Over at The High Calling Blogs, we’re discussing chapter 4 through 7 (they’re short and easy to read) in John D. Beckett’s Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul. These chapters complete part 1 of the book, in which Beckett describes the history and the background of how he came to develop a business management practice and philosophy that were biblically based.Beckett had joined the business his father started, and a year into it his father died, leaving Beckett the choice of running the business himself or selling it to one of several companies ready to buy it. With his mother’s support, he chose to continue the business, and in short order faced a warehouse fire that nearly destroyed the business, a unionization effort and his own internal struggles over business versus ministry.
Of all the material he covers in these chapters, one statement particularly stood out for me – the words of a conference speaker who had challenged Beckett to explore the Bible: “Vast areas of scripture will never be meaningful to us unless we go through the experiences for which they give insight. It was for this reason that God allowed all of his servants in Scripture to experience conflicts, and it is for this reason that we go through them as well.”
In other words, all of the conflicts, the hardships, the problems, the upheavals – all the bad stuff – are designed to drive us to God’s word, and thus to God. All of the problems and conflicts we experience at work are designed – purposefully – to lead us rely on God and not ourselves, to teach us and to mold us.
It puts that bad boss relationship I once had in a totally different light. It wasn’t about how to deal with him; it was about what I was supposed to learn about God.
Oh, boy.
Come take a look at the discussion on Loving Monday led by Laura Boggess.
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ReplyDeleteOh, boy is right!
ReplyDeleteWhen God allows bad things to happen, He teaches valuable lessons. It's up to us to learn them. Hmmm...
You've got me thinking this Monday morning, Glynn. Thanks.
I left a comment at Laura's that echoes your post.
ReplyDeleteIt's always enlightening how different things look when we assume a different perspective and remember to be open to what we're experiencing.
That quote was the part that stood out most for me, too.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm off to look for what you wrote about the bad boss...
"vast areas of scripture will never be meaningful ..." - that's a thought to ponder ... thank you
ReplyDeleteThis is important stuff to make note of, Glynn. Considering those trials as blessings is truly a challenge. Much easier to see the invisible hand in hindsight, huh? Trying to be mindful of this right now so I can apply it to today's struggles, but they just zap my energy to do so sometimes!
ReplyDeleteWish it were as easy and quick as Beckett makes it seem. But I think there was much more struggle involved for him too, just not written down.
Reading between the lines...
Such truth in his statement you've quoted, Glynn. Life -- in all its conflict and turmoil -- readies us for Scripture to do its work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insights here.
Oh, for some reason I thought you had written an earlier post about a bad boss. Duh...
ReplyDelete