IT'S NOT THE VEHICLE, IT'S THE USER

Think about this...

Regardless of what you want to do, there are multiple examples of people already doing it.  So what is the reason for that?

With every opportunity, there is someone who is successful.  So what is the cause of those who are not?

Well life outside a job is more like driving manual instead of automatic, but having a wage is more like driving automatic with a severe speed limitation.

WE have to put forth the right effort, to change the gears appropriately.

WE have to understand what, how, when, AND WHY in order to not only move forward; but to move forward in a manner that can be exhilarating, exciting, and enjoyable.

As it says in Ecclesiastes 1:3 What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun? 

Then later in 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.  

Are we laboring as we should?

Reinvent Self

The question was asked by a fellow business friend, "what do you want people to say when the talk about you?"

Integrity, honesty, helpful?  Something good is what most would say, but do you realize that we all need to be reinvented at some time in our lives.

Look at one of the latest crazes: Snap-backs!

http://www.snapbacks.com/

All the kids are wearing them, the biggest rappers rap about them and they are selling like you wouldn't believe.  What are they?  Adjustable baseball caps. 

Huh?  Yeah, they are just the same adjustable caps that just years ago, were shunned for Fitted baseball caps.  Not sure why, but appearently, changing the name has made an impact, or perhaps it some marketing guru pulling at everyone's mental insecurities.  Whomever or whatever it is responsible; clothing manufacturers are stacking checks in the bank.  A simple REINVENTION.

We too can reinvent ourselves, matter of fact, we must do this daily in order to grow.  As you consider going into business for yourself or into ministry, remember that reinvention is possible and necessary to success in your endeavours. 

Honesty, dedication, passion, dilligence

Just four things we need to display as we seek to show people we are serious about moving on to new things.  Let God be your guide!  Reinvention is a lifestyle change, not a resolution.  Even if you are having a shaky go at it...

YOU CAN STILL SNAP-BACK!

A Malnourished Dash

The bible says we are to work as unto God at out jobs, something we don't always do.  A study at Microsoft stated that 16 out of a 45hr average work week is is wasted time, salary.com claimed that we waste 2 out of 3 days. 

Many who analyze productivity find that only a small percentage of the many hours spent at our jobs is actually beneficial to our employers.  Is is Facebook, YouTube, video games, or television.  Or is it just sin? 

In his acclaimed book "Pushing People Up," Art Williams states that INTEGRITY is paramount in work.  We must be GREAT PEOPLE, in order to do anything great.

So HOW PRODUCTIVE ARE YOU?

ACTivity

1 Chronicles 28:10

Everyone is familiar with jobs, not Steve Jobs, not Job from the bible; but the places we work at daily.

These days, we spend more time at work, than sleeping.  According to the Department of Labor.  Many believe their jobs to sustain them, but that is a false sense of security.  Sadly we get so consumed in our work that we forget His work. 

You see there are things ought to be doing, but we are not doing them. Why?  Because we have trust issues with God.

We don't truly believe He will back up His word, nor that He has our best interest in mind.  This is why when things get rough, we go seeking other gods to find hope in.  Secure Jobs, social security, lotto, casinos or other ill gotten ways of gain.

Some scholars believe that if we would come to a better understanding of God, we would ACT better.  Think about it, how often would people watch porn, or think evil ideas if they really took Omnipotence and Omnipresence to heart?

It's May and we are close to a halfway mark for the year.  Isn't it time to trust God more with ALL OUR MIND, BODY, SOUL, HEART, AND POCKETBOOK?

DONT MAKE FAILURE AN OCCUPATION

I can recall one day actually having a ray of hope.  I was feeling good about actually winning the lotto.  Not the big "hunk of millions" lotto, but just the weekly grand.  I didn't want to get rich, I just wanted enough to get by on and this particular week I felt like God was gonna bless me.

Well I didn't win, but the sad thing was not the losing ticket, but my thought after I finshed scratching.

                      "I never win anything anyway"

For some of us, faliure is a way of life.

But failure is not an adjective, its a verb.  We FAIL, but are not ourselves FAILURES.  Yet this is the stronghold we have built around ourselves to protect us from the growing pains of BECOMING BETTER BELIEVERS. 

Regardless of our past failures, God is constantly trying to use us.

BEST KEPT SECRET about Jobs

A job has become many peoples source of peace and now-a-days people are stressed because they are seeing the real truth about jobs.

Not Steve Jobs, but positions of employment.

The truth is, people have seen their jobs as something they aren't.                    

STABLE. 

Many felt they would just ride out the emplyment until THEY got ready to move to another company.  Others believed they would be at their dream jobs until they could retire and live a wonderful post-career life.  REALITY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

Jobs are volitle for many reasons, the main one being that they are a liability to most companies and most companies are trying to operate with as little liability as possible. 

Many overlook the fact that jobs are components of Businesses, which everyone knows are NOT stable right? Well FRANCHISES are types of businesses that are the most stable by percentage, of any endevour designed to generate income, and while there are still many people employed in "good jobs," keep in mind that a businesses provide MOST of the jobs availible.  So do I mean to say that a stability can be found in an instability?  Yes and no.  You see, God is the PROMOTER and DEMOTER.  He lifts up the humble, brings low the proud.  He is our provider...not our jobs/careers. 

SO IN ESSENSE, STABILITY IS NOT DEPENDENT ON IF YOU HAVE A JOB OR A BUSINESS, BUT ON IF GOD KEEPS YOU STABLE.

So whether job or business, we can put our faith in God and WORK AS UNTO Him.  Being faithful and fearless, knowing that God is faithful and not the author of fear or stress.

Easier to say than do, but just as easy to start trying.  Moving from faith to faith.

SERVICE IS JOB ONE

Usually when people ask "what do you do" our first response is where we work, or we begin with the company that has kept us around recently.  Even going as far as listing other prominent jobs that have often times let us go.  There is even a document that most of us have, which list this information.

But the question is about actual SKILLS, not positions.  I have found it even challenging at times to list the actual skills I have learned and utilized at my previous jobs.  It is easier for me to summerize the duties, than to actually list the specific skills.

I am realizing that it is important for us to focus on the results of our skills, not so much the specifics of our skills, but in order to do that, we have to understand how our abilities effect the lives of others.  We need to focus on how "what we do" blesses the people around you.  We need to focus on service.

I Peter 4:10 As every man has received a gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.