Lesson 1-3: Changing the Way You Think

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VIDEO: Roderick Long’s Story

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NLT)

It’s easy to think that we know best when it comes to business; God may have a place in church on Sunday, but not in the workplace from Monday to Friday when practical decisions are made. Christian business leaders often rely on their skills, training and education to determine the path forward without seeking God’s desire and plan.

God has a Kingdom purpose for you and your business, and we discover this purpose by changing (transforming) the way we think about work. For example, listen to this brief YouTube video from Norm Miller, CEO of Interstate Batteries. Norm came to the realization that he had to do business differently, and after praying about this, he decided every company meeting with staff and customers would start with prayer. Norm decided to turn every part of his life over to God and His purposes (additional video links are on the following page for you to learn more). Interstate Batteries reported gross revenue of about $1.5 billion.

Changing the way you think about work is a continual process:

  • Thinking – The primary way God will change the way you think is by reading the Bible. There is not short cut … you must read the Bible.

  • Learning – Thinking affects the mind, but God also wants to affect the heart. The mind and heart are connected via arteries and veins, which work together. The mind influences the heart and vice versa. From a practical perspective, as thoughts mature, you will begin to learn God’s will for your life and your business.

  • Transforming – God wants to transform you continually. As you begin to implement what you learn, you will actually see the confirmation.

Shared Experiences:

  • Can someone share how God might want to change the way you think about work?

  • What behaviors and customs of today’s society have you adopted without realizing it?

  • If you are a member of a large corporation, what are some examples of how God can shape your mind and actions at work? What is appropriate and what is not appropriate?

  • How might the concepts in this lesson apply to your business and business relationships, both coworkers and customers?

  • How would you be different if you practiced active dependence on God? How would your decisions be different?

  • In the example above, Norm introduced praying before meetings; what are some other practical steps you can take at work to introduce God into your workday?

  • Can someone share an example of how God has spoken to you specifically about work.

Bottom line

God wants every part of our lives, 24/7. He wants to change the way you think about work to help you build a flourishing business and/or workplace. You can learn His will for your life, both at home and at work.

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Dig Deeper

It takes courage to adopt some of the things that God might ask you to do, so let’s examine additional companies and CEOs.

Chick-fil-A (CFA) puts God at the very center of what they do. Consider their mission statement:

To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A. To live out our purpose and honor Truett's legacy, we are focused on creating a culture of care, both at the support center and in our restaurants.

While centering your business around God is easier for a private company to do over a publicly traded firm, it is bold nonetheless. As a result of its purpose, CFA does is not open for business on Sundays, which is totally contrary to today’s culture, yet God continually honors the company. Today, CFA’s gross revenue per store is almost twice McDonalds.

Steve Reinemund served as CEO of PepsiCo and while he was not overly evangelistic due to his position, his faith did affect how PepsiCo did business. During his CEO tenure at PepsiCo, revenues grew by $9 billion, net income rose 70%, earnings per share were up 80% and PepsiCo's market cap exceeded $100 billion. He discusses how his faith affected his values and those of PepsiCo. He was on Barron’s Most Respected CEO list in 2005 and 2006. He serves on several company boards, including Chick-fil-A.

Caution: There are tons of business books and articles that have lots of quick advice, but in most of these, it is more contemporary culture advice. As an example, if you read about Jack Welch, the renowned former leader of GE, you will get ideas that sound good, but maybe are not that great. GE today is only a skeleton of what it was previously. While many might blame subsequent leadership, it was Welch who set the company up for failure, so be careful what you read and what advice you take.