Business Plans

Business Plans

James 4: ¹³ Now listen to me, you that say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money.” ¹⁴ You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. ¹⁵ What you should say is this: “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong.

 

¹⁷ So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.

 

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After the promotion, my sites were set on the top spot. I could see myself running the entire “world” at this particular company. When the top person got wind of my promotion, I had more of a fight than I planned for. I lost the battle.

 

• I did not get what I planned.
• I did not reach what I thought I should reach.
• I did not know GOD had something better in store for me.

 

James spoke specifically to those who were boasting about their plans. Business people were probably using statements of expansion and greenfield markets. He warned them to use the correct words when making plans.

 

My Observations:

• My plans are weak unless GOD says “Yes.”
• Anything I think I will do has to be blessed by GOD “allowing” it to happen.
• GOD’s plans will always happen so I have to align to HIS will.

 

Making plans for the future is necessary for business people. I mean, fiscal projections and future orders help businesses run smoothly to provide great service. All projections and future plans need to be put under GOD by saying these words “If it is HIS will.”

 

This means I, as a business person, knows that anything can happen and it is GOD who has control. When I add the “anything can happen” factor to my plans, I am more ready for circumstances that may arise. I may even live my life differently, knowing JESUS could return at a moment’s notice. I gladly give my plans to GOD.

 

Challenge

• Does the writer say “Do not make plans” or “make plans, aligning them to GOD’s will?”
• Have you ever made a plan and something totally unexpected happened to cancel those plans?
• Will you align to GOD’s will, knowing plans can change, and praise HIM for every moment HE allows you to do HIS will?

Conducting Business GOD’s way

2 Kings 12: ¹³ The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the Lord; ¹⁴ it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. 

¹⁵ They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.

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Sleep was my coveted desire.  I mean I gallivanted all night and I had to be at work at 7:00AM downtown in the big city. They wouldn’t mind if I slip into the bathroom and take a few winks. After my nap my boss questioned where I was. I stuttered and stammered through my explanation and thought to myself… “I have to take shorter naps!”

• When I think I can take liberties at work, it spills into other areas of my life.
• When I think I can steal even a paperclip from work I may steal large amounts later.
• When I think I can cheat customers on small items I will probably try to get more money from them than deserved.

I have run into a few business people who have acted with integrity and they are marvelous. In fact some of them made me change my ways. They told me to show up on early, tell the truth and to do what was right when no one was looking. By adding this character to my work ethic, I was promoted time after time.

• GOD wants me to be honest in my business dealings or HE will deal with me.
• GOD wants me to have integrity with my business or HE will not bless it.
• GOD wants me to have character with my business so HE can use it to draw people to HIM.

Slick and slippery don’t mesh well with GOD. HE wants service from the heart and it takes work to push the greedy part of me out and allow GOD to fill my heart.

• Are you trying to be slick?
• Have you fooled yourself into thinking you can get away with the tiny lie you just told?
• Can you stop lying to yourself?
• Won’t you start acting with integrity?