Don't Depend On Good Intentions

Feb 1, 2011, Written by Sue Miley

One thing a business coach will do to help clients is to direct the individual to changing the thing that will make the biggest difference in their business.

When you are a Christian business coach the first thing that you know will make the biggest difference is to build your business on a foundation of Christian values.  That is to put Christ in the center of your business just like He is in the center of everything else in your life.

Most small business owners, even if they are Christians, don’t put Jesus in the center of their business.  It isn’t necessarily because they don’t want Jesus there or that they consciously think it won’t do any good.  We have good intentions!

Busyness Becomes a Distraction

The biggest reason is because most small business owners are busy.  They are busy putting out fires.  They are absorbed in working “in” their business rather than “on” their business.  And, being completely honest, they are doing everything they can do, just to do what they are doing!

Jesus didn’t come to mind!

Ouch!

We don’t even want to say it out loud.  Christians know that Jesus is our faith, our life, our purpose.  But, if we are truly honest with ourselves, did we think about Jesus when we walked into the office and three people ran up to us with crisis after crisis?

Admitting It Is One Step Closer To Changing It

C’mon….it’s okay to admit.  God already knows.

So, if we know Jesus needs to be in the center of our business but reality has shown over and over again for years that it just isn’t happening, then we must do something different!

We need to be purposeful.

We need to do things like add prayer to our daily “to do” list.

We need to create policies that are founded on our Christian values.  Like we will treat others like they treat us, unless they treat us poorly.  Then we will turn the other cheek.  It sounds crazy, so we have to be purposeful.

Dare To Be Different

Jesus’ ways are foreign to this world.  That means that when we think out how Jesus would handle something, our initial thought is, “this is a crazy idea” or “this won’t work in my business world because everyone else in the industry isn’t necessarily a Christian.”

But that is fundamentally why we have an advantage.  We know Jesus’ ways are different and we trust that His ways are the best way.

But even if we “trust” it, sometimes we are too busy to stop and think about God.  We are in the moment, thinking we are putting out the fire, however, we are just bringing it down to a smolder in our own strength, only to ignite again.

Don’t feel bad.  We all do it to some extent.  The key to being different in this case isn’t our faith.  You have faith.  You believe.

You are just human like me and find yourself distracted, tired, and yes, sometimes temporarily deceived.

Changing the Course:  Be Purposeful

But, we can change the course.  We can claim the promises of our faith.  We have to:

….persevere

Philippians 3:13-15

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

…stay focused

Nehemiah 6:3-4

3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

...and plan Jesus into our foundation

Matthew 7:25

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Don’t Depend On Good Intentions

I know myself.  I have great intentions.  But I don’t want to take it for granted that my intentions are enough to keep me focused on Jesus.

I need to build it into my business through my own personal development, my Christian values, and my business policies and practices.  I need to be intentional about building God into the foundation of my business.

How do you intentionally put Jesus into the center of your business?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. laura says

    Sue! I love this. I’m so glad to see that you are a member of the High Calling. What you say here encompasses so much of who we are. Keep doing the good work, my sister! And may it be blessed.

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Sue Miley

Sue Miley MBA, MA, LPC helps small business owners build successful businesses on a foundation of Christian values. After 20 years in business, and 10 years as a Christian counselor, Sue uses a combination of faith, business and psychology to help clients in business and in life.

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