Called to Business

“The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.” (Psalm 115:16)

I do have a soft spot for environmentalists. They tend to have a different worldview, and often a different political agenda, but we do have one view in common. We do not own the earth, but are just stewards of it. Avoiding damage, correcting wrongs and increasing awareness of issues, all are positive; as we have a duty of care for God’s creation.

The earth is a gift, and a somewhat fragile one at that. Why not shed our differences and make sure we pass on this incredible gift to our children in better shape than it is right now?

Those who want to protect God’s creation, even if they don’t call it that, are doing a good thing and should be encouraged. It is the politicization of the agenda and the often radically liberal views that have hijacked a worthy endeavor.

What can you do in your business to help protect and sustain God’s creation?

Quick Prayer. “Help me to be aware of the need to steward the planet well.” Amen

“The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.” (Proverbs 15:25)

We are not proud are we? Maybe we are just proud of our humility? Pride comes in many forms. Are we self reliant, too proud to ask? Do we feel a sense of entitlement in our roles at work? Surely it is the work of our hands that have built this business, family, wealth, or whatever just came into your mind.

When our pride affects our thinking it will ultimately impact our lives, and those in our sphere of influence. He will protect us, and the people in our lives, by tearing down that which is built on pride.

Look at your heart and examine it before God. Best we deal with pride, than fall into a sin with consequences.

Quick Prayer. “Keep me from pride.” Amen

“At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD.” (Zephaniah 3:20)

God is in the restoration business. He can and does restore hearts, lives, families, and fortunes. He can restore your business when all seems lost. Lives get changed when He is around.

Sometimes He can even restore before your very eyes healings, miracles, radical restoration, Godly reconstruction, and instant reconciliation. Nothing is beyond God’s ability to restore—no person, no business, and no situation.

The Bible is full of God “suddenly” doing something. Just when you least suspect it, just when it is at the seemingly lost point, God intervenes. He is never late, but He is, for whatever reason, very rarely early either; and our faith is stretched accordingly

Quick Prayer. “I pray for your restoration Jesus.” Amen

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14)

Much though we don’t like to admit it we have good times and bad. Some say it is not acting in faith to admit this. My bible tells me God is in all things, in all times, both the good and the bad. Here it specifically says God has made both. Enjoy the good and work with God in the bad.

“Come to Jesus and everything will go well”, is not the gospel. He will walk with us and give us the strength to endure, persevere, fight when required and overcome when we need to.

He is with us always, good and bad, and will always be with us, never forsake us, giving us all we need all the time.

Quick Prayer. “Thank you that you are with me in the good and the bad, Holy Spirit” Amen

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)

A God that takes away as well as gives? I am not sure that fits with our individualistic, self centered, post-modern, positive thinking, lifestyle oriented, materialistic, and capitalist view of God. Have we constructed an idol for ourselves? Do we expect Him to do our bidding? How easily can faith become presumption?

We are here a few short years. An insignificant spec in time, yet we demand of an eternal God, a conformity to our expectations. Sometimes we will not understand from an eternal perspective.

Sometimes it will look like God has done us wrong. He gives and He takes away. Will we still serve Him? Yes, for in Him are the answers to all things, and eternal life in Christ.

Quick Prayer. “Thank you that you give and that you take away in your wisdom.” Amen

“LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success.” (Psalm 118:25)

Is God interested in our success? Yes He is. I am not sure what it is in us that seems reluctant to ask Him for it. Is it pride that we can do it ourselves? Is it a failure to understand where success ultimately comes from? Perhaps it is a notion that we don’t deserve better, or that it is presumptuous to ask.

Often I think we are being judged by our own motives, but if we waited for them to be pure we would never got anything done. Whatever it is, let us lay it down, and pick up the biblical understanding that we need to ask for success, for blessing, and for His favor.

Lets pray not with human understanding and reticence, but in a biblical way, one of total surrender, obedience and reliance.

Quick Prayer. “Father according to your word I pray for success” Amen

“You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” (Psalm 66:12)

It is hard to understand how a loving God would allow things to happen, that we wouldn’t want to go through. Often He allows circumstances to occur, but always for a reason, always with an outcome, and always to a place of restoration.

Tough places are by definition tough. In this scripture they went through the mill, BUT…… I love that word. How often do we see His hand in times of struggle and strife, BUT God, BUT He, BUT then. Hope in the midst of turmoil, and deliverance to a place of peace, a place of safety and a place of abundance.

Quick Prayer. “Thank you that there is an end to the tough places and a place of rest is coming.” Amen

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10)

Have you been through a tough time? Had a financial failure, even lost everything? In our populist theology some will place you in the camp of the apostate. Fortunately God is not as shallow. He is the Restorer, the Blesser, and the One who lifts up. There is a new day, a new season and in God’s economy, the surrendered wounds of struggle will be healed, and the lessons learned transform into wisdom.

The Godliest people I know, carry a few scars, and have walked a road of ups and downs. They have seen God move in all aspects of life’s journey. We may not have all the answers but we know someone who does. Press into the Restorer of souls and fortunes.

Quick Prayer. “Restore that which has been taken from me.” Amen

“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.” (Job 1:10)

God has placed a hedge of protection around our businesses, if He has been invited to do so. And even when we haven’t there is still grace in His protection. An unfettered attack by our very real enemy would be horrific beyond all imagination. He is a wonderful provider and protector.

But there is a part we need to play. It is one of application, diligence, conscientiousness and plain old hard work. It is the work of our hands that will be blessed and grow our wealth, revenues and profit. Two farmers were praying for rain, one was ploughing while he prayed. Guess who got the harvest? Rain fell on both but one had his hand on the plough and was able to contain Gods blessing.

Quick Prayer. “Bless the work of my hands Lord.” Amen

“therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” (2 Chronicles 1:12)

Now that is an impressive list. Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t like a piece of that blessing? Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge, and got wealth, possessions, and honor thrown in for free. I don’t think they were an addition, I think that maybe they were an outcome, a consequence of the first two. The wisdom and knowledge applied, led to honor wealth and possessions.

Yet wisdom and knowledge that leads to these outcomes was still a gift. Therefore they need to be spiritually discerned and received. It is our spiritual life that becomes manifest in our physical existence.

Our prayer life, insights and anointing will deliver a physical manifestation of Gods blessings and promises. Makes a brief quiet time more appealing doesn’t it.

Quick Prayer. “I pray for wisdom and knowledge, teach me your ways Lord.” Amen