Author Archive
Practical Ways To Put The Bible In Your Business
Posted on March 26, 2013 by“Listen to advice and accept correction, and in the end you will be wise. People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord’s plan will happen.” (Proverbs 19:20-21)(NCV)
Many smart business men and women pride themselves in knowing the trends, critical success factors, competitive strategies and other business indicators that could affect the success of their business. It would be totally unwise for an entrepreneur to develop a comprehensive business plan without the consultation of an attorney, accountant and other business professionals. The reason for these abundant resources is obvious. In order to succeed it is necessary to have sufficient expert and credible counsel. That being said, I find it so amazing how many extremely brilliant business professionals fail to see the relevance or the need to get counsel or instruction from the one expert that has a flawless track record for the successful oversight and management of the entire universe; God, the creator of the universe!
Most business professional are highly proficient in their trade. They have acquired specialized skill-sets, training and experience that allow them to comfortably make informed day-to-day decisions. They take advantage of a plethora of seminars and high level training to assure they remain abreast of cutting edge technologies, best practices, and current trends in their specific industry. Business men and women make commitments to pursue continual personal development activities that include empowering seminars, formal learning, the latest industry training, speaker guilds, and a host of other events designed to improve themselves, their employees, and their company. Read More→
The More I Give, the More I Get! Is That Really True?
Posted on February 28, 2013 by“The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.” (Proverbs 11:25-26)
Have you ever asked yourself the question, “how much should I give to my church or synagogue?” This has always been a touchy subject, with many different views. Of course, the answer is always personal and depends on the person’s relation with God; as well as their involvement with the activities of their local church or religious organization. The responses and personal opinions of many successful business people are as varied as the individuals themselves.
However, the Bible has much to say about this subject. The reality of the matter is the same with all of our material possessions. God allows us to control, manage, and enjoy our earthly belongings for a finite period of time. After that, another person will get them and be given the opportunity to do the same. You see, every material or visible asset that we say… “I own ___”; will either be consumed, traded, given away, taken away, or left behind for someone else when we die. Consequently, since these assets are temporarily under our control, it is vitally important to consider to whom and to what cause we contribute them. Read More→
Greed In Business = Trouble In The Family!
Posted on January 30, 2013 by“Greedy people bring trouble to their families, but the person who can’t be paid to do wrong will live.” (Pr 15:27)(NCV)
The relentless drive to acquire the elusive “American Dream”, is what fuels many business professionals. To many, in pursuit of the world’s definition of success, means “getting more and more”, “climbing the corporate ladder at all cost”, or perhaps it means “the end justifies the means, no matter what!” This kind of ill-advised pursuit requires that a person disconnect other areas of life that makes significant demands on their time and attention. One way to separate these distractions is to departmentalize them.
Highly motivated entrepreneur and business professionals often compartmentalize their professional interests from the rest of their personal lives. Many “go-getters” tend to divide their lives into these different compartments and make decisions as if they are not interconnected. For many, their thoughts about church, religion, matters concerning God and the Bible, or even their family, have little or nothing to do with their day-to-day business decisions and activities that are required to be successful. They rationalize that these different compartments neatly and separately co-exist. For instance, one might; Read More→
The Winners and The Losers
Posted on January 1, 2013 by“Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord, but he offers his friendship to the godly.” (Pr 3:32, NLT)
As a business person, have you ever considered that honesty produces a substantial financial gain? Or, that dishonesty inherently produces huge monetary losses? I realize that everyone might not agree with this conclusion.
However, the biblical evidence suggests there are many advantages to being honest and there are dire consequences to dishonest practices in business and in life. It is clear that ethics do have a profound impact on the bottom line. An even more basic thought, indicates that our business practices dictate our relationship with God! The Book of Proverbs contrasts the financial outcome of the honest versus the economic decay of the dishonest. Let’s examine some of these profound truths. Read More→
Will The Persistence In Me, Please Stand Up!
Posted on November 1, 2012 by“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” (Pr 13:4)
Some think wealth accumulation is the result of a series of uncontrollable events called luck or chance. Others believe it is solely the result of a person’s deliberate, well thought out financial planning and activities performed during the course of their lives. Our look into the Wisdom of God reveals that, “diligence is at the source of wealth accumulation and laziness is the culprit behind poverty and despair”.
It takes more than just wants and desires to produce success and wealth. The difference between unproductive people and those that are highly successful is not in their possessions. It goes deeper than that. The difference between a person that refuses to work when given the opportunity and a person that works hard to obtain success is not in their actions. It goes deeper than that. The difference between these two, fundamentally different, groups of individuals goes deeper than their desires; their hopes; their aspirations; or even their dreams. Read More→
What Are The Risks Of Giving… A Lot?
Posted on September 25, 2012 by“He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.” (Pr 19:17 NLT)
Every investment has a Risk/Return factor associated with it. When a business man or business woman is asked to put their finances and/or time into a venture it is wise for them to consider the projected return. The return is compared to the possible loss that is associated with an investment. Conventional wisdom says; “the greater the projected return, the greater the risk one might have to take.” Whether or not greater risk can be justified by larger projected profit depends on the risk tolerance of the business person.
Have you ever considered that pro bono work, charitable contributions, benevolent gifts to the less fortunate, or supporting the poor and unfortunate members of our society as making a loan to God? Just how risky is that investment? Have you considered that such compassionate practices work for the betterment of the bottom line of one’s business? Read More→
Just How Smart is Co-signing a Debt? (Part 2)
Posted on September 5, 2012 by“My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt, or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger; if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said— follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don’t put it off; do it now! Do not rest until you do. Save yourself like agazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.” (Pr 6:1-5)(NLT)
By definition, a co-signer is obligated to pay when the other person defaults on their obligation. A promise to pay another person’s debt is an entrapment by one’s own words. So when the borrower fails to make the payments, the creditor can come after the other person that has signed and agreed to be responsible for re-payment of the loan. In such cases, the borrower receives the benefit and the pleasure, and the co-signer receives the obligation and the burden to re-pay the debt.
Even if the borrower pays on time, the full amount of the unpaid loan will negatively count against the co-signer’s debt-to-income ratios (DTI). This DTI formula is used to help determine if a person has more debt than they can handle. So, since the co-signer is also responsible for paying off the loan, that debt may hamper their ability to get a mortgage, other financing or other benefits that depend on a good credit score. Read More→
Just How Smart is Co-signing a Debt?
Posted on July 30, 2012 by“A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes surety for his friend.”
Proverbs 17:18
The biblical terms “shakes hands in a pledge” and “becomes surety” means that a person co-signs on someone else’s debt. In the business community, this also relates to a loan guarantor who has no collateral or control. Co-signing, simply put, is a risky and unwise personal and business practice.
This bible verse is a strong words against, what seems to be, an acceptable and routine practice in our society. However, to imply that a person lacks understanding is an accurate assessment of the level of fiscal wisdom most people don’t exercise when it comes to co-signing. In light of the complexity of this subject, the next few articles will continue our exploration into the practice of guaranteeing someone else’s debt.
I believe it is fairly safe to say, many of us have asked someone to co-sign for us on a purchase at some point in our lives. Or perhaps, you have been asked to co-sign for a family member or friend. Maybe you were trying to help them establish their credit for the first time or help them recover from a financial meltdown. The intentions, both ours and theirs, were probably noble and sincere. Frankly in our culture, most people don’t think of co-signing as being something unwise to do or something to be avoided. Read More→
Doing Business in Deep Waters!
Posted on June 25, 2012 by“Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!”
(Psalm 107:23-31)(NKJV)
As you may know, there are two ways of doing business; the safe and tested way doing business in shallow water, or on the other hand, the risky and challenging path of doing business in deep waters. Many business men and women chose the latter path. Often the outcomes of their decisions are difficult and trying. When this happens there is the nagging doubt of whether of not the right choices were made. Well, no matter, the real mission now is to learn how to navigate in deep waters.
Many think the trials and struggles successful men and women experience on their voyage to success are chance, bad choices, regrettable drawbacks, or limitations acquired or even inherited. These factors have an effect on the voyage, but some of these are fundamental challenges that are always going to be there. The passage from the book of Psalms outlines the principles of what a person can expect when their career and life choices push them into unknown territory or causes them to venture into uncharted waters. Read More→
Survivor… Picking The Right Partners?
Posted on June 6, 2012 by“They may say, “Come and join us … let’s ambush the innocent! …Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.” My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.” (Proverbs 1:11-15)
We have all faced the question; “Is this a good business opportunity for me?” The answer to this question may come from your professional training on how to evaluate a deal. Sometimes, we find ourselves enrolled in the school of “Hard Knocks” taking the freshmen class of “Trial and Error.” But, if you are an entrepreneur, there may be is a more critical question that has to be answered and your answer to this question may not be quite as forgiving.
That question is; “Who am I doing business with?” Have you ever found yourself challenged to do business with someone who operates with a fundamentally different set of values and moral practices than yourself? Have you ever been asked to participate in a venture or business proposition that just didn’t sit right in your heart? Sometimes, at first glance, it may seem to be quite attractive and a potentially profitable proposition. But after some careful thought and discussion, you begin to feel uncomfortable about the person or the proposition. Read More→
