There are things in our lives that hold us back from achieving all God has in store. This includes experiencing the joy and peace that God desires for us while carrying out His purposes on earth. This closely corresponds with storing up rewards and treasures in Heaven. How we view ourselves and others in relation to God helps us reflect on our hearts, desires, and the focal points of our lives. (Matthew 6: 19-21)
Cross-Shaped Life
Our potential may be confined, entangled, or suppressed based on how we are viewing ourselves and our role within our companies. Seeing things from a proper perspective can be liberating. It can set us free to accomplish the amazing things God wants us to be part of within our companies and organizations. Seeing ourselves as God sees us will help drive us in the direction where God wants us to go. In return, we can have the eternal impact on the Marketplace He wants us to have.
Our Opportunity
As owners and leaders within our businesses, it likely crossed our minds that God has given us this great opportunity. If nothing else, the Spirit of God has likely placed this thought somewhere in our path over the years. God has given us an opportunity to live a cross-shaped life in front of many to see, and leave the aroma of Christ for others to experience. We may not be preaching on Sunday morning at our local church where we attend, but many see us and the results of our work every day. These include those working for us, selling to us, or buying from us. In this cross-shaped life, we may aspire to live for the Glory of God and the Gospel. The question is whether anything is holding us back from maximizing this potential impact in our businesses for the Lord.
Wired for Success
We are naturally wired with a desire to achieve success, and to pursue things that satisfy us. Building a business, sometimes from the ground up, brings us this pleasure and satisfaction. In and of itself, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Where the line teeters is when we begin making the business about what we want to do and achieve. True peace and joy come when we focus on and put our lives into motion toward glorifying God and achieving His eternal purposes. In Psalms 24:1, King David wrote that ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains’. With this in mind, God has given us our business and our leadership opportunities as His stewards. Seeing ourselves in a proper perspective, our businesses as God’s, and our calling to be the best possible steward helps us to have an eternal perspective.
Our Steward Role
According to various dictionaries, the term steward is identified with someone responsible for serving, looking after, taking care of, protecting, and managing another person’s property. A true steward will do this in a way as if the property was their own. The key to being successful in this role is that the steward sees the property as someone else’s, and they are only managing it on their behalf. This requires the steward to consider the desires and intentions of the owner who entrusted us with His property. In our case, we are God’s stewards over the businesses and organizations God has allowed us to lead.
Monday Morning
As a steward assessment, take a few minutes to consider how you are approaching your business and leadership role. As God’s steward, have you taken time to consider what He may have in store this day in a quiet moment before the craziness starts. Have you prepared yourself through prayer and reading his operations manual, the Bible, for handling what may come at you this day? We can ask Him to prepare, equip and go before us in everything that may transpire. This includes both the planned and unplanned activities and events that will unfold.
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
