Purposed worKING Hiatus: Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene took out the power on Sunday morning at 6:15AM and we have been advised that we won't have power restored until next weekend. So, until then, Purposed WorKING will be on hiatus. Be back soon. Blessings, Rusty

day 720: Bold Access

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place."

Yesterday, I wrote of the open door and transparent policies that businesses have provided to shareholders, customers and employees. Not always has this been done voluntarily and not always has it worked, but in general, those companies that have found a level of comfort that mirrors the level of information sharing desires of their constituents are better positioned than those who don't. Then there are the companies that get uptight because some people then do demand access and they demand it boldly. Business shouldn't fear those people but instead work with them to satisfy their knowledge needs and then find a way to make them cooperative to the needs of the business. So many times we think we are wasting our time leaving the door open, because no one walks through. But, then we get anxious when someone does take the offer. Finding the middle ground of comfort is the key.

The late David Wilkerson wrote this about our ability to have bold access to Jesus and says it better than I can: "You see, we have absolute access to the very presence of the living God—and also for him to come to us! 'Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way . . . let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith' (Hebrews 10:19-22). That access came only after Jesus was crucified, died and was resurrected. It came at the moment the veil in the temple was rent in two. When that happened, it meant that man could go in and God could come out—that he would meet us! The word boldness in this verse means “with open, undisguised publicity.” Beloved, that 'publicity' is for the devil’s sake! It means we can say to every demon in hell, “I have a right by the blood of Jesus Christ to walk into the presence of God and talk to him—and He to me!” Nothing thrills the heart of God more than when his children come to him in boldness, without timidity! He wants us to come, saying, 'I have a right to be here. And even if my heart condemns me, God is greater than my heart!"

Reference: Hebrews 10: 19-20 (New Living Testament)

day 719: Open Doors

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”


All kinds of companies like to talk about their "open door" policies. To further the thought we have added "transparency" to our current business language. Both are about businesses and business executives being open to new ideas, listening to their customers and employees and opening up their businesses for shareholders and others to see inside their working operations. Some talk a good game and never follow through. Others work hard to open the doors but rarely see anyone make the effort to walk through. While this can be discouraging, after all of the work and effort to open doors and be transparent, these are the right actions to take. Everything is a two-way street and it takes interest and commitment to walk through the open door or to research and learn about a company. But having the opportunity to do so is a good thing. As employees, customers and shareholders, we should applaud those companies and Executives/Managers who open their doors. If we lead any part of a business, even a single team, keeping the doors open, whether anyone walks through or not, should be our standard operating procedure.

When Jesus says that He stands at the door and knocks, He is talking to not only those who don't believe, He is talking to us as well. He is saying that He wants an open door into our lives and He, and we, should be able to pass through freely with Him. Jesus probably feels like anyone of us who strives to have our doors open at work for our employees and customers and then wonders why no one walks through and takes advantage of the opportunity to sit, talk, learn, listen, and know more. The difference is that Jesus keeps knocking and waiting whether we open the door or not. How cool is that? We love and serve a Lord that doesn't give up on us, but keeps wanting us to open the door to Him. As we go into this day, are we hearing Him knocking and we are ignoring it, or doing all we can to not open the door? The next time no one walks through our open door at work and we wonder why, let's be reminded that there is a door for us that we should be opening even further to Jesus.

Reference: Revelation 3:20

day 718: Trade Secrets

"Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come."

Every business likes to think that they have a "secret sauce" or a "trade secret" that makes them better than their competition. In fact, some do. When I worked at the Pepsi-Cola division of PepsiCo, only two people knew the formula for Pepsi-Cola. To many people's surprise, not even the CEO of the company knew the recipe. The same was true for KFC and the combination of the eleven spices. For most of the rest of businesses their trade secrets may be in how they spend their money or time, manage their people, or lead their corporate culture to get more from their people than others get from theirs. That's a legitimate secret and one to protect. I have been getting to know a financial firm who knows for sure that their culture is their secret sauce and their competitive weapon. They guard their culture with the same ferocity that they compete in the marketplace. Indeed this is their remarkable secret that makes them better than others. More companies would be better served to stop searching for a new secret and instead focus on the one they have in front of them and make their culture their trade secret that assures them the competitive advantage.

Jeremiah prophesied about the remarkable secrets of God that could be revealed if only the people would open their eyes, ears and hearts. What is remarkable about our God is that He is not about keeping secrets, He is just the opposite; He wants and will reveal all to us if only we will have the faith to want to know. God could have chosen to not reveal to us the Holy Trinity but instead He put it all out there for us and then gives us every opportunity to learn, dig, know, and discover the wonders and gifts of who He is. As close as we are willing to be to Him, as much as we are open to knowing; there are no secrets with God. And, He commissions us to take our knowledge and faith and reveal all knowledge, all "secrets", if you will, to any and all. So, let's not keep God's secrets, but instead spread and trade them to those we know need to hear.

Reference: Jeremiah 33:3 (New Living Testament)

day 717: Instructions

"Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful."

If we could stop and count the hours in a day, a week, a month, or a year that we spend giving and then repeating instructions, it would be an enormous number of time. It doesn't feel like that much daily because we break it down into little segments, like, "We need to finish this report by Tuesday and after we review it , it needs to be sent out to Jim, Mary and Larry by Wednesday morning.", and then we move on to the next task. When the report gets done, gets reviewed and then only gets sent to Jim and Mary, but not Larry, we have to go back and review why not, and then repeat the instructions again to get it sent to Larry ASAP, with an explanation (and apology) why he was not included the first time. What happened that Larry got missed? Who knows. Maybe it wasn't said clearly enough, maybe someone didn't write down the instructions when receiving them, maybe someone just forgot, or maybe someone didn't want to follow the instructions and ignored the request. We usually never know, but what we do know is that time, energy, emotions and social capital gets burned up in trying to redo what should have been done the first time. What we can learn in business is that taking the extra time to ensure that the instructions are heard and understood, even if that means writing them down for someone else, is time well spent. A missed instruction can create a bonfire that can burn out of control for a long time.

In Proverbs, when Solomon tells us that we can prosper by following instructions, he is assuredly telling us that about God's instructions, but he is also giving us a good life lesson on attitude and approach. If we become one who follows instructions then we will also become one who others can count on and feel comfortable that when given a task, the task will be done to the specificity of the instructions given. Think about someone who you work with who you wish was more that way. Then, imagine that someone else, your boss or a co-worker, might be thinking that way about you. We live and work in a world where we all want the greatest freedom to create, innovate, and experiment, but regardless of that, we still have to learn to follow our instructions. Today, God may have instructions for us that we need to follow. He may also be saying to us that we need to swallow our egos and get rid of our pride and be willing to graciously follow the instructions which we are given.

Reference: Proverbs 16:20 (New Living Testament)

day 716: Networking

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Networking to find a job isn't the only type of networking that we do in business. We are also always networking with other people inside and outside of our industry to learn more about opportunities that we don't want to miss. I recently watched the movie "Too Big To Fail" (great cast, fantastic plot that couldn't be made up, but too much of in-your-face writing for my taste) and among many other things, the movie reinforced the importance of always being networked and as much as possible on the good side of those we work around. A few different relationships that were stronger and better connected and some things might have been different for a few of the banks that were reeling in 2008. To be well networked is to know yourself as well as you might want to know others. It also means to be willing to give some of yourself to others for their needs, not always wanting to satisfy only what you are trying to achieve for yourself. It is good business to stay truly networked and connected, in the right way. One never knows what we might learn, know, and need to know from someone who is thought by others as a competitor.

We personally network all day long. We meet new people and we get our chance to help and also tell our story. In 1 Peter we are challenged to know ourselves well enough that when our time comes to tell others about ourselves that we are ready to give an answer about what makes us hopeful. It's about having our story and testimony on the tip of our tongues at all time. It's also knowing how to do this in a way that as we are told is done with "Gentleness and respect". Today, there will come an opportunity to tell someone else about yourself. How ready will you be to expand your network with the answer about yourself that can open the eyes and hearts of others?

Reference: 1 Peter 3:15 (New Living Testament)

day 715: Weekend Work (repost)

"I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer."

Ever notice how your briefcase is more full on Friday afternoon than any other day of the week? It's because we all do it; we take home our "weekend work" with us and vow on Friday to set aside some time over the weekend to "catch up" and/or "clean out". And then somewhere along the way in the weekend amidst seeing friends, being with family, going out, going to church, watching TV, etc. the work gets relegated and pushed back to Sunday night. I am notorious for doing this. I bring home my briefcase stuffed with the "extra" things I am going to get done and then never get to most of it so it gets lugged back into the office on Monday morning. Email even makes it worse as all of the catch up messages are sitting there staring at me all weekend long. I also notice a change in my demeanor as the weekend time gets closer and closer to weekend work time. I feel myself begin to slip back into a higher stress mode and I know my mood changes outwardly as I tune out everything else around me. Even though I ask for permission from my wife to do so, I still end up feeling bad that I am taking away weekend time from her to complete work stuff. I admire those who never bring home their work, but I am pretty sure that I am not alone when I say that I never have found another way. The weekend work and the burden that comes with it can become automatic to us. I often wonder if we don't just put more and more burdens and troubles on ourselves because we are just built to do so. Achievers just like to take on more. And the more we take on the more burdensome it feels. It may well be that we are taking our troubles and burdens to the wrong place.

In Psalm 120:1 we read: "I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer." This is where we should be taking our troubles and burdens. What if we were to say that our weekend work was to spend more time in prayer, asking God to take our troubles and burdens and allow Him to work through them? That is what He wants to do and that is what He wants us to do. Don't get me wrong, God is not going to clean out the email inbox for us, but He can give us the strength, the positive attitude, the peace, and the discernment to figure out how to be more efficient and productive. This weekend instead of doing as we always do, let's try bringing the troubles to God first and do some crying out and then let Him do his marvelous and wonderful works. Start there first and then begin feeling the load lighten! Have a great weekend!

Reference: Psalm 120:1 (New Living Testament)

day 714: Work Prayers (repost)

"Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it."


How often do we pray over our work? It's interesting that we can find a routine to pray over our meals, but we don't have a routine to pray over our work. How many of us start our day by asking God to help, support and guide us in the work that we are to do throughout the day? If we can ask God to bless a meal that happens over a workday lunch, then we can certainly ask God to bless the day and the work that we do.

God has given us each talents that we bring onto our jobs and if we are giving glory to God in all that we do, then He certainly wants us to be blessed at how we use those talents. Jesus says in Mark 11:24; "Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it." So rather than start the day with our To-Do List, let's start the day with our Prayer list and right up at the top, let's be sure and ask God to come to work with us today and to pour his blessing over the work that is to be done! So, take the time that you might spend reading a longer Purposed worKING post and instead put it towards a prayer right now over your job and your work.

Reference: Mark 11:24 (New Living Testament)

day 713: Experience Ratings

"My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same."

Anyone who has ever bought any insurance policy knows that there is something called an "experience rating" that determines what the cost of the insurance premium will be. This holds true for businesses as well as individuals. Experience ratings are derived from the analysis done by Actuaries who are constantly crushing numbers to determine what the safe range of insuring would be. Many times we can't understand why we have to pay more when we haven't any claims against our insurance companies. It's always the "other guys" who are hurting our own experience rating. Business is no different. At just the moment when our industry is earning an improved image or customer "experience rating", some other company will be caught doing something not smart and drag down the whole sector. It happens all the time. So, it is important that regardless what happens to us outside of our control that we do actively manage our own experience rating to be the best we can be for our shareholders, out customers and our employees.

In Job we read of what experience can reveal. Experience is a great determiner of what the future can hold. Without experience we guess at what could happen going forward. We need to listen to our experience and not ignore what it is telling us. The lesson of Job is that experience tells us that what we sow, we will reap. If we plant trouble, we can expect the same. What does our own experience tell us about what happens with what we sow? God has given us many promises and lessons and He has given us the ability to draw upon our own experience to adjust and course correct for the future. He also holds us accountable to our own experience rating as we are told that to whom much is given, much is required. Experience is part of what we are given. What is our experience telling us today that we need to listen for carefully?


Reference: Job 4:8 (New Living Testament)

day 712: Seriously (repost)

"And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching."

The adage is, "let's not take ourselves too seriously". For the most part that is correct as the minute we start to take ourselves too seriously we can come to find out that no one takes us nearly as seriously as we do and that is a real let down. I have known many an executive who must get up in the morning and look in the mirror and say to themselves that no one is more important than the face looking back at them. Why do I think this, because they bring that attitude to work and it is really annoying to everyone else. So, if we are taking ourselves too seriously, we should drop the act and recognize that we all put our pants on the same way each day. That said, there are areas where we should be seriously serious. I was with a friend recently who was telling me about someone he hired whose most recent employment had been terminated because he passed, what he thought and perceived at the time as innocent, an email joke along to members of his team. Three days later he was fired and removed from a very good job that he needed. On reflection, and in the interview with my friend he said he, "just had not taken it seriously enough".

Part of being serious when we need to be is in the understanding that we are setting and throwing off an example each and every day, hour, and minute. If we don't listen to that voice down inside of ourselves that is telling us, "this is a time to be serious" and stop playing games, we can get ourselves in serious trouble and let a lot of people down. As believers we get great teaching from the Word, our prayer time and where we worship. But we need to take that teaching and carry it into our jobs as much as anywhere else in our lives. We read clearly of this in Titus, "And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching." Today, let us evaluate and reevaluate where in our lives we should rightly be a little more serious in who we are.

Reference: Titus 2:7 (New Living Testament)

day 711: Multiples

"Then Peter came to him and asked, 'Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?' "No!' Jesus replied, 'seventy times seven!"

There's lots of news this week about mergers and acquisitions. It's always interesting to watch how much one company will pay for another and the "multiples" of earnings, or revenue that a company can garner in their acquisition price. It's true, everything, including a corporation, has a price where they will freely sell. However, every industry has their own standard of multiples that are used as comparisons and then prices are calculated from there forward, which gives companies and Board of Directors some direction on what would be a reasonable and competitive offer. Sometimes those offers can look ridiculous to those who are outsiders but multiples can have different values associated with them that are less obvious or seem intangible until understood more thoroughly. So, the math on the surface might not make obvious sense but underneath the multiples paid could pay much higher returns in the future.

This is partly what Jesus was saying to Peter when Peter asked Him how many times we are to forgive those who wrong us? Peter picked a multiple of 7. Jesus put a 70X multiple on Peter's number making the value of forgiveness one of the most valuable actions we can perform. Jesus probably said this to us too because forgiving is so hard and we are tight with providing our forgiveness to others. What we are being asked to do is not value forgiveness like we would humanly do, such as what Peter recommended, but instead to allow a heavenly multiple to be applied and for us to step forward and forgive freely and way more than we want to humanly do. Today, what multiple have you applied to your forgiveness? Is it meeting the heavenly standard?

Reference: Matthew 18: 21-22 (New Living Testament)

day 710: A Gift

"For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life."

It is customary in many parts of the world to bring along a gift when one does business with a customer, partner or even a co-worker from another part of the world. These gifts don't have to be extravagant and more often than not they are tied to the part of the world that the person has come from, or part of the business that they manage or lead. It is always nice to be on the receiving end of these and just as nice to be a giver. The gift provides an equaling opportunity and signals the importance of one person to another. While we may not do this as much in our everyday business life, it is still true that a gift to a co-worker to show appreciation or recognition can go a long way. If we haven't given a gift in a while to someone, now might be a good time to think about doing so.

John 3:16 is one of the first verses we learn as believers and followers of Jesus. Of course the power in the message of God giving his Son for us is the core of our belief, we can also stand in awe of the lesson and challenge to walk in the example of the four words, "...so loved...He gave." As we work to bring glory to God in our jobs and the time we spend with our co-workers, how are we modeling those four words? What is it that we love and what do we give because of that love? God tells us to love one another as a core commandment. Are we showing that love with giving of ourselves to others? If we are going to say that we love, we must show that we do so with the giving of ourselves. God gave us the greatest gift, now we must follow in that giving! What is our gift to give today?

Reference: John 3:16 (New Living Testament)

day 709: What We See

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us."

As consumers, for most companies we have no idea what the inside of their businesses look like, other than what we experience as a consumer. We know what McDonald's looks like from the store, but wouldn't have a clue what the corporate HQ looks like unless we look it up and the company would share that with us. That said, it's why what we see as consumers becomes what the company is for us, and maybe that is all we ever see. So, where the consumer is exposed becomes the point of truth and what will be the take=away to share with others. That's why companies pay so much attention to ensuring that they provide and leave the best impression with their front-line employees and exposure point locations. It is always in our best interest to shore up and protect these places and people who represent us. That first impression, that "what we see" can speak volumes and become an indelible image and impression.

This past weekend I visited Hillsong Church in Manhattan and Carl Lentz, the pastor, made the point that each of us will for more people than we know, be the only "what we see" opportunities for what it means to be a follower of Jesus. If we were to stop for a moment and think about all the people who we will interact with today, and how many of them will take the time to go to church, pick up a Bible or reach out to someone to ask about what it means to believe and follow, then it becomes pretty obvious that we are an important and critical exposure point. Paul tells us that we are God's ambassadors. That means that we are what they see about Jesus. It's an awesome responsibility and one that we should reflect upon today as we go about our work and life.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:20 (New Living Testament)

day 708 : Valuable Insights (repost)

"My child, don't lose sight of good planning and insight. Hang onto them, for they fill you with life and bring you honor and respect"

I truly respect people who bring valuable insights to a discussion or topic. Having someone say in a meeting, "that's a great insight" is one of the highest compliments that can be paid. Webster defines an insight as: "1. an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, especially through intuitive understanding.
2. penetrating mental vision or discernment; faculty of seeing into inner character or underlying truth." The second definition is so powerful and relevant to our work lives. The ability to be able to discern and see character and/or the underlying truth of a situation or person is nothing short of priceless. God tells us that good insights are always looked at as valuable to others. In Proverbs 3:21-22 we are told: "My child, don't lose sight of good planning and insight. Hang onto them, for they fill you with life and bring you honor and respect". I believe that insight can be developed over time if one is willing to listen, study, and think before they respond or declare. If we are disciplined enough to be still and take in what is happening around us and to really think before we speak or decide, then we will be on the path to become more insightful.

The world is full or people who will speak, and today more than ever, write, without fully thinking through all of the ramifications and sides of an issue. Those who don't use time to filter the thoughts from their mind to their mouth are rarely looked upon as insightful. That doesn't mean that they aren't creative or smart, but insight is different. It is deeper and more collected in how one thinks and acts. Are you insightful in the way that you approach issues at work or how you respond to others? Since we know that being insightful can fill you with life and bring you honor and respect it should be a serious consideration in how you work and how you bring value to your job and tasks at hand. Think today about how you can bring insight and then measure how you feel afterwards. And for sure, take measure of that moment when someone else says, "that was a really valuable insight, thanks".

Reference: Proverbs 3:21-22 (New Living Testament)

day 707: Staring Problems In The Face

"For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever"

We are faced with many problems that can seem like they come out of nowhere and we have to decide how to, in the moment, react to them. This week, our business environment is being rocked and rolled as the investment markets are taking a tumble, again. All across the world and country decisions are being made while staring the problems of Wall Street in the face. How we react says much about our leadership and ability to cope and manage through difficult circumstances. Overreaction causes panic and anxiety. Failure to react can raise questions of complacence, apathy or being plainly out of touch. Leaders have hard jobs during these types of times. In these days, it is the test of how strong we are at the core and how convicted we are with our strategies and missions. During the moment of crisis is not the time to shift strategy or try and devise a new plan. These are best done in the good times. Our present troubles will pass so let's stay calm and collected during this moment of trial.

AS followers of Jesus, who has given us the promise that He will take care of us and never let us face anything we can't handle, of all people we should be the ones who can sit in relief that we know that any present trouble that we face, we will come through and on the backside we will be better for it and stronger in our relationship with Him. That is, if we decide to trust and rely on the Him. It may feel and look like we staring into an abyss of problems today, but as sure as we are reading this right now, these will pass and we can turn these days into glory for God. The question will be asked today on how we are dealing, feeling, or reacting to the problems around us? At this moment, when a common problem is there to be talked about, let's use the opportunity to share what calms us and keeps us peaceful.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 4:17 (New Living Testament)

day 706: Who Speaks Up First?

"Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies."

Ever been in a meeting and every time a question is asked there is the one person who jumps in and speaks up first? After a while it gets annoying and if we were to watch the room dynamics we would notice that the rest of the room just gives up and lets the know-it-all keep going. It happens all the time in meetings and also on a larger scale. There are businesses who as a part of their PR strategy always want to be the first ones to speak out so as to stake their claim, or to gain some ground that they are fearful of losing. Being the first to speak up doesn't always work. Those who speak first run the risk of getting ahead of themselves and missing other important facts that could be very relevant to the issue. They also run risk of having to retract or correct their first statements. When it comes to speaking out first, the bleeding edge can be a dangerous place to be. It behooves us to take a deep breath and do some listening before we speak up.

Many times the reason that we might speak up first is because we are really trying to speak for ourselves and prove to someone else what we know, how smart we are, or that we have information that others don't. Speaking up for ourselves, in the big picture, doesn't do us a lot of good. When others speak up for us, then that can earn us credibility and respect from others, but building ourselves up or speaking out first to prove ourselves to others can hurt more than help. We get a great lesson in this from Jesus who tells us that we shouldn't speak of our ourselves but instead find ways to honor Him and others. He says that when we do that we are speaking truth and to anyone, anywhere, there are no stronger words than words of truth. That is how one builds credibility and respect of others, not by speaking up first to try and honor one's own self. Let's think about it when we get the opportunity to speak up and out today!

John 7:18 (New Living Testament)

day 705: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

"Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, show respect for the king. You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters. Do whatever they tell you - not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are harsh."

It's not unusual to hear cheap shots and disses being thrown around the office about the competition, the boss, and other co-workers. Why is it so easy to just spout off and say something that is so disrespectful? It may be that the other party is not standing there to provide a rebuttal. But, it's also too many times part of the bravado of building ourselves up by tearing down others. When I hear CEOs do it against other companies and other leaders, I think it just pulls down their own credibility and authority. The truth of the matter is that if we can't find someway to respect others and give them the credit that they are due, then we will never fine-tune and sharpen ourselves to become better. If we lower the bar on others then why should we or our organizations and teams jump higher? The greatest respect comes from giving credit where credit is due, examining and finding where they are better than we are, and ensuring that we then make our own improvements.

As we work with others, we are to show our proper respect to everyone, regardless of position, stature, opinions, or how we are treated by them. Wow, is this ever hard? Especially when just about everyone and everything around us is taunting us to do just the opposite? The crowd loves to tear down the weak, but we are to stand up for the weak and the broken! As we go through today, can we pick out the people who are due some respect and reach to them and pay them the respect we are taught that they deserve. A simple act and word of respect can go an unlimited number of miles. Let it dwell in our spirit and find ways to pay a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

Reference: 1 Peter 2:17-18 (New Living Testament)

day 704: Debts

"Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God's law."

Business cares about the amount of debt that carried on the balance sheet. When debt gets too high, we can't borrow, or if we try and borrow, it will be very expensive. Companies that can grow their business without incurring debt remain more nimble and have greater leverage. Although some companies carry debt for the ability to invest, or move quickly, it is probably fair to say that most companies would prefer to be debt-free, or as close to debt-free as possible. As we have heard a lot about in the past few months, the argument we have seen about debt and debt ceilings is a controversial and inflammatory subject. Without debt, there would be no reason to have the fight. Without debt, there would not be the worries, the anxiety, or the concerns. So, as we think about how we grow our businesses, consider whether or not debt can be avoided or quickly paid down.

God tells us that that we should pay what we owe and pay all of our debts, except for one. That is the debt of love that we owe to others. We can't ever pay that off? And why not, we may ask? Because the love that God shed for us is more than we could ever expect to receive and to honor Him we must carry His love into the world. So, as we think about what we owe, know that we owe to other to provide them the love that is the love of Jesus Christ and we are to share and give that love to them freely. Is there someone at work today who needs some love and won't receive any, unless it is us who step forward? Let's do what is owed of us and be glad that this is one debt that we do carry.

Reference: Romans 13:7 (New Living Testament)

day 703: Compassion

"I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All others care about themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ."

In business we are given opportunities each and every day to show compassion and to put others in front of ourselves. While not described in most handbooks as something we should be doing, in fact, it is a well-known adage that we follow when meet customers or strangers. It is in those two instances that we usually show great compassion and put other people's needs above our own. The customer is always right, after all. And when we run into a stranger asking for simple help like directions or information, we feel good to stop and provide them with what they need. But, why is it that when we work closest to those around us that we lose the compassion and instead expect them to watch out for us, versus the other way around? Something short circuits when we go about our internal work. Another way of thinking about being compassionate is being able to know that we are putting people above other things, like profit. Let us remember that people may be the only true appreciable asset that we have in our business and compassion is a good insurance policy.

As followers of Jesus, what can stand out more about us than how we treat others? Our level of compassion is an indicator to others like no other. There is a popular band today called Mumford & Sons. They have a line in their song "Awake My Soul" that goes like this, "Where you invest your love, you invest your life." We know that we are to invest our love in Jesus and in others. God wants us to be those that define what compassion means. There is no better place for us to put others in front of ourselves than in our workplace. All day long we have the opportunity to do so. Last summer I had the privilege to hear a pastor named Hal Santos speak. He challenged the group he was speaking "to take 15 minutes for inconvenience each day". It is great challenge. Can we find 15 minutes today to spend in compassion for others?

Reference: Philippians 2:20-21 (New Living Testament)

day 702: Look Of The Leader

"David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the Ark, and also the singers, and Kenaniah the choir leader. David was also wearing a priestly garment."

This past week I was reviewing video interviews for a senior position and I was surprised at how, even in this day and age, I was influenced a bit by the candidates who went to the extra trouble to put on a shirt and tie for the interviews. It could be that we are used to seeing those in positions of of influence and authority who come to us over a screen, still wearing coat and tie, or at least a tie. Whatever, it reminded me of the importance of establishing and taking on the look of the leader if we are to establish a level of credibility and confidence in our customers and partners. I remember a time when one of the people on my staff said that they didn't really want to see me come to work in shorts and tee-shirts. I asked why and he said, "We need to see you as a different than us sometimes, just to remind us..." I didn't understand that at the time, but I understand it more today as I look for leaders to inspire confidence and assurance in difficult times. The look of the leader is situational, but it is real and each leader should think about not only how they dress, but how they carry themselves, what they say, and how they treat others. Yes, of this is about the look of the leader.

God calls us to put on our garment of praise, bear the fruits of his spirit and to walk in His footsteps. Jesus had the look of the leader. People left what they were doing to follow Him. It wasn't about the robes or kingly linens that King David wore, it was likely the opposite in what Jesus wore. What we know is that Jesus exuded a spirit about Him that others wanted to drop what they were doing to listen to him. It was His spirit. This is the spirit that He has left behind for us to embody and do our best to be like. God has given each of us our chance to be a leader for Him. Are we taking on the look of the leader, or are we not paying enough attention to the words that we speak, the actions that we take, the treatment of others, the attitude that we approach each day with? Let us look hard at ourselves today and find the look of the leader, the look of Him!

Reference: 1 Chronicles 15:26-28 (New Living Testament)

day 701: Weighing Our Responses

"Why are you so angry?, the Lord asked him. 'Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it."

I have watched with great intrigue the discussions and debate over the U.S. debt-ceiling. The back and forth and the rhetoric in itself is educational (and sometimes saddening). What is most fascinating to me is how people respond from one situation to another and the importance of even one word as part of a response and how that can reinforce or change the tone of an entire discussion or debate. The same is true in business and as we have all learned, what a CEO says about a company when they are in distress can make the difference between recovery and failure. Carry this inside of the company and how a manager or team leader responds to a challenge, a question, or a problem can become the linchpin for what happens next, good or bad. We need to be sure that we are thoughtful in our responses and do the best we can to think ahead and weigh out the implications of how we respond. Being on the hot seat is not easy work, but weighing the response before we say it is something that we should always be doing.

Cain was challenged by God and God put forth correction and direction to him about how important it is for us weigh our responses before we make them. God gives us the alternative of making the right response, which are the ones that align with His teaching and Word, or taking the alternative path and allowing ourselves to be weighted with sin. When we consider that we have the assurance of being accepted when we do choose the right response, then that should tell us all we need. Today, we each will be faced with tens, if not hundreds, of times that we must respond. Let's pray into this day, and week, that when we weigh our responses, that we weight them to the way of the Lord.

Reference: Genesis 4:6-7 (New Living Testament)