Knowing God’s Will:
So how do you know what
God’s will is for your life?
Go to the “Vision -
Giver”:
“If any of you lacks
wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and
it will be given him.” James 1:5
Go to the Bible:
“All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Be alert to God’s voice:
“For God may speak in one
way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the
night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He
opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction.”
Job 33:14-16
Seek the counsel of wise
people:
“Where there is no
counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Proverbs 11:14
Look for direction in
circumstances and change. Change is one of the greatest blessings in life –
allowing us to become what God would have us to be.
Consider your gifts,
abilities and skills. Consider your weaknesses
and your strengths. Consider your
experiences, good and bad. Consider your
personality. Consider your
personality. Consider your personal
desires and preferences.
Trust in God and depend
on Him to help you discover your greatest purpose.
How can you “test” a
decision to determine if it is God’s will?
For major decisions in
life – like career changes, who to marry, etc. – consider the following eleven
test questions. If you can’t say “yes” to all eleven, the tentative decision may
not be “best” and may not be God’s will. If you can honestly say “yes” to all
eleven, then it is probably God’s will and you can have the confidence in
proceeding accordingly. If by chance it wasn’t the best choice or it wasn’t
God’s will, don’t worry; God will help you make another decision!
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Will it honour God?
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Is it consistent with
Scripture?
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Is it the “best” thing
that could be done? Is there something “better” to do?
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Is it my heart’s desire?
Is this something I really have a passion for?
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Does it fit who I am as a
child of God? Does it fit my skills, gifts, resources, abilities, capabilities,
limitations, etc.?
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Does it fit God’s overall
plan for my life? Has everything He’s brought me through readied me for this
opportunity, this purpose, this adventure?
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Are there, or has there
been, any providential leadings toward this course of action?
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Am I willing to submit
this decision to God’s will?
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Is there, or has there
been an inner conviction and compulsion to undertake this course of action? Has
it been confirmed through another person? Through the Holy Spirit? Through His
Word?
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Are thoughts “not” to
really “fear” based? Am I making a judgement on what I can do with God or on
what’s within my “comfort zone”?
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Do I have lasting peace
in my decision?
The call to ministry for
every Christian Achiever:
Every Christian Achiever
is CREATED for ministry.
“For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:10
Every Christian Achiever
is SAVED for ministry.
“God has saved us and
called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His
own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
2 Timothy 1:9
Every Christian Achiever
is CALLED into ministry.
“But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, His own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His
marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who
had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10
Every Christian Achiever
is GIFTED for ministry.
“As each one has received
a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God.” 1 Peter 4:10
Every Christian Achiever
is AUTHORIZED for ministry.
“Then Jesus came and
spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even
to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Every Christian Achiever
is COMMANDED to minister.
“Yet it shall not so be
among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your
servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just
as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life
a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28
Every Christian Achiever
is to be PREPARED for ministry.
“And He Himself gave some
to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12
Every Christian Achiever
is NEEDED for ministry.
“Now you are the body of
Christ, and members individually.”
1 Corinthians 12:27
Every Christian Achiever
is ACCOUNTABLE for ministry
and will be REWARDED according to his or her ministry.
“And whatever you do, do
it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will
receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 4:23-24
How should we direct our
children in their career pathing?
God does not give
us a
list of options that says:
“Go ahead, make your
life’s choices from this list.”
Rather, according to His
purpose for our lives, He gives us a single command that says:
“Here is my way for you.
Walk ye in it.”
Do you not think that
God, with all He knows and with all He cares for us, has "a particular Plan and
Purpose" for each of us - one single direction that He knows would be best? Now,
that plan may indeed be thwarted, detoured and delayed - by our own failings, by
the actions or lack of actions of others, or even by the attacks of the devil -
but if we "persevere" and "get back on course" (like a ship going through ocean
storms), we will yet lead "the magnificent life" that God would have us live.
Another perspective: Who
is more likely to say "It doesn't matter what you do?" - God or Satan? Satan
diffuses more Christians - especially young ones starting out in life - by
getting them to choose "good" things to do versus the "best" thing to do.
How many Christians have
chosen a “good” career path of being a doctor, accountant, sales person,
teacher, hockey player or whatever – something any “non-Christian” could do? In
so choosing, have they missed out on the “best” career path – that of being in
full-time Christian service? As Oswald Chambers said,
“The good is often the
enemy of the best.”
In a spiritual sense, we
are very much living in “a time of war”! As in a time of war, every able body
Christian person - male, female, from 18 to 80 - is commissioned to be, not "on
standby", but in active daily service. And every Christian will be held
accountable – by God – as to how they respond to such a call to duty.
If someone, young or old,
is considering a new career path, perhaps a question to ask is: “Could a
non-Christian do this?” If the answer is “yes”, perhaps one should consider
another career option – a career both that takes advantage of the knowledge and
assets of being a Christian and that provides opportunities to be in active
Christian service on a daily basis (to the fullest extent).
Consider the words of the
famous 20th century Christian martyr, Jim Elliot wrote, at the age of 2o when
commenting on “secular jobs”:
"Our
young men are going into the professional fields
because they don't 'feel called' to the mission field.
We don't need a call; we need a kick in the pants."
Many people, striving to
justify their more secular choice of profession, often make statements like,
“Yes, but I can witness at my job. In fact, if anybody asks me about my faith, I
have some tracts right here in my desk that I can give them!” Certainly it’s
true that a Christian in any profession or job – from airline pilot to assembly
line worker – can take advantage of opportunities to reach out to witness and to
minister. And if one is already in a particular career, it may not be possible
or best to leave and go into full-time ministry. The purpose of these comments
is not to suggest that it is “wrong” for a Christian to be a doctor, lawyer,
carpenter, salesperson or whatever. The purpose of these comments is simply to
direct people – especially young people – to what is the “best” choice for a
career – a career that will “best” serve God – and a career that will also
provide the greatest meaning, satisfaction and joy in life.
The Parable of the
Talents clearly relates how God expects us to use every talent, gift, ability
and resource to His honour and glory - and how we will bear the consequences if
we (out of fear or selfishness, as was the case of the one steward) fail to try.
God has "one truth" and "one way" for each of our lives. Satan offers a choice
of "many truths" and "many options". Think about it.
Should a Christian be an
entrepreneur?
Here are 21 reasons a
Christian should be an entrepreneur. Many of them could also be taken as reasons
to be involved in the Christianachievers Business Programs.
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To bring more glory to
God – through the execution and fulfillment of those things listed below
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To be a faithful, loyal
and allegiant steward of God – diligent in managing ALL that is entrusted to
him, including time, talents, energies, resources and opportunities (refer to
the Biblical parable of the talents)
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As Charles Wesley said,
“Make all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” A godly purpose and
motive for the Christian to be an entrepreneur should be to give all one can to
others in God’s purposes of ministry, benevolence, etc.
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To be ALL you can be, not
settling for only a fraction of the potentials you have (Frequently the only
opportunity to do so is in one’s own endeavour. Seldom, very seldom, do
employees have such an opportunity to develop all of their potentials. Most
often employees are kept in just one area of performance – often not even their
best, most productive or most rewarding area)
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To create jobs, products,
services, opportunities, investment returns, etc. for others and to make the world
a better place to live (If we hadn’t had entrepreneurs like Edison, Kellogg and
Ford, we wouldn’t have electric lights, corn flakes and affordable cars)
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To experience and
manifest the touch of the Master’s creativity in creating something that
previously didn’t exist – and, if not for that particular entrepreneur, wouldn’t
have come about (whether a product, a service or the corporate entity to market
such product and services)
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To be MORE SECURE and
less vulnerable to and dependent upon other people – whether they are employers,
co-workers, unions, governments, etc. - and to be more
in control of one’s own destiny
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“To be a man” (One of
the most manly, fulfilling things a man can do – akin to conquering a mountain,
only with greater purpose and with more rewards to share with others)
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“To be a godly woman” See
Proverbs 31
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To have more freedom of
time and flexibility of time for family
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To live longer (Research
backs this up)
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To have a happier
marriage (Research also backs this up. Plus, entrepreneurs are statistically
far less prone to having an affair, as they get their excitement and fulfillment
in their endeavours)
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To best teach
self-sufficiency to one’s children, so that they are best equipped to handle
whatever challenges of life they may encounter
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The freedom of choice to
do something you really enjoy – and, if your desires later change, to
accordingly also change your endeavour (Therefore not being “trapped” in a
meaningless, boring and frustrating job like so many employees)
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To build equity for one’s
self, one’s family – versus building equity for an employer (On the average,
for every dollar an employee receives, the employer receives three to five
dollars in mark-up and/or equity appreciation)
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Further to #15, to build
an estate that can help take care of successive generations of one’s family
(Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s
children”)
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There is inherent to
being a successful entrepreneur a power and an influence among other men – a
power and influence that can be used for God’s glory (The Bible encourages
Christians to grow in favour, not only with God, but with men - see Luke 2:52,
Proverbs 13:22 and others)
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For the sense of
accomplishment and achievement that is from God and blessed by Him (Proverbs
13:19, “A desire accomplished is sweet to the tooth”)
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Further to #3, to tithe
more and more – not only 10%, but 20%, 40%, even 90% (as other successful
Christian entrepreneurs have done)
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Sometimes, as in about
78% of entrepreneurs, simply because one can’t find a “job” that is suitable
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To be an example to
others – as an entrepreneur and as a Christian – either directly or indirectly.
“Mentoring” others in the aforementioned 20 other aspects of “Christian
entrepreneuring”, again, either directly or indirectly
Why such an emphasis on
“Financial” needs of life?
Why does
Christianachievers put such an emphasis on the “financial” needs of life –
especially since it is a Christian ministry with a priority of meeting
“spiritual” needs?
Most people (especially
the great mass of disenfranchised Christians) view finance as their greatest
unmet need (three times more often than health and many times more often than
“having a relationship with God”).
As outreach evangelism,
Christianachievers can effectively get people’s attention by helping them deal
with their financial struggles. As we develop rapport and fellowship with them
regarding financial matters, opportunities will also open up to share the more
truly important spiritual matters.
Christianachievers plans
to offer such information, not only through seminars, CD’s and DVD’s, but also
through small group support programs and individual Life Development Coaching.
In addition to the above,
many people will find a solution to their financial challenges through getting
involved in Allegiant Life Career and Business programs.