Day 192 - You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do

"Jess came a bit later due to managing the women's conference over the phone."

We took a vacation and we're having dinner when this happened last year. I have often had text messages to read an e-mail while I was out of the office. Similarly I have had to take care of personal business from the office and have had to leave work to take care of my family. 

Life has a way of intruding on our perfect lines we have made to protect our work and our family. We need those lines and need to respect our work and protect our family. But we also have to do what we gotta do. There will be times we have to take care of business at dinner time. There will also be times I have to leave work to take care of my children. 

Wisdom and integrity will guide us in this area. Wisdom will say stay or go, now or later, too much or too little. Integrity will say stay late since you took care of personal business, or, take the family out because you have given so much to the job. 

Our families don't have to suffer nor do we have to slack on the job. We can not only balance but have a wise approach that maintains our integrity at work and at home. 

How can we better balance the needs of the home and the job? What helps you to manage both? 

Day 161 - God's Business

"We had an estimate for our blinds to be repaired on the back door. It seemed like we got taken because the lady gave us a price we thought included installation but then she added $99 for installation. We just went ahead with it and I prayed that if it was the wrong price The Lord would reveal it."

I think we all could say that at one time or another we have been taken on a business deal or in a purchase. It makes you angry doesn't it? 

As a Christian it makes it even harder to be a shrewd business man or woman. There is an expectation that we are to turn the other cheek and let people wrong us without any recourse. Additionally you have a witness to uphold. If you misuse or abuse people in business they won't want to have anything to do with your God. 

So often it feels like you are a sheep being sent out among wolves. But isn't that what Jesus said anyway? If that is the way it is in our Christian walk then why would it be different in business. I can't tell you how many times I have been mistreated or had to turn the other cheek in business or purchases. God has always taken care of me. He is the best business partner you could ever have. 

After all the extra money I have spent to maintain my witness and keep my integrity I have lacked for nothing. God always makes up the difference. We have lived tight from time to time but we have never lacked. You can trust Him. Your good name is worth more than an extra $99. 

Have you ever had to pay more because you were keeping your Christian witness or upholding your word? Are there any other principles of business this could apply to?

Day 73 - Passing Blame

"I am glad I wasn't in the meeting even though it seems we got blamed in the end."

One of my favorite movies is the Fugitive. Not only did the remake have some outstanding actors and lots of action they really told the story well. If you don't know the story it is of a man whose wife is killed and then he is framed for her murder. All he has to go on is that a one armed man killed his wife. So while he runs from the law he also unravels the case and in the end is set free. 

On a less dramatic scale I think that leaders get blamed for lots of things they didn't do. As a leader though you don't get to run from blame or point all the evidence to the real culprit. What will happen is that you end up looking like the bad guy. 

Now if someone is bringing a false accusation or is discrediting your integrity you don't have to take it. The response of a leader in this instance should be that of Nehemiah when the enemies brought accusations against him. He simply denied the accusations and took the matter to prayer. 

Most of the time the blame that is laid on a leader is not false accusations or intrigue. It is things like "You hurt my feelings," "You were harsh," and the like. In instances like these the response should be the same but softer. Instead of a denial like in extreme cases an answer that includes an apology works much better. 

For example; you can cover the issue and mend the relationship by saying, "I am so sorry, it was never my intent to hurt you but I can see that I did. Will you forgive me?" That is what is most important. Don't lose your ability to lead and speak into their lives over being too prideful to apologize. I have apologized for plenty of things that I didn't do but was perceived as doing. You take it on the chin and keep going. God will uphold your cause and love will cover the multitude of sins. 

What other qualities do see in Nehemiah that we can learn from as leaders? What other scriptures or examples do you use when dealing with blame? 

Day 55 - The Dead Guys

"I like how my uncle says that he likes to read from the dead guys. There is something to that. Their life and the outcome has been proven. They have finished their race and the outcome of their faith plus the legacy that they left shows the work of God and trustworthiness of the writings they left. There are a ton of books out right now (many of them in my office) with authors literally giving them away in a desire that someone reads them as the latest and greatest. But a dead guy has no need of gain. Just a heart for what he believed and knew of God to be true. Especially if they ran to the end and endured. That is a book to be digested."

I think I am a bit book overloaded and reading fatigued. I can't read for enjoyment as much as I would like because I read so much for study on a daily basis. 

That being said even in my studies I still like to read after the dead guys. I get some of my best illustrations and insight from them. They have something to say because they endured and showed by their lives that what they believed was true. They are a part of the great cloud of witnesses now. 

I have also felt the disappointment of reading after someone and later they failed in their marriage or ministry. It makes me want to throw their book in the trash. Same thing when I read from someone who goes after a pet doctrine or the latest wave of teaching. Get the Holy Spirit's wisdom that He wants to express through you and write that down. Or just tell the story of what God is doing in you. That is worth hearing about. 

What dead guys do you like to read after? Which titles impacted you the most?