Down is the Way Up
— by Evan Kubicek
Ownership is a dangerous word. Legally many reading this article are obligated to take responsibility for the profitability, financial return, and liability of the actions of an organization at some level. Surprisingly enough that isn’t as big of deal as emotional ownership. When the outcome and consequences are fully emotionally yours, there are consequences. Success can lead to an overestimation of your worth / ability and failure brings a crushing weight to your identity. The reality is that you should not, cannot truly own your business. The size, growth, and impact of your organization can only grow to measure of your own capacity and vision. Do you have the framework to comprehend everything that God can and would do through your operations? Do you have the faith to pursue it? There is a lot to unpack here but that will have to come at another time.
Speaking of faith, there is something that I found returning time and time again in conversations like this. Anything you do consistently most likely doesn’t require any faith. Do me a favor and go back and reread it. I’m assuming that most readers at Faith Driven Entrepreneur are seeking to be lead by a faith in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. That being the case there is a reality that one of the greatest measures of success in this point in time is faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The implications of assessing what you do by faith and what you do by habit are vast. This is not to say that you cannot and should not learn from the past and put it into action. This is essential. I am saying that God is expecting a continual expansion of your modus operandi. What pushed your faith buttons in the past are not the challenges that push it today. Are you consistently tackling problems that come your way with a response that starts and ends with steps of faith?
You may be saying. Do you have any idea how much I have given up to get here?! No one knows the sacrifices I’ve made for my business. No one knows the pain my family has endured to make it possible. Yes you have sacrificed a lot to be here. WE all do. How much of that sacrifice was by faithful obedience and how much was it driven by this ever present burden to “get stuff done”? Another one of those pillars of success that Jesus is looking for in your life as Faith Driven Entrepreneur is obedience. I can’t imagine the level of gut check it had to be for a disciple of Jesus to look him in the eye as he said, “If you truly love me you will obey my commands”. Let’s bring it full circle for a moment. You are not the owner of your operations/business. Jesus is. Are you fully obeying what he has asked you to do with it? Are you even asking him or are you too busy getting stuff done and making sacrifices? What does he truly desire from you? It is very difficult, borderline impossible when your identity and way to hear the answers to some of these questions is unclear.
Who do you think you are! If you are claiming allegiance to Jesus as the King of all Kings and not just a savior that bails you out from stupid mistakes than I’ll tell you who you are. You’re not a CEO, that is a role. You’re not a majority shareholder, that is a temporary status. First and foremost your are an adopted and beloved son and daughter of the King that has been called as an Ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven. All of the resources of heaven are backing you up. This is not about your prosperity and success. It is about your priorities and how handle the problems and opportunities that come to you. Success and failure are not inconsequential or unimportant. They are just above your paygrade. Your job is representing the realities of heaven in your industry, your company and to everyone and everything it touches. The resources and the stress that comes with delivering on that promise is not yours to carry. It is yours to steward.
My King came to seek and save THAT which was lost. Save everything that was lost, not just people. We all play a part in bringing the culture and benefits of heaven to the earth, to our companies, communities, etc. Your business never has a neutral effect on the people and places that interact with it. Assuming that your intentions and faith will account for how you operate is not acceptable. Assuming that you can’t know the impact of your operations is also not true. It is measurable and you can, you should involve others into the picture. I’ll wrap up with some practical tips on how to make a measurable difference for all your stakeholders. Identify the beliefs that are preventing progress. Help restore the relationships that have been broken in your stakeholders’ lives. Don’t be quick to offer resources but uncover what is already available. It’s your problem to join but not yours to own. Give yourself lots of grace and time. Nothing worth doing happens fast. Enjoy the ride.
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[Special thanks to Joseph Gruenthal on Unsplash for the cover photo.]