The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo 1202: A Few Birds and A Brook

There's a modern parable titled 'Who Moved My Cheese?" that tells the story of some mice who lived in a maze. Every day cheese would show up for them to eat, and they came to rely on that cheese. Then one day, the cheese stopped coming. Two of the mice set off through the maze to find new cheese, while two others stayed, bemoaning their fate and waiting for their situation to return to normal.

Finally, they had to leave to look for cheese, only to meet the other mice who had already found their new source. The two stragglers then set off in earnest and eventually found their new supply of cheese. There's a lesson in this story for you as we examine the connection between your finances and your purpose, but let's not talk about mice. Let's look at a story in the life of Elijah to see a similar story.

A BROOK AND SOME BIRDS

At one point in his life, the prophet Elijah's life changed because it stopped raining:

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook (1 Kings 17:1-6).

I'm sure Elijah had been enjoying a normal routine of his life. Then one day it all changed after Elijah had proclaimed a drought, and God sent him into hiding. We don't know what Elijah did to feed himself before the drought, but during it, he had to rely on nature for his provision.

His extended camping trip finally ended and then it was time for him to move on to his next ministry adventure. He was probably in hiding for two years and by then, I would imagine Elijah had gotten used to this new arrangement. How did he know it was time to move on? He knew because the creek stopped running and the birds stopped coming:

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him. “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food" (1 Kings 17:7-9).

TIME TO MOVE ON

What did God use to indicate it was time for Elijah to move on? He used the basic circumstances of life, including how God provided for him, so Elijah would know for sure it was God's will. Elijah could have waited, not wanting to get ahead of the Lord. He could have prayed that the brook and birds would resume their daily care duties. Instead, Elijah obeyed and moved on because the lessons he had learned about God's ability to provide needed to be shared with someone else—the someone else being the widow we discussed in a previous study. Elijah could trust the Lord for the woman's provision in the midst of a national emergency because he had learned how to trust for his own; he had seen God's faithfulness firsthand.

God promises to provide for you, but He didn't specify how that would happen. There's no guarantee that how He has provided in the past is how He will do so today or in the future. Has your brook stopped running or your birds stopped their daily deliveries? Are you in panic mode, trying to make sense of this latest shift in God's provision? Are you holding out for God to provide as He has in the past, or are you open to Him doing something new? Are you open to doing something new? Are you willing to move on to your next purpose assignment?

There are days He feeds you by the brook and there are days He provides through the widow. In both instances, it is the same God who is using your finances to lead and guide you. Regardless of the means He uses, He was and always will be your Provider, and you can trust in the One who stops the rain and dries up the brook to fulfill His promise to you. And once you have learned to do so, He wants you to encourage others who are just learning that lesson. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1201: Your Paycheck

When I conduct purpose seminars, which by the way I could do every week if I had the opportunity, I sometimes make this statement, 
"Jesus never recruited anyone to a paid ministry position. He recruited people to fulfill their purpose, and He promised to be with them no matter where they went or what they did." Let's look at that statement more closely.

Jesus didn't approach His disciples and say, "Men, I have a job for you to do, and that is to be fishers of men. Now, I'll pay you a certain amount, plus benefits, for your efforts. You'll have two weeks off every six months, and I'll put away a certain amount for your retirement." Jesus didn't fully explain how He would take care of the men, but He did promise to do so.

The issue that people raise with me when I talk about this is, "That's because the disciples were in ministry, and that's how people in ministry are to live. But I'm a carpenter or a teacher or a nurse, and I need to get paid!" That, my friends, is the crux of the matter, isn't it? Does God have the right to ask you to work at any job and trust Him for your provision from another source?

A WORKER IS WORTHY . . .

Let me give you some examples. I often meet with people to coach and counsel them where purpose is concerned. I don't charge them anything to do so and most of the time, they don't offer to pay. God has sent them to me and in a sense, I'm serving a pastoral role at that time—which is God's will for me. Another example is that I have completed a full commentary on the New Testament, verse by verse. I couldn't escape the fact that I was to edit and publish it in its entirety—all twelve volumes.

That was my work God had assigned me to do. No one paid me to do that, and there were no guarantees of sales to support me. Yet God provided for me to work on that project in other ways, and I felt His pleasure as I did it. God has recruited me to write and has promised to care for me as I do. So far, all the bills are paid, money is being saved, health benefits are covered, and I have money left over to give away. Am I the exception or the rule where this issue of God's provision is concerned?

At some point in the discussion, people often quote the verse that says the laborer is worthy of their hire (see Luke 10:7 and 1 Timothy 5:18), and of course that principle is true. A laborer should be paid by whatever entity benefits from their efforts. But isn't that verse also a promise about God's faithfulness? If God "hires" you to do something, won't He be true to His own promise and, as your employer, make sure you are taken care of—perhaps from sources you don't know or expect provision?

People usually tell me that "I have a family to feed and support," to which I respond, "Oh, so you are the one to take care of your family? God has no role in the process?" Do you think it's more difficult for God to provide for a family of five than for an individual? Do you think God needs a company to do that? Do you think God needs you to work at a company to do that?

God can use a company to feed you and yours, but God doesn't need one to feed you all. And ultimately, who is the real source of the provision—God using the company or the company itself? And one more question: Is God limited only to use your company to pay you or can He provide for you in other ways along with the pay you receive?

JESUS SAID . . .

It would be good to read and then reflect on Jesus' own words on this matter. Ask yourself, "Did He mean this for those in ministry or for every one of His followers?" If He meant them for all, then how can you apply them to your life and work? I have shared with you how they apply to mine.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:25-34).

Do you need to adjust your thinking where your provision is concerned? Yes, your company pays you as it should, but ultimately it's God who is using them to provide for you. Therefore, you can put your trust in Him to provide with or without the company. That means you can embrace any work He has given you to do and trust that He, as your employer, will be sure to provide as promised, even if He has to use unusual means to do so—means that prove He is your source in every situation. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1200: Keep Pouring

Have you ever faced economic pressure that almost paralyzed you? You were in such desperate straights that you did not know what to do next? In 2001, I faced a major life transition when I started PurposeQuest International. The pressure was so great that there were days I did nothing but lie on the couch. We had no money, I had no business, and I wasn't always sure what to do next or if we would make it.

I was experiencing what I have come to call 'economic terrorism,' and I was going through it to test my resolve. Was I all-in on my purpose or would I run back in fear to what I had been doing, to what I knew? Would I keep writing and creating when there was no one around to buy or even pay attention to what I was doing?

If you're facing something like this or have faced it, then perhaps you can relate. If you haven't you may want to read on and then file this away for future use, just in case you need it—and chances are in your quest for purpose you'll face this kind of pressure at one time or another.

MORE JARS

In 2 Kings 4, the prophet Elisha met a widow who was also in desperate times. She was so heavily in debt that she feared losing her sons to her creditors. Elisha didn't pray for her or loan her money. Instead, he gave her some strange advice. He told her to go collect as many jars and receptacles as possible. Once she had done that, she was then to go home, close the door, and start pouring the oil she had into those jars. Here is what happened next:

She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left" (2 Kings 4:5-7).

Do you think the women wished at that point that she had gathered more jars to hold oil? The point I'm making is that you must still operate in faith even when times are desperate. What's more, you must do things that are consistent not with where you are now, but with where you will be when your breakthrough comes.

MY JARS

When I went through my desperate time, I could barely function, but I had to get up off the couch and write. I had to prepare seminars and teachings for no one in particular even though I had no clients. I had to make financial decisions for the future when I had no money on that particular day. What's more, I felt directed to give away things to others when my own needs were critical. 

It was during this season that I began writing this Monday Memo and giving it away (I started in 2001 and notice this entry is number 1,200). Shortly thereafter, I began to send out my weekly Bible studies free of charge to anyone who wanted it. I designed a website and committed money to its development, money I didn't have with no promise of any return. I made a trip to Africa just to declare to principalities and powers, and probably also to myself, that if God wanted me there, I was going to find a way to be there.

Now when I look back, I did what this woman did many centuries ago: I kept pouring what little I had and God kept providing more. Today I'm teaching what I developed in those dark, confusing, and uncertain times. I address thousands of people every year all over the world, and I counsel them with things I read about and studied when my pressure almost rendered me helpless and without hope. I have written almost 100 books that are now in multiple languages. There is a school, library, and youth center that bear my name in Kenya.

YOUR JARS

So what about you? Is it time to despair and give up, or is it time to gather some more jars and start pouring? Your situation may be critical, but I urge you to think and act this week like it isn't. I'm asking you to do what only God can help you do: act today like your breakthrough is already here, even though the evidence says otherwise.

If you can do this, then when your breakthrough comes—and it will come—you'll have enough jars (whatever that represents for you) to hold the blessings that are in store for every purposeful servant of God. If I made it through my dark time, you will too. When it's all over, you will be glad you had enough jars and didn't stop pouring. Have a great week!

Monday Memo 1199: Don't Give Up

Have you ever faced what you considered a hopeless situation? Are you facing one now? The last couple of weeks, we have looked at the role of economic hardship as a means either to scare you off your purpose or to refine you along the way. This week I want to continue that theme and look at a woman who had given up hope, who was ready to go home and die. If you are about to give up, read on. If you aren't facing that scenario yet, read on anyway, for you may face that kind of hopelessness one day.

A FEW STICKS

The Lord sent the prophet Elijah to a woman in 1 Kings 17 during a famine. The woman did not know it yet, but she was going to feed Elijah during the drought and, in feeding Elijah, she would feed her family as well.  Sometimes God wants you to be generous when everything in you says that isn't possible.

So Elijah came face to face with the woman and asked her for a drink. We know that she was generous at heart, for she gave the man some water even though there was a severe drought. Then Elijah asked her for some bread.  When he did, this is what she said:

 "As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die" (1 Kings 17:12).

This woman was saying, "It's over. Things could not possibly get any worse. Death is the next step." Yet Elijah told her that she had seen the worst and things were going to get better:

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land'" (1 Kings 17:13-14).

And that is exactly what happened. That woman went from having a few sticks and a piece of bread to an endless supply for her, her son, and the prophet.

SCARCITY MENTALITY

When things have been tough, you naturally switch into survival mode. This woman was just trying to survive and she had run out of hope for that. The thought of prosperity was out of the question. Yet her breakthrough was just a moment away. What's more, your breakthrough may be only a chance meeting, a phone call, or an idea away as well.

Notice that Elijah told the woman what Moses told the Israelites in last week's lesson: Don't be afraid! Fear will cripple you in a crisis and you need all your creativity and hope to make it through the tough times. Tough times come to prove that God is faithful and to make you resilient and hopeful, not in your own efforts or ideas, but rather in God. 

If you aren't facing this kind of hopelessness, then perhaps you know someone who is. You may want to forward this Memo to them. If you are, I'm not advising that you ignore the severity of your situation. I am urging you, however, not to lose hope even when your reason for hope is totally obscured. Say what Job said, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" (Job 13:15). And then keep on keeping on. Then one day I hope you will write your story and send it to me so that others may be encouraged who feel that all they have is a few sticks between them and utter failure. Have a great week!

Monday Memo 1198: Don't Go Back

I once asked someone I was counseling, "What are you afraid of?" Her answer was quick and confident, "Nothing!" And that was a true statement, because that woman was doing nothing that would warrant fear. She had controlled her life to the extent that as soon as she sensed fear, she backed off and returned to her comfort zone. What's more, she conveniently involved God in the process, explaining how the timing was never right or the Lord had not released her to do anything beyond what she was doing.

Are you like this woman? Perhaps we all are to some degree. Let's look this week at what you can do if you ever find yourself with no options but to step out only to encounter both fear and risk of failure as you do.

DON'T PANIC   

Last week we saw how Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to continue their work making bricks without the straw being supplied for them. I identified this as economic terrorism, something many encounter as they step out to fulfill their purpose. From that point on, Moses and Pharaoh were in a tug of war involving the freedom of God's people, which was finally won after the Passover night when all the firstborn Egyptians were slain.

The story didn't end there, however. After that, Israel left Egypt and headed for the Promised Land. Pharaoh reconsidered his decision to let the people go and assembled his army, taking off in hot pursuit of his former slaves. What did the people do? They cried out to Moses and God:

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Exodus 14:10-12).

The people panicked and were ready to go back to the slavery of Egypt. 

DON'T GO BACK

Can you see the application for your own life and work?  If economic terrorism doesn't keep you from purpose and you escape its clutches, then fear and intimidation can come in like a flood and threaten to sweep you off your feet. All the evidence helps you have thoughts like, "We'll starve. We won't be able to pay our mortgage. People will laugh. We'll lose our health insurance!" When that happens, what can you do? At that point, you need to face the fear and intimidation and do what Moses told the people to do:

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Exodus 14:13-14).

The last thing you feel like doing when you're afraid and intimidated is to do nothing, but that may be the best advice and action you can take. When you are powerless to make a difference, why not put it in the hands of the One who can? And there is no better Financial Adviser, Business Agent, or Board Member than the Lord Himself.

So if you are facing extreme financial pressure and everything in you wants to quit and "go back" to whatever you were doing, don't do it. Don't deny the truth of your situation, but don't deny God's power to overcome it. Today you may simply need to rest  in the power of your purpose, a purpose that has been assigned by God Himself. And we know where God guides, He provides, and where it's God's will, it's God's bill. Have a great week!

Monday Memo 1197: No Straw, More Bricks

Last week, I introduced the phrase 'economic terrorism' and promised to share more about it this week. If you didn't read 'Stale Bread' last week, you may want to go back and read it now, for we will build on that as we look at the people of God in Egypt under Pharaoh this week.   

When Moses announced to Pharaoh that it was time for God's people to go, Pharaoh didn't like what he heard. Egypt and its economy depended on Israel's slavery for bricks, and Pharaoh wasn't about to let the people go. So he did something to make their lives even harder than they had been before Moses showed up:

That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies" (Exodus 6:6-9).

Pharaoh was trying to intimidate his slaves and make them believe that their freedom was unachievable or could only occur with his permission. He increased the pressure so they would work longer and harder for the same results and have less time for anything other than what he wanted them to do.

I've found this same dynamic at work in some who decide to fulfill their purpose. After they make that decision, things they can't explain begin to happen. Their car needs major repairs, they have an unexpected financial setback, or they even lose their job. Often this causes them to conclude, "Maybe this isn't the right time," and they then postpone or even abandon their purpose dream.

ECONOMIC TERRORISM   

I refer to Pharaoh's actions as a form of economic terrorism. It was done to strike fear in the hearts of God's people and to distract them from God's will. It seems that if the enemy can't keep you from your purpose, then he will try to starve you out or frighten you into abandoning your quest. Almost everyone I know who is pursuing purpose, including me, has gone through hard economic times. The temptation is to quit but often that is not the time to quit but to press on. Let me explain why.

God allows this to happen to prepare you for your future, to test if you are serious and 'all in.' Struggles can make you stronger and more resilient. Lean times have a way of imparting important lessons you will need later, lessons that teach you the reality of this truth:

"And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3).

I know many who stood up to the terrorism and made it through to purpose. I am among those who did, so I know about what I write. If you are in the midst of economic terrorism, hang on. Help is on the way! The challenge is that you don't know exactly when the help will arrive. So take it one day at a time, thank God for what you have, visualize better days, and do all you can to make it through. Whatever you do, don't lose sight of your purpose, for that vision will see you through to the end, because your purpose is the will of God for your life. Have a great week!

Monday Memo 1196: Stale Bread

David was officially on the run, a fugitive, and his only crime was being successful and serving the king and his people with distinction. His downfall was his success and he had no choice but to run for his life as Saul sought to eliminate his rival to the throne. David had enjoyed success that belied his age, for he was still a young man who had a lot of maturing to do. We can't blame David for being young and inexperienced, and the only "remedy" was for him to go through some things that would mature and prepare him to serve as the king he was anointed to be. In this Memo, let's examine what happened as he began his life on the run with Saul in hot pursuit.

BREAD AND A SWORD

David's first need when he fled was some food for him and his companions:

Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here" (1 Samuel 21:1-3).

The priest only had the twelve loaves of the week-old bread of the Presence which the priests ate as their food. That tells us that David's traveling cohort was small, for 12 loaves would not feed many for very long. Then David turned his attention to another need he had:

Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me" (1 Samuel 21:8-9).

At some point, the trophy from David's most notable triumph, Goliath's sword, had ended up in the possession of the priests. If David didn't have a sword, then it's doubtful any of his traveling companions had one either. So there was God's anointed, starting his survival trek with no food or weapons. Stale bread and an over-sized sword were his lot, while the crazed King Saul sat in the palace with a large army and all the food he wanted.

GOD'S PROVISION

David lied to the priests as to why he was on the run, and it eventually cost them their lives when Saul came a-callin' and accused them of harboring his criminal son-in-law. This indicates that David was confused and fearful, still trying to figure out what he had done to deserve such treatment, while also wondering how he was going to survive. You may be thinking the same thing as you pursue your purpose.

Yet in the midst of his panic, God showed him the reason for his dilemma, and it wasn't anything he had done wrong, but something he had done right: his victory over Goliath. David's faith had brought him to where he was (for it was his faith that had won the battle with the giant and brought him great fame). When he was presented with Goliath's sword, he was reminded that faith was what would carry him forward to the throne God had promised him.

Perhaps you find yourself in a tough spot right now. You launched out with the best of intentions to fulfill your purpose and do God's will. As you have, the enemy of your soul, who could not keep you from your purpose, is now trying to keep you from succeeding in it. He has created what I call "economic terrorism" to cause you to panic and run back to the comfort of what you used to do. Your friends seem to have disappeared and it's just you and God.

Next week, we'll continue to look at this concept of economic terrorism, but for now, are you eating stale bread and wondering how you're going to make ends meet? If so, you are not the first in history to be in such a place. God is building something good in you, but for now, you may be wondering what to do and where to go as you deal with your lack. Think about this during the coming week and I promise to be back next week with some advice on the way forward through your economic hard times. Blessings!

Monday Memo 1195: God Will Take Care of You

Let's continue to look at the connection between your creative purpose and your finances. It goes without saying that you need to make a living so you can earn money and pay your bills. God knows you need money so you can eat and have the other necessities of life, and therefore promised through Adam and Eve that He would always provide for you:

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so (Genesis 1:29-30, NIV, emphasis added).

In those verses, we see that God provided their food as a gift; it wasn't their wages for work done. He expected them to work, but their food wasn't to come because of their work. That was provided by God Himself. What's more, He didn't give them so much food for a certain amount of work done; He gave them what they needed, even on their day of rest. Later, Jesus taught the same principle when He said,

“So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things" (Matthew 6:31-33, emphasis added).

God's kingdom can be simply defined as His will for your life. If you do what the King wants you to do, He then promises to give you all you need to live on. He may use the place where you work to provide for you but He doesn't need that place to provide for your needs. He can give you houses, cars, land, and everything else you need from various sources when you are busy doing His will. That means money doesn't have to be your first concern, but doing God's will does. Let me give you an example.

I'm a writer and I spend most of my days editing and publishing books. I also spend a lot of time on social media sharing what God teaches me with a worldwide audience. Sometimes people pay me to help them produce their books but at times can't afford to do so. What's more, the ministry I perform through social media doesn't provide me with income. Yet I know it's God will for me to do it. As I've obeyed Him, God has provided for my family in many other ways while I write and edit and teach online. My point is that His provision is God's gift and not my pay for the work I do. 

One of the questions I ask people who come to me for help finding their purpose is, "What would you do with your life if you already had all the money you needed to live on?" People tell me they would write, paint, travel, work with children, and other worthwhile activities. I then explain their answer is a good indication of what their purpose is. If they will do that as often as possible, God will provide for them to do it in surprising ways because He wants to give them what they need while they carry out His purpose for their lives.

What would you do with your time and life if you had all the money you needed to live on? You can not only dream about it but actually do it as you learn to trust God to make good on His promise that He will give you what you need any time you're doing His will. God is the one who pays you, and He's generous and always on time. He has always taken good care of those who take good care of His business. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1194: Paid to Be Who You Are

You know the story of Moses, how he was born in Egypt and hidden by his parents because Pharaoh had decreed that all male babies had to die. When they could no longer hide him, they put him in a basket and floated him down the river where he was discovered by Pharaoh's daughter. Moses' sister had followed the baby and then there is a subtle aspect of the story that is easy to overlook:

Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked. “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him (Exodus 2:7-9, emphasis added).

The princess was so happy to find the baby that she was willing to pay someone to nurse him. Moses' sister went and got their mother, and the princess paid her to nurse and raise Moses. Moses' mama got paid to do something that she would have gladly done for free.

You probably also do things for free that others would gladly pay you to do. Those things are so second-nature to you, however, that you don't think they are anything special—but they are. When I started my business, I was so used to giving my services away that it was difficult to price them. There was a coaching service I offered that I had priced at $30, but then someone helped me see that there was a market for it and recommended I charge $250 instead. I was surprised and thought, "No one is going to pay that much!" And I was correct—anyone who knew me as the $30 man would not pay, but I found people who didn't know me and said, "Oh, that's reasonable. Let's do it!"

My point is that, like Moses' mama, you have things connected to your creative purpose that God can use to give you a revenue stream. Maybe you bake, cook, write, translate, babysit, garden, teach, clean, design, sew, or repair and have done so for many years. Could people find those things useful and would they be willing to pay you to do them? The answer is it's possible, but your own hesitancy and fear may be holding you back. So here's what I suggest you do.

First, ask the Lord to show you any such activities. Don't argue, debate, or start to dismiss how those things won't generate income. Then get with someone who knows you and business like I did. Have them look at your service or product and advise you how to make a business of it. Finally, do what they say regardless of how fearful, skeptical, or self-conscious you may feel.

When I started publishing as well as writing my own books, I found a new source of revenue that has been a blessing. Moses' mama got paid for her creativity (building a waterproof basket for her baby) and then got paid for being his mother! God wants to do the same for you as He has done for us. There is something in you that is of value to others who would be willing to pay. You only have to get over your hesitancy to put a price and value on what it is that God has created you to be and do. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1193: Purpose and Occupation

We are looking at the relationship between your purpose and finances because, in my experience, I have found that provision is often the greatest concern for people searching for purpose. They assume that their purpose will be their source of revenue, but I have found that isn't always the case. Let's look at the Apostle Paul this week to see what he can teach us about our topic.

Paul's purpose was to bring the gospel of Christ to the Gentile world. We know this because his call on the Damascus road has a prominent place in the book of Acts. After that experience, Paul referred to his purpose in each of his letters, usually relating his purpose to an Old Testament passage about the Gentiles seeing a great light. When Paul talked about himself, he always referred to his purpose, and that purpose wasn't his occupation.To earn a living, Paul made tents, for no rabbi accepted money to teach God's word.

The only way we know that Paul made tents was that Luke wrote about it in the book of Acts. Don't you find it interesting that Paul never referred to making tents? That was what he did to make money, but it wasn't who he was. He was an apostle to the Gentiles and that is what got the choice place in his heart, time, efforts, and writing. (Paul returned the favor. Nowhere did Luke ever mention he was a doctor; Paul informed us of that in Colossians 4:14. Obviously Luke learned from his mentor the difference between purpose and occupation.)

WHO ARE YOU?

If I asked you what you do, what would you say? You may be an insurance agent or engineer, but who are you? You may also be a missionary to some people group, while insurance or engineering pays the bills. When people ask you what you do, like I just did, how do you respond? If you answer the salesperson or engineer, then you are defining yourself by what you do.

If you say missionary, you are focusing on purpose and not on what buys your food. You may only get to the mission field once a year on your vacation time, but the other weeks you're praying and working for that mission. You don't have to quit your occupation to embrace your purpose. You may simply need to distinguish between the two. And this is important because then you will see that your job is what funds your purpose, and God may change your jobs along the way but you won't have to change your purpose if and when He does.

Os Guinness wrote the following paragraph in his book, Entrepreneurs of Life (since he uses the words "calling" and "vocation" instead of purpose, I have taken the liberty of inserting the word "purpose" where appropriate):

Calling [purpose] helps us finish [our lives] well because it prevents us from confusing the termination of our occupations with the termination of our vocations [purpose]. If we ever limit our calling [purpose] to what we do, and that task is taken away from us—we suddenly find ourselves unemployed, retired, or pronounced terminally ill—then we are tempted to depression and doubt. What has happened? We have let our occupation become so intertwined with our vocation [purpose] that losing the occupation means losing the sense of vocation [purpose] too.

Have you either not found or lost your sense of purpose? Then perhaps you have confused the difference between what you do and who you are (parents and spouses included—that's a role you have but not your purpose). I would suggest you take time to reflect on this important distinction and then no longer be content to define your life in terms of what you do to earn cash but rather who you are. It will make all the difference in the world and it will set you free from thinking that your purpose has to pay your bills. Have a great week!