day 1066: How Many #1's?

"But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" 

Maybe it is because of our short attention span or because we just can't be satisfied with only one thing being important at a time, but we seem to like to have multiple number #1 priorities...all at the same time.  How can this be?  Science tells us that our brain, as much as we would like to believe that we can think about more than one thing at a time, can only focus and think about one, yes an absolute one subject at a time.  So, how can we have more than one #1 priority at the same time?  We can't in reality.  Companies and people have to make a choice and when they are honest about it, there is only one #1 at a time.  So, how do we make sure that we get it all done and in the right order?  It takes clear thinking, ruthless priority setting and discipline to ensure that we we can get our priority work done and make it seem to others that we can indeed focus on multiple projects and achieve across many objectives simultaneously.  But, we need to be careful about how we throw around "This is our #1 priority".  When someone hears that and takes it to heart then they will watch, listen and evaluate whether that is the truth or not.  It's a high bar to live up to, so let's be careful about how cavalierly we throw around this statement.

Followers of Jesus know what we were told about what our #1 priority must be.  "Seek first the Kingdom of God..."  Jesus didn't give us a bunch of #1's to squabble about.  His Kingdom sits front and center, or should sit there in our lives.  All else becomes #2.  He goes on to tell us that if we do see His Kingdom first that all else will fall into place.  It sounds so simple, but our nature and the world we live in wants us to always have a bunch of #1's!  Today, we have choices to make.  Can we make those decisions today with Him as our sole #1 priority?

Reference: Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation)

day 1065: Lighting Up

"You are the light of the world..."

Here in the Bay Area we are about to be gifted an art project that could end up being one of the coolest art installations ever.  It's called "The Bay Lights" project.  http://thebaylights.org/  In March the Bay Bridge will be lit up like never before.  The artist describes the project this way: "The Bay Lights is the world’s largest light sculpture, 1.8 miles wide and 500 feet high and inspired by the Bay Bridge 75th anniversary. Using 25,000 white individually programmed LED lights, artist Leo Villareal will create complex algorithms and patterns in a dazzling display across the bridge’s west span."  They have already begun testing the lights and I will say, it is way cool and I can't wait until it is fully operational.  I am always amazed at large scale projects and what it takes to tackle them and make them real.  It's a lot of big thinking and a whole bunch more attention to small details. One without the other doesn't achieve anything. It is only when the strategic and the tactical meet and support each other that we can make something really big happen successfully.  I will be watching for the Bay Lights project to come together this spring and then watch what the creativity will bring millions of people as a way of looking at the Bridge like never before.

As I read about and watched the practice of the bridge lighting, I was reminded by this project in how God works through each of us.  Think of each of us as one of His lights that can stay lit for a lifetime and when lit we emit His love and message.  When combined with with other lights we can be orchestrated to do something pretty amazing for Him. But even as just one light, we can play an important role in allowing someone to see something that they may never have seen or experienced prior.  Let's consider that we are His light today in our workplaces.  How brightly are we burning for Him and how much are we allowing Him to control when we are to be turned on for Him - to bring His plans and design as a significant experience for others?

Reference: Mark 5:14 (New Living Translation)

day 1064: Tell The World 'Dat...!

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature..."

I love a well orchestrated new product or service announcement.  When orchestrated correctly, within a 24-hour period we will read, see, hear and read, see, and hear about it all over again.  Better yet, someone we know and trust will say, "Hey, did you hear about...?".  Whenever we launch we want the world to know about it and we do all we can to make that happen.  There are tricks to the trade so we need to be sure that we have the best of the best working on our launch and announcements if we want to get a great pickup.  I am still amazed at the number of companies who still think a press release coupled with a Facebook post and a few tweets will make it all come together.  Oh, if it was just that easy.  Product and service launches are much more strategic than that and being very surgical about the influencers who will spread the word and giving them their scripts and tapping their passion are all part of the art of  making noise.  Yes, we all want to "Tell the world 'dat..." but it takes deliberate thinking and hard work to get into the jet stream of consciousness these days.  If you are contemplating a launch, don't go it alone.  Find an expert or two and have them help you put together your plan.

God knows a thing or two about getting the world to pay attention to a message.  God has the loudest of all megaphones and with one darkened sky and thunderclap He could have everyone in the world looking up and listening to His loud voice telling us to "Repent!".  But, that's not our God.  He doesn't impose a message on us.  Instead, he is counting on us as believers to be the spreaders of His word and message.  Just like we think about launching our products, we should be just as strategic in how we spread the Gospel.  For each of us, let's start with ensuring that we are being a strong and credible witness for Christ and then also think carefully about the people who will be in contact with today - for each person; think about what would be the opening to share our faith.  We are commanded to "Tell the world 'dat Jesus came for us".  So, think about how you will tell the world 'dat!

Reference: Mark 6:15 (New Living Translation)

day 1063: Repeat Performances

"But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects the right teaching."

This past week Apple delivered a stunning quarter of results.  Stunning because they reported $31B in profit in the quarter- amazing!.  But also stunning because they lost almost 20% in market value because Wall Street didn't see unbridled growth and new products to deliver them even further up the market food chain. There is a law of big numbers and maybe Apple has hit that ceiling, but it's just as much about our society's way of keeping score and measuring results as it is whether or not they can actually get any bigger.  If we are always to measure by quarter over quarter, or year over year, then all companies will at some point peak and ultimately fail in the eyes of the investment community driving investors top put their money elsewhere. The irony is that Apple has enough cash on their balance sheet and they are so profitable that they don't need Wall Street any longer and if not for the employee compensation that has an equity component, why would they need new investors, or current ones at all?  I am waiting for the first company that will finally come out and make this call to Wall Street and then see what they do.  The point is that after a while if it's always the repeat performances that matter that we will all someday be unable to deliver.  Are we ready for that day?  And when it comes, will we be able to be like Apple and still hold out head high and see that the results delivered are still stellar!

Let's be very thankful that God doesn't grade us on repeat performances.  God is so loving and merciful that He knows that we can't always get better period over period.  He only asks that we never stop trying and that we give all of ourselves to Him to strive to bring glory to Him in all that we do and then share His good news with others! Paul wrote to Titus and directed him to promote the kind of living that reflects the right teaching.  If we are to live as God desires us to do, we won't be chasing the next big win or constantly seeking to repeat and overlap our achievements. We will instead turn to Him and seek His will and pace for our lives and then do all we can to live in, out and through the direction He provides.

Reference:  Titus 2: 1 (New Living Translation)

day 1062: Who Will Ask?

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking."

Have you ever been in a meeting where the leader or the facilitator says, "There are no silly questions" to get the group to speak up? Of course, there are no silly questions if we are all committed to learning and there is no one in the room evaluating the knowledge level of people. But, how often is that? There is always someone of a higher level or someone who is sitting in the room leaned back in their chair watching and listening to who says what. So what happens is that we don't ask the silly questions. We leave the fundamental questions like, "Why do we do it this way?", "Isn't there a better way?", "Who does it better than us so we can learn from them?", "What does all of this mean?", or "I just don't understand what you said, can you please explain it again?". These are the "silly questions" that don't get asked but need to be asked, however because of fear of retribution, evaluation or embarrassment we just don't ask even when we know we should. Work is just not set up right for that so we walk around in the dark or acting like we know the answers to things we don't. One place I worked, the CFO was very focused on increasing cash flow so he was putting in systems, reporting, measures and incentives to increase cash flow. He was so conversant and knowledgeable on the levers that drove cash flow in the business that he would get going fast and there were others (myself included) who couldn't keep up. I remember a meeting where a whole bunch of senior people from many functions were there and the CFO was going on and on about what we were going to do to meet our cash flow objectives and in the middle of the meeting he was called out for a moment. As soon as he left the room, someone asked the group, "Do you all understand what he is talking about?". And to my relief, almost the entire room chimed in with, "I don't have a clue". When the CFO came back in the room, the courageous person in the room asked the silly question, "Can you explain this again to us, because we just don't get it". After the CFO took a deep breath, and likely made a mental note, he started over and most of us got it the second time around. So, while there are no silly questions, we can feel like there are certainly silly questions that we just don't ask. 

 

It's interesting that in work and life we are seeking knowledge and wisdom and we don't know where to go to ask. God tells us that He is one who we can reach to for these answers. In James 1:5 we read; "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." Today, you may need to ask the silly question and don't know how to do it for fear of retribution or evaluation. Try going to God first for the wisdom needed on how to get the answers you need. We know that He will not rebuke us and that in the answers we get we will receive the wisdom we so need. To God, there are certainly no silly questions.

Reference: James 1:5 (New Living Testament)

day 1061: Sharing

 "Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal."


Businesses run on budgets. Budgets are established on a periodic basis to ensure that each department or business unit earns and spends against targets, forecasts, and ultimately expectations. Seldom does one ever say that they have been afforded a larger spending budget than what was assigned. Just the same, seldom do business units sign up for larger revenue targets than the expectations that are given to them. In many ways, both ends of limits are being tested and if either of them is not aggressive enough, then we end up with expectations, and no more, being achieved. This is not all bad, but it does beg the question as to what has to be done to allow for parts of an organization to stretch themselves and achieve perhaps above and beyond even what they think is capable? What if we worked in organizations where we could actually self-manage our budgets so that when we felt like another department or business unit was more worthy of the dollars, that we could voluntarily shift our dollars over to them and share in their success? If you are a financial person reading this, you probably are already ready to close the page as you know this is just outlandish thinking. No one gives up their budgets! Why would they? What if this level of sharing is what we are supposed to be doing? What if we are to be so sensitive to the needs of others that we are to give to those who need it more than we do, and then we are to sit back and wait as we know that goodwill and giving will come back to us?

While Paul was not speaking to a company, he was speaking to an organization of people when he said; " Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal." Later, things will become equal, he says. That is the message that I hear in this verse. Yes, we are to give. Yes we are to put others ahead of ourselves. Yes we are to not be greedy, but also yes, we are to find equality in what we do. And there is no better way to find equality than sharing a budget, or sharing the giving towards those who need it and replacing our own wants with the needs of others. The principle, for me, far outweighs the literal meaning. God is calling us to watch out for the those who have less. He is asking us to sacrifice when we can for others. He is promising that in the end it will all equal out. What great messages for us to hear in one tiny verse. Today, as you think about where you can share, where you can ensure that you are doing your part to further equality, think about why you are doing this and give God the praise for being a God who wants to see all succeed! For in your times of need and trouble, He will ensure that there is someone who is more fortunate who will provide some sharing of their plan towards you.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 8:14 (New Living Testament)

day 1060: Try, Try and Try Again

"Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand."

Failing is part of trying. No successful business or businessperson has gotten to where they are without failing at least once, and many have failed multiple times and still found a way to become successful. The key is learning from those failures and then not making the same mistake twice. There are few failures, outside of breaking the law or doing something immoral, that we can't come back from and live another day. Sure, there are many stories of those who bet the farm on a direction or strategy and end up bankrupt, but even they are able to find their way back if they work hard enough at what they are trying to achieve.  We have seen many a company that is on their last few dollars when they found a new way to hang in there and grow.  A few weeks ago we saw one of the largest banks in the world, pay a substantial fine for manipulating the financial markets.  It's a significant black eye, but even this type of failure will likely be overcome and if they don't dwell on the problem but instead work hard to do right, then they are likely to have this pass.  It is always interesting to me to see which companies recover and which ones seem to never bounce back. As best as I can tell it is about being true recovering and doing all that can be done to return to the public and employee's trust.  And of course, failures that are just because of trying something new, then "try, try and try again" is important to follow.

God knows that we will fail and He always gives us ways back to Him.  If we are trying to live for Him and we fail and then ask Him to bring and bounce us back, He will....every time!  All we have to do is listen to Him. When we work for God's glory His definition of success is in the continued quest to be closer and more like Him.  When we work for God's glory there is not any better work.  He cares about every little thing and desires us to strive with all that we have.  So, today as we go to our offices know that we have to try, try and try again!

Reference:  Matthew 15:10 (New Living Translation)

day 1059: New!

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

With every new marketing executive hire comes a new idea and most likely a new marketing campaign. Any new marketing campaign brings lots of costs and changes throughout the whole company or organization. The costs go up significantly when the brand, or the logo of the company, is changed. Then every piece of stationary, every building sign, every truck painting, every product package, every business card, everything must change. It's always a huge decision that many people in the company have to buy into and agree upon. But, it is always driven by one person who is most often the most senior Marketing executive. She or he believes wholeheartedly that the change will be substantive, important and long-lasting. From there the entire organization rallies around the change and go about spreading the word with advertising on TV, billboards, online, print, etc. and most importantly through word-of-mouth. The new campaign is a total overhaul and make-over.  Marketing programs come with a price as many things that bring about newness.

The great thing about us as believers is that we can receive our own overhaul and makeover and we don't have to be a Chief Marketing Officer or sell it to a lot of other people to make it happen. All we need to do is make our own decision. Yes, we have to be willing to bear the cost of giving up those areas of our lives that are of the old and don't support the new. Paul tells us that this new and eternal campaign comes with our simple acceptance of Christ; "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" As you work today, can others around you see the new you or are they still seeing the vestiges of the old brand, the old logo, the old personality? Each day, in each work situation where it is that the old that wants to come through, we must hold to our new approach to life, the one we are living through Christ. Just like after the new marketing campaign has taken hold, we can't just reach into the desk and pull out our old business cards and start passing them around. Once the new is here, the old must go. Can you say today that you have given up all of the old and are totally on board with your new you?

Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Testament)

day 1058: Day of Service

"The list included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle..."

Monday is Martin Luther King Day and a holiday for most of us. It is also been designated a National Day of Service. Some companies are great at banding together to find a way to do service in their community.  Some of the best times that are remembered are when we who spend 8, 10, or 12 hours a day in the office with each other, get out of the office and work together to make the community better.  Companies who don't do this are really missing out on the chance to deepen relationships and bonds that make the company and teams stronger. We have to remember that people don't work for companies, they work for people and if we want to attract and retain the best of the best that we need to remember that finding those opportunities to bring people together for a bigger good is a strong attractor and retention tool.

The Bible is full of examples of those who served, and of course Jesus taught us how to give of ourselves and be a servant leader.  Going all the way back to the choice of those who could serve in the Tabernacle we can see that God counted and knew those who could and would serve Him and others. Serving in our churches are also part of our Christian growth.  Finding those opportunities to give of our time and talents to help others develop and grow is part of of how we should serve.  As we think about how we bring glory to God in our work and jobs, let's open our eyes and hearts to the points where we can be of service and develop a true sensitivity, willingness and readiness to step up and forward when the opportunity to serve arises. This just another way that we can be counted on to reflect the heart of our Lord.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and National Service Day (PwK will resume on Tuesday Jan. 22)

Reference: Numbers 4:43 (New Living Translation)

day 1057: The Truth Can Hurt

"Then Joshua said to Achan, 'My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.'"

Tonight on the OWN Network, Oprah Winfrey will air her interview with Lance Armstrong, who apparently will be telling us the truth for the first time in his cycling career.  The show may well garner Oprah her highest ratings since she signed off of her daily talk show (that is if anyone can find the OWN Network on their cable guide). Unfortunately for our society there won't be any shocking admissions from Armstrong, just a lot of sadness and hurt created and the world will have to decide if he will be forgiven or not. I am too sad over the whole thing.  I was one of the people who took him on his word and believed that he was different from the rest; almost super-human, a person able to push and take his body to a place no one else has been able to find. I watched all the scientific studies of how he had extraordinary VO2 uptake, lungs that could process more oxygen than anything seen before, a heart that was like a hot-rod piston that sent rich blood to screaming muscles, and a mind that could not be beaten or accept defeat, no matter the pain or weariness. But now, he is none of any of that.  Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if he hadn't compounded the lie by year after year building himself up for another victory and public grandstanding. Maybe had he not created a brand around himself that symbolized that the worst could be defeated if we bound together and contributed to find the cure of what takes so many of our loved ones from us.  Look, we all have faults and we all hurt other people and ourselves in our lives.  Companies and people all know that the truth can hurt, but those who correct their ways, take their lumps and move on can find a better path. We've seen it before and that is likely what Lance will begin to do tonight.  It is only going to be harder for him because the world watched, cheered and defended him through seven Tour de France victories and the build up of The LiveStrong Foundation. How many lessons do we need to learn? My prayer is that Armstrong feels the burden to turn this all around and become one who through contriteness, humility and concern can teach and model to others the value of the truth and the power of recognition and change.

We are all far from perfect and this is why Jesus came to save us from our own sins.  The truth that we must continue to align ourselves with is the truth that is given to us through Him. As best we can, let's be reminded that the truth should be lived out daily in all that we do. We have choices that we will make all day long and many will involve telling the truth. Let's not find ourselves on the wrong side of the choice.

Reference: Joshua 7:19 (New Living Translation)

day 1056: Saying It Over and Over Again

..."If it were not so, I would have told you."

How much time do we spend in business restating, reassuring, and reemphasizing to others?  If you didn't answer either "alot" or "too much" then I would be surprised.  A tremendous amount of time and energy is expended on being sure that everyone is on the same page and everyone is up to date.  Something weird happens in the work world that when someone says something that we start from the place of not believing or needing to be reassured almost immediately after a statement is made.  Just think of  the line outside of the office after a meeting with team members wanting clarifications or asking questions about themselves. Even though what was just said was all that there was to say.  If our personal lives were like the work world we'd all walk around asking questions over and over and never believing each other. It's not a great way to operate but it is what it is at the office and that is why we have to say what we are going to say, say it, and then say what we said...and do that over and over and never assume anyone has comprehended or "gets it". As frustrating as it is, we are better to embrace and accept it than ignore this way it is.

God is the only One who we can truly count on to say it once and know that we can trust Him to never waiver or go back on His Words.  When Jesus told the Disciples that "If it were not so, I would have told you", He was saying that you can trust and believe all that He sasy and that there isn't any hidden agenda or fears necessary that just because He never says it again, or we never physically hear Him speak, that still what He said remains true.  As we try to be more and more like Him we can model this with others in our jobs and lives.  How great it would be that others would see Him in us in that they can always count that what we say will always remain true.

Reference: John 14:2 (New Kings James Version)

day 1055: Patience Over Power

"It is better to be patient than powerful..."

There was lots of talk last week about Apple considering building a lower end iphone to compete with Samsung in this category.  Apparently, Samsung is beating them considerably in market share and they want to respond.  Since that report, there have been contradictions to this and that Apple will not chase this market. Apple may be the only company in the world who could cause controversy and news about entering a new market segment.  Those analysts and shareholders who want to see Apple stock price get back to knocking on the door of $700 want Apple to broaden and grow market share.  Consumers and Apple purists worry that if Apple starts chasing market share that they will lose their maniacal focus on innovation, product and quality.  Anyone who followed the company remembers the days that Apple had 4% share in the personal computer space and Steve Jobs wouldn't budge on his direction for the company, regardless of how little the share.  Steve Jobs was not one who was known for patience, but in the strategic direction of the company that patience and deliberate moves paid off.

Our jobs are not set up to reward patience over power. If we are too patient in our career moves then we risk missing out on the chance to move up.  If we move too quickly then we could end up letting our impetuous natures get the better of us.  A good test of whether or not we are letting patience or power rule is to ask ourselves how we "feel"?  If we are feeling like we are taking an overly controlling power ourselves versus continuing to our the power in God's hands, then we may not be patient enough.  Our world of work and life is all about "now" so we need to be sure that we are not letting ourselves power through and not being patient enough.  If faced with one of these moments today let's do our best to keep patience winning out over power.

Reference: Proverbs 16:32 (New Living Translation)

day 1054: Co-opetition

"A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking."

Tom Friedman wrote in yesterday's New York Times about the need to collaborate to solves big problems.  He contrasts how Silicon Valley works so well with companies, innovators and entrepreneurs working together to advance the agenda of technology and innovation, to the lack of collaboration of our government representatives. He posits that without collaboration that the big issues we face will not be overcome.  He is right about Silicon Valley.  Even though there is a great deal of competition here, there is still an overarching shared sense of optimism and willingness to assist each other to move bigger things forward.  Friedman quotes LinkedIn Founder and Chairman, Reid Hoffman when he calls this "co-opetition". It is true that we all need each other and even competitors need to work together to solve bigger industry problems.  This is why it always best to be on the best terms with those we compete and always be open to the idea of "co-opeting".

As believers we will many times think that our cooperating and collaborating should be in times of need and help.  If that is the only time we are fellowshipping or spending time with other believers then we are missing blessing and opportunities to grow from these positive and encouraging interactions. Yes, we have to be there for each other when the boat needs filling but let's also be sure that we are there for each other when we see the beginning of the opportunity, when the fish are about to start running.  In our workplaces, there is always someone who needs to know that we will welcome cooperation and not let our competitive nature overtake the giving of ourselves. This example could well be what opens the opportunity for us to share why we are who we are and what it means to bring glory to God in our work.

Reference: Luke 5:7 (New Living Translation)

day 1053: "Who's In Charge Here?"

 "Jesus called his twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority..."

The title of this post sounds like something out of cop show doesn't it? It is the classic line when the detective shows up on the scene and there is the skirmish about who has jurisdiction the local guys or the Feds. It's almost so cliche now in TV and films that you see it coming. The same thing happens at work. A crisis occurs or a problem needs to be solved and after lots of people have run to their corners to hide, there is a group of people who step forward and say, "I'm in charge here" (now that sounds like Alexander Haig doesn't it?) or "I can fix this problem". Then there is the work skirmish about who is really in charge and who has authority or not. Many times these decision will fall along the lines of who is most senior, etc. but there are lots of times when peers are chosen to lead, fix, solve, or analyze because they bring their own personal "authority" to bear on a situation. The person's own commitment level, interest, passion and credibility will be the determination of authority.

Sometimes authority is given like when Jesus called His disciples in Matthew 10:1: "Jesus called his twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority..." Even then, Jesus taught them the lessons they needed to know to be able to travel the land and carry that authority with them. The people who gain authority are the ones who earn that authority. Authors David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen write, "Those who are in true positions of leadership demonstrate authority, spiritual power, and credibility by their lives and message. If they don't, they are not true leaders." The alignment of who we say we are and who we really are in how we act and speak, are the rites to earning true authority. Today, you are going to be asked to have an opinion, or to make a decision, or to stand up and act aligned with something you have said or believe. That moment of choice is another step in the authority building for yourself...or not. As you face these moments, know that God has called you, like His disciples for you to have the authority of Him. It is then up to you to decide to live within that calling or not. Let today be a day of consistency, alignment and authority building for you.

Reference: Matthew 10:1 (New Living Translation)

day 1052: CES

"Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappear; wealth from hard work grows."

This is CES week.  CES stands for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  Annually, the technology industry and the consumer electronic companies come together to show off their latest and greatest.  If you are looking for an electronic gadget this is the place to go.  This year it appears the show was dominated by health technology devices (basically we are on our way to having a doctor's office and diagnostic lab in our homes, powered by a mobile device) and not big, but HUGE digital TV screens. We are a nation of consumerism and if it is faster, smaller, larger, sharper, more powerful, we want it and we want it now.  Companies roll out their new products hoping one of them takes off and becomes the next, "I don't need it but can't live without it device" (e.g, an ipad...need we say more?).  Make them quick, get out there first, market it like crazy and there's a good chance that something happens.  Maybe not as big or as broadly adopted as desired, but there is an advantage to being the first mover.

God's Kingdom is just the opposite of CES.  God doesn't roll out to us annually a new set of anything that can come and go.  God's Kingdom is filled with things that last and have been around as long as God has given them to us.  His blessings and gifts aren't here today and gone tomorrow.  And all He asks for us to do is to believe and follow Him to be able to get all of these things given to us.  But, He doesn't stop there with us.  He also wants us to be as excited about the things in His Kingdom as we are the new tech gadget.  He wants us to spend as much or more time in his Word than playing the cool games that are coming out next.  He wants us to talk to Him, not through texting but in prayer.  We like to get caught up in the new and cool.  How about today we spend some more time on the everlasting and awesome?

Reference: Proverbs 13:11 (New Living Translation)

day 1051: Spies

"The Lord now said to Moses, 'Send men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to Israel."

Yesterday we discussed the scouts that go out and look at mergers and acquisitions.  Unfortunately, there are others inside of organizations who not only go out to see what is out there but bring back information that is obtained in not the right way. Yes, there is corporate espionage that happens and we may never know of it until someone is caught stealing a patent, copying a product, or stealing a recipe. Sometimes it is not as overt as we think.  Reverse engineering is common, but should also be watched so that things are not stolen easily.  Even our talent is at risk.  Back in the day, recruiters from competitive companies would enter the lobby of another company and then steal the phone directory.  This was almost as good as getting an organization chart, which also would mysteriously end up on recruiters desks.  There is a lesson in corporate spying. If you don't want it done to you, then don't condone it inside your own organization.  When that new hire happens to want to show you the sales presentation or the product manual from their prior employee, do the right thing and have your corporate counsel confiscate it and send it back to her/his counterpart.  Spying is not cool.

Many times the story of Joshua and Caleb is told as "spying", not as scouting.  That they had to sneak and bring back information, food, plants, etc. technically would make them on the spying side, but that's not the lesson of the story.  The lesson from the book of Numbers is about not having to be validated by what men can come up with, but instead, just believe in what God says and follow Him to what He has for us.  Of course we are not to just walk around blindly, when there is information available before we make a decision, but let's not forget that the spies of the world are doing all they can to keep us from following and staying faithful to the Lord.  Today, listen less to men and more to God.  That is information that we can count on!

Reference: Numbers 1:1 (New Living Translation)

day 1050: Scouts

"The Lord now said to Moses, 'Send men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to Israel."

I always liked when I got to be a part of the team who was involved in a merger or acquisition.  When it was time for due diligence, it always felt like being a scout sent out to explore, learn, gather, come back and report. I learned that not everyone sees the same thing in the same way.  There were times when we'd  all be listening to the same person tell us about a part of the prospective business and then when we debriefed, there would be as many opinions as there were people around the table.  Maybe that is why it's always smart to send out more than one scout.  The same can be said for how we think about taking on competition or moving into a new marketplace.  Put your best out there to scout, but make sure there is more than one who brings back their intelligence.

God told Moses to send 12 scouts to look into the land of Canaan.  Only two saw the land as positive and someplace that they should move forward into.  What ended up happening is that Moses and the people all sided with the 10 who were negative.  Consequently, as we know, only the two, Joshua and Caleb, ever returned to Canaan.  God has sent us as scouts for His Kingdom.  He has told us through His Word for what we should be searching and looking. Out challenge is do we believe what He has told us so that we can see the blessings and promises that can be ours.  Today, you get to be a "scout" for God.  Think about that as you enter this workday and see what you see to report back to others.

Reference:  Numbers 13:1 (New Living Translation)

day 1049: "I Really Shouldn't"

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

The holidays are always a time of gauging how good, or not, a company is at providing customer service. Patience is not the virtue of lots of customers who received a gift that didn't fit, or wasn't what they wanted and are faced with the obstacle now of "working" to exchange the item for something that might be better. This is, as Stephen Covey would say is, "the moment of truth". I had one of these experiences with a retailer who did not fulfill their delivery commitment by Christmas (as I paid for) and was promised. So, the day after Christmas the extended wait on the phone made me think that the double entendre of it being "boxing day" was probably being fulfilled.  When I finally reached the agent and after explaining my problem, the customer service rep said to me, "Well, I really shouldn't" and then went on to give the refund of the extra shipping costs and then extending it also to my next purchase. I was pleased with the outcome but as I hung up I did think that hearing, "I really shouldn't" can go both ways.  It may well be that the policy is that he shouldn't have, and he might be getting in hot water, or that he can do this without asking but thought that making it look like it was an above and extra move would make me good or feel a little guilty.  That's not so good either.  So, when we think about what our customer service message is, we need to be sure that we are aligning policy, message and takeaways to fully satisfy the customer.

Satisfying others, especially those who are in need, means giving up of ourselves in some respect. Seldom when someone else wants or needs something from us does it align with what we really want to do or have happen.  So, we must give to satisfy and meet needs.  We just completed celebrating our greatest gift from God.  Think about what He gave up to meet the forgiveness of our sins and provide us salvation. Each day in our work we face moments when a little voice inside of us says, "I really shouldn't."  When that voice is reinforcing a selfishness about how we decide to give of ourselves to others, or not, then we need to respond, with "I really must".  If God can give so much for us, what is holding us back from giving of ourselves to others?

Reference: John 3:16 (New Living Translation)

day 1048: Don't Look Back

"Fear not . . . be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things" 

One of the greatest impediments of moving forward is looking back. Sure, we have to use trends and data to be confident and understand where we have come from, but when we spend too much time in the past we can end up never moving forward, or moving in the wrong direction.  A farmer with an ox and plow, or a John Deere tractor knows this lesson all too well.  One look over the shoulder to see where they have hoed and they are now off line going forward.  We are all too quick in business to want to look over our shoulder and either congratulate ourselves for how far we have come or worse yet, get down on ourselves for the lack of progress to date.  We can't spend our time in the rear-view mirror if we want to move forward boldly and with conviction.  So, gather the analysis needed, review it, make the needed hypothesis and learning and then put it away to move courageously and intently into this New Year.

We are reminded in God's Word about what happened when Lot's wife looked back.  We may not turn to a pillar of salt when we look back, but we are in many ways turning our back to God when we decide that we are going to let the past rule our future.  God is in no way a God of yesterday.  He came to give us a forward looking life with glorious promises of the future. When we look backwards we are not believing and trusting in what He can do for us in the coming year, months, days.  So, let's today, as we complete this first work week of 2013, look only forward and be resolved to making this the best Purposed worKING  year of our lives.

Reference:  Joel 2:21

day 1047: New Year's Revolutions

"Fear not . . . be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things" 

Each year we make our New Year's "resolutions" only to find that some time, not far off after the New Year that we have failed to keep them and we once again bemoan and punish ourselves for not meeting what should have been uplifting and positive ways to start the New Year.  So why do we do it to ourselves, year after year?  And, we not only do it in our personal lives, we do the same exercise in our work lives - only to find that we have come up short there too.  The problem may well be that it is not in the resolution that we find achievement, it needs to be in the revolution to make a real difference.   I am using the word "revolution" in the way that means to turn over and over many times without ceasing.  When we make a resolution to "get in better shape" and we don't include any revolutions, then the resolution will stand still with no where to go.  But, if we add to "get in better shape by going to the gym three times a week", then keep that revolution going, then we can find one day that we are indeed  in better shape.  Business is the same way.  We aren't going to increase that sales number if we don't source more prospects, make more calls, write more proposals, etc.  See, it is in the revolution, not just the resolution.  The resolution is still important though so that we don't just end up spinning aimlessly, which is what night after night on the couch watching TV can do to impede and ruin "get in better shape".  Start a new revolution today!

We want to be closer to God and walk a more fulfilled spiritual journey.  We want to bring glory to Him in our work. That does not happen through just resolution either.  It is through the the revolutions of time in God's Word, prayer and fellowship that we can see our growth and improvement. 52 weeks are in front of us.  How will we spend those 52 weeks?  What will be our revolutions?  Being in church 52 times would be a good revolution.  I am sure you now get the point. Let's also start some new revolutions spiritually this year so that we can see the outcomes that we we desire.

Reference: Joel 2:21  

day 1046: Back To The Ordinary (Annual Post)

...they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee."

First posted on January 2nd, 2009

January can be one of the most exciting months of the year because of the feeling of a new start that comes with a new year. But for most, January is the month of deprivation. This is the month that we resolve to do more with less, lose a few pounds with less intake and more output, be more diligent with exercise schedules, balance out work and life better, etc. You know the list. At work it is the beginning of a quarter or a fiscal year and even before the year is really started we are already setting down and planning and adjusting to be sure that we can hit the targets that we have set for ourselves. With a swirling external economic climate, we may already be cutting back to make sure that we have breathing room in the coming months and year. So, after all the Christmas build up and holiday enthusiasm, January can feel like a real let down and a hard time for many. As I reflected on the January doldrums I was reminded of how Joseph and Mary must have felt after their first Christmas. What a heady experience to have given birth to a new son, to have experienced the coming of the angel and the visitors being drawn to the stable to see and worship the baby Jesus, and to have gone to the Temple and had Simeon and Anna prophecy over their child. And then, it was over. The angel was gone, the shepherds and visitors had gone their own way and it was time to go home. Mary and Joseph left the temple and the Bible says in Luke 2:39; "...they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee".

For Mary it was now to work to raise a child and for Joseph it was back to his carpentry and making a living for his family and now with one new mouth to feed. It was back to the ordinary for both of them. It was a January and a new year, a year to go back to work and do what was needed to make their own ends meet. Our life and work life of purpose is not to always be filled with highs. It would be great if it was that way, but we all know that it just doesn't work out that way. Our lives are filled with the ordinary and the routine. And, even in the ordinary and the routine we are to seek and work to live to the high standards we have been given as followers of Jesus. As we each start this work year, let us take all of the lessons given to us and do our best to apply them each and every day, knowing that like Joseph and Mary, that returning back to Nazareth was one ordinary step on what was to become a miraculous life journey. They didn't know it then, as we don't know today, but what can come from the ordinary, lived and pursued with righteousness, can be nothing short of extraordinary.

Reference: Luke 2:39 (New Living Testament)