Servant Connection
Praying for America
Tips for Tough Times
Recently, I had the chance to talk to a businessman friend, now retired. When I asked him about the difficulties of beginning and maintaining a business through the years, several principles came to light through what he told me.
The first one was Availability. He told of a couple opportunities which fell into his lap, over the years, simply because he was in a position to be available to respond to them. Through hard work and honesty, he had already formed a solid reputation, and when a great opportunity came up, he was the first person sought out by those looking for someone trustworthy and capable of doing the job. It was a turning point in the business.
Another key to his long-time success in business was Adaptability, an ability to change readily and quickly, as conditions fluctuated. Staying flexible is important, when navigating a rapidly changing business environment.
Listening is often overlooked, but this businessman made it a practice not just to listen to his people, but to aggressively seek out the opinions of each member of his team, trying to ensure that everyone had input in the decisions.
It was interesting that my friend also volunteered two scriptures which had guided him throughout his long business career. One was Malachi 3:10, the famous verse on the importance of Tithing. Not only did my friend tithe on his personal income through the years; he also chose to tithe on his businesses. He was glowing in his expression of how he felt God had blessed this practice over the years.
The other scripture was Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
It all comes down to this, really. Whether we are engaged in business or not, the best way to get through life is to trust God! This is always true, but particularly in the tough times, we need to hang onto God, acknowledge Him in all our ways, and follow His understanding above our own. God never gets it wrong.
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