The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence (11 page)

Jed Burnham

CEO (retired), Vectra Bank

THE FALLEN NATURE of business leaders can be seen today in the news headlines. It is almost a daily occurrence. Bernie Madoff is only one of the most spectacular CEOs to be caught cheating. Rather than revealing the truth about his company’s financial circumstances, he lied and covered up the truth, taking money from Peter to pay Paul. Cooking the books at Enron involved the same policy of deception. The frequency and magnitude of these problems has resulted in a general perception by many, if not most, people that American business is corrupt—dominated by evil leaders who will do anything to get and keep what they have. We, of course, know firsthand this is not true. We see honest, hardworking businessmen and businesswomen in our companies and in our suppliers everyday. What should our role be during this time?

In the 10
th
chapter of Mark, Jesus says, “
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God
.” The rich man serves as a metaphor for people who are so secure in life that they don’t believe they need God or anyone else. This is the ultimate arrogance. Today we are reminded more than ever how much, as leaders who follow Jesus Christ, we need God. But is our Christlike character obvious to others? Is our humility an observable contrast to the arrogance of the Madoffs?

Earlier in Mark, Jesus returned from the mountain to find His disciples unsuccessfully attempting to drive an evil spirit out of a young boy. Jesus rebuked the spirit and commanded it to come out, which it did. The disciples couldn’t understand why they had failed. Jesus told them that such an undertaking required much prayer. It also necessitated that they turn first to God and not merely rely on their own experiences or resources (Mark 9:13-29). How easy it is to be like the disciples and rely solely upon ourselves.

Jesus wants us first to rely on Him. To pray and row the boat as a friend of mine once said. To be disciplined in seeking first the will of God in our lives and in the decisions we make as business leaders. Our focus upon Him will set us apart from the others and will honor God. Our attitude, especially when we make difficult decisions, can demonstrate to others inside the company and beyond that we are different—that it isn’t about how much we keep, but about how much we care.

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. Human nature is naturally sinful. To what degree has the Holy Spirit changed your innate, sinful instincts?
   

2. The Christian life is based on our utter dependency on Christ. Are you living daily in that frame of mind? If not, what would it take for you to become desperate for Him?
   

Cort Randell

Corporate Media Services, Inc.

WHY DID GOD choose a young carpenter in a small town called Nazareth to be the earthly father of Jesus? Why not choose a highly placed young man with many educational opportunities in Jerusalem for the earthly father of the Savior of the world? Apparently God found six qualities that He wanted in Joseph that He found in no one else.

1. Joseph had an ability to hear from the Lord (Matthew 1:18-21). Can you imagine being engaged, and suddenly noticing that your fiancée is pregnant? She claims it wasn’t some other man, instead she says it was the Spirit of the Lord that got her pregnant. You have a choice, one is to stone her as per the custom, or break off the engagement. Being a truly compassionate man, he chose the latter. Suddenly an angel appeared to Joseph to confirm that Mary was telling the truth, the baby would be a boy, and to call him Jesus (meaning Savior or Deliverer).
   

2. Joseph was obedient even though it was extremely embarrassing for him (Matthew 1:20-24). The angel brought a third alternative, and that was to marry her. Oftentimes the Lord comes with a much better alternative if we will seek His face. Still, this was a very small town. Having to marry while still pregnant in the old Jewish culture would be a stigma and cause everyone to look down on them both.
   

3. Joseph was patient and disciplined (Matthew 1:25). The angel told Joseph that he could not have sex with his wife until the baby was born. The beds were small, and he had not had any sexual relationship with Mary, his beloved wife. That would take a lot of patience and discipline for any man.
   

4. Joseph was totally obedient (Matthew 2:13-15). Think of being awakened in the night and being told to pack everything you have that will fit on top of a donkey and leave immediately with your wife and child and go to a foreign country by walking several hundred miles. Fortunately the Lord had provided some gold via the wise men, but they were still young, going by foot, and into a country that spoke Egyptian. How many of us would have been that obedient?
   

5. Joseph was protective (Matthew 2:19-23). After a couple of years, Joseph was told to go back so they began the long walk home. Unfortunately, there was now a new murderous king, Archelaus, near Bethlehem, so Joseph led his wife and child to Nazareth, to protect them.
   

6. Joseph appears to have lived with Jesus for all of His early years, taking Him to the festivals in Jerusalem (Luke 2:51).
   As the older brother, Jesus helped raise Joseph’s large family.
   

We might assume that Joseph did not have much effect on Jesus, and that He was only taught by the Holy Spirit. But I think that would be a mistake. Joseph was a successful CEO and for many years he taught and modeled godly principles to his sons and daughters. James, Jesus’ brother, wrote the most businesslike epistle in the Bible after Jesus’ death.

Would God have entrusted you with the raising of His Son? Would you have had the character qualities God was looking for? What changes do we need to make to be more like Joseph?

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. What character qualities of Joseph most impress you? Do you possess any of those same attributes? How might you enhance those character traits in your life?
   

2. Why do you think God grants assignments based on character? Why is character so important to God?
   

3. List some assignments God has given you. Have you handled them as Joseph dealt with his? If the way you have handled assignments in the past determines what God gives you next, what should you expect from God in the future?
   

OUR LIVES ON earth are brief at best. We spend a few decades walking upon the planet before we return to the dust from which we came. We can choose to spend our years vainly pursuing fleeting pleasures and grasping at petty recognitions, or, we can invest ourselves in eternity. We cannot enjoy our money forever, regardless of its amount or the security of its investment. No government or company or building is eternal. But people are. If we are wise, we will invest ourselves into that which lasts.

Some people live lives that make little or no difference to anyone. They come and go in human history and no one suffers loss when they depart. Yet others live in such a way that the world is never the same after they are gone. Paul was such a man. He began his adult life harming people in his frantic quest to achieve power and fame. Yet once he surrendered his life into the hands of Christ, he changed his world. His enemies in Thessalonica claimed, “
These who have turned the world upside down have come here too”
(Acts 17:6). God showed Paul how to spend his life in such a way that people, and human history, were never the same again. Two thousand years later, we are still feeling the impact of what God did through Paul’s life.

How are you living your life? Are you investing in what matters? Are you leaving a spiritual legacy? Will you be fondly remembered for good long after you are gone? Will the world be a better place, because you passed through it? Ask God to show you what you must do to become a person of greater spiritual influence.

THE HISTORY OF business could be viewed as a series of periodic breakthroughs. There have been moments of discovery and decision that forever changed the marketplace. Commodore Vanderbilt turned his back on his shipping business to invest in the emerging railroad industry, propelling him to become the wealthiest man in America. Henry Ford perfected a means of producing affordable “horseless carriages” for the masses that brought an end to horse-drawn carriages and revolutionized America. Andrew Carnegie utilized a superior method of manufacturing steel that made him one of America’s wealthiest tycoons. Rockefeller developed oil refining and transporting processes until he became the undisputed king of the oil industry. Bill Gates left Harvard University without graduating to throw himself into an innovative new software company. In most cases, a discovery of new methods of production or distribution led businesspeople to spectacular heights. Fresh insights can bring enormous success.