The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence (3 page)

JON HAMMOND SAGELY noted: “The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” Many people dream of obtaining the “cheese” in life. However, not everyone is successful.

As a young man, John Rockefeller envisioned being worth $100,000 one day. He spent the remainder of his life far surpassing that youthful ambition. In the eleventh grade Bill Gates predicted that by the age of 30 he’d be a millionaire. In fact, by age 31 he was worth a billion. Warren Buffet claimed that he’d reach one million in net worth by the age of 35. The rest, of course, is history.

Some people set goals that are perpetually out of their reach. As a young man, George Washington tried to join the British Navy but was thwarted. He grew up dreaming of becoming an officer in the British Army. Some speculate that his future animosity toward the British stemmed in part from the fact that colonials were prohibited from serving as officers in the British Army. Washington eventually recalibrated his aspirations and experienced stellar success.

Some people achieve or surpass their youthful goals only to discover that their dreams were not worth their life’s investment. As a young man, Paul had a compelling vision for his life. He aspired to be a prominent national leader who dominated its religious scene. Yet one day he came face to face with the risen Christ. God gave Paul a new purpose for his life: to take the Gospel to the Gentiles across the known world. His life dream was upgraded! Now it originated from heaven rather than his self-righteous ego. At the close of Paul’s life he declared, “
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision”
(Acts 26:19).

In Shakespeare’s
Tempest,
the aged Prospero
announced,

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

as I foretold you, were all spirits, and are melted into air,

into thin air: And like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind.

We are such stuff as dreams are made on;

and our little life is rounded with a sleep.

Your life’s dream will ultimately define your life. It may be to attain a certain position or to enjoy prosperity or to make the world a better place. Perhaps you are purposing to enjoy your family or to build a great company. You may be intentionally investing your life in extending God’s kingdom. Life is, indeed, the stuff of dreams. The question is: is your dream worth the investment of your life?

For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God

ECCLESIATES 5:7

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. What is driving your career? Is it simply to earn a living? Become rich? Pay off your debts? Or is it to fulfill God’s purpose for your life?
   

2. Do you know what God’s will is for you? Would you recognize God’s voice if He was communicating it to you?
   

3. Take a few moments to pray and ask God to clearly reveal His will for your life. Start a journal and write down everything you sense the Holy Spirit says to you over the next couple of months as you read your Bible, pray, attend Bible studies and church, listen to Christian music, and read books. Keep your spiritual senses alert to what He communicates to you.
   

WHEN GOD LAUNCHED His magnificent work to provide salvation for all humanity, He called Abraham, one of the most successful businessmen of his day (Genesis 24:35). Abraham’s son Isaac also prospered in the marketplace (Genesis 26:12-14). Likewise, Isaac’s son Jacob became wealthy through his business acumen (Genesis 30:43). These were the Patriarchs of God’s people. They were not priests, pastors, or missionaries, but businesspeople. Amos was not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet but a sheep breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit (Amos 7:14). Jesus would later follow this pattern when He called fishermen and businesspeople as His disciples (Mark 1:16-20). The patriarchs were trained, not in religious schools, but in the marketplace. It was as they surrendered their lives, skills, and abilities to their Lord that they dramatically impacted their world.

Then there was Joseph. He, too, had youthful dreams of what his life could achieve (Genesis 37:5-11). However, his career was unlike those of his prosperous ancestors. He lost his mother when he was young. His ten older brothers hated him and treacherously sold him into slavery after first contemplating murder. He was unjustly imprisoned by his master and forgotten by his friends. At this point in his life, had Joseph written an autobiography entitled
Success in the Marketplace
, it would not have been a bestseller!

When he later reviewed his career with his brothers, Joseph concluded,
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive
” (Genesis 50:20). Viewing Joseph’s life from a human perspective, you would naturally focus on how people betrayed and injured him throughout his life. You would notice the numerous disappointments he suffered. But Joseph viewed his life from God’s perspective. God knew a world crisis was looming. He wanted one of His servants to be positioned to make a significant difference internationally when calamity struck. God used a circuitous route to place Joseph as the CEO controlling the Egyptian economy, raising him up out of a squalid prison to achieve his nation’s second most influential post. Significantly, when God chose Joseph to impact his world, God didn’t make him a general or a minister; He elevated him to be an influential administrator involved in business. To serve God, Joseph didn’t need theological or military training. Instead, he had to understand grain storage, commerce, and government finance. Because God strategically positioned His servant, thousands of lives were spared, God’s name was glorified, and God’s purposes advanced.

From your vantage point, you could trace how you achieved your current position: a good education, hard work, superior job performance, and some lucky breaks. But how does God view your career? Could your previous experiences be preparatory for God’s great assignment for your life? Our world is in dangerous and critical times. God is positioning His servants in crucial roles throughout the marketplace so they can impact peoples’ lives globally, change their world, and uplift His name. God placed you where you are for a purpose. Do you know what it is? You may have plans for your career and for your company, but God has one too. Whose plans are you following?

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. Has God led you to develop certain skills that could be beneficial to His kingdom? If so, what are they and how is God presently using them?
   

2. Have you experienced some difficult times in your career? How might God use those experiences for His purposes?
   

3. People view your life and career from one perspective. How might God’s perspective on your life be different from what people see? Why is that important?
   

WHEN A
USA Today
online poll
asked people, “If you won the lottery, would you quit your job?” 45.4% replied “definitely.” Another 18.9%
said “probably.” Only 10.9% claimed they definitely would not retire. It is perhaps telling that two-thirds of the respondents would abandon their work without hesitation. Apparently vast numbers of people are working from necessity but not out of a sense of calling. If people typically enter the workforce at age 20 and retire at age 65, they will generally work 40 hours per week, 2,000 hours per year, and 90,000 hours over a lifetime. That’s a lot of time to spend doing one thing when you would rather be doing another.

God designed people to work. Even in the perfect Garden of Eden people had jobs to do. God commanded the first people,
“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth, and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth”
(Genesis 1:28). After God gave people their assignments, He declared that everything He had done was “good” (Genesis 1:31). God has a purpose for our work lives.