You know the nagging feeling that you should have done something?
Deep down inside a small voice calls out, nudges, pulls, and prods us to step out in faith. Crazy things, like creating a new way of doing business, or starting a new one all together. Or maybe it’s a simple thing like writing a thank you letter, or making a call to a long lost friend. The nagging feeling might make you nervous. Scared. Not certain where to begin.
I know the exact feeling. Last April 29th we wrote the first post on The Lively Merchant website. Scary stuff, because we weren’t sure what we wanted to be when we grew up.
Around 3,000 years ago a man named Gideon was asked directly by God to lead Israel against the Midianites, who were destroying their lives, homes, and farms.
Let me set the stage. Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine press. This wasn’t because he was overly smart. It was primarily (I believe) because he was chicken of being caught by the Midianites who were kicking everyone’s butt and taking their wheat. So he was hiding and trying to protect what he thought was valuable. He was scared. He asked God, “Who me? I’m the weakest man from the weakest tribe.”
Gideon then decided to double check the nagging voice. Today, it might look like asking a magic 8-ball, not once but twice for the answer. Lack of faith. Fortunately God came through. He answered each of Gideon’s challenges. Isn’t interesting how we challenge everything, even when the nagging voice is loud and clear? I hope I won’t always need a “pillar of fire and light” to keep moving forward. You know?
From time-to-time we are all looking for a sign from heaven.
I know I have related with Gideon many times in my business life. Just give me a sign. Point me in the right direction. Don’t let this go badly, and you can count on me the next time around. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m sure glad God hangs in there with my craziness. Hopefully you will too.
Maybe the next 12 months will be as spectacular as the last. Maybe our nutty furniture business will get back to normal.
That will be a hoot!
Studs Turkell also speaks loudly of serving others in times of economic difficulty. Finding a way to volunteer and give back provides focus and balance to life, in addition to lifting a weight off our own shoulders.
Although my business experience is young; I do know exactly what you’re talking about. I think God would be pleased with us if we began to move when he speaks silently, instead of waiting for him to speak with a BOOM.
And what I think is most interesting about Gideon is that God saw him where he was going to be, and not where he was. I think that is how God looks at us now … He sees us in our final state and not in the state we are in now. I think that is how we are able to move in faith, knowing that it is not just us working towards something. It is God and us.
We all hear and feel a nagging feeling deep within our breasts. Its the spark of life, the survivalist within us. Some use this power wisely and others don’t know what they don’t know about its power.
We are commanded to serve others above ourselves, personally and professionally.
God helps those who help themsevles helping others. If we harness the spark and serve the needs of others, we are served with a bounty of sustainable satisfaction. In business the satisfaction provides spiritual and financial remuneration.
To be paid in the broadest sense, we must invest our resources in satisfying others, first, then we are paid handsomely from the binding relationship of trust and what I call the sacred responsibility of furnishing people’s homes.
If we are just selling stuff to sell, we are shamelessly debasing ourselves and others, causing frustration and a misallocation of resources to persist.
But, if we are agents committed to help people live more comfortably, we are cherishing and extending our purpose and we will be rewarded.
Good business: Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t done to you. The rest is commentary.
Heed the words of Rabbi Hillel: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?