by Mark Bilton | Jul 26, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work |
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life” (Pro 4:23)
Our hearts are hard to understand. They are the wellspring of emotion, feelings, motivators, and passions. We can damage our hearts by exposing them to the wrong influences, and they can be deceptive.
Whilst the emotionless leader is an anathema to a servant hearted leader, we should have wisdom to ensure we engage emotionally in an appropriate way.
This Scripture tells us that everything we do flows from our hearts. Wow, now that is something we just do not understand. Even what we say is influenced as “out of our hearts our mouths speak” (Mat 12:34).
Be careful of potentially destructive relationships in your business and private world and do your utmost to protect your heart. It is obviously an important part to protect.
Quick Prayer: Help me guard my heart, Jesus. Amen.
by Mark Bilton | Jul 19, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work |
“A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the strength of its confidence.” (Pro 21:22)
Every so often in business we face big problems. These are not the ordinary things of life but those massive, almost overwhelming problems that rarely impact us but that can be very intimidating. This is when we really need the wisdom of God. Let Him lay down the strategy, and in His strength, you can overcome and pull down the mighty stronghold.
Take the time to wait on Him for an answer. Often a big problem causes an immediate response from us. We want to act because we feel doing nothing is ignoring the problem. Taking time to hear from God can result in a suitable response empowered by the God Who overcomes.
When the problem is big, we have to rely on Him, knowing that only He can get us through. When it is overcome, God gets the glory, and our faith grows knowing He has intervened on our behalf.
Quick Prayer: Give me the wisdom to overcome this big problem, Lord. Amen.
by Mark Bilton | Jul 12, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work |
“The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.” (Pro 21:5 NASB)
The old adage goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Is it a cliché, yes, but it is nonetheless true, and the Scriptures agree? I have seen many business plans that have been so long and so complex that they are rendered useless. They go straight in someone’s bottom drawer, only to see the light of day at the next ‘strategic review.’
Planning in its purest sense is clearly identifying what you want to look like in the future. Take a view—say three years hence—and very clearly, and more importantly, demonstrably and empirically, write down in the simplest measurable terms what your business should look like. Then work out the simple steps to get there, and ensure your people are empowered to deliver their piece.
Quick Prayer: Lord, help me to plan, and as I commit these plans to You, bring them to pass according to Your Word. Thank You and amen.
by Mark Bilton | Jul 5, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work |
“A man’s heart plans his course, but The LORD directs his steps.” (Pro 16:9)
If we have given our lives to God, He will guide our paths. What a reassurance that He is indeed in control. So, should we stop planning? No, of course not. But in our planning, let’s invite God to participate. He will anyway, so why not get an inside view? It can often be an easier journey.
Making room for God as leaders is not always easy. Sometimes we have to push into Him in order to hear and download His will. That sounds a little artificial, but the Word exhorts us to search for wisdom as for hidden treasure, sometimes that just takes time and effort.
We will plan and push out in a direction, but it is God who will establish our steps, God who will watch over the direction, and ultimately, He who will determine the way. I take a lot of comfort in that.
Quick Prayer: Establish my steps according to Your Word, Lord. Amen.
by Mark Bilton | Jun 28, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work
“Commit your deeds to the LORD, and your plans shall succeed.” (Pro 16:3)
If only my thoughts were aligned to God’s will. Take a look at this Scripture. If we cast our works onto Him, commit and trust them to Him, He will make us think along the lines of His will. Why? So, our plans will work, and we will have success!
That is staggering in its significance. If we trust Him, He will turn our hearts to His will. We know that if we are in His will, He will guide us and lead us. How comforting it is to know that as we commit our works to Him, He will turn us to not only hear from Him, but our very thoughts will become His thoughts. Then we truly will have the mind of Christ.
How profound is this truth for leaders? We have the responsibility to lead others, how much more important for us to hear, commit and see our plans succeed.
Quick Prayer: I commit my business to You. Please align my thoughts to Your will, that my plans may succeed. Amen.
by Mark Bilton | Jun 21, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work
“He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread, but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.” (Pro 12:11)
There is always something enticing about the latest idea, the new venture that is still shiny in its new box. We can spend a lot of time on the new when the slightly old has lost its shine.
There is enough entrepreneur in each of us to see many possibilities, but often we need to land the ones we have, before taking on more. It can be very frustrating for teams when the focus and agreed direction is lost in the excitement of a leader’s new idea.
There is a time to explore new opportunities, and there is a time for good, old-fashioned, hard graft where we knuckle down and work hard on what we already have.
In its extreme, the entrepreneurial spirit can be distracted by the next idea while the last one dies on the shelf for lack of focus and resources. Sometimes we need to complete the last venture and not start a new thing.
Quick Prayer: Keep me focused on the task at hand please, Holy Spirit. Amen.
by Mark Bilton | Jun 14, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work
“He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.” (Pro 10:5)
There is wisdom in understanding the season you are in. There is a time to reap and a time to sow; other times are winter, where nothing seems to happen, and patience is required.
The responsibility we have in summer is to reap the harvest. We can be in different seasons in different areas of our lives at the same time. Discerning what season we are in is important. There is no point in sowing in winter.
There are financial harvests, spiritual harvests, and even relationship harvests. What season are you in now, and what area is ready for harvest? We have to be diligent and aware, for the season of harvest is short and temporary.
Discerning the season for our commercial enterprise of team is part of our leadership responsibilities, particularly when it is time to harvest.
Quick Prayer: Help me to bring in the harvest. I commit to bringing it all in and using it wisely. Amen.
by Mark Bilton | Jun 7, 2021 | Create, Grow, Provide, Serve, Witness, Work
“Provides her bread in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.” (Pro 6:8)
Life comes in seasons. There is a time to plant, a time to wait, a time to harvest, and a time to store away grain. How we act and what we do with our resources should be driven by an awareness of what season we are in. Economies have seasons, as do businesses.
Understanding the season your company, workplace or team are in, is essential as your strategy will need to be different depending on what the future holds.
Do not assume plenty will always be there. Alternatively, if you see no fruit but have sown faithfully, your harvest will be coming. Sometimes it rains in summer and the sun shines in winter. Discerning timing is a key part of a successful business. God can give you that insight.
Quick Prayer: Help me to be aware of what season I am in. Amen.
