Your Goliaths

Can you see your biggest problems as your biggest opportunities?

Once a month, our church has an evening service that Kristen and I like to attend. I believe spiritual health is a big component of a leader being steady for his or her team (and family), so we make it a priority to attend this extra service monthly. Last night's service was a unique lesson leveraging the story of David and Goliath that I thought was great for business as well. For the below four points, think of Goliath as your big problems or obstacles.

Lesson 1 - Your Goliath will expose the enemies amongst you. Solving big problems in business often results in big opportunities on the other side. When you step up to defeat those problems, you'll be confronted by the naysayers who will try to ruin your confidence. Many times, these people will be those closest to you. Celebrate your Goliath moments because they will expose these people in your life so you can move on from them.

Lesson 2 - Your Goliath will bring clarity to your past. We all wonder how hard times make sense in our development until we are confronted with our Goliath. That's when everything becomes clear and we relearn to trust that God has a plan for us. All hard things can be used for good. Leaders must be tested so we can be trusted. As you struggle today, you are preparing for something special in the future. It won't be clear until your Goliath shows up and you are thankful for your past experience.

Lesson 3 - Your Goliath affirms your gifts. Did you know that Goliath was actually the underdog in this fight? David would have had the specialty of "slinger" if he was actually in the military. A slinger would have been in the artillery division and their mission was to destroy infantry from a distance. That's why Goliath continued to try to persuade David to come close to him. It was the only way he could win. Saul, trying to do the right thing, even allowed the situation to persuade him and put his armor on David. Luckily, David took a step back, acknowledged that his unique gift was as a slinger over hand-to-hand combat, and refused the armor. David defeated Goliath because he kept his distance and fought his battle using his own gifts.

Lesson 4 - Your Goliath requires spiritual health to win. The three lessons above are not easy ones to implement in your life. They require endurance, and endurance requires faith in something bigger than this world. Why else would you tackle a Goliath for others when it would be easier to turn away? There is big opportunity on the other side of big problems, but you'll need a source of strength beyond your own mental toughness. We are too quick to let ourselves down.

Use your Goliaths to make yourself a better leader!

Written by Schuyler Williamson

REALTOR. Leader. Veteran. Business Owner. Investor.

Weekly Email List: https://www.schuylerwilliamson.com/weekly-leader-note

God Bless!

~ Schuyler Williamson

Why Are You Angry?

The pulse of our current culture is anxious, jaded, and angry. It is hard not to feel like the world is unhinged. In our hyper-connected world today, we have amassed a digital nervous system. Our feelings are extended over a vast web shared with others all around the world. And all that just fuels our angst.

Anger is the defining emotion of our culture – in ourselves, our lifestyles, our society.

Even Jesus – who was without sin – experienced and expressed anger in His time on Earth. Though He was very discerning about when He showed that anger.

Jesus’ anger revealed what He loves. His anger flowed out of His compassion for all of us. In the Bible, we see Jesus was furious when He witnessed others hurting the people He loved and whom God created. Jesus was angry at death, suffering, harming of innocent children, and hindering God’s people from drawing closer to Him. His anger was righteous anger.

Jesus loves all people. We are all children of God. Jesus would not stand for the worship of God being pushed out by the collusion of man or the active prevention of people drawing nearer to God. He would not stand for any obstacles that blocked people from coming to Him.

Jesus commands us: love God above all else. And, love your neighbors as you love yourself. 

Anger reveals what you love.

What makes you angry?

Something that threatens what you love.

What does your anger tell you about what or who you love?

Our anger reveals our will being thwarted and our love for ourselves being threatened. Reflect on your anger and repent on where your loves may have been misaligned.

Now, you may have justified anger. But do not let it control you.

We are fed a steady diet of rage and anger in society. We are controlled by fear and sin when we allow ourselves to be shaped by loving things. Don’t feed your digital nervous system by living on fear.

Jesus’ anger was a gift, the expression of His love for us. But the only way for our mortal existence to handle or survive our anger is to hand it over to God. Trust Him. He loves us too much to let indifference rule. Hand your anger over to God. You do not have the power to handle it alone.

I pray you allow yourself to be shaped by Jesus’ rhythms, priorities and love. May your loves be aligned with His, so He may help you to have the wisdom to know how to love people and the courage to show them love.

Matthew 5:22-44 ERV

But I tell you, don’t be angry with anyone. If you are angry with others, you will be judged. And if you insult someone, you will be judged by the high court. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell. “So, what if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you? Leave your gift there and go make peace with that person. Then come and offer your gift. “If anyone wants to take you to court, make friends with them quickly. Try to do that before you get to the court. If you don’t, they might hand you over to the judge. And the judge will hand you over to a guard, who will throw you into jail. I assure you that you will not leave there until you have paid everything you owe. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, he has already committed that sin with her in his mind. If your right eye makes you sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Any man who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’ But I tell you that any man who divorces his wife, except for the problem of sexual sin, is causing his wife to be guilty of adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman is guilty of adultery. “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘When you make a vow, you must not break your promise. Keep the vows that you make to the Lord.’ But I tell you, when you make a promise, don’t try to make it stronger with a vow. Don’t make a vow using the name of heaven, because heaven is God’s throne. Don’t make a vow using the name of the earth, because the earth belongs to him. Don’t make a vow using the name of Jerusalem, because it also belongs to him, the great King. And don’t even say that your own head is proof that you will keep your promise. You cannot make one hair on your head white or black. Say only ‘yes’ if you mean ‘yes,’ and say only ‘no’ if you mean ‘no.’ If you say more than that, it is from the Evil One. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t fight back against someone who wants to do harm to you. If they hit you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too. If anyone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too. If a soldier forces you to walk with him one mile, go with him two. Give to anyone who asks you for something. Don’t refuse to give to anyone who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly.

New Wineskin

We need to prepare ourselves for God’s work.

 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. – Luke 5: 36-39

God never wastes anything. Jesus brought freedom in grace. His grace could not be held in the legalistic and inflexible rules that the Pharisees enforced over others. We cannot alter Jesus to fit our mold of religion; we have to remember that we are the jars, and He is the Potter. He will shape us to learn. “To try to fit Jesus' teachings of love and freedom into the Pharisaical legalism (or even its modern-day equivalences) would have resulted in a burst tradition and pieces of love and freedom spilled out all over the floor.”

 We are the wineskins for the Holy Spirit. And there will be a new wineskin for each generation. We must be made new. There must be a death of our old self.

 Jesus is our new wine. We can celebrate today that He gave His blood as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He tore the veil. He removed our sins. He gives us grace upon grace. If we try to box the grace of the gospel into our legalized religious package, it will burst forth because grace cannot be hidden. Jesus breaks through all sin, all legalism, all old wineskins. Because of Jesus, He is freeing us from the same stumbling block of the Pharisees still today. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

 Flexibility

The older we grow, the harder it is to remain flexible. But our revelation of who God is in our daily lives constantly evolves.

 If we allow them to, the challenges in our life will bring us more flexibility. We must strive to always be expanding.

 Capacity

 Is there room for God in your life?

 What are you full of?

 God will stop pouring into you and make room in you. God will empty you so you will turn to Him to fill you back up.

 Integrity and Purity

 What is the quality of what comes out of us?

 God’s revival is in us; we control the amount that it flows.

 We need the new versions of ourselves, not the old ones.

 Mobility

 We should be willing and ready to let Jesus into our lives where He is needed.

 Let us be made to live like new wineskin, and know when to recognize an old wineskin. Deuteronomy 4:2 says, “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.” Be careful to not add or remove from what the Lord has commanded.

Written by Schuyler Williamson

REALTOR. Leader. Veteran. Business Owner. Investor.

https://www.schuylerwilliamson.com/

A Not-Too-Specific Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people will perish.”

- Proverbs 29: 18

I draw upon a number of lessons from the Bible for leadership strategies in my own businesses, and I consider this particular verse quite universal, especially in the business world. It doesn’t matter if you are leading an entire company, an individual, or just your family – you are always communicating a vision as a leader. In building upon last week’s message about the importance of status, casting a clear and powerful vision about how someone’s status will increase beyond what it is today is integral to procuring their buy-in with you. So many people get caught up in today – focusing too much on what they have to do to win today. And certainly, there is an appropriate time and place for that; you must, of course, take care of today’s business to ensure future success. But true leaders don’t stay caught up in the business of today – leaders are always looking out in front of their company and their team, seeking to chart their path forward and identify and assess what future obstacles might hinder their progress. Because if you wait until today to address those obstacles, you will be forced to be reactive. As a leader, you want to be proactive as often as possible so you are equipped and ready to navigate safely around these obstacles before they have the opportunity to sink your ship.  

 When you are communicating your vision, be careful not to be too specific. If you are too specific with your vision, you leave very little room for error, and may even alienate – rather than motivate –people. Not everyone is going to identify perfectly with your very specific vision for the future. They may agree with the general direction and major goals, but if you make the vision too specific, it has the potential to be received as orders, or precise instructions, only. And the danger in that is that your people won’t emotionally connect with your vision – and you need them to connect with it to execute it well. A powerful example of a simple but emotionally-charged vision was Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” He didn’t tell you how he was going to make America great again; he just said that he would make America great again if he was elected president. And that vision resonated so effectively with enough people that he was elected President of the United States.

 To paint a great vision of the future, give your people something not-too-specific to be excited about. Make sure that painting illustrates a future where their status increases, where the woes of today don’t bog them down from progress, and where they feel confident about the direction in which they need to go.

Written by Schuyler Williamson

REALTOR. Leader. Veteran. Business Owner. Investor.

https://www.schuylerwilliamson.com/

God is For You

In Mark 7:1-15, we see how the Pharisees approached others with judgment. They clung to old traditions and substituted God’s law for man-made ideas, far from Jesus.

Jesus called the Pharisees ‘hypocrites.’ In Greek, ‘hypocrite’ means ‘actor.’ Do not be hypocrites like the Pharisees. Do not skillfully side-step God’s law.

Jesus only wants our raw hearts.

 God is looking for character over works. 

The Holy Spirit produces fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

There is no law greater against these things.

Galatians 5:22-23

God is looking for heart over appearance.

People judge by outward appearance, but God judges us by our heart.

Do not judge by appearance.

1 Samuel 16:7

God is looking for new over old.

God creates new things out of nothing. God wants to do something new in our lives.

No one gets to Jesus except through Jesus. Jesus wants us to come directly to Him.

Romans 4:17 

God is looking for truth over tradition.

Know the truth and it will set you free.

Jesus came to us on Earth to heal the broken-hearted.

John 8:31-32

Written by Schuyler Williamson

REALTOR. Leader. Veteran. Business Owner. Investor.

https://www.schuylerwilliamson.com/

In His Image

 “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” – Matthew 22:15-22

 God created mankind in his own image. Being made in the image of God is a powerful reminder of who we are and how we live.

To whom do you really belong? God makes claims on your very being. Give your all to God.

You are made in the image of God, but are you really showing it? Are you acting it? Our convictions and actions flow from our belief in God. In whose image are we acting – in the image of God? In the image of selfless service? Or, in the image of pleasure?

Whose image do you have? Where do you invest your life? How do you engage in the world around you?

Are you leaning into the image of God of which you are made? Where are you investing your money, your life, your love?

Fully invest in God. 

Come seek him.

When you see yourself, which image do you see reflecting back at you?

To live a life in the image of God is to live a quietly extraordinary life; a life of unceasing love, of selfless service, of powerful worship, of unfailing trust.  

Make God your anchor,

your shield,

your sword,

your strong tower,

your life.

Providing Everything You Need

 “I choose to give to the last the same as I give to you…so the last will be first, and the first will be last.” – Matthew 20:16

 The economy of God’s kingdom does not make sense in the ways of the world. God is always challenging us to understand things by and act on His wisdom, not the world’s. 

God’s flagrant generosity is strange. And yet, it may just be strange enough to be the Good News. This might depend on the location you are in when you hear it. …Are you hungry? Do you doubt that God is going to provide everything you need?

God gives himself as food for even the complaining sinners - for us. If you’re hungry, and perhaps even wish you were dead, gives thanks that we have a God who doesn’t shy away from us. …In due time, He gives us exactly what we need, and He rewards each of us the same – with the perfect gift of eternal life.

Called To Forgive

There are some wounds we carry for a lifetime…and they may pain you so deeply that you may absolutely balk at the concept of forgiveness.

To forgive is no small thing. It can feel like breaking open an old wound again.

The Bible certainly mentions forgiveness a lot; though it never quite spells out a precise definition.

It starts with a very real wrong. A wrong that justifies the right to anger, to hurt.

But to forgive is to give up the right to be angry.

 Forgiveness requires a great sacrifice. True forgiveness is an act of trust in God, in which we trust that God will use evil wrong-doings for good.

When we look retrospectively with a trusting heart, we see God’s hand in all things through which we may have suffered. We see how he uses a bad situation for good.

Sometimes it is plain to see how God brings good from evil…and other times, we don’t quite see it while we are still in the middle of our life’s story. Forgiveness means to trust God with our pain – He is the only one with the wisdom to know what to do with it. Trust God to bring justice to evil and truly make things right. Only God has the wisdom to do so.

Forgiveness is a profound act of humility. Instead of holding onto our anger, wishing suffering upon those who made us suffer, forgiveness requires us to humble ourselves and acknowledge a reflection of ourselves as sinners before God. That humility requires us to see ourselves in the bigger picture of God’s humanity. We are all sinners before God.  

Humility is at the heart of Christianity.

 Forgiveness requires us to lay down our pride and our right to be angry. It is the ultimate act of humility. And when we trust in God as we practice forgiveness, we draw closer to God. Forgiveness is the spiritual discipline that grows us in our faith and Christ-likeness. When we forgive, we respond to the wrongs done unto us with an echo of Jesus – suffering the pains of forgiveness and growing in love with God.

Forgiveness is hard and long; it is a harrowing, painful, and humbling process that takes time, repetition and intention.

Unforgiveness is a righteous and bitter anger; it is a glass of poison we drink every time we indulge in it. Choose to put down the glass of poison. It does not bring healing, hope, joy or life.

 Forgiveness is life-saving and life-giving. It will draw you closer to the source of all life – God. And it will fill you with more life. Forgive time and again. God will be there throughout your process to meet you and help you along the way.

Eat God’s Word

Thy words were found, and I ate them. – Jeremiah 15:16

Eat God’s word.

It nourishes us;

energizes us;

becomes the foundation of who we are.

We are what we eat.

The more who we are is changed by God, the more we instinctively and intentionally act out the Word of God. 

 

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

 

A life of faith isn’t free from suffering. By our faith, we are reshaped, reformed, remade. It changes the way we see everything. 

 

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

– Romans 12: 9-21

 

When you are hurt or angry, turn to God. Dig deeper into your faith. Do not walk away from your faith. Never be content to stop growing in your faith. 

Faith & Prayer - The Power of One More

At the end of his book, The Power of One More, Ed Mylett ties so many of his concepts together in a power conclusion about faith, prayer, tragedy and focus.

“When tragedy strikes, you may have a crisis in faith.”

 While Mylett didn’t delve into this statement any further to explain its meaning, I am going to take a stab at expanding upon it myself. If you live your life entirely in the emotional highs and emotional lows, you are living a very tragic life. Your days are only characterized by super-high wins or an existential crisis of things falling apart.

 But when you lean into the power of faith and prayer – which builds your faith – and you believe all things are working for good, you don’t have to live in a constant crisis mentality. You don’t have to live each day super-high or super-low. Your eyes are opened to see the happenings of each day as the greater plan of your life playing out. You can view all outcomes as good because you have the confidence that your experiences are all intentional. Expect good things to happen to you, AND understand the bad things happening to you will ultimately be used for good.

 You don’t have to be worried. You can feel peace and freedom in your heart because you have faith that even if something spells your personal demise, all things are ultimately for good. And as long as you remain strong in your faith, and you maintain your special relationship with God, things are going to play out the way God intended. You need not live in a crisis of worry or fear.

My grandmother used to tell me, “You can either worry or pray – you cannot do both.”

 Remain strong in your faith, love God fully, and pursue life for His will, not your own. If you do those things, you truly have nothing to worry about.  

 Your energy as an individual matters so much – for your own health, but also for those around you. You don’t want to bring that energy of desperation or crisis to yourself or others constantly. Rather, you want to bring the energy of hope, joy, peace, and freedom. And the only way you continually do that is by having strong faith.

Keep your faith strong – keep praying.

The Bible Supplies All of My Needs

The Bible Supplies Life-Giving Power

 Human effort accomplishes nothing. – John 6:63

 Your spirit is the part of your body that interacts with God directly. Your spirit lays dormant until you say “yes” to God. The Holy Spirit gives life through the Word of God. Consume the word daily for more spirit and life. It will overflow within you when you do.

 The Bible Supplies Spiritual Food 

We do not live on bread alone. We must consume the Word of God. – Matthew 4:4

 You must feed your spirit more than you feed your body and your mind to ensure you are not led only by your body or by your mind. Eliminate harmful things from your life.

Jesus offered prayers and pleadings with loud cries and tears. – Hebrews 5:7

Jesus poured everything He had into his prayers. He learned obedience from things that He suffered through. Adversity need not interrupt our communion with God. Hardship is never wasted. Make God your refuge by pouring out your heart to Him, trusting in Him at all times.

 The Bible Supplies Navigation for Your Life

The Word is a light unto your path. – Psalm 119:105

When there is uncertainty, consult the Word of God. Make your consumption of the Word of God personal. You should strive to have a personal connection with your Bible. And your connection should be tangible, contagious. It should thrive inside of you and shine out of you as Jesus comes alive in your heart.

God qualified Jesus as perfect so He could be the source of your salvation. The longer you are a believer, the more responsibility you have to teach others. You must keep progressing in your faith. You must train – through reading the Word of God – so you may increase your ability to recognize the difference between good and evil. Fan the flame of your desire to know God, and His Light in you will shine brighter day by day.

The Bible Gives

God counts us righteous when we have faith. – Romans 4:3

The Bible gives holiness and truth. 

The Word is the truth. – John 17:17

 The Word is the standard. It is something we should stand for.

 The Bible gives power to overcome.

I am not ashamed of the good news. – Romans 1:16

The Word of God is the power that is saving all who believe.

Do you believe that the Word of God is infallible? Align yourself with God’s word.

 The Bible is a weapon for warfare.

The weapon we have is the Word of God: the sword of the spirit. 

The fight isn’t against mankind; it is against evil.

We must surrender every thought we have to God so we may stay aligned with Him and against evil.

 We all have been wonderfully made for a purpose. Surrender to listening for and to the Word of God. Let it bring you peace. God has already planned our success so we may rejoice in knowing there is nothing for us to worry about. We will be ready to fulfill our purpose if we allow the Word to live deep within our hearts.

Let my actions reflect your decrees. – Psalms 119:5-11

 The Bible gives identity.

 Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. – James 1:22-26

When we are always in the Word, we never forget it.

Meditate on God’s Word both day and night. If we look carefully, it will set us free. We will see ourselves as God sees us. We will receive God’s blessing and favor and bask in the glory of His peace.

The One Truth

Truth exposes.

Grace covers.

Jesus has plenty of both. 

Jesus exposes so that He can provide healing. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

The mind is the battleground for spiritual warfare.

The enemy’s best weapon is doubt.

We must have faith to win against the enemy. Give fear no refuge in our hearts or our minds.

Truth is revealed in the Bible.

The Bible is God’s word for humanity.

The Word of God is alive and powerful. – Hebrews 4:12

The Word offers different guidance at different times. The Word of God connects our soul – how we think, feel, and act – with our spirit. The Word reveals the truth and connects us closer to God.

The Bible is Jesus revealed.

In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word of God became human. – John 1:1-14

He is the Word. The Word will prosper. – Revelations 11:11-14

The Bible is a guide to salvation and conduct.

God’s Word must be in your heart so your thoughts are right. – Romans 2:15

 The Word of God will remain forever; it lives inside of you.

The Bible is the standard for all things.

All scripture is inspired by God. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

It is all useful and true.

It helps us to realize what is wrong in our life.

It is used to prepare and equip us for life.

The Word is a weapon for spiritual warfare.

Never stop thanking God. – 1Thessalonians 2:13

The Word will work in you continuously as long as you believe.

To “rejoice and be glad” is a choice.

Choose to hear the Word of God; let it fill you with the powerful truth, defend against the enemies of fear and doubt, and equip you to live a joyous and faith-filled life.

Running Your Business With Freedom

If you want to be truly free, then live by the Words of Christ. The Bible gives us a clear vision and the answer to every question. This is complete freedom because there is a clear standard.

We should run our businesses like this. Make the vision and standards clear for your team. This will make decision-making by your team easy and this will give them the freedom they desire and need in their roles.

The ultimate goal of living free is being able to give your love to others. Are you serving the people around you?? Are you serving your business team?

The Power of Gratitude

Prayer changes us to see things through God’s eyes. Worship allows us to give praise to God, and that helps us to have the mindset of gratitude even in hard times.

“God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.” – Izaak Walton

Do not allow torrents of rage and self-pity sweep you away. The best protection against this is gratitude.

 “Gratitude is heaven itself.” – William Blake 

Thanking God for trials you face will feel awkward and contrived at first. But if you persist, your thankful words will eventually make a difference in your heart. Thankfulness awakens you to God’s Presence, which overshadows all your problems.

 “Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise – then you will discover the fullness of your life.” – Brother David Steindl-Rast

Let Go, Let God

We overcome Satan through the Word of Jesus and the testimony of others. Our testimony has power. Our testimony is a chance to do good deeds.

Let go of your past and let God give you an extraordinary life.

The Great Commission

1. Know God

Our God is love, faithful, righteous, and just. Always and forever. – Psalm 36:5-7

He cares about all life. He provides shelter. Seek shelter in Him.

2. Find Freedom

Jesus provides freedoms for everything. – John 8:36

Make room for other’s faults. – Colossians 3:13

Make enough room for forgiveness. Say the name of your offender without unhealthy emotion. Let God fill you with a healthy and reviving sense of peace.

3. Discover Purpose

We are God’s masterpiece built for a purpose. – Ephesians 2:10

Make room in your heart for God to guide you to fulfill your purpose.

4. Make a Difference

Faith by itself isn’t enough. It must produce good deeds. – James 2:14, 17-18

Show your faith with your good deeds.

The Fruits of the Spirit in the Workplace

Yesterday, I rode in the car with Beau, my 9-year-old daughter. We were talking about the Fruits of the Spirit – she had some foundational questions about the Fruits that in answering those for her, I experienced a beautiful reminder of what they are and why they are important.

The Fruits of the Spirit  (Galatians 5:22-23) shared in the Bible are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We are taught that when you invite the Holy Spirit into your heart, you become like a tree that bears fruit. The fruit you bear by having the Holy Spirit in your heart are these gifts of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When a tree bears fruit, and it is ripe, it is dropped from the tree to the ground. My question to her was, “does the tree eat that fruit it produced? Does the tree use that fruit in any way?” No – it’s doesn’t. The fruit is actually for all of the animals around that tree to consume and be life-giving to them. That is the point: you need to live a spirit-filled life. You need to live a life as Christ did and do the best you can to do good on this Earth. When you live that life, you will produce beautiful fruit. And those fruits – that joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – are for all those around you to benefit from. And what a wonderful life it is for you to be able to provide those to all those people around you. It will make them feel better; it will make them perform better; it will make them treat others better. It is an amazing thing.

 I got to thinking – why would it have to be any different in the workplace? As a leader, why do you have to display anything different than joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control toward your team and customers? Those are the traits that make people feel safe and happy. When people feel that way when they come to work, they will work harder for you than they’ve ever worked for anyone in their life. And they will do it happily; they will be more productive and creative; they will be able to withstand adversity better. You will benefit so much from it. And all you have to do is be good yourself. Have that spirit inside you that fuels the goodness of your person.

I admit – it’s hard work to focus on these and strive to display them every day. I am not saying it’s easy. But even though it is hard work to be this type of person every day, remember that you have to strive to be that person not only for yourself, but for all those around you. When you do that for others, it comes back to you in kind.

Keep It Simple, Sir

In my continued reading of Richer, Wiser, Happier this week, I was reminded of a time in my military career when the Non-Commissioned Officers were training me as a young Lieutenant and harped to me repeatedly, “Keep it simple, sir.” I now know that this KIS acronym – Keep It Simple – is prevalent throughout many business industries, not just in the military.

 “The greatest enemy of a good plan is to dream of a perfect plan.”

- Prussian military strategist General Carl von Clausewitz

Luckily, I am not a person who strives for perfection; rather, I strive for growth. I have a high standard for growth, and I pour a lot of effort toward that strife, but perfection is never what I am after. This is true for both my personal and professional worlds. It is so important to me that my team understands this concept of growth over perfection. The aim should never be perfection, but rather that your plan is so simple and logical that you understand it implicitly, and you believe deep in your core that it is the right thing to do. Your plan should be simple enough that you can stick to it not only in the times when you are excited about executing the plan but also in those trying moments when doubt about the plan working enters your mind. You might say to yourself, “Man! I just don’t understand why this plan isn’t working….but, I am going to double-down on it because I truly believe this is the right course of action for us to pursue…I have modeled it off of other successful people…and I am going to continue to give it all I have until I know I have reached the success that I set out to achieve.”

 I firmly believe that you should strive for planning simplicity in all areas of your life – health, spirituality, and business. The added benefit of keeping it simple goes beyond just your ability to continue to push through the tough times; a simple plan ensures that every single person in your organization can rally behind it, understand it, remember it, execute it properly, and embody it as they make decisions on your behalf.

A personal anecdote of keeping it simple I felt compelled to share:

My daughter came out of her room a couple of nights ago and said to me, “Dad, how bad is it if I lie? Am I still going to go to heaven?” She appeared to be suffering a lot of inner turmoil about this as she asked this of me. And the KIS mantra immediately came to mind as I responded to her. I shared with her how I truly believe you only have to do two things to get to live in heaven one day:

 1.     You have to love our God with all of your heart and soul and mind and,

2.     You need to love your neighbor just as you love yourself.

 If we just do those two things – and do them well – I know we will make it to heaven.

 

Keeping it simple is critical.

Seek simplicity in all areas of your life and go win.

How to Hear God

1. There are both written and spoken Words of God.

Your word is a lamp. – Psalm 119:105

You can hear God most when reading the Bible.

Whoever believes in God listens gladly to the words of God.  – John 8:47

Our hearts will burn as we read and hear the Word. – Luke 24:32

God wants our hearts, not our minds. We need to be spirit-led (lead with our hearts), not flesh-led. We must strive to align our thoughts with our heart – where God dwells.

2. We need to allow The Holy Spirit into our hearts.

The job of the Holy Spirit is to guide us to the truth.

The Holy Spirit will declare what we are to become. – John 16:13

The voice of the Holy Spirit is soft and peaceful. It is still and small. It is just enough to persuade. Don’t ignore the whispers. Let it bring conviction within you. Be still and stop talking so you can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

3. Go talk to Him.

We are to call to Him. He will answer us. He wants a relationship with us. We need to position ourselves to receive Him. We must seek His will to be done. We can do nothing entirely on our own.

God is so unbelievably far ahead of us. We need to desire His will to be done. We need to be clear about our posture with God. Go receive His word!

How to Encounter and Listen for The Holy Spirit as a Business Leader

How to Encounter and Listen for The Holy Spirit as a Business Leader