by Donald | Mar 6, 2013 | Blog
So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Mark 10:51a
One evening after dinner, my precocious and then three years old daughter wanted to go out for ice cream. “Where would you like to go?” we queried. “Askin`’ Beggin’s!” she exclaimed, and we joyfully complied with her request.
Have you ever struggled to ask Jesus to help you in some way—to solve a problem, meet a need, or guide your decisions? Or have you ever asked for His help, but not truly expected to receive a response? If you have, Blind Bartimaeus (the supplicant in Mark 10:46-52) cries out to you to increase your faith.
John proclaims Jesus is the Creator of the universe (John 1:3). Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is fully God, one with the Father, in whom the fullness of the Father was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:12). The New Testament record is that Jesus was never defeated in anything. Weather, illness, birth defects, chemistry, hunger, fear, possession, and even death all obeyed His commands. Intellectually, we should know Jesus is the one person with the power to answer all our prayers. Why do we refrain from asking?
I think there are two primary reasons.
First, we are timid. Timidity might result from concerns that our wants are not significant to command the time and attention of the Creator of the universe. Timidity might result from fear our request is illegitimate—as in asking Jesus to let us win the lottery, or make us rich, or something where we surmise the request may not be so “godly” in the first place.
Second, we are fearful the answer will not be as we hoped; sometimes, we don’t ask because we don’t want to have to dig deep into our faith. God is not a Genie, here to do our bidding when His will is something else. If God says, “No,” we have to come to grips with that answer; we have to consider such things as the depth of our faith, the integrity of our hearts, God’s love for us, and God’s plans for our lives—all relationship building, but troubling nonetheless.
Against these reasons stands Jesus, who instructs us to “ask, seek, and knock” (Matthew 7:7-11). Asking Jesus for the desires of our hearts demonstrates worship, faith, vulnerability, humility, humanity, hope, and courage. Jesus’ response will always be the best response for us—how could it be otherwise? By asking we invite Jesus to strengthen our faith and enhance our usefulness, to impart godly wisdom and manifest the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.
In business, we seem to always admire those who pull themselves up by their bootstraps when the going gets tough—self-made men and women who overcome great obstacles to win against all odds. The Bible, however, does not honor self-made men and women. Rather, the Bible honors those who rely upon God and not themselves—those who acknowledge God is Deliverer—in all events, in all circumstances, always. Hard work is important and perseverance and endurance are godly characteristics, but only when the object of our hope is God. Pharaoh had great perseverance against Moses, and all the first-born of Egypt died as a result.
If you find yourself in the midst of a trial or struggle and have not brought the matter to God, ask yourself why not? Then ask God for discernment of His heart in the matter you wish to set before Him. Do not become one chastised by Jesus for too little faith.
by Donald | Feb 19, 2013 | Blog
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).
Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am,” proving in the utterance human existence as sentient beings. God’s acknowledgement of humanity is more sublime; God’s acknowledgement imputes worth.
I am in the restaurant business, although I prefer the word “hospitality.” Food is a vital part of life, and so is breathing. Food however, can be savored, enjoyed, shared, mixed, matched, paired, studied, and refined—food enhances social circumstances and is often mood altering—breathing, not so much.
Feeding someone is one form of hospitality; acknowledging the existence of someone on a personal level is another form of hospitality. I am delighted when a friendly word of encouragement and acknowledgment changes a dour, hurried, business-like countenance into an open, expectant, and human face.
Dramatic changes of facial expressions are most visible on the faces of children—I see it on my children’s faces when an adult acknowledges their presence, and I see it on the faces of other children whenever I acknowledge them. An adult acknowledging a child brightens their countenance. They see the twinkle in our eye, and it is valuable to their self-esteem. In much the same way, when God reveals an awareness of us in unexpected and uniquely personal ways, we see the twinkle in His eye.
Jesus allowed some to see the twinkle in His eye. Nathanael (John 1:43-49) fell on his knees exclaiming Jesus as the “Son of God and the King of Israel” all because Jesus surprised him with insight of a personal nature that no one other than God could have known. The woman at the well also experienced the twinkle in Jesus’ eye (John 4:39), prompting her to call others to come see Jesus for themselves.
I believe God enjoys letting us see the twinkle in His eye, allowing us a glimpse of His majesty in moments where things happen that should not have happened—a welcome and precise word from a stranger at just the right time—a happy turn of events when the odds did not favor it—an improbable conclusion to insolvable problems. One night, on a long and lonely stretch of highway, I found a radio station with a message meant only for me to hear. It was a million to one shot, and I experienced what Nathanael and the Samaritan women felt. After two thousand years, God still startles us with His awareness. It happens often enough that such moments are commonly called “God things.”
God see’s us in our humanity and loves us. His eyes twinkle. We catch Him looking at us in complete honesty and love. He is the fulfillment of all we hope for, long for, and need, and it is good to be reminded of these things. Like Nathanael and the woman at the well, we carry “God-thing” moments a long-time, probably for life. They alter our perspective and change us.
Your business touches many lives—employees, vendors, customers, and other third parties. It is good business to practice courtesy with all who come in contact with your business; it is better business to practice hospitality—to make a connection with others, acknowledging their uniqueness, their humanity, their reflection of the beauty imparted to them by their Creator. Courtesy is to breathing what hospitality is to food. One works beneath the surface, important but usually noticed only in its absence. The other is mood altering, life changing, waiting to be shared with another.
A fallen world is inhospitable, but we reveal God’s love when we offer the gift of hospitality to our neighbors.
by Donald | Feb 19, 2013 | Blog
“If riches increase, do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God. Also, to you, O Lord, belongs mercy; for you render to each one according to his work” (Psalm 62:10b-12).
My friend Mike used to say, “growing old ain’t for sissies!” Now that I am older, I get the point. Getting old is tough—and so is choosing to operate a business following Christian principles of faith; it takes courage to put your faith on display in a work environment.
Business leaders are accountable to define the rules of engagement at work—those policies and procedures governing how employees are to interact with one another, with the business, with customers, with vendors, with regulatory authorities, and with the community at large. Mission statements express purpose, statements of values and culture provide the moral compass, but the rules of engagement establish boundaries of behavior.
Poorly designed or unenforced boundaries of behavior expose the business to corporate scandal, fraud, theft, unfair competition, insider trading, misappropriation, betrayal of the public trust, and other assorted misdeeds. And even though the government has acted to shore up corporate responsibility in public companies by requiring certain standards of behavior be adopted, the parade of offenders keeps right on coming anyway. Pride, envy, greed, and idolatry are root causes of such behavior, and written rules of engagement are not always persuasive against them.
Even though some break rules, their offense does not obviate the requirement of leadership to be vigilant. What then? Start by examining yourself, squaring up your philosophy of business with your beliefs as a Christian. Your company has a mission statement and likely has a set of core values. Can you link them to specific Christian values? If you cannot, neither can your employees.
Here are some examples of Christian values that would be helpful in a work environment:
- “Remind them (the congregation) to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone” (Titus 3:1-2).
- “You shall not steal” (Deuteronomy 5:19).
- Be a servant and have the mind of a servant instead of lord and master (Mark 10:43).
- “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).
- Treat others as you would be treated (Luke 6:31).
- Work with all your heart, as working for the Lord (Colossians 3:22-24).
There are real benefits to choosing to build your company’s rules of engagement on a foundation of Christian principles. For starters, you will sleep better. Second, inviting God into your Company exposes it to His blessings and guidance. Third, your faith will be tested and you will grow in your relationship with God. Fourth, you will make better decisions.
One hurdle to overcome in a secular society is the skepticism that accompanies overt displays of Christian principles (as in “People who live in glass houses should not play with stones.”) Still, good is good; and a Christian value system is a very good one—no pun intended. Look again at the list above. Nothing in that list should give a leader cause for alarm.
If you are a Christian, the truth is that God is your real boss. Someday you will be face to face with Him. He is interested in knowing the depth of your trust and your faith and that you are not afraid of being known to the world at large as a Christian.
by Donald | Feb 5, 2013 | Blog
“Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 119:23-24 NKJV).
A scratchy throat, a runny nose, some sneezing, a stuffy head, and feeling tired—even irritable, are all symptoms we recognize as the beginning of a cold (if we are lucky) or the flu (if we are not so lucky). Since we have experienced colds and flu before, we know the duration and extent of the illness that is coming at us, as well as medicines that can ease our discomfort. Unless something goes terribly wrong, time passes and we heal.
I have felt a spiritual cold coming on for a few weeks; I do not believe it is a case of spiritual flu. My symptoms:
- I feel anxious about present circumstances.
- I have muttered curses under my breath.
- Memories of the past and life questions that have been prayed over and (so I thought) put to bed have reappeared.
- Optimism, once a bedrock character trait, seems more a remembered virtue.
- I am quick to anger over circumstances outside my control.
God warned Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?” (Genesis 4:6b). God is marvelous to show us that we are becoming spiritually ill, that our spiritual immune system is taking a beating. If God did not present us with symptoms, if God did not present us with a diagnosis, then our hope in Him would be of little value. But He is the Good Shepherd, always looking after His flock.
Sunday morning I spent time reflecting on the temptations of Jesus, how His temptations were real and significant. Physical needs (hunger), pride and significance, and a willingness to explore taking the easy way out, are temptations common to man. Temptation is rooted in desire; desire unchecked leads to sin (James 1:14-15).
This morning I awoke with the thought that since Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross, did He not also bear all of the temptations of the world as well? After all, isn’t the opposite side of the coin denominated in “desire” sin? “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
This past Sunday, my pastor preached from Matthew 7:24 (build your house upon the rock). In the early hours this morning, a connection was (yet again) made clear in my mind: We cannot overcome the turbulence of life (and its attendant spiritual illness) by ourselves—we are not sufficient for the task. But Jesus is.
I know people who have struggled with addiction (desire) and who have become counselors for others. They know the depth of the desire, they know the consequences, and they know they can help. Jesus knows the depth of our struggle, too. Jesus helps us because He loves us, and He loves us because we are found in Him—words that mean we have acknowledged a personal relationship with Him.
Only in relationship with Jesus do we find strength for the trials of life, purpose in our work, hope in our future, certainty in our optimism, and the reason we experience joy in all circumstances.
Here is the crux of the matter for me, and I suspect for everyone. We get attached to our life. When things go well—hallelujah! When things confront the status quo, we shout “Criminy!” Our life is too often what we see with our eyes and experience with our senses. To paraphrase my pastor, material things and self-actualizing endeavors are not life jackets; they do not sustain and will not keep us afloat. Our human propensity, however, is to forget that truth.
A spiritual head-cold is how God reminds me that His searching gaze is diagnosing a problem. In spiritual discomfort, I come to the Great Physician and am healed. I am chastened to be in His waiting room yet again, but He receives me gladly, and for that I am overwhelmed by gratitude.
by Donald | Jan 21, 2013 | Blog
“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Psalm 77:19-20 NIV).
God is always with you, but He is not always visible. Trouble causes us to question God’s presence. Our hearts murmur, “Are you there?”
Imagine you are sitting at your desk and the phone rings. Your mind is at rest; all is well with your career. The caller speaks, and your world is turned upside down.
Immediately, because you are a leader, you formulate actions to be taken. There will be logical and necessary things to do; first things, in order to be first, must be sorted from the deck of everything to be done.
A form of claustrophobia descends. Practical development of actions must contend with emotional carnage that fosters strong sensations of urgency. We care about our work. Hesitancy is unwelcome. We push forward; leaders lead.
How hard it is to wait upon the Lord.
A distinctively Christian business leader will profit by restraining impulses to “do” something, choosing rather to devote serious inquiry into God’s hand in this matter. God was not surprised by the disturbing phone call, nor is He unaware of how all of “this” will turn out. Actual circumstances will dictate whether and how much urgency is required, but leaders should distinguish between the emotional perception of urgency and the absolute importance of focusing on priority. God’s help is a priority.
God is concerned about you and He is keenly interested in how you come through this experience. The following steps will help you organize your thoughts in asking God for help:
- Acknowledgment—God is in your midst, aware of your situation and your needs. Remember that.
- Ask God to prepare you for what lies ahead. Things may get worse before they get better.
- Be willing to listen; once you ask Him for wisdom, He will act. The rub is to discern what He is doing.
- Be courageous. Some of the greatest heroes of the Bible had to be reminded of their courage.
- Be patient. God is never hurried; He is always on time.
- Apply godly wisdom when choosing courses of action. Godly wisdom is pure, peaceable, willing to yield, impartial, without hypocrisy, full of mercy, and filled with the fruit of the Spirit. It will not be filled with fear, reprisal, anxiety, and rancor.
- Maintain a godly perspective. There is a season for everything and the crisis will pass.
- Rejoice and give thanks that the outcome God wants has been assured. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).
Psalm 77:19 reminds us it is not only the leader who suffers when sudden trouble befalls a business—your employees also need guidance. You are as Moses and Aaron to them, even if the way leads through the mighty waters.
Full of courage, faith, and hope we strike out, aware that the future will reveal the reasonableness of our choices, the steadfastness of our faith, the depth of our courage, the honor of our heart, and the succor provided by a good but unseen God.
