FCCI

We’re at war!  Do you have any doubt about the truth of that statement?  I certainly don’t … I see evidence of it every day.  It may look different where you are, but I’m sure you see it, too.

Now please understand, there are wars (Afghanistan, Somalia, the War Against Terrorism, etc) and rumors of war (North Korea, Iran) - any one of which may or may not have a direct effect on you, your family or your business.  But there is another, very real war that I guarantee is impacting your world every day, and one for which we business leaders are too often ill equipped and underprepared.  It’s hardly ever addressed in our strategic planning sessions, and may never even be a footnote in our business plan … omissions that may cost us in many ways – some may relate to bottom line issues, while others relate directly to issues like peace, changed lives and Kingdom impact.

Paul describes the war in his letter to the Ephesians:  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NASB).  Or, as The Message puts it: This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Take a moment and think about how you just responded to reading Paul’s description.  For much of my business life I would have minimized any application of this passage to my company, relegating any idea of spiritual warfare to my personal spiritual struggles, issues in the church or perhaps the fall of a Christian leader.  That in itself is evidence of the conflict – I’ve been deceived. 

Look around you right now.  Do you see evidence of the battle?  Of course, it can be just as debilitating to blame everything on the Enemy or spiritual warfare … seeing a demon around every corner or behind every computer glitch.  Never-the-less, there are fingerprints:  broken relationships that impact your team and productivity, “time wasters” that grab way more attention than they deserve, decisions driven by “business sense” but contrary to biblical truth, and, yes, even some of those computer or mechanical glitches.

Recognizing that we are in a war is a great first step.  Let me suggest a few more:

- On the personal side, take the rest of Paul’s wisdom in Ephesians 6 seriously – put on that “Full Armor of God” every day before you leave the house (even before you get out of bed!).

- You might also want to recruit a team who are committed to pray for you every day – and communicate with them.  What a great resource they can be … I’ve had one for almost 30 years.

- For your company, cultivate a culture of prayer and dependence.  It’s harder to make business decisions that leave God out when the way you do your job, or the environment created within the company, makes including God a natural part of your process.

- A prayer team is a good idea for the company, too – and they may already work for you!

Of course, this is not an overnight process – nor can it be accomplished in one leadership team retreat – but it’s worth the time and effort.  It takes time to create a habit … or a culture … or to train an army … but it’s worth the effort when you taste the kinds of victories God brings to those who learn to depend on Him in the daily battle.  Victories like peace in the middle of a global meltdown, of changed lives as people are drawn to Christ through your trust in Him, and of Kingdom impact as God’s reflection through the company He has entrusted to you makes a difference in everything that happens within that company’s sphere of influence.

Oh yes, we’re at war.  But we know Who wins, so why not taste some of that victory along the way?

With You on the Front Lines, 

Doug

President and CEO
Fellowship of Companies for Christ International / Christ@Work

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www.fcci.org
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Atlanta, Georgia   30341

You don't waste your life by where you work, but by how and why.   John Piper