Category: Blog

— by Paul Michalski

“Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first, and everything else second.” (Oswald Chambers)

Don’t stop reading just because you are not “rich” or not “young” or not a “ruler”–being a “Rich Young Ruler” is not about status or circumstances. It is about your heart, as reflected in your primary identity.

“Are you a rich young ruler?” is a question every faith-driven leader must honestly assess if they are to lead an organization with faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles, and priorities (what I will call business a better way).

This commentary was prompted by one of the segments in the recent Faith Driven Entrepreneur global conference. It was a conversation between Pat Lencioni and Henry Kaestner in which Lencioni vulnerably admitted that he wasn’t sure whether he would step out in faith if doing so could result in the loss of his business. He was asking himself the rich young ruler question.

The Biblical Rich Young Ruler Story

If you’ve read the Bible, attended Bible studies, or listened to sermons, you have probably heard the story of the “rich young ruler.”  It is one of the “biggies.”

Rather than try to summarize it myself, I decided to ask BibleChat – a new AI-driven engine that will answer any questions about the Bible (give it a try). Here is its answer:

The rich young ruler is a character mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. He approached Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, to which the young man claimed he had done since his youth. Jesus then challenged him to sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. The young man went away saddened because he was very wealthy and could not bring himself to part with his possessions (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23). The story serves as a lesson about the importance of prioritizing God above material wealth.

Although I don’t really know what happened to this man (he is never mentioned again in the Bible), everybody seems to assume he did not give everything away (if he did, he was certainly not a “joyful giver”). BibleChat is more honest when asked if he gave away his wealth:

The narrative does not provide any follow-up or indication of a change in the young man’s actions. Therefore, we cannot definitively say whether he eventually gave away his wealth or not. The story serves as a lesson about the challenge of prioritizing God above material possessions and the potential obstacles that wealth can present in following Jesus.

In both responses, BibleChat nails the key to determining if you are a rich young ruler – do you truly “prioritize” God?

What Do You Prioritize?

The word “priority” has an interesting history, and it plays an integral part in this commentary.  In his book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown observes:

The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years.

Similarly, the Bible suggests a person can have only one “priority.”  In Matthew 6:24, we are told, “No one can serve two masters.”

Notwithstanding the historical root of the word and the Biblical warning, today, we often talk about having numerous priorities–plural priorities.  “Plural priorities” are a reality of how we use the word “priority” today, how we think about our lives, and how we think about leading an organization.

Priority problems underlie business in the way of the world (what I will call business as usual) and the brokenness caused by business as usual. They are also at the root of many of the trials, fears, mistakes, and missed opportunities we face in our personal lives.

Equal Priorities Problem

While a person (or an organization) can have “plural” priorities, they can’t have equal priorities. The nature of something having priority is that it is prior to every other “priority” other than any priority that ranks even higher.  At the end of the day, there can only be one primary priority that will win out–other “priorities” usually get reduced to being “means” or “strategies,” which means they will be sacrificed if they no longer serve the higher priority or if they jeopardize the higher priority.

Real Priority Problem

A person (or an organization) may say they have one priority, but they are actually pursuing a different priority–or they may think they are pursuing equal priorities but there is a “real” priority.

Disordered Priorities Problem

A person (or an organization) has disordered priorities when they set priorities that are not aligned with Biblical priorities.

For a faith-driven leader to assess the “Are you a rich young ruler?” question, the leader must make an honest assessment of their priorities and, most importantly, their ultimate priority.

Priority in the Bible

People often cite Matthew 6:24 (“no one can serve two masters”) when talking about Biblical priority, but that principle weaves its way through many Biblical stories.

God asks Abraham to choose – God or Abraham’s son Isaac.

Jesus asks the rich young ruler to choose – God or money.

In Luke 14:26 Jesus tells his followers they must choose – God or father/mother/wife/children/brothers/sisters/life (“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”)

In commenting on Matthew, Oswald Chambers observes:

Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first and everything else second.

I believe priority in the Bible is about heart.

God didn’t actually want Abraham to kill Isaac–God just wanted to know that Abraham prioritized God over his son and was willing to sacrifice him.

We don’t know what Jesus would have done if the rich young ruler had prioritized God and been willing to liquidate his assets.  He might have told him to give just a percentage away and keep stewarding the rest in a way that glorified God.

Jesus isn’t really telling us to hate our family or our life–he is saying that we must prioritize God by being willing to sacrifice our relationships and even our lives if God calls us in a direction that puts those at risk.

I also believe priority in the Bible is “all or nothing.”  There is no grey.  God did not give Abraham the option of just giving Isaac a little cut.  Jesus didn’t negotiate with the rich young ruler over a specified percentage or tell his disciples they might have to have a slight disagreement with family members.  God calls people of Biblical faith to make Him THE priority.

“Grey” can feel good because it is better than black.  It also feels good because it will get affirmed–even from the church and faith community.  Grey is still black — the way of the world.  Remember 1 John 2:15: “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” Grey may be better than black, but it is not the heart to which people of Biblical faith are called and commanded–not the priority required for faithful integrity.

In the words and commentary of Oswald Chambers: “The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough.”

Understanding Your Heart

The rich young ruler followed all the rules, which in the Matthew account even included the great commandment to love his neighbor as himself.  Actions do not necessarily reveal the heart of a faithful leader (or organization) – their true priority.

Larry Crabb and Frederick Buechner have insightful observations:

Larry Crabb:  Biblical principles are reduced to basic principles of the world when they’re followed in order to gain the “better life'” we demand.

Frederick Buechner:  A man can be basically interested in nothing so much as feathering his own nest and still give generously to the Cancer Fund, be on the Board of Deacons, run for town office, and have a soft spot in his heart for children and animals.

I believe identity is a clue to a person’s heart–to what “god” is truly their priority.  There are really two gods from which to choose–the God of the Bible or the “gods” of this world.  Although “gods” of the world come in various forms—wealth, success, happiness, power, influence, fame, leisure–I believe they are all manifestations of the spirit of mammon (mammon is not money, and if you are unsure about the evil of mammon, look back at Andy Crouch’s chilling description of the demonic spirit of mammon from the 2022 Faith Driven Investor global conference).

For a faith-driven leader assessing their heart, I want to focus on two identity choices–a WHAT identity or a WHO identity.  Every faith-driven leader has both, but the question is which one is their primary identity and which one is a secondary identity.

Although a person can only have one primary identity, they can have many secondary identities.  For example, a person can be a Christian, a businessperson, a wife (or husband), a mother (or father), a daughter (or son), all at the same time.

But when push comes to shove, there is one identity they view, consciously or subconsciously, as the primary identity—the one they will protect, even if it means sacrificing success in their secondary ones.  Our self-worth and value are wrapped up in whatever we see as our primary identity. Any primary identity other than the Biblical priority of a child of God or a follower of Jesus is an RYR identity. Dr. Skip Moen beautifully describes the facets of that Biblical identity:

I am a child of God.  I am an adopted son.  I am a member of Abraham’s nation.  I am beloved by the Father.  I am a follower of His chosen Messiah.  I am part of the family.  I am a citizen of the Kingdom.  I am a resident alien tasked with repairing a broken world.

How Identity Shapes Behavior

With a WHO identity, the faith-driven leader’s primary identity is WHO they are in relation to God (e.g., a child of God or follower of Jesus).  With a WHAT identity, the faith-driven leader’s primary identity is WHAT they do in the world’s eyes (e.g., a businessperson, lawyer, barista, Uber driver, nurse, banker, consultant, teacher, mechanic).  Let’s compare how a WHO identity and a WHAT identity might impact a faith-driven leader’s behavior.

With a WHO Identity

She will see herself as “a Christian engaged in the business”, with faith being the primary identity and business being an activity in which that identity is lived out.

She may have to make sacrifices in her worldly business success to follow God’s principles and priorities.

WHAT she does will be determined by God’s leading rather than its potential for worldly success.

WHO she is where God places her will be more important than WHERE God places her.

She will wear WHAT SHE DOES lightly and will be able to change disguise at a moment’s notice.

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When employees and business owners are treated as cogs in a machine, when our work keeps us from living out our true potential as children of God, then life appears to be meaningless. 

Love of oneself, love of others, love of God, and love from God – these are the elements that undergird meaningful work. If you are in a job right now, ask yourself if the workplace enables you to live as a child of God, someone who is able to be creative, inspired, loving, and community-oriented. Likewise, if you have a position of power at a company, see if you are treating employees and team members with dignity. 

4 Questions to Rediscover Meaning in Entrepreneurship

If what we’ve said so far is true, then our sense of meaning and fulfillment is directly related to who God has created us to be. This is true in a general sense and a specific sense. All human beings are created in the image of God, and yet you have unique talents and gifts to give to the world. It’s time to turn our attention to your specific purpose. 

Here is a list of six related questions that can help you unpack your own relationship to meaningful work.

Who Are You?

This question has two parts. One, figure out where your passions and gifts lie. Not only will you find more joy in doing what you love, but you’ll also avoid a lot of frustration doing what you hate. Although entrepreneurs have the stereotype of being “the lone wolf,” any successful business owner will tell you that teamwork is key. Plus, there’s probably someone out there who loves doing what you hate. Let go of the unnecessary frustration! Find out who you are and what you do best. This starts by listening and using tools like Patrick Lencioni’s “Working Genius” content to better understand yourself.

The second part of this question has to do with our identities in Christ. Jeff Haanen, CEO and Founder of Denver Institute for Faith and Work, recounts his own struggle with worshipping work. After years of questioning and wrestling, he’s come to the realization that our identities are rooted in Christ. He writes: 

Jesus says to entrepreneurs, ‘You are mine. All the work has been done through my death and resurrection. You can add nothing to it and take nothing from it. Now be free. To work. To create. To build a business. To fail. No matter what, you no longer need to prove yourself. You are now a part of the family. Your identity is spoken for. You are mine. You are home.’ 

The freedom for the faith-driven entrepreneur is that in Christ, all the work is finally finished. Our work, then, is simply to listen, obey, and to tend the vine given to us. And when it grows, to marvel at the handiwork of the Gardener.

Pay attention to your gifts and passions, and remember that you are ultimately a child of Jesus Christ.

Who Are You Working For?

Faith driven entrepreneurs might think that the correct answer to this question is “God.” We should work for God, right? 

But what does it look like to work for God? Our all-sufficient God doesn’t need our work. He doesn’t have a quota of widgets to meet each day. God doesn’t send us a bi-weekly paycheck. Instead, working for God involves a specific heart posture. This is what we’ve learned after conducting countless blogs and podcasts. Entrepreneurs from all industries, countries, and demographics recommend taking the following action steps when it comes to getting your priorities right.

Many entrepreneurs start businesses out of fear. We become the boss in order to control the trajectories of our lives. We manage the finances. We manage customer service. We manage the product.

This was the case for Peter Demos, a restaurant owner, who says in “3 Fundamental Truths for Putting God at the Center of Your Business,” “I’ve since learned the root of my need to control was fear. I was afraid to trust anything other than my own two hands. So afraid that my wife would leave me, I nearly suffocated her with jealousy and controlling behavior. So afraid that my business would fail, I worked around the clock until it became my idol. I was a walking ball of fear, which manifested as uncontrollable anger. But the minute I relinquished control, I finally felt a peace I never knew was possible, and it changed everything.”

God calls us to love our neighbors and provide for those less fortunate. This focus on others is often what makes work meaningful or meaningless. Many entrepreneurs find meaning in providing for their families. Others are motivated by helping the customer, providing a life-changing product or service for those who need it. As Jesus says, what we do for the least of these, we do for Him.

In her article “Work and Meaning-Making,” Kara Martin breaks down some common misconceptions faith driven entrepreneurs have about work. For one, we can serve God while in our secular work. All work is ministry, done with the right attitude, as an act of worship to God and service to others.

This means that we can serve God wherever we are, with whatever we have, and all the gifts he has granted us. It also means we can still build relationships with others and encourage them to develop a relationship with Christ. You’re not just working for a paycheck or your boss. You’re working in order to continue God’s work of creating, sustaining, revealing, redeeming, bringing justice, and showing compassion through our ordinary work, paid or unpaid.

If your work feels meaningless, consider reconsidering how you work for God.

What is the Fruit of Your Labor (and What Do You Do With It)?

If your work feels meaningless, consider the results of your labor. While money is an important aspect of any business, it gets stale pretty quick. Status and success similarly lose their luster over time. What are you harvesting from your entrepreneurial efforts?

John Carbrey, managing director of a SaaS accelerator, says, “Tech entrepreneurs can easily fall into a pattern of striving tirelessly to succeed without ever reflecting on the purpose of their work. They feel that as long as their business is successful, everything in their life will fall into place. This might seem true for some, but for most others — myself included — business success only presents new challenges.”

While this question is similar to “Who are you working for?” it asks us to consider the long game. What’s the end game of your work? If you find that work is fueling your instant gratification, then consider how you might better steward what God has given you. 

Watch this video featuring Dylan Wilks, a man who built a billion-dollar business before he was 30 but quickly realized the emptiness of pursuing pleasure.

Ultimately, everything belongs to God, and faith driven entrepreneurs are called to contribute to God’s eternal kingdom, not just our own desires.

Has Work Become Your God?

Human beings were not created to find their ultimate meaning in work. Work is part of a full life, but we have to look outside of work if we want to reach our full potential. Our efforts as entrepreneurs will lack joy and meaning unless we fully embrace the magnitude of who we are. While the world may teach us to find our identity in our titles or successes, the greatest source of security is in embracing our need for Jesus, our savior.
Yes, there might be something with our work or our approach to work that feels meaningless, but in some situations, work isn’t the issue. We are social, intelligent, loving, beauty-appreciating creatures. All of that can’t be captured in work. So, break out of the “work = meaning” box. Rest in who God has made you to be outside of your career or next startup idea.

Work cannot provide ultimate meaning to your life. Is it time to reset your priorities?

Let Faith Guide You Through the Highs and Lows

We live in a fallen world, and work will never be perfectly meaningful. Although Solomon recognized that fulfilling work is a gift from God, he still suffered from meaninglessness. In developed economies where fulfillment is a high-priority need, entrepreneurs and professionals can fall prey to questing after meaning. Like an addict, we move from job to job, relationship to relationship, seeking the “high” of being fulfilled. But of course, this quest ultimately ends up leaving us more meaningless than where we began. 

Times of confusion and bewilderment will come. We all wander through the desert at one time or another. This does not mean that you are automatically “doing it wrong” or “lacking faith.” Rather, some of the most faithful people have gone through meaningless periods. Imagine how Joseph felt sitting in prison for a crime he did not commit. And yet God had a plan.

If you have reset your priorities and handed control of your life over to God, then perhaps the next question should be, “What makes work meaningful or meaningless for others?” As entrepreneurs and CEOs, we have an incredible opportunity to bless our teams with meaningful work. As we’ve seen, focusing on yourself can lead to a vicious cycle of discontent. Maybe it’s also time to build a meaningful workplace for others. 

As you continue wrestling with the question of what makes work meaningful or meaningless, consider diving into these Faith Driven resources:

Faith Driven Entrepreneur exists to support entrepreneurs at all stages. Whether you’re about to start your first LLC or you’re entering year 10 as CEO of a large company, we have your back. However you choose to connect, we’re glad to have you as part of our community.

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— by Faith Driven Team

How God Calls Us to Be Creative in All We Do

Human beings are called to create. Many of us naturally embrace that drive, whether we’re decorating our home, coming up with an advertising campaign, or painting with watercolors. Creativity is something many of us do for free. Because we’re called to it. 

This is why the first mark of the faith driven entrepreneur is “Called to Create.”  We believe that since God created us in His image, his creativity can be expressed in us. God wants to work alongside us. He wants to create with us. He wants to start, share, and complete new projects and ideas with us. He didn’t leave Adam alone to tend to the Garden of Eden, and He doesn’t ask us to work in isolation.

But creativity doesn’t just mean being an artist. To fully grasp how you can embrace your God-given creativity, we need to get creative. And depending on your background, you might consider business and entrepreneurship as the antitheses of creativity. Gray cubicles, monotonous monthly reports, consultants rambling on about economic jargon. But what if we told you that entrepreneurship is one of the purest ways a human being can express their creativity?

At Faith Driven Entrepreneur, we believe in a creative God. The first thing the Bible tells us is that God is a creator. From this premise, we can redeem what entrepreneurship looks like and unlock the creative potential of thousands of entrepreneurs. So, let’s look at what creativity looks like, starting in the Bible and moving on to creativity in business.

Revisiting Our Creative God in Genesis

If we’re not careful, we might skim through the creation story and fail to understand how God’s creativity informs our own creativity. The creation story is a popular topic for sermons, podcasts, and books. We hear the story so much that the deep meaning of Genesis becomes reduced to soundbites and PowerPoint slides, and we lose sight of what creativity can truly mean. 

When it comes to humanity’s relationship with work, we need to look at Adam in the garden.

“To Work it and Take Care of It”

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen 2:15). Is this a command to creativity? Most likely. God did not put Adam on an assembly line. Nor did He give Adam a highly detailed instruction list that forced Adam to work inside a rigid box. 

Instead, God put Adam in a garden and gave Adam a task that would require creative activity like problem-solving, organization, and stewardship. You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever tended your own garden or done landscaping at your home. Taking care of a space requires all sorts of creativity. A few verses later, Adam has to rely on his creativity as he names the animals. 

From Adam up until the modern day, we see that work and creativity go hand in hand. Consider the creativity that has gone into technology, data processing, transportation, and human resources over the past millennia. Even stewardship, deciding what we are to do with the fruits of our labor, requires creative thinking. So, when it comes to work, God leaves a lot of the “how” of our work up to us. We’re free to be creative.

“Bear Fruit and Multiply and Fill the Earth”

The call to “bear fruit and multiply and fill the earth” is also a well-known phrase to faith driven entrepreneurs (Gen 1:28). It’s easy to interpret this verse as “have kids” and move on to the next passage. But consider the “how.” To multiply a population requires incredible vision, foresight, and creativity. 

You need teachers to educate children. You need infrastructure to provide for basic needs. You need pastors and mentors. You need artists to create beautiful images and stories to advance culture. The list goes on and on. 

God doesn’t say to have as many children as possible just to reach an arbitrary number. It’s doubtful that wants a world full of ragamuffin children living on scraps. Rather, we can look to Adam’s call to work the garden and take care of it. 

We worship a creative God, and this applies to all areas of life. Creativity is necessary for sustaining work, family, and culture. The question isn’t “Should I be creative?” It’s “How can I be creative?” This brings us to the concept of vocation. What are you called to do? If you’re reading this article, entrepreneurship might be your calling. That, too, takes creativity.

Being Creative in Work and Entrepreneurship

The more we understand our creative God, the more we can understand our own creativity. This is a key piece to the puzzle. The more you understand how God made you, the better you can align yourself with projects and pursuits that fulfill you. Sometimes, we think that “creativity” in entrepreneurship means being an inventor like Steve Jobs or Thomas Edison. While there’s tremendous value in inventing, it’s not the only path forward.

To help entrepreneurs consider their roles in a business, the Faith Driven Entrepreneur team has created a one-of-a-kind video series titled “Called to Create.” This series helps entrepreneurs broaden their concepts of God, creativity, and work. It has also inspired thousands of entrepreneurs to live out their callings – we hope it inspires you, too.

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The first industrial revolution permanently altered the way businesses operated (Times Agriculture).  As agricultural jobs evaporated, did workers simply find themselves without a path forward?  New technology created new careers: 

Factory workers to produce goods

Railroad workers to lay tracks, drive trains, and load/unload cargo

Miners to extract coal, iron ore, copper, gold, and other minerals and metals from the ground

Service workers to maintain and repair the new technology used in the fields and factories

Nearly 200 years later, only 1.3% of the American workforce is involved in agriculture.  (Business Insider)  Have the displaced workforce found themselves suddenly with no means to produce income?  Technology changes with the times, creating a wellspring of new opportunities.

The second industrial revolution, known as the Technical Revolution, was characterized by the emergence of new sources of energy (electricity, oil, and gas) and new modes of transportation (automobiles, airplanes) (Interesting Engineering)

The third industrial revolution, known as the Digital Revolution, brought forth new information and communication technologies, such as computers, the internet, and digital media.  (Economist)

We are now in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution: the convergence of emerging technologies, digital production, and smart automation.  (Salesforce)

Humankind is marked by our ability to adapt.  This generational shift in technology has created an entirely new landscape of opportunities.  Who, in the late 1800s, could have ever dreamt of quantum computing modeling researchers, no-code prompt engineers, or large language model developers?

Both Chantal and I have been involved with more than 300 organizations in our careers.  In that time, I have seen every plot point on the spectrum of technology adoption.  Some organizations see technology as a strategic advantage, others as a means to keep pace, and others still as no more than a cost center.

The AI explosion, just like the personal computer, internet, and social media revolutions before it, comes with a lot of promise, hype, fear, and uncertainty.

Over the past few years, we have both watched companies give lip service to AI, while providing solutions more akin to digital parlor tricks than true artificial intelligence.  Since the calendar flipped to 2023, and LLMs (large language models) have made their way into the cultural mainstream, AI is now an irrevocable element of our lexicon.

Companies that rely on legacy methods and products are spiraling downward, falling out of favor with the market.  They face the unenviable challenges of losing ground to more nimble competitors, clawing to hit already-reduced sales targets, waning attention from their customer base, and bleeding workforce due to downsizing and departures.

Yes, progress for the sake of progression can be an empty pursuit—after all, our new era of interconnected, algorithmic lives has also created a pathway for revenue as far-flung as a TikTok influencer—the merits of which are certainly disputable.

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— by Chris Meroff

Empathy. It’s a word that I have been afraid of most of my life. I was so afraid of this word that I failed to truly understand what it meant. Out of ignorance, I made fun of it. 

Even worse, I made fun of people who needed it. I thought they were so weak. So needy. Not me! I was strong. 

I didn’t need someone to pamper me, encourage me or even see me emoting. In fact, I didn’t want to see myself emoting. 

I learned at an early age that emotions weren’t for me. Growing up in New England, I was told that I needed to be strong for the people around me. I needed to push emotions away so I could show up well for the people in my life. They didn’t want to be around someone who was an emotional mess. So, I stopped learning about the intricacies of emotions. I chose others instead of my own emotions. 

This is the lie I was told and told myself for 40 years. This lie led directly to loneliness, isolation, and depression. Eventually, I had to confront my suppressed emotions. And if you are wondering why empathy is important in leadership, let me tell you that it’s not only necessary but one of the most critical aspects. I want to convince you that empathy is important in leadership, business, marriage, parenting, and faith. This is my story.

Perfecting the Emotionless Life

I spent the first 25 years of marriage and 20 years as a business leader perfecting this lie. The lie; emotions make me weak and needy. No one wants to follow a weak and needy leader. Instead, I communicated to everyone in my life that they were too weak and needy to offer me help. 

My poor wife never felt as though she had any role in supporting me, encouraging me, or even understanding me. My employees learned that I had no weaknesses. They were intimidated and felt less than. I shut everyone out.

Eventually, not by my own choice, I started learning about the power of empathy…for others. I was being disciplined by a pastor in our local church in the area of empathy. I was learning that people needed to feel connected and not lonely. Through an authentic community (people who you trust and are willing to be honest with you), people could have courage to face their emotions, address the hurt, and start to heal. After mulling over this idea, I wanted to be a part of the process. 

My New Appreciation for Empathy

I learned that my wife didn’t want me to fix anything, but instead wanted me to listen, understand, and feel what she was feeling. This simple act of mirroring her feelings brought comfort and healing. Through discipleship, I discovered Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief].”

Out of obedience to my Lord, I determined to empathize with the people in my life. I would feel what they feel. Unfortunately, I learned pretty quickly that I was incredibly ignorant of the language of emotions. I started learning about all the different words used to describe how someone felt. There were a lot of words! I found myself feeling sad for people who were in high emotion, but learned that was sympathy, not empathy. 

Yikes, this was harder than I thought! 

Once I learned that I needed to feel what they felt, I realized that pushing away emotions for a lifetime left me unable to flip an emotional switch. I had to go back and categorize all of my emotional responses I had experienced since a child. I’m still working on this massive project! I could see the impact on people’s lives. God knew what he was doing! He made us for this!

Escaping the Prison of My Own Making 

After a couple of years on this journey, I faced my own breaking point. My discipleship pastor asked me if there was anyone with whom I could share my deepest fears, hopes, or hurts. Of course, I lied (to my pastor!). When anyone would ask me how I was doing, my automatic response would be “fine,” “good,” or “ok.” I would never be that messy or needy. I wouldn’t want someone to have to deal with my mess! I wouldn’t want someone to feel the pain, hurt, discouragement, fear, loneliness, insecurity…

The dots connected! It all came crashing in. I realized that I was in a prison of my own making. I wouldn’t let anyone else in. I needed empathy! Me! Never dawned on me that I needed the same healing that I was willing to offer to others. Talk about being afraid. I was going to have to tell people that I was not fine, good, or ok. 

What if they run away from me? 

What if they realized that I’m a mess? 

What if they reject me? 

What if no one wanted to follow such a needy leader? 

These questions haunted me for the next year. Slowly but surely, I started to finally be brave. 

Why Does Empathy Matter in Leadership? Bravery, Freedom, Humility, and Authenticity

Empathy requires vulnerability. Could I be brave enough to be vulnerable? If I wanted someone to rejoice or weep with me, I needed to let people know how I felt. Trust people with my emotions, needs, and mess. Be the person I used to make fun of. I needed to be brave. The bravest leader. The leader who would share their fears, failings, and emotions. The leader who trusts that God knows what I need. The leader who lives in humility. The leader who is vulnerable. 

Nobody ran away. Nobody laughed. Nobody rejected me. God answered my deepest fear with love, relationship, and real community. My old definition of leadership faking strength, confidence, and independence was replaced with one word…Empathy. Quick to empathize with others and a willingness to let others in through vulnerability.

This, in fact, was the bravest leadership!

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— by Kristy Edwards

Have you ever felt called to do something, and you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was God telling you to do it? 

I have. I deeply believe that my business, Neatly Balanced, is my calling. It may sound a little cliche or even indulgent – but I know for sure it is what I am supposed to be doing right now. 

I started Neatly Balanced to provide total home organization to clients. What is total home organization, you ask? It means getting rid of items clients no longer need and donating to various organizations that help those less fortunate. I also provide donation receipts so clients can see where their things go while also receiving a tax write-off. 

But how did I know that Neatly Balanced was my calling? Let me tell that story.

Every Calling Has a Story

It seems to me that every calling has a spark, a flashbulb moment where everything changes. It can be as simple as spending a summer afternoon playing with a DIY radio kit or grinding coffee beans with your mom. Or it can be something transformative, like coming up with a financial tool after God miraculously saves your family from debt.

But in almost every case, you know you’ve been called if there’s a story behind your “why.”

This idea for Neatly Balanced came to my mind years before it came to fruition, after a mission trip to Honduras in 2011. 

I grew up in a small town in North Carolina, to parents who gave me a simple and, in many ways, idealistic childhood. I was raised in a stable, two-parent family unit, and four years after I was born, a sister joined our family. We grew up not realizing we didn’t have a lot, because all we could dream of, we had. Dad worked at the Sheriff’s Department as a policeman, and my mom was a teacher before we were born but was a stay-at-home mom for the majority of our childhood. We were in church every time the doors were open and then some. I had a strict upbringing in every sense. I was always in church without question, and couldn’t date until I was sixteen, but because I was a product of the 80s, social media, and phones weren’t even a thought because they hadn’t been created yet. 

Fast forward to 2010, when my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. The disease quickly spread to his liver, and four months after he was diagnosed, he died. To say that has impacted every facet of my life since is the biggest understatement of my life. I miss him every day. 

One year after my father passed away, we took a mission trip to build a chapel in a very remote village in Honduras. The chapel was named in my dad’s memory. While we were there, I witnessed the happiest people I’ve ever met, people who had absolutely nothing but the shirts on their backs. Most did not have shoes, and they gave us their food so we could eat.

On the last day, a lady in a bakery discovered I was an American, and when I explained I was a nanny and asked to hold her baby, she tried to GIVE her baby girl to me. 

Then and there, Neatly Balanced was born.  

I was astounded that Americans have SO much, but we always want more. More, bigger, better. The people we met in Honduras didn’t have many material possessions, and yet they had the biggest smiles on their faces. Seeing their experiences inspired me to bring joy to my little corner of the world by showing clients how to not just survive but THRIVE on less. 

Calling is Personal

I have a past that includes sexual assault, unwed pregnancy, and a miscarriage. I’ve spent many years trying to figure out how all that looked for me – as a girl who grew up in a strict Christian home. These experiences ultimately brought me closer to God after the mission trip when the woman tried to give me her baby. It brought all my past full circle, and I felt like God was speaking to me through this woman in Honduras in terms of how I lost a baby and she was trying to give me hers. 

I knew God was telling me something, I just wasn’t entirely sure what it was, then.

You see, for almost twenty years, my sexual assault, pregnancy, and miscarriage were my deepest secret that no one knew about. I was ashamed and felt like I had disappointed everyone who thought I was a perfect “good girl.” After lots of therapy, journaling, and personal work, I founded Neatly Balanced and realized we ALL have junk that needs sorting and cleaning out. 

Many internal issues come from undealt with junk. That’s where my business comes in. By cleaning out the clutter in clients’ attics and storage spaces, I’m able to help clients pinpoint other issues in their life that need to be sorted through as well to find more inner peace. God is still working in my life, but it’s so fulfilling to be able to let my personal story fuel my business.

Calling is Public

I travel nationwide sharing my story with teens, high school, college students, young adults, and moms. In this process, I’ve learned that God loves us exactly where we are, BUT He loves us too much to leave us there. I use my story as a launching pad to share with others how one or two bad choices do not have to dictate the path your life takes. 

I think that when we’re called to something, we feel an innate desire to share it. In a way, our callings are our testimonies. And as we read in the gospels, we’re supposed to let our lights shine in places of darkness. It is incredible to be able to share my testimony of walking through brokenness and finding healing in my identity in Christ, as part of the reason why I’ve started my business. Total home organization is part of the narrative of who God has created me to be. 

What Are You Called to Do?

One of the stories that encouraged me when I started my business is about the little boy on the seashore, which goes like this: A young boy was walking along the edge of the ocean, picking up stranded starfishing and throwing them back in the water. And old man came across the boy and grumbled, “You’re never going to save them all.” The boy picked up a starfish, threw it in the ocean, and said, “I saved that one.” 

Every single day a client will donate something and say something like, “I don’t know who could possibly need this,” and an hour later, I’ll get a text from one of the organizations I work with asking for the exact item. When I drop off donations, someone at the organization will almost always say, “We needed more of these so badly!” 

Knowing that I’ve made a difference in even just one client’s life feels SO good. I know I can’t change or fix every person’s problems, but if I can help them experience the joy of generosity, I feel that I am truly changing the world little by little. And perhaps this is the heart of finding calling – using our gifts and talents to bless others, one day at a time. 

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— by Christos A. Makridis

When the Father gave Adam dominion and instructed him to name all the animals, that wasn’t just a command for Adam’s time – it is an adventurous mandate for us today too. God created us in His image, so whenever we advance human flourishing through our work and ideas, that is an expression of His creative power in us. 

Today, we are tempted to think of technology as a computer or algorithm, but the reality is that technology has been around since the origin of man – simply in different forms. Adam used his creativity to create a system for naming and classifying the animals. 

What does this mean for faith driven entrepreneurs looking to develop their own biblical perspective on AI? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) – whether we like the name or not – brings us a step closer to walking in the mandate that the Lord has endowed us with to speak things into existence. For example, Romans 4:17 mentions “the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” In other words, we serve a God who can create something out of nothing. The Lord commands us to use the same creative and prophetic capabilities (“Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!” – Ezekiel 37:4).

Before continuing, let’s pause on defining AI. There is a lot of debate about its definition and how it differs from automation. My aim isn’t to get into the weeds of what AI is and isn’t.

For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to say that AI is the application of optimization algorithms in a setting where there is stochasticity – that is, uncertainty. In fully deterministic environments (i.e., no uncertainty), we have automation: if X, then Y. But in stochastic environments, we can build AI models and systems to dynamically navigate uncertainty. By navigating uncertainty, we can foster human flourishing.

Today, there are two ways that AI can function in a society, business, or any other application: narrow and general AI

Narrow AI

Narrow AI refers to AI models that are developed and tested to solve a specific need. For instance, my work in the area of financial technology involves building AI models to predict credit risk and forecast macroeconomic activity. But those same models would perform extremely poorly in completely different contexts, such as healthcare or inventory management, without new data and separate tuning.

General AI

Large language models – also known as foundational models, which have led to the term “generative AI” – are different in that they are developed and tested to handle much more complicated and general-purpose environments. That is why you can even have a conversation with generative AI and ask it a whole host of questions. 

Let’s Consider AI as a “Prophetic” Instrument

These capabilities make generative AI a prophetic instrument. We learn in Genesis 1:3 that the Kingdom of God is voice-activated, in a way. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. If we have been filled with Holy Spirit, then we have are able to speak truth and accomplish God’s will through speaking in God’s name. We see this happen in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

And technology – “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area” – simply serves as an extension of our toolkit in advancing the work of the Father: to bring life. The difference with generative AI is the scale of its capabilities. We can speak a command into ChatGPT and see results come to life right before our eyes.

The Drawbacks of AI

And yet, just as generative AI can advance human flourishing, it can also be used to stifle it. We have seen, for instance, the rise of malicious uses of AI among cybercriminals – people using generative AI to identify vulnerabilities and exploit them. But the potential malicious uses of AI are not unique; any technology can be abused. For example, we’ve seen how social media, especially Instagram and TikTok, has been used by predators to solicit minors into human trafficking. Similarly, we’ve seen how vehicles can be used as weapons in crowds.

Practical Applications for AI from a Biblical Perspective

So, how do we use generative AI to advance human flourishing?

Treat technology as a complement, not a substitute

The minute we fully outsource our inherent responsibilities, we get disconnected from the process of co-creating with the Father. There are some activities that are inherently sacred and require our personal investment of time and energy. It would be ludicrous to think of outsourcing parenting to a chatbot, so it is equally egregious to outsource, for instance, writing a sermon to generative AI. We must use discernment to identify the areas where our participation in the activity is essential and others where technology can amplify our impact.

Remember that technology is not a solution to our problems

Let us not forget that technology has always existed in different capacities. That we’ve always had problems highlights that the root issue is not technological, but rather human. The solution to our individual and collective problems is Jesus – the Word made flesh.

Put technology to work and get outside your comfort zone

One of the temptations we face is to be content with a plateau. But Jesus calls us higher each day – and that means getting outside our comfort zone and walking in intellectual curiosity. There are a wide array of generative AI tools that are worth experimenting with, so reflect on the areas of your life that might benefit from working smarter, not just harder.

We are in the process of a tectonic transformation in the way we work and live – let’s rise to the challenge of using generative AI to speak and create life, rather than standing on the sidelines.

_ _ _

Faith Driven Entrepreneur is thankful that Christos has chosed to share his biblical perspective on AI with our audience. We hope this perspective sparks conversation as you and your colleagues discuss the role of AI in the faith driven workplace. 

Christos A. Makridis is the CEO/founder of Dainamic, a financial technology startup that uses AI to help small and mid sized banks make better decisions and forecast economic activity. He also holds appointments at several academic institutions and has authored over 80 peer-reviewed research papers and 200 stories in the media. Christos earned doctorates in economics and management science & engineering from Stanford University.

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— by Pierce Brantley

“Can we pray before we go inside?” asked my colleague. 

I was pleasantly surprised. I was new to the team, and we were about to enter a high-stakes client meeting. I agreed to their request, and they began to pray. My colleague prayed with deep conviction. They covered everything—asking for favor in the meeting, understanding from our client, and for God to be glorified through our work. When they finished, I was on cloud nine. I felt so honored to be in a place where prayer was the cultural norm. But no sooner had I opened my eyes than they asked me another question. 

“Would you mind if we prayed for our atheist colleague too? They will be in the meeting, and I want this time to witness to them as well.” 

How could I say no? This was incredible. They doubled down and prayed that they, too, would see that God moves in business, would open up to the power of Jesus, and see that Christians could be good at enterprise too. Now I was really excited. This was real faith in action.

After the prayer, we left the car and walked toward the client’s building. But once again, my colleague stopped me. “Pierce, you know what…this is God’s business, right? I think we need to do something different. I know the client is upset about their ad performance, but I think we need to take the opportunity to witness to them. After all, God can save the account if He wants to.” I nodded and marveled at their extreme faith. 

Once inside, we entered the client’s largest boardroom. The room was filled with the company’s C-level executives. After everyone settled, my colleague announced that instead of the agreed agenda, they had a special presentation. Immediately they launched into a 45-minute talk about their personal testimony, stories of healing, and how they had seen God move over the years. 

When they finished talking, the room went silent. After a long minute, a stakeholder slowly raised their hand. 

“Thank you for that inspirational talk,” they said. “I have just one question. What are you going to do about our failing ad performance? We have no way to track whether our ad spend is effective, and by all accounts, our campaign is failing.”

The atheist on our team crumbled in embarrassment.

We had no answer. We weren’t prepared for this conversation. Worse still, it demonstrated an immediate gap in our stewardship of the client’s resources. The client knew this and fired us shortly after. 

Stewardship is a Spectrum

Our experience was painful. But it stirred a new desire in me to discover the true definition of a Kingdom business. If prayer and testimony alone didn’t move the needle, I wondered, then what would? Through my work on the Eternal Entrepreneur and consulting with Christian business owners, I have learned that Kingdom businesses are on a continuum. Because they are on a continuum, some faith driven businesses have more impact than others. 

My research has also led me to see that there are, in fact, three stages of a Kingdom business. Each stage has a little more impact than its predecessor. Through this insight, I have also discovered that many well-meaning Christian business owners will get stuck at various stages and don’t even realize it. Since they don’t see the stall, they unknowingly miss out on greater opportunities for Kingdom impact and business-led ministry. Let’s look at each stage to learn more about their impact, constraints, and how you can become a stage-three entrepreneur.

Stage One: The Values-Centered Business

Stage one is defined by values. Christian businesses that define themselves by their values are everywhere. When you look at their mission statement or company roster, you will see words like integrity, honesty, and the golden rule as the key differentiating factors of the business. Having worked with many businesses in this stage, I have seen a startling theme emerge. Businesses that only value values don’t bring value to the marketplace. 

Now, am I saying that values aren’t important? Absolutely not. We need biblical values in business. But values alone do not create a valuable offering; they just reveal the business owner’s heart for godliness. 

Moreover, so-called worldly businesses typically have the same values as the Christian ones. In fact, consumers are beginning to show a preference for missionaly-led businesses, regardless of their religious backing, and see it as a form of personal integrity to choose a company based on what it values. So in this way, a values-centered business is simply table stakes. Biblical values are a requirement but not a differentiator. 

Of course, you could argue that your definition of honesty may not mean the same thing as another business’s definition of honesty. Still, this type of distinction is largely moot to the consumer. Values are a foundation, not a fulcrum. I have found that Christian businesses that differentiate on values alone will see their competition grow beyond them; because they offer more than values. But businesses that have good values can move on to stage two.

Stage Two: The Excellence-Minded Business

Stage two is all about excellence. Christian businesses that focus on excellence are great at execution. They know what their customers want, and they deliver what the market is asking for. They also tend to attract great talent and may have high ratings on platforms like Google and Yelp. But excellence-minded businesses often wonder why they never see the success of those businesses that have pioneered before them. Herein lies the issue with the excellence-minded business. 

The excellence-minded business will deliver what the market wants, but they offer nothing new. They simply deliver at a high standard when they could define the standard i.e. creating new markets and new products. Entrepreneurs who run excellent businesses will often belabor the point that they may not be Tesla or Apple, but they are good stewards. Here too, there is room to grow.

Stewardship is an invitation to take what you have and, with a little risk, grow beyond what you’ve been given. The good news is that there is little risk when the Spirit leads. This brings us to stage three.

Stage Three: The Spirit-Led Business

The third stage of a kingdom business involves the Spirit. In Genesis, we see that the Spirit of God hovered over the “surface of the deep.” Everything was formless and void. Soon after, something was created from nothing, and a world filled with good work was made. But that’s not end. The Spirit is still hovering over unformed markets and the void of human need. But now, we get to partner with God in the creative process. This is what a stage-three Kingdom business does. Leaders who want to provide real value to the marketplace prayerfully ask God what the real problems in the marketplace are (or will be) and then seek Him for inspiration on how to solve those problems. 

The biblical Joseph story provides us with a great example. Through a dream, God revealed to Joseph that a famine was coming to Egypt and that hard times were ahead. But he didn’t tell Joseph what to do with that information. 

Joseph could have simply continued to lead by example, relished in the honor of getting secret revelation, and continued to do his job well. But he used his experience as an administrator to create a system that both stored and distributed food throughout a difficult economic period. God didn’t tell him to do this part.

Joseph could have just assumed the famine was a judgment. But instead, he saw it as an opportunity to help those who would be hurting. The result was that Egypt both survived the famine and made a profit, too, when they sold grain to other nations. 

Joseph knew that revelation comes with a wrench—meaning if God reveals something to the leader, the leader must do something with that insight. 

Revelation must be absorbed by the heart and applied by the hand. Christian businesses that lead with innovation know what God is up to and use that knowledge to bring consumers a solution that directly connects with the pain they feel and the needs they have. 

Assess Your Business

After working with many Kingdom Businesses, I have discovered that most businesses exist on a spectrum. For many faith driven businesses, there are areas where they do, in fact, innovate. But there is not always a lot of thought to how those innovations are backed by biblical values. In the same vein, some parts of their business may be very values-centered but offer little tangible value to the employee or consumer. We see the same thing with excellence: an excellence business does not an innovative business make. 

The goal for us, as Christian entrepreneurs, is to prayerfully assess each part of our business and see if they are pro-actively pursuing a roadmap that moves every person, department, and offering toward a stage-three perspective. Consider taking some time with the leaders on your team to prayerfully assess your business and consider what stage you are at, and what you can do to continue to grow as a spirit-led entrepreneur. If you do, you will begin to see that the spirit of God is still hovering over all sorts of unformed potential in the marketplace. 

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— by Luke Harl

What 1 Timothy 6:9-10 Has to Say to Entrepreneurs

It’s ironic that “The Midas Touch” is one of the highest compliments in modern business culture. 

Originating in Greek mythology, the “Midas Touch” belongs to King Midas, who, through a genie-like god, is granted one wish. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn into gold, giving him unlimited wealth.  Likewise, in today’s modern culture, the Midas Touch references a businessperson who tends to turn everything they touch into gold – i.e., a success. 

But King Midas’s story doesn’t end there. As the king goes about turning twigs and roses into gold, he returns to his palace for a meal. There, his thrill turns to dread as his golden touch prevents him from eating or drinking. The pinnacle of the story occurs when the king touches his own daughter and realizes he wished for something that would become his own demise. Fortunately for Midas, his new talent is reversible. 

Hence the irony of the compliment. Modern business culture views the golden touch to be a desirable skill. But that viewpoint omits the part of the story where that very skill would lead to Midas’s starvation, apart from the golden touch being reversed. It would be much more fitting if the Midas Touch were a warning: wealth and success can be a blessing, but the love of it can be deadly.  

1 Timothy 6:9-10 says, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

It’s important to point out that Paul doesn’t say “money is a root of all kinds of evil” but rather “the love of money” is. There is a key distinction between the two. 

GOOD USE OF MONEY 

Money is a blessing and can be used for many good things. It can be used to provide for yourself and your family, for the enjoyment of travel or entertainment, and for generous giving to those in need or ministry/charitable endeavors. Money can be used as capital for a business to start or grow, by adding new products or services (and, by extension, value to consumers). It can provide employment and job satisfaction to the community and a return to shareholders. 

In fact, the generous and business use of money provides a great opportunity to expand the spread of the gospel.

BAD USE OF MONEY

The contrary can also be true. Money can be used poorly. There are obvious indulgences that would bring shame to ourselves and God. But the less obvious, and possibly just as dangerous, is how money can allow us to feel – self-sufficient. Money can give us a false sense of control over our lives. As we accumulate wealth, we not only can take care of our needs but also many of our wants. In and of itself, that is a good thing. But in this, there is a tendency to forget who the provider really is. 

There is a tendency to believe that “my” work earned this or that “my” business produced this. 

Because of this, it becomes easy to believe that we succeed on our own, that we provide for ourselves, that we do not need anyone, or treacherously, God. He warns us of this concept in Deuteronomy 8:17-19: “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.” 

THE PURSUIT OF SOMETHING GREATER

So, if money can be used for good or evil, how then do we discern our own use? What is our application? 

Consider this: money is a tool, a means to an end. 

It also provides a microscopic view into our hearts. Reflecting on our capital allocation reveals our true heart’s desire. Is it for God, or is it for self? 

The rest of 1 Timothy 6:11-12, provides guidance. “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” In short, our capital, work, and wealth should be a tool in pursuit or a reflection of these, ultimately to the glory of God. 

A few weeks ago, the FDE podcast honored the late Dr. Tim Keller, quoting him at a Sovereign Capital LP meeting: “Rejoice not that your name is written in the “Midas List,” rejoice instead that your name is written in the Book of the Lamb. Let your identity be as a beloved son of the Most High God that died for you so that you might be reconciled to him with the joy and gratitude that comes from that gift. Return to the altar with your meaningful form of worship.”

In the wake of modern culture worshipping the “Midas Touch” and the “Midas List”, faith driven entrepreneurs and investors should take it as a warning, remembering that our identity is rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us an eternal joy that he gives graciously. It is not in material wealth or worldly success that leaves us feeling empty and vulnerable when trials come. 

Therefore, seek the kingdom of God first, and if success and wealth come from entrepreneurship, it is for His glory, not ours. 

About Author & Artist

Luke Harl is the Vice President of Asset Management and an Advisor for Fairfield National Bank, a community bank located in southern Illinois. Luke is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor specializing in financial and succession planning for business owners. Opinions are his own and not necessarily reflective of Fairfield National Bank or Midwestern Securities Trading Company, LLC. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukeharl/

David Harl is the Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church in Fairfield, Illinois. David is a graduate of Southeastern Seminary (M.Div) and Boyce College. He is an artist that uses his skillset to depict creation and Biblical applications. 

The Rich and Weary King Midas. According to the Roman poet Ovid, King Midas was rewarded by Bacchus, the god of wine, for showing kindness to the drunken Silenus, who fostered Bacchus as an infant. Bacchus allowed Midas to ask for any gift that he desired, and he asked for the power to turn anything he touched into gold. With his wish granted, Midas quickly accrued a world of wealth by touching everything in his path. When he came to rest in his palace, he was disturbed to find that his supper turned into metal at his touch, leaving him dissatisfied and disappointed. Midas returned to Bacchus, who told him to wash away his golden touch in a nearby river.

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— by Dan Anderson

What is the worst advice you have ever been given?

I was relaying a story to a friend recently regarding some advice my father received from a prison chaplain years ago.

Prior to his incarceration, my dad had met a woman who shared his struggles with alcohol addiction.  This was something my dad wrestled with himself for years and was the root cause of his imprisonment. In some cases, people make bad decisions because they refuse to listen to advice and exhortations. But in my father’s situation, he took bad advice from someone he expected to guide him in the right direction. A chaplain.

As you’ll see, this specific mindset can cause issues in our work lives and heartbreak in our personal lives. I’m talking about the “Don’t worry; be happy” mindset.

Some Surprisingly Bad Advice

While in prison, my dad sobered up and turned to the Lord for help. He was growing by leaps and bounds, and his release was near. His girlfriend wanted him to move in with her as soon as he got out of prison.  Intellectually, he knew this was not a wise decision, but it conflicted with his emotional attachment.

So he turned to a prison chaplain for help. You know what his advice was? 

“God just wants you to be happy, and if that would make you happy, you should do it.” 

REALLY?

Unfortunately, that’s all my dad needed to hear. When he was released, he made the foolish choice to accept the chaplain’s advice. It was only a matter of time before his addictions took hold of him. He moved in with the person he thought would make him happy, which then sent his life into a downward spiral from which he never recovered.

An Example Relating to Our Work

To most, the foolishness of my dad’s choice probably seems self-evident.  Yet we can easily head down that same road chasing after that same elusive happiness. Do what makes you happy. On the surface, it makes sense. It feels right. And we often latch onto this mindset in much more subtle ways than my father did.

For instance, if there are elements about our work or leadership responsibilities that are painful, challenging, and totally draining, we could conclude that such circumstances are keeping us from being fulfilled or happy. The next step is to disregard those responsibilities because they “don’t make us happy.”

Such discontent could also lead us to assume that we’re not doing things God’s way or that we have somehow missed God’s call on our lives and are serving Him in the wrong vocation (or in the wrong way in our vocation). The first premise here is that God’s first desire is for us to be happy in an immediate, self-gratifying way. But is that what scripture says?

Holiness Trumps Happiness

God isn’t anti-happiness. There are many examples in life and scripture that show faithful people enjoying God’s blessings and expressing deep joy. However, it could also be true that God might want to use the current challenges you and I face in our work to make us more HOLY instead of HAPPY. Consider the following verse:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) NIV

In my father’s case, his pursuit of happiness went counter to Paul’s encouragement to be holy and pleasing to God. And in this way, many of us make happiness our God. An idol.

Making Wise and Holy Choices

If we view our entire lives as a sacrifice of praise and worship, offered to God out of thankfulness for whom He is and what He has done, then our work life can be one of the largest platforms for God to perfect His holiness in us. When that kind of surrender takes place, then the fleeting pursuit of happiness can be replaced by a deep, abiding joy that transcends our circumstances. Yes, I’m making a distinction between happiness and joy. I’m equating happiness with immediate gratification and putting what feels good first. But joy is lasting and rooted in unchanging truths.

So, in the next week, try this…

Schedule a few moments today, during a break, or at the end of your day to make a bullet point list of things that are draining your joy/happiness bucket.

Then present them to God by telling Him exactly what each one is causing you to think or feel. This is a way to process our emotions in a godly way, just as David models for us in many of the Psalms.

Finally, ask God to reveal to you what aspects of His holiness He might want to forge in your life and your leadership through each work challenge you are facing. Offer yourself anew to Him as a sacrifice of praise. Tell God how you want to be a pleasing vessel to Him.  Ask Him for His help to allow Him to perfect His holiness in you through your current work challenges. Then enter into His mysterious joy!

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