It is important as we move into a wholeness perspective of life that we consider how we approach our business. Too many times we take the approach of a depraved society when it comes to running business. Sorry I had to put it so bluntly but a lot of the stuff out there is just not rooted in the Word of God.

Even Christ himself said that we are in the world but not of the world. So why do we approach our business like those that are in the world.

As children of God we have a responsibility to represent Christ in every area of life.

Your approach to your business should also be representative of Christ. In the post I wrote about investing in success, I gave some example of ways that Christ was successful. The same ways that he used to be successful, we need to use in our approach to business.

First, you have to invest our time and energy into doing the will of God for your business.

^“For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me”  (John 6:38)

Like Jesus we have the responsibility to follow God’s will for our business.

The true approach to business should be Christ centered and God designed. Don’t follow the patterns of others without first seeking God’s will. How many times have you tried to do it someone else’s way and God said “that’s not it”. That is not to say that you shouldn’t use the examples of those in business that you admire; however you want to be very careful and consider who it is and how they conduct business. Ask yourself what is it about the person that appeals to you. Be prayerful because you just might find that there is something lurking deeper that you refused to see about yourself, in that very person you are trying to be like.

The bottom line is that when it comes to business, God’s design is seldom like man’s designs. He does place people in your path who will give you resources and tools you need to get the job done but ultimately, it is with His will that you must approach your business.

Everything you do in life must be as if unto the Lord. Why? Well, in essence, you are doing it for God because we really only play to an audience of one.

Second, you have to approach your business with prayer and study of the Word.

“Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

^“After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies. “ (Luke 2: 46-47)

Jesus spent Him time as a child studying and probing God’s Word. As young as He was, He still knew He had to be about His Father’s business. Being very man of very man, He had to learn of God’s word just like we all do. He took every opportunity to do so. As a result of His productive habit of study the mission, the vision, and the Plan were made clearer to Him as He was prepared for the work at hand.

Prayer is how we talk with God. It is the time we spend not just speaking but listening as well. I am sure that when Jesus spent His time in communion with His Father, that He did not just spit out a bunch of words, or gripe about how His ministry sucked, or how the disciples were hard head (especially that Peter). NO! He took time to listen. He had to. Look at what the word says again in Luke 6. It said He spent the whole night.

How often to you spend an entire day in communion with your Father? How often do you take the time to make your business a main priority when it comes to prayer?

You must approach your business with pray and study.

You may say that Jesus was in ministry and this is true. However, ministry is business. Doesn’t it make sense that God would show us a great example of how to run our business through His Son?

Your business is how your pay the bills. Why wouldn’t God want you to approach it, seeking Him first and foremost so that all that you need and more would be added unto you.

In part 2 of the article will talk about approaching your business with preparation and training. We will also cover approaching your business with a servant’s heart.

I decided to make this a part of a series called True Success. In this series we will comes from a total Biblical perspective on success.

You can read the first part of the series here.

Don’t hesitate to let me know what you think. Please share your thoughts.

You may be careful about waste and extravagance, but you need to be willing to invest in quality supplies in order to create a house that is not only beautiful, but can withstand the elements and endure the test of time.

Investing in the necessary tools for your success should be the same for both your personal and professional life. It is important that you take the time to make sure you have thoroughly explored the options and that I have a clear picture of my goal.

You need to plan, research, and enlist the advice of others so you can have a realistic idea of the skills needed to achieve my goals. Once you have a strong understanding of your plan, you move forward to acquire the necessary skills and resources.

Think about Christ. In everything he did there was success. Why?

• He invested his time and energy into doing the will of his Father. (John 6:38)
• He invested time in prayer and study. (Luke 6:12, Luke 2:41-52)
• He invested time in preparing and training his disciples for the work to be done once he was gone from the Earth. (Luke 9:1-10)
• He invested his time and energy into helping the blind to see, the lame to walk and the oppressed to be free. (Luke 4: 16-21)

He understood the power of investing for a successful return on investment! He understood the power behind investing his time and energy in doing the work of the Lord.

The success of Jesus saved your very life. Would it really be that hard for you to invest some time, energy, and yes, even money in your success?

We are told in the Word to do all things as unto the Lord. Invest your time, energy, and yes your money too in doing those things for your life and business that are pleasing unto God. Then you will have invested in true success

Ponder these Questions:

1.  Do I have a clear picture of my goals?
2.  Have I taken the time to figure out what skills I may need to achieve my goals?
3.  What investments are necessary to succeed?

The middle of the week is Wednesday and it means that the week is almost over. Usually we wait until the week is over to ponder what is going on in our lives or what occurred during the week. Why wait?

Here on Life and Business Integration I am starting a new weekly meme that we can call “Ponder It Wednesday”. You can visit every week to read a short reflection followed by some questions. I would love to have you participate and answer one or all of the self-reflection questions

Healing your mind gives you more energy to tackle new challenges.

You are better able to handle trials in your life when you engage in healthy thinking and surround yourself with those things that are lovely to God.

It is often said that God does not give us anything we cannot handle, and this is true. With this knowledge, you can breathe easy and enjoy peace and serenity that God brings into your life.

Allowing healing in your mind helps you to be able to handle the things that come my way.

When you are faced with a new challenge, take a deep breath and allow your mind and body to relax. Just take a step back from the problem and look at it with a positive view.

Let go of making the challenge bigger than it really is and take it one step at a time. Keep my focus positive and proactive, allowing your healthy mind to explore all possible solutions.

Allow the peace of God to surround you and enjoy the calm feeling He will give you. With His love and power you can let go of the need to worry and create chaos in my life.

Start today striving to practice healthy thinking and allowing God’s peace to heal your mind and strengthen your soul. Choose to peacefully tackle all challenges so that you can succeed.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1.    Have you remained positive today?
2.    Have you let go of the need for chaos in my life?
3.    Have you allowed God’s peace to heal your mind?

I can’t wait to read your answers!