Your Divine Mission

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age.  - Matthew 28: 19-20 (NKJV)

The term purpose is generally defined as intention or a reason for being.  Your reason for being. God created all of us, including His Son Jesus, to glorify Him. Jesus acknowledges this when He prays: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” (John 17:1, NKJV).  Therefore, our purpose as God’s sons and daughters is to glorify Him so that His “name may be declared in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16, NKJV).

On the contrary, the term mission is typically defined as an important assignment, vocation, divine calling or personal ministry.  Your divine assignment.  Your personal calling.  Jesus is a perfect example of an individual who stayed focused on God’s mission for His life. Jesus followed God and the Holy Spirit as He pursued His ministry.  Just as God anointed Jesus to do His work, He will also anoint you to do yours in the marketplace.

Your purpose precedes your mission. One way to frame this connection is to remember:

• Your purpose tells you why you were created (i.e., to glorify God).

• Your mission tells you how you will glorify Him (e.g., through your commercial initiatives).

Our Collective Mission

 Jesus tells us that just as God sent Him into the world to spread the gospel, He (Jesus) sends us into the world to spread the gospel.  He declares we are to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15, NKJV).  This is our ultimate collective mission as believers.  For us as Christian business leaders, this means that we are sent to spread the gospel of Christ in the business world.

Identifying Your Personal Mission

In my book, Revelations in Business:  Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life, I share a step-by-step process for how to identify your individual mission and connect it with the mission of your business.  And, the first step is to begin from within.  If you have questions regarding exactly what your calling is as an individual, then the answers are easily accessible. The answers lie within you.

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God actually anoints you with the same Holy Spirit with which He anointed Jesus. “This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NLT). This is reinforced by Jesus as He declares:  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21, NKJV).

The Bible reinforces the fact that God’s Spirit lives within us in many passages including the following:

• “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17, NKJV).

• “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living with you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11, AMP).

• “That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” (2 Timothy 1:14, NKJV).

Ponder the following questions:

• “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, NKJV).

• “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19, NKJV).

• “Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” 2 Corinthians 13:5, NKJV).

Because God’s Holy Spirit resides within each one of us, you only need to look inside yourself to God, Who resides within each of us, to discover your divine mission. Pray for His revelation, direction, wisdom, and power to discern the mission that He has ordained for you.

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.

Heat up or chill out

A recent conversation with a colleague ended with the comparison of these two commonly used phrases, and an “Aha!” type of insight.

HEAT UP – What we want to happen when we are enacting strategy.

CHILL OUT – What we want to happen when we are figuring out mission, vision, values and goals that lead to those strategies.

It is not a good idea to get them confused!

Heating up adds fuel, combusts, gives warmth, attracts a crowd.

Chilling out — condenses, reduces, solidifies, and slows.

Another way to understand this is to consider fog. Fog isn’t warm enough to evaporate and it isn’t cold enough to solidify. It is in between. When we face a tough and confusing issue in business, we may feel foggy. What to do?

We do well to chill out first, and then begin to heat up.

If we start acting before we’ve reduced a critical issue to its essence, people end app working frantically, and not from a common understanding. In such a case, heat leads to destructive forms of conflict, regrettable actions and/or reduced profit margins.

Chilling out is a way to get to the:

• WHY are we working at this?

• WHO will work at this, WHO supervises them, WHO needs to be consulted, WHO holds decision power over this, and WHO is funding this?

• What is the criteria for our success?

• WHEN must the work be completed?

• WHERE will the work be done?

• HOW will we proceed from here and in what order of steps?

Chilling out in this way helps all the key players collect the fuel needed to heat up and to do it together, from a common point of reference. Heating up happens far more efficiently that way.

Yes, it probably feels silly to ask, “Should we chill out or heat up?” when faced with a big one. But before completely rejecting this idea, you might ask yourself what question you are asking (or not asking) in its place.