Don't Just Go, But Grow To The Next Level

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete      the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.  

- Acts 20:24 (NIV)

In Western society, we always seem to be in a rush to go to the next level or to get promoted or gain more status, fame, or fortune. Going to the next level is not necessarily a negative as long as we are also growing to the next level of excellence in the process and as part of God’s plan and purpose for our lives and businesses. Don’t just go, but grow to the next level.

We’ve all heard the saying that someone has “arrived” or reached a certain pinnacle of success. But the truth is that we never really ever “arrive.” As Christians, we’re always on a constant dynamic and progressive journey as God completes His sovereign work in us. He is always working in our lives and businesses. We should always be growing in Him and keep growing until our last breath (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18). In order for our organizations to grow, we must grow as individuals. As the former chairman of the ServiceMaster Company, C. William Pollard, states in The Soul of the Firm: “If growth is to sustain itself, the people of the firm must also grow.”

The Station

“The Station” is a poignant essay by the late Robert J. Hastings. The premise of this provocative piece of work is that as adults we rush through life with this idyllic vision of a final destination or station. The notion is that that on a certain day or at a certain hour, we’ll pull into the station, and once we get there, all of our dreams will come true and all the pieces of our lives will fit together perfectly like a completed jigsaw puzzle. But until then, we continue to rush through life in eager search of our utopian station.

“When we reach the station that will be it!” we cry. The station of “When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes-Benz…!” “When I put the last kid through college…” “When I have paid off the mortgage…” “When I get a promotion…” “When I sell the business…” “When I retire…” “…then I shall live happily ever after.” But as Mr. Hastings, so eloquently points out, “sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.”

I share Mr. Hastings’ commentary to make the point that we should not be in a rush to arrive at a particular station in life or at a certain milestone in the commercial arena. Don’t rush God. Enjoy the present and enjoy the journey.

Grow with the Process

As a child, I remember hearing the lyrics of an old spiritual hymn that said, “I’ll believe I’ll run on and see what the end will be.” It’s important to keep growing in life and in business, but you shouldn’t run on without God and try to rush the process. And you certainly can’t see what the end will be by staying stagnate or complacent and refusing to be obedient to God after He has shown you that it is time to exit one season and transition to another.

Don’t try to rush the process. And don’t try to slow it. Grow with the process. And don’t be afraid to grow on to the next milestone in your divine exit plan. Example: It may be time for your business to expand internationally, be sold, increase the number of employees, merge with another company, or just chart a new strategic course.

God’s timing for our commercial growth, like His timing for every aspect of our lives, is always perfect. When growing from one business venture to another, ideally, you should grow into it. The Lord knows exactly when you are ready for a new season (Ecclesiastes 3:1). As you mature and make positive contributions where you are planted in the business world, He will often move you into a new season of professional growth and commercial opportunity.

The Bible tells us: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, NIV). We are never really done with God’s work. As the title of Nell Mohney’s book implores: “Don’t Put a Period Where God Put a Comma.”  So “keep on growing in knowledge and understanding” (Philippians 1:9, NLT). Keep growing personally and professionally, and be open to exiting one season and transitioning into the new, exciting, rich, and rewarding one He has for you. The best is always yet to come. Embrace your new season and grow on!

The 5th "P" Of Marketing

'Come, follow me’, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

     - Matthew 4:19 (NLT)

   You Are God’s Marketing Vehicle

Fundamentally, marketing is a means for influencing others to buy into lifestyle enhancement regardless of whether the benefits take the form of a product or service.  Similarly, as Christians we are also charged with reaching and encouraging others and influencing them to embrace a lifestyle enhancement—a spiritual lifestyle enhancement. We are living epistles and advertisements for God in the marketplace. Jesus didn’t demand that people come to Him in order to hear the gospel. He went to them. He went into the marketplace and through towns teaching the gospel.

Marketing is Fishing

Jesus gives us a great commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, NKJV; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).  Jesus tells us, “Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men,” and, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (Mark 1:17, NKJV; Luke 5:10, NKJV).

As God’s ambassadors, we are charged with seeking, or fishing for, and catching individuals to bring into the kingdom of God for salvation (1 Corinthians 9:22). In this way, marketing is analogous to fishing.

Marketing is fishing from a kingdom perspective. For instance, both fishing and marketing involve skillfully and strategically:

• Targeting a certain area or audience.

• Casting a line with a hook or slogan.

• Offering an enticing bait or benefit.

• Reeling in or recruiting.

Most of us are familiar with the infamous 4Ps of marketing:  Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. But I’d like to introduce you to a new one: the 5th “P” of marketing:  your kingdom Platform.

The 5th “P” of Marketing:  Your Platform

Your kingdom platform is defined as what you and your business stand for from a kingdom, or a godly, perspective, and it should always reinforce God’s principles such as the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (1 John 4:8; Galatians 5:22-23). Your kingdom platform should serve as the overarching theme from which your marketing strategies and tactics are spawn.  Ultimately, your entire business culture and philosophy should be grounded in your kingdom platform.

Example:  You might be an interior designer. Because for you, interior decorating is a Higher calling than just making a room look pleasant and inviting, your kingdom platform may be centered on creating joy and peace for people within their living spaces. In this way, your platform reinforces godly principles and, consequently, serves as a strong spiritual foundation for your marketing initiatives.

You don’t necessarily have to advertise your kingdom platform unless you feel led to do so. You just need to identify it, commit it to God, and ensure that the remaining 4Ps of your marketing plan align with it. Having a kingdom platform is just another way to bring your business plans and marketing programs to a Higher level of success and significance.

Pursuing The Right Numbers: The Only Place Where Profitability Should Come Before Prosperity Is In The Dictionary

But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today. - Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)

As business leaders, we are inundated with numbers. Sales, profit, revenue, dividend payouts, market share, ROI, PE ratios, compensation levels, tax brackets, income statements, cash-flow projections, balance sheets, and budgets are often a part of our daily narrative.  Numbers.

From a global perspective, many of us are focused on stock market indices such as the S&P Index, NASDAQ, NYSE Index, Dow Jones Industrial Average, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, Korea’s KOSPI Index, Britain’s FTSE-100, France’s CAC-40, and Germany’s DAX 30.  More numbers.

The core of most of these numbers, or metrics, is centered on one concept:  Profitability.  

Business growth and profitability are certainly important for us as His ambassadors in the  workplace and in the marketplace.  But, how do we keep all of these numbers in the right perspective?  A Godly, Kingdom perspective?   

One way to keep our focus on God when it comes to the numbers, is to reflect on what His Word says.   We know that it is God who gives us the ability to gain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and that He desires for us to prosper (3 John 1:2).  Let’s take a moment to compare and contrast the concepts of profitability and prosperity.

Profitability vs. Prosperity

We know that profitability is generally defined as the state or condition of being profitable or yielding a financial profit.  An enterprise is typically deemed profitable or unprofitable based purely on its financial status and results. In this way, profitability is defined based primarily on the parameters of financial results.

Prosperity, on the contrary, is generally defined as a prosperous or successful condition or a state of good fortune. The concept of prosperity is broad in scope and includes a number of elements and criteria that may deem an enterprise or individual as being prosperous. Unlike profitability, prosperity is not based primarily on financial parameters.

One way to think of prosperity and profitability, in relation to one another, is that prosperity is an overarching umbrella concept, which includes many different forms of success with profitability being just one of them. Unlike profitability, prosperity denotes a broader range of richness and wealth. Prosperity is not just about money. Prosperity is a state of spiritual and material abundance that extends beyond the temporal boundaries of the world. Prosperity transcends beyond the worldly parameters of economics, materialism, and consumerism. Prosperity extends beyond revenue targets, compensation packages, and tax brackets.

The business world values profitability, but God values prosperity. “Trusting in the Lord leads to prosperity” (Proverbs 28:25, NLT). As Christian business leaders, we must detach ourselves from the world’s value system and not relegate ourselves to just focusing on profitability.  We must raise our value systems to a Higher level by pursuing total prosperity instead of just profitability. Don’t pursue money. Don’t worship the numbers. Pursue and worship God.  Follow His financial plans for your business, and you will prosper (2 Chronicles 26:5). Prosperity should be our primary concern, and profitability should be secondary because profitability is simply one aspect of prosperity. The only place where profitability should come before prosperity is in the dictionary.

History…In-Progress

Thinking about a legacy and the hand-off of something significant from one generation to another I am struck by the vast spans of time behind me and in front of me. Like a fish in water we live in time but rarely come to terms with its essence. Unavoidable – one part of time which comes to mind. Events come; things change, and hopes are out in the future. Sometimes significant joy or bitter disappointment lies in the past. The future just keeps coming. The march forward brings the “future” into now and then it passes. Within a breath now turns into the “past”.

The past can carry the banner of being “historical”. A term often reserved for something rarely part of our work-a-day world. But should it be that way? We often get the signal for what was significant from the media. It takes the distilled version of events and circumstances from our city, state, country, or often the global stage and gives it the credence of “news” which is often the fore-runner to something being “historic”.

What truly is the measure of significance? Let me suggest a different perspective. Yesterday you and I made history. Not the typical history of a news ticker or headlines. Something very different – so different from what we are use to we can miss it.

Yesterday you talked to others; probably people important to you, made decisions, and used your minds and resources to move forward what you consider worthy. For many it was probably a day like many other days. The seeming ordinary of yesterday, or a pile of yesterdays can hide a grand mystery of the significance of who we really are.

Scripture is a guide in revealing our true status. David describes in Psalms 139:13 the God of the universe mindfully attended to his uniqueness, where David exclaims that God “formed my inward parts”. Our origins are the intentions of an infinitely powerful and loving God. A love going as far as an offer of restoration between God and us - a repair to our soul corruption and rebellion through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. It is the ruler of the universe attentiveness to each of us, moment by moment, that turns our days into deep and lasting significance.

Today you likely have tasks to get done, appointments on the calendars, decisions to make, and potentially deep joy or painful loss from the unexpected. The never-ending demands and responsibilities can distort what is really going. Regardless of what does or does not get done today you are making history. A history unique and as special as you truly are; a specialness derived from the love and intentions of a heavenly Father. It’s as unavoidable as it is glorious; history is always in-progress.

Leverage Strengths to Win the Breakthrough You Want

What situation in your business or personal life has you dismayed,terrified, and running with fear? What breakthrough do you want? The Israelites and Philistines were lined up for battle across from each other in the Valley of Elah as described in I Samuel 17.

A giant champion warrior named Goliath taunted Saul and the armies of the living God for 40 days.

Saul and his army were dismayed, terrified, and ran with great fear. V.11,24

This is the exact place God wants to show you how to win the breakthrough you want leveraging your God given strengths.

How did David leverage his strengths to win the battle against Goliath?

I Samuel 17:40 states David chose five smooth stones from the stream with his sling as he approached Goliath.

David’s five stones are like our top 5 strengths that can be leveraged to win against our Goliath.

What top five strengths from StrengthsFinder could we spot in David?

1. Responsibility – 15, 17 David was found faithful taking care of his father’s sheep as well as delivering food for his brothers on the battle line.People with the responsibility talent take psychological ownership to get the daily grind done. They are servant leaders.

2. Belief –26, 37, 45 reveal the strong value in God as the victorious champion and his passion to stand up for what he believes. David is not just confident in himself but in the character of who God is!

3. Positivity –32-34 show how David saw the upside rather than the downside of danger in the battle. He encouraged his brothers and the armies of the living God with his success stories of killing the lion and the bear.

(Notice how Eliab, David’s oldest brother burned with anger and thought David was conceited and just wanted front row entertainment on the battle line. V.28)

Beware of thinking that people of positivity are just naive.

1. Command – 29 shows how David is not afraid to speak up against his brother’s negative attitude or the crisis that confronts the Israelites. Though he was youthful and undersized he had a sense of strong presence in the face of conflict.Notice v.38-40 how Saul and others will many times try to force us to wear their armor; as a leader this is a fatal mistake to force others into an exact replica of ourselves. David said, “I cannot go in these, because I’m not used to them.”

Being authentic in his own strengths, David chose his tools that he was acquainted and experienced with – the Shepherds staff, pouch for his 5 smooth stones, and his sling.

1. Strategic – 48-51 David quickly assesses his options and knows he cannot defeat Goliath in hand to hand combat. He chooses one stone, places it into his sling, running toward Goliath  increasing his leverage (likely up to speeds of 60-90 MPH), aiming his stone into the one place that Goliath is vulnerable.Intentionally David stuns Goliath enough that he falls forward and finishes the job cutting off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s sword.

   David maximized his strategic strength with knowledge, skill, and practice in the field as a Shepherd, killing the lion and bear.

Like David, God has designed us uniquely with talent for kingdom purpose.

It is our responsibility to multiply those talents into strengths that are leveraged intentionally for individual and community breakthroughs.

Bring GALLUP Certified Strengths Coach and Convene Resource Specialist Brent O’Bannon to your Forum Day or organization. Learn more at http://brentobannon.com/strengthsfinder-keynote-and-workshops/