Praise God for His daily provision of encouragement. Praise Jesus for loving me in unfathomable ways. Praise the Holy Spirit for resisting to give up on me, despite the amount of blood I contribute to the field. May my lessons from this week’s classroom encourage you as the pursuit of life with Christ and vineyard management continues.
1) Understand that no matter how good you set out to be, how many controls you put in place, how right your morals and policies appear in the mirror and how deliberate you are in your passion and intentions, you cannot make everyone happy. The haters will often out-number the fans. Remember, Jesus still washed feet and still forgave seventy times seven regardless of how many stones were hurled in His direction.
2) There will always be those who feel your environment is toxic. Rule number one - consider the source; rule number 2 - understand their presence is a contributing factor to the space as well and more than likely, are spreading false testimony about someone else in the same manner; rule number three - these individuals will almost always be immature and unprofessional and I can guarantee that this gossip will end up on social media at some point in time in the very near future. Keep your head up and know you’re running the race as good as you possibly can. Things change when your house is mortgaged, and your stress level is off the chart. Even the most seasoned veteran lays awake at night counting ceiling tiles, wondering what he could’ve done different, having remorse about every coarse word and caring about how he conducts business in both the light and dark when the rains come. Remember, do not let the sun set on your exasperation. Put on the full armor of God and prevent the father of lies from gaining another inch.
3) If you are as deliberate in your faith and walk with Jesus, as I am, and deliberate in making sure Christ is at the forefront of your business, there will always be a microscope on you and everything you touch. If you pass the wrong person on the highway, have a bad day, allow the checkbook to enter the sales meeting, adopt a sliding scale, attend church on Sunday and get real with an underperforming employee on Monday, rest assured the vultures will circle overhead before your body even begins to chill. Remember Who you belong to, watch where you throw your pearls and wipe the dust from your sandals.
4) Everyone has an opinion and is entitled to it. But it’s funny to me how many people want to be a cowboy until they have to do cowboy stuff. Monday morning quarterbacks take their toll unfortunately. Forgive quickly and move on. There are no sissies in the Hall of Fame. Trust God’s provision of talent and the vessel used to carry it. You were specifically forged for this moment.
5) And last, but definitely not least, if you care about your business and you’re passionate about what you do, the self-deprecation that follows for hours, days and weeks after an infraction will be an absolute certainty. Satan and his demons do a fantastic job reminding me daily, what a hypocrite, I am. The only bloodshed that will fix it is that which flows from the cross of Calvary. Understand and know that even on your worst day, you were paid for with invaluable willingness, never ending grace, unimaginable kindness and expansive forgiveness. Jesus never said the road would be easy. He never said your business would be the most popular, healthiest, wealthiest and free from worry. He did say we would never be alone. And for me, if that’s the only thing I learn on this journey, every bloody step will have been well worth it.
