We have many members in one body, but not all the members have the same function. (Romans 12:4)

When we read this scripture in Romans chapter 12 we see that we are created unique. God has given each of a set of skills along with talents; and with those upon the acceptance of Christ, the Holy Spirit endows us with the spiritual gifts we are to use to God’s glory. Many of us have some of the same skills, talents, and have even been blessed with some of the same gifts. Some of us even have the same function in the body.

For some it may be to teach the youth because your personality attracts kids to your message.

For some it may be to administrate because your passion is to see things done orderly and in fashion.

For some it may be to be intercessors because a part of your purpose is to stand in the gap for those who do not know the power of prayer.

Did you catch something in those last three statements? Read them again and pay close attention to the words in bold font.

Yes, there are many in working for God who will be teachers, others intercessors, and yet others administrators. And yes, many of them will share the same talents and skills. However, they will each work a little differently because of their…

Personality, passion and purpose!

God did not create the human race as robotic beings and we should never act like that. Yet, in business many do!

It is often seen in the business owner trying to be the same exact type of business person their mentor is. It is seen in the women trying to compete with each other for the same clients instead of working together as a team to provide quality service. It is seen in the person who jumps from vocation to vocation because so-and-so seems to be successful in that field.

The bottom line is that God blessed you with your own personality, your own passions, and your own purpose. While we each have the same unified purpose of glorifying God with our life, we each have a different plan that He has in mind for getting the job done right.

Take some time to assess your life. Really what does God want you to do with your life? Who does He want YOU to be (not who does He does want you to just like)? How does He desire for you to operate in your business?

Remove all the outside junk, get real with life and become all that God is calling you to be in life for a better business.

Inside of you there is greatness. That is the premises of this book. If you have never believed it before, after reading I Shall Rise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness  by Michael Holmes, you will know that YOU there is greatness inside of you. Your life will never be the same after reading this powerful though provoking book filled with great stories, quotes, scripture references and so much more.

What Mr. Holmes has done is take practical Biblical principles and applied them directly the way we live today. He has taken principles that most of us seem to forget exists and reminds us that yes they do exist. Principles like the Law of Vision, the Law of persistence and the Law of the Extra Mile are a part of this book’s unique layout. I say unique because it really can used for a study group with the questions in the back of each chapter or even an in depth personal Bible study. However, Micheal made turned it into a practical read, making it easy on the eyes and brain, for those like me who get turned off by books that speak in theological terms and all the other hoopla.

I Shall Rise Thee Up is a great read for leaders at home, work and in ministry because the principles are universal and just like a book founded on the Word, they speak to every situation in life. Because it teaches about the value of service it speaks volumes on why our greatness is never meant for us. There is so much more to it.

Michael makes sure to remind the reader again and again that God desires to raise us up and he provides more than enough proof!

As a business owner I recommend this book to all business owners because it will teach you about why you should be in business and how you can live a life of principles that carries over into your business.

Right now until May 15th, Michael is giving away the audio version of I Shall Rise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness on his site. Now I suggest you buy the book because I love touching my books. However, I know that some of you love audio so this should be perfect for you and you don’t pay a dime!

You will find that music, especially by Mary J. Blige, is a huge part of my mentoring structure. Why you may ask?

Music has the power to speak the words that many of us may not know how to form. It has the power to touch hearts, heal wounded spirits, and give a person a reason to keep hoping. People have been changed because of music (some for the good and others for the not so good). Trust me I know because when I was in my depression and my business was going to ruin, there were two artist in particular that I listened to day after day. I cried, I prayed, and I found solace in the words of Mary J and Calvin Nowell.

Today I want to use some of Mary’s lyrics again to help you see that you should never give up. You should breakthrough!

With Mary’s CD, “The Breakthrough” there is a call to women to stand strong, don’t give up and breakthrough. Listen to these verses from “You can’t hold a good woman down”…

“It doesn’t Matter what They say or do Don’t let ‘em Get to you, Don’t be afraid You can, you can
You can breakthrough Take what I’ve been  through To see that You can’t Hold a good Woman down
Went through The same point Of givin’ up I felt Like I had enough Went to the edge Of the ledge But I didn’t jump “My Life” Will sum it up You can’t Hold a good Woman down”

Someone read this is ready to give up! Your business is hurting and you are just not sure you can make it; and yet you know that you were destined to have your own business! You may be on the ledge and I know what that is like. I have been there too. I was at point in m life about seven years ago when I sat on the ledge daily and wished I could just go to sleep and never wake up. I was ready to just give it all up. But God’s grip of grace would not let me give up. Like Mary I did not jump and My life does sum it up….

You can’t keep a good woman down.

It is Satan’s job to make you feel as if nothing you do matters and make you feel like walking out on the ledge. Don’t you do it. There are too many resources available to help you hold on and make your business something that is glorifying to God and perfect fit for you. Just like Mary and myself, God has his grip of grace on you. He won’t let you fall. So you be sure to hold on and breakthrough the storm.

It may enrage you and shake you up a bit but in Psalms 46 you can see where God is your refuge and strength, an ever present help in the time of trouble. Therefore do not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Be still, and know that he is God; He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth.”

You can breakthrough into a more authentic you. The You that you were meant to be.

Your business does not have to fail because you feel like you can’t measure up to a society that is all about the almighty dollar. If you are ready to give God your business and design it to His glory, there is help. Your passions, your purpose, and your personality can provide you with the path for business you seek. You can be you and earn a living. You can glorify God by being an ethical business owner. Let’s talk about the possibilities of change for your life so that your business thrives!

We all know someone who is generous to a fault. I myself have been accused of being “too nice” more than once in my lifetime. The type of person who will give even when it means that they do not have much left for themselves. For many, the act is genuine kindness; for others it is a way to punish themselves. Therein lies the difference between selflessness and self-denial.

Is there a thin line between selflessness and self-denial? The difference is in the resulting feeling and the lifestyle of the giver not the act itself. For instance, let’s say that you have lunch at work with a friend. As you sit down to eat, she realizes that her lunch is back at home on the kitchen counter. You offer to share your lunch with her so she doesn’t have to go without.

Here’s another example. A friend asks if they can borrow a dress because they are going out on a date. As she looks through your closet, she finds the one she likes but it also happens to be the new dress you just purchased. With a half-hearted smile, you hand her the dress and say, “It’ll look good on you. I don’t know when I’ll ever get to wear it on a date.”

The difference here is not in the action, but in the emotion behind it. In both situations, the giver shared easily enough. But, the person who shared lunch is left with a feeling of satisfaction. The person lending the dress has just reinforced negative feelings about herself with her sacrifice. One is not the same as the other.

Selflessness in our character comes from a place of security. In essence, we are comfortable in our skin. On-the-other-hand, self-denial results from a place of insecurity. In the mind of those who self-deny there is the thought that they don’t deserve to be happy so they give away things as a form of self-imposed punishment.

Giving of our time and talents is also a form of selflessness. Our character is not diminished by the gift but we are uplifted because someone else will benefit from our generosity. We don’t have to put ourselves lower in order for someone else to feel better.

Self-denial is the opposite. With everything that is sacrificed, the person feels worse. It is a debt whose punishment never ends.

This is a very typical occurrence in the work at home world. I hear it all the time. People give of themselves to a point of unnecessary stress and then they end up wondering how they got stuck in the rut.

There is nothing wrong with helping people. That is the power behind selflessness. However, there is a problem when you take on so much from outside sources that you forget the fact that you have a business to run. That is the sadness of self-denial.

You are trying to be the super-networker, or barter queen but you sacrifice what it really important.

Selflessness does not mean you can’t say “no”. It means you help others and give of yourself but to the detriment of your health. That is self-denial. You make yourself sick because you neglect you.

Never ever give too much of yourself in business to a point where you neglect your own.

Self-denial should not be a part of your business. If you are in self-denial mode and find that you are always helping others and getting the short end of the stick, then it is time for you to step back.

Set some priorities and boundaries so that you are not taken advantage of again. Your business cannot thrive on favors and barter deals. It will die or come pretty close to it. Trust me I know! Been there, done that, wrote the book on it!

This is where your life fits in.

It is a good idea to pay attention to how and why you give. Consider your emotional state and what you gave. Ask yourself if you are giving out of your generous nature or to punish for past mistakes? Once you have done Talk it out with someone you trust if your behavior stems from the latter.

Don’t let self-denial ruin your business. Take control today and make the choice to change.

There are three main parts of humans that can drive us towards success. Those are the personality, our passions, and our specific purpose in life. When one of these three is missing, then what we deem as success is not really so.

As an entrepreneur it is important to remember that God gave us the personality, the passions and the purpose. Now while all of these things can be molded by environment; they can also be re-molded by the power of God.

Take a look at your personality!

Why?

Because God expects you to be YOU from the beginning to the end! To be like anyone else is a slap in the face of God.

Too many times as business owners we try to emulate someone else, forgetting who we are. The fact is that you can never be anyone else but YOU! As much as you try to get around it or fake the reality of who you are, it can only be hidden for so long until you find that it can all come to a screeching halt!

Your personality is a key part of your business because in allowing it shine through your target market can find out what your business is all about. With personality in your business, folks will know more about you as well. Today’s market is not yesterday’s market. People want to know who you are more so than they want to know what you do!

Here is what a few of my Twitter Buddies had to say on personality:

Andrea from femaleswithamission.com

Scott from fatlossquickie.com

Patrysha from coffeetimemarketing.com

Can you see the value of being you when it comes to running your business?

To top that off, if you mix in your passion and your purpose then you have a business that is truly successful. It is not about 6 or 7 figures. Ok well the money is a nice addition. However remember that money should never be the ruling force in the life.

It is about authentic connection and the reality of who you really are. That is what matters in business…

Being authentically YOU and keeping it real while you conduct business.

I read a lot about personality and how it ties in with my life so that I can determine how to use with business. I highly recommend that you read a book on personality and one that I love is Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself. I wrote about the book in parts 1 and 2 of the very first Book Club discussion here on Life and Business Integration.

Look for two parts to this series about your personality, your passion, and your purpose and be sure to weigh in on the discussion.

This is part three in the True Success Series. In part 1 we discussed Jesus’ investment in success. Part 2 covers how our approach to business should resemble that of  Jesus’s example of investing in success. This post will cover more on the investment process we should be following for true success.

Invest in Preparation and Training

In Luke 9:1-10 we see where as a result of Jesus taking the time to prepare and train the disciples for success, when they came they were ready for their marching orders. They had a mission to complete but they needed to be trained to do so. Christ took the time to prepare them and give them the training they needed for a successful journey. He trained them by being the example and giving them on-the-job-training. They saw first hand how he went forth with the Good News.

Jesus knew the his time here on Earth was soon coming to an end and He had to get the disciples ready for the task at hand.

Before I further, you may be expecting the rest of this posts to be spiritual in nature. While it is, we must remember that there a very human aspect to running a business because you have to daily put your hands to it. Now let’s move on!

In business we have to be prepared to do the same for those we work with in an capacity. Every facet of your business needs to be documented. You should also have some sort of organization system. Your business should be ran like a business. I know the truth in this because for the first year of my business I did no sort of organizing and it showed. When it came time for me to outsource some of my projects to a VA, I had no idea which way to go because nothing was documented.

I had no idea what money was coming or going. I never looked at the financial statements that Paypal provided and I was always in the red because my

Ask yourself:

• Am I organizing my business effectively?
• Do I have training manuals in place for those who I may outsource projects too?
• Am I setting goals and taking action steps to get them accomplished?
• Am I allowing fear to get in the way of running my business effectively…..I know this one well!

There are many things to consider when you are preparing and training. No two people are alike and no two business will run alike. Find and stick to a system that works best for your business.

I use binders and notebooks like they are going out of style but it works for my record keeping purposes. I create forms to help me maintain what I do. My daily planner sheets are based on the needs of my business. Buying a typical planner does not work for me because I could never quite wrap my head around filling in all those spaces and by the end of the year I would realize that I spent about $80 on something that I did not use to its full potential. That is why I created my own.

So create and stick with a system for preparation and training.

That is exactly what Jesus did with the disciples the entire three years of his earthly ministry. His method for preparation and training was to provide practical advice and examples of what it means to carry out the Good News message.  He even did s a little one the job training when he sent the disciples out in teams.

Now that’s an organized business.

Invest in Others

Next in Luke 4: 16-21 we see that Jesus invested his time and energy in others.

This may be a tricky one because you may be wondering “Well aren’t I in business for myself”, and while this is true, there is one key component that you should always carry with you. That component is SERVICE!

We as God’s children are all called to a ministry of service. Everything we set out to do should involve serving in some way and this serving must be done in love and humility. If we move forward with our business with the intent of making money, money and then more money then we have missed the point.

We have mission that must be carried out and whole each person’s mission is different, the foundation of service has to be the driving force behind carrying out the mission. This is even true in business.

The mission of your business should be about serving others. Ask yourself how will you serve others and what they can expect from you. Be honest with yourself and don’t build up a fluffy all things positive mission. Your mission has to be authentic in that is shows your true desire to really help someone else. Perhaps you are a VA and you specialize in transcribing audio. Your mission may be to provide the best service by being accurate and timely with assignments. That is SERVICE! You are thinking of your client first and because of this your business will grow! Maybe you are a life or business coach. Your first goal should never be how much money you can charge but how many lives you can effect. That is SERVICE!

Everything we do in life affects someone else; and how we conduct our business will do exactly the same thing. As a child of the King and co-heirs to the Kingdom we are the light of the world. How we treat others does matter. How we provide service to others through our business also matters and probably more so because often times business can be so very coat throat and “me” centered.

Take some time today and take stock in your business. What is your approach?

Jesus succeeded at this quest! Read about his story and apply the lessons!

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.

I am working on developing productive and proactive conscious habits in my life. Last week I started with drinking a cup of warm lemon and lime water followed by a grain breakfast. I am doing this to connect what I eat to how I live and serve God.

My reason for doing this is because I realize that everything we do must be in direct alignment with God’s Word. God’s word tells us that we are the temple of God and as such that means that we are housing a powerful God. What we do with your bodies directly affects our relationship with God.

Developing conscious habits that are productive and proactive involves living life on purpose. Too many times we live life by accident, wondering what will happen next in our lives.

While it is true that we are not in charge and have no idea what lies around the corner; God gives us wisdom and enough foresight to be able to know how to plan and create a life that is pleasing in His sight. We can pray and seek God for direction and if we truly believe, He will order our steps.

We cannot live our lives waiting on the wall to fall down on us. We have to build the wall from the ground up and when it cracks we fix it.

Things will happen but with God all things are possible is we only just believe. If we move in our lives as if God is the one in charge then developing healthy beneficial habits will become an easier process.
I think Nike said it best when they created the simple yet powerful slogan, “Just Do It”.
Determine today to stop living your life on accident to start living your life on purpose. Start this process by creating productive and proactive habits.

Maybe you are asking yourself what I mean when I say “productive” and “proactive”. What I am saying is that to be productive means that is will cause something to happen; and proactive means that something must be done in order for it to happen.

It is all about taking the necessary steps towards change. If you are trying to transform your life for a better business, the best to start with developing these conscious habits is with your life. Why?
Simply put your business is not a separate entity or a part outside of the norm of your existence. It is a part of your life. Whatever habits you develop in life will affect every part of your being.  And, yes, this does include business.

What I noticed with the habit of lemon water and a grain for breakfast was more focus and energy through the day. My workouts were more effective which in turn made my brain function on a higher level. It was an amazing week!
Starting today develop one conscious habit a month. Research shows that it takes about 21 days to develop a habit so taking a month to do so is a good idea.

If you want write down your one habit and I will write it down in my book. In 21 days I will check back with you via another post to see what your progress is. And it does not have to be one habit. Aim for two or three but make sure they can be realistically accomplished.

Let’s encourage one another. I have 14 more days to get this habit of warm lemon water followed by a grain into my brain. I will report in the next two weeks.

What is a conscious habit you would like to form?

As an online business woman, one thing that always seems to be a must is to be productive in business. I say… HOLD ON! Time to put on the brakes! Since when did productivity only apply to business.

If you read my one of my few opening posts here on Life and Business Integration then you know that my revelation for this entire site came from the example of the Proverb Woman. This woman was the epitome of a woman living her life fully integrated.

Not that she was perfect; but she was in alignment with God’s will for her life. She took her gifts, talents, and skills and use them to run her business to the glory of God. As she obeyed God’s lead, her life was more and more productive.

She is not the wife, at home, tending to the kids and her husband day and night as so many would have you believe. Nor is she a hard core business woman who thinks that kids are better off with the nanny or granny.

The Proverb Woman in the Bible is an idealized woman. She is the woman we should all strive to be. And get this..she does not have to be married to be a virtuous woman. This woman knows who she is and stands strong in Whose she is. She knows that all she has is because God said, Yes!

With that said, her focus is on being productive in all areas of her life; and yes, for her, business is a part of it.

It is very important as we move forward in our business that we remember that productivity is not just about business. It is about your entire life.

• Eating right, exercising, and caring for your body is being productive
• Taking care of a sick child is being productive
• Spending time in the Master’s suite for renewal and communication with Him is being productive
• Taking the time to play or read to your child, or anyone’s child is being productive
• Getting some sun and enjoying God’s beauty is being productive

Productivity is important in business. It means that you are working at success. However being so productive in business that you are not productive in life means that you are missing out on what matters most.

The Proverb Woman’s productive manner can be an example for both men and women. Her productivity started with God’s guidance and ended with God’s glory!

Now go and make your day PRODUCTIVE!!

We have been discussing the Power of Influence here at Life and Business Integration and if you have not read the other post, you can read Part 1 and Part 2 to see what this series has been about. This post is the final installment of the series and I hope that for you it was as good to read as it was for me to write.

Today I want to cover a couple of more points about influencing like Christ.

Being authoritative as opposed to authoritarian does not mean you lose the power of influence that you may already have. It also doesn’t mean you should lack confidence when you speak. It simply means that you are tactful and genuine with your approach – not a stuck-up tyrant. The difference is that you speak with confidence rather than arrogance.

This is what Christ did when he spoke with others. He approached the Sadducees and Pharisees with confidence; He spoke to Satan in the desert with confidence; He shared the Gospel with confidence. Yet, with all the Power He had, He never had an authoritarian approach.

There was always a peace about whatever He spoke of. His personality, passion, and purpose all shined through but He never once pushed it or forced it on anyone. He was tactful, diplomatic, and most of all non-judgmental.

If you want to be an influence in your business, you’ll want to lead by example and speak with an encouraging, yet confident tone. In doing so, becoming a powerful influence can prove to be a beneficial and successful experience.

What do you think about influencing like Christ? Is there some relevance to it for you? Why or why not?