in the areas of theology and doctrine but I do believe we would have met well when it came to what is required to be ever growing in faithfulness to our beliefs.  We would also have agreed that, though livng our faith is not a "game," we do have an opposing team on the field and they want to beat us.  So we must become proficient in what it takes to face them.

Interstingly the analogy breaks down in that our victory is assured.  So why worry?  Well, it's about the honor and glory of God isn't it?  We have "won" the game - so what's the point?  In our case, it's how we "play" it.  And -- if we are not good at the basics we will really stink at cruch time.

I guess you can tell I'm not much of a football fan - but I do respect Lombardi's perspective on success/winning.  But I also know that for us success is not about beating or defeating anything or anyone - Christ has done that.  It is about FAITHFULNESS!  That is the measuer of success for you and I.  

Christ will not say, "Well done my successful, winning, victorious, affluent, prosperous, powerful - or whatever - servant."  He will say, "Well done my good and faithful servant."  He makes us "good" - the faithfuness thing has a lot to do with us.  Over and over and over we are called, enjoined even commanded to be faithful.  It is something we can (duhhh-of course by His power) do.  But we have to choose to do it.

We have to begin learning faithfulness in the small things - the intimate things - the alone/just me things.  Prayer and study - study and prayer are like blocking, tackling, passing, catching, etc. in football.  They are the main and plain basics.

I'll be bold enough to suggest that if you're not practicing the basics you're not very good in the "game."  If you want to "act" like a believer in the workplace and you don't "practice" the duties of the faith when it's just you then you are yearning to be a hypocrite.  If your main focus isn't on you and Him then you'll have to fake it when it comes to you and them.

So in this first of the series I challenge you to begin practicing your faith when it's just you and Him.  Prayer and study - study and prayer - you never get enough and there's no such thing as too much - that's the "practice" that leads to excellence.

There are a lot of great books that can help you grow - most of them were published several centuries ago but are still available.  If you want a list, let me know.  for brevity's sake I'll not list them here.  But I will suggest, Keeping the Heart by John Flavel as a good place to start.

Comments and questions are welcome.

sheepdog.ms@gmail.com

BOUNDARIES, EXPECTATIONS and ACCOUNTABILITY

If, in my view, there are three things that good people need in order to grow into great people they are clear (adaptable) boundaries, expectations and accountability.  A lack of boundaries is unsafe and anxiety ridden.  A lack of expectations is just insulting and a lack of accountability is debilitating.  Also a lack of clarity breeds chaos, confusion, consternation and collapse.  

In most working environments there are four element which the B.E &A need to address as clearly as possible:

• Technical
• Administrative
• Relational
• Leadership

Regardless of the specific position or "job" these four areas need to be defined/measured by BE&A's.  Too many times a staff member is evaluated not by any real objective criteria but rather based upon how they have or have not stayed below the radar for the couple of months before the evaluation.  It's usually a matter of, "what have you done for me lately," or "how have you screwed up lately."  Most evaluations are a very unfunny, if not cruel,  joke.

Developing, maintaining and executing a useful set of BE&A's is not as hard as it sounds.  Actually, the more detailed they seem to need to be the more concerned you need to be about the employee.

The BE&A's should be as clear and simple as they can be.  They need to be thoroughly explained to the staff person and a period of "settling in" needs to be provided so anything unclear can be made clear.  

The responsibility for establishing and clarifying the BE&A's lies with the one who will evaluate them.  The dangers of poor communication, lack of clarity and no time to settle into the "box" are all elements that the "leader" must be conscious of and seek to avoid.

This provides the employee and the 'boss' with a "box" that both can use to measure performance, skill, ability and willingness to perform. HOWEVER -ADAPTABLE must also apply to the box.  You need to build the box out of bamboo.  It must be flexible and growing.  

Equally as important as adaptability is ACCOUNTABILITY.  This is two-fold.  Of course the employee is accountable to "get it done right," but YOU are accountable for building the right box, in the right way for each person.  Certainly all the boxes you build will have similarities but they can't be one size fits all - because on size doesn't "fit" all.  You build a crummy box - you're gonna get crummy results.

Once the "box" is built, communicated and understood you have two things to determine.  CAN this person do this job and WILL this person do this job?  If they CAN'T then you bust your behind figuring out what they need in order to do the job (I mean you hired them - it's not their fault).  If they WON'T do the job - then it's clear they don't want the job and you need to do them the kindness of removing them from such an unpleasant circumstance.

Yes, this is short and a little glib and I've made no references to sheep, pastures, etc..  But sometimes one just has to say it plain.

Any questions?  Drop me a line.  msanders.consultant@gmail.com