If you have been following my blog, a common theme is becoming Stewards of our Leadership opportunities. A significant aspect in being a steward is presenting ourselves before God as ready and willing to serve. In this process, remember where God has taken us in the past, and believe that He has great plans for us in the future. God has positioned us and desires to accomplish things for His Kingdom through us. As His stewards, let us walk worthy of this calling. (Eph 4:1) As part of this leadership calling, set the attitude that as for me and my business or team, we will be ready to first serve the Lord. With this mindset, others can be impacted for eternity through our business or team.
As For Me and My Team
As the leader, we set the tone for what and how things get done. In the Old Testament, we read in Joshua 24:15, as the leader, Joshua had the courage to set the direction for God’s people. Likewise, in leading the businesses He has given us, we have the opportunity to set the same tone. That as for me and my business, we will serve the Lord.
As a leader within our business, we get to choose who we will serve, including serving ourselves. We can choose to submit to and worship the Lord. As we do, all those who we lead will also be able to participate to some degree in this blessing. We can be like the tide in a harbor. As we rise and commit to serve the Lord, so will the other boats (leaders) be able to rise. On the flip side, we can also hinder God’s work by choosing to serve or live for something other than God with our businesses. These other things could include money, recognition, status, etc. God is a jealous god as Joshua 24: 19-24 expresses, so we should be careful not to worship multiple gods. Choose this day who you will serve and follow.
Our Position
A foundational spiritual concept in serving the Lord in our daily leadership is the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. This would include both in our personal life as well as in our business. Let us acknowledge that our lives and life purpose come out of our position in Christ as Lord. Paul reminds the people of this in Romans 10:9-13. All those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. As we turn more of our business over to serving the Lord, we begin to experience the peace that can only come from Him. This peace includes within the businesses He has given us the opportunity to lead.
Monday Morning
Part of serving God is serving others. As part of your business assessment in this area of service, consider the culture and expectations within your company and/or team. Is there an aroma of service within the way things get done? The opposite can be more of a cutthroat, just get it done expectation that does not extend compassion or grace. As the leader, start with yourself. What do others in your business see from you? Is it an attitude of humility and service, or more of a hard-driving, motivated person that has high expectations, without a touch of compassion? Ask others closest to you and give them permission to be honest without ANY repercussions. This is an act of humility that could begin a shift in your culture towards leaving an Aroma of Christ in your path.
If we are not willing to acknowledge and first serve Jesus Christ as our Lord in the Marketplace, we shouldn’t expect Him to bless and move the mountains standing in the way. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:32, that whoever acknowledges Him (Jesus) before others in this world where they influence, Jesus will also acknowledge him before His Father in heaven. Our allegiance and dedication includes, and I would argue, starts with acknowledging Jesus. When we openly acknowledge Jesus as Lord of our lives through our words and the way in which we operate our businesses, we point many towards Jesus and towards spending an eternity in Heaven. This aroma of Christ is the best possible gift you can give anyone.
If you would like to go deeper on these subjects and ways to bring Glory to the Father, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at randy.earnst@we-r-stewards.com, or visit our website at www.we-r-stewards.com
