Christian Business Builder

In this post we are going to be looking at the second principle in The Jesus Model.

The second principle is:
Jesus presented himself in service to God the Father.

What this means to our business practices is that we need to build our businesses as a part of our service to God the Father.

When Jesus prayed to God the Father in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-45) he said, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

In that statement Jesus presented himself in the ultimate way in service to God the Father. Remember that God was going to pour out his wrath on Christ while he hung on the cross. He was also going to forsake God the Son while he became sin for us who knew no sin.

Knowing all of what lay before him, Jesus still presented himself for service.

God had not asked the same level of service from anyone before nor has he since. That being so, he still wants us to be living sacrifices for him in this world (Romans 12:1-2).

This level of service is not just about us being “spiritual.” It is about our overall testimony in life. This includes our business model and philosophy.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Again to the Corinthians Paul says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Our business is a part of our relationship with the Lord. Since it is, we need to yield it to him and follow after him as he leads. Just like Jesus was willing to follow God’s lead even if it meant he would suffer greatly for his service, we should be willing to “look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12)

When the great God of the universe is in full charge of all our lives (our business included) and we serve him with his glory in mind, he will provide us with the wisdom and understanding necessary to be successful.

Does your business function as a method of your service to the Lord?

Just a thought ….

Dave

Jesus Model - Part One
Building a Business with Purpose
Hebrews 12:1-2

While considering the coming of the new year, I was struck by the need to evaluate again the business that I believe that God has burdened me to start. I began this evaluation by looking at the different business models that I could find both on and offline.

However, it seemed that the more I looked at what was out there and what other people were doing, I was drawn to the conclusion that I was not right for any of the models I had discovered. So, I began to prayerfully consider what God wanted me to do. After all, if he had really called me to build a successful business then he would surely have a model in mind for my doing it.

I was looking through some sermon outlines that I had prepared over the years and came across one entitled, “The Jesus Model.” When I read through the outline, it was as God himself was shouting from the portal of heaven, “This is how you should build your business!”

As I read through the outline again and studied the key texts, He was right (like that’s any big suprise!) This meant that I would have to start over (remember my “Hard Rest” post) and that I would have to build a whole new team. However, I now have a plan in mind and a direction to travel. What a wonderful feeling.

In these articles I would like to share the basics of that plan with you. Not so that you would necessarily join me (I am leaving the “who” of my team up to God!) Rather, I hope that, as you plan your 2009, the basics of this plan spark as much hope, excitement, and confidence in you as it has in me. May God bless us all as we work to honor him in this very important aspect of our lives and service to Him.

The first aspect of the Jesus Model is seen in the fact that Jesus lived every day of his life in a purposeful way. What I mean by this is that Jesus saw each day of his life as an expression of his relationship with God the Father.

In John 4:31 - 38 Jesus teaches his disciples a great lesson:

“In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. “

Notice the phrase: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” First of all we need to understand the old english word meat. It literally means that which sustains life.

Jesus was telling his disciples (who were trying to get him to eat) that his life was not sustained by what he had to eat but rather by two more important things: 1. To do the will of he who had sent him, and 2. To finish his God’s (the one who sent him) work.

The disciples didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, because their minds were almost always on temporal things. They nearly always saw things through the eyes of their flesh rather than from an eternal view.

Christian network marketers can be the same way. We listen to the conference calls and the annual convention speaches and get all fired up about what a successful business can do for us. We often times forget to consider why God has us in the business in the first place. What does God want to accomplish by our being in network marketing to begin with?

When we don’t approach our business as an expression of our relationship with God the Father, we are opening ourselves up (like the disciples did here) to only seeing things from a temporal view.

God would have us understand three things if our businesses are really going to have an eternal perspective and are going to be built with purpose:

1. Everything we do in life should be about God the Father. This relationship with the Father is what sustained Jesus’ life and ministry.

2. Every attempt we make to build and grow our business should also have an eternal purpose. This is why it is important who we sponsor and why we sponsor them.

3. Every moment we spend in our business will testify of our relationship with God the Father. People who work with us will either see a wonderful relationship between us and the Father or they will see that what we may speak and what we do indicate a disconnect between us and God the Father.

So … how are you going to build this year? Who are you going to build with? How are you going to conduct yourself in the world of your business? With purpose? As a witness of your relationship with God the Father (through Jesus Christ)? Will Eternity matter as you build this year?

Just a thought …. we’ll talk again soon!

Dave

You know, in the Network Marketing arena, we are told that the best way to learn about leadership is to “follow a great leader.”

I personally think that we need to be careful about that idea. I would much rather say, lead by following the right leader. By choosing the right leader to follow you will learn the right skills that will in turn make you a better leader for your team.

How do you choose the right leader? Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” This means that you need to be careful who you follow and/or take counsel from. The responsibility is yours to check out the advice you receive and the leaders you follow.

Psalm 1 also says, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” As we are choosing the best leader to follow, we need to consider God’s word and the view of leadership we find there. Once we know God’s thoughts we can trust anyone who knows and follows God’s leadership ideals. They will always give us advice that will benefit us first.

Then as we learn to follow the right leader, we need to ask God to make us that kind of leader for our team. They need to see in us what we have found in the leader God gave us.

Leadership has always been more about surrender and sacrifice than it has been about being honored and lifeted up. When we learn to care for the needs of our team we will create an atmosphere where great leaders will be born.

As I have said before, if your leadership produces skilled leaders, you will build a strong and stable business that will grow and survive for years to come.

Just a thought ….