“Today is a deposit.”
That has been my recent declaration; I speak out loud when I shut off the alarm at 4:45 am to rise for the gym.
It wasn’t always this approach.
When we launched the businesses and got married back in the early years, making a family life was all about getting things as secure and predictable as possible.
I didn’t know it, but we were missing the mark and missing out on the bigger picture of what God intended for our lives.
Here it is:
I was so busy and oversubscribed to getting things stable that I wasn’t fruitful and kept deferring living my true self in my purpose.
I was asking God to bless our business, but kept him a silent partner.
Then I read about one of my favorite entrepreneurs, Paul. While on earth, he used his business, his network, and his craft to spread the good news and the hope that is everlasting. Then I read how he was beaten, flogged, threatened, and persecuted for the hope he distributed. Why was a guy who made tents getting so much interference in his life?
I had to ask myself, “Am I living so boldly for the gospel that I am dealing with daily interference, or am I consumed with self-preservation through building my own tower of security that I missed the ‘real’ business of distributing the gospel?”
Pause to meditate on Paul’s words and get grounded, reconnecting with reality. These words are a masterclass for business owners to stay in the true business of building his kingdom through our business, not for our own gain, but for building His business:
From Paul:
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
“Therefore, since God, in His mercy, has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.”
Having a bad day?
Take a moment to assess how much your circumstances are rooted in self-promotion, self-preservation, and a desire for security. Or, are your challenges because you are stepping into risk for His sake?
My friend, our temporary rogue waves and challenges are short-lived but worth the upgrades in faith they produce: character and perseverance.
Make today a deposit. When you live in light of eternity, you’ll gain wisdom and understanding that what you do today affects you 4,000 years from now.
You got this.