Tag Archives: professional calling

Just Be Like Him

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. – – – Romans 8:29

How do we serve as effective ambassadors and marketing vehicles for God? The Highest form of marketing for God is to just be like Him. We serve Him best when we emulate Him. Now, you might be wondering exactly how we mere humans could even entertain the notion of being like almighty God, especially in the ruthless and cutthroat world of business. Well, this may not be as much of a quantum leap as you might think.

Be Imitators of God
First, we must remember that God created us in His own image (Genesis 1:26). He calls us “gods” and we are instructed to be imitators of God (Psalm 82:6; John 10:34; Ephesians 5:1). So we must leverage our godly brand attributes and obey His commandment to imitate or be like Him.

Be Conformed to the Image of His Son
Fortunately, God has already given us a professional coach to help us with this. God declares that we are to be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29, NKJV; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Jesus Christ is our ultimate role model and coach. He is the Benchmark. The Standard. The Bible tells us that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and Christ has the mind of God, so being like Him is not impossible.

Jesus tells us:

• Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me (John 14:10, NLT).
• I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you (John 13:15, NLT).

Jesus is saying that He has given us an example and a pattern to follow so that we can serve as effective ambassadors and marketing vehicles for God. You don’t have to lecture or preach about God at work. The only thing you need to do is just be like Jesus.

The Bible says that “Jesus went around doing good” (Acts 10:38, NLT). Just by reading the Bible and learning more about Jesus and His leadership practices, we can learn so much about how to be ambassadors for God, particularly within the commercial arena.

In the Foreword for the book, Church on Sunday, Work on Monday, Ken Blanchard, world-renown leadership expert, states that “Jesus was a leadership model for all leaders” and that “business leaders need help and they need the kind of help that they can get from the leadership message of Jesus.”

We are to share God’s blessings and anointing in our lives with others so that we can give them a preview of Jesus and God’s redemptive power (Revelation 1:1-5).

Just be like Him in the workplace and in the marketplace and you will attract the attention of your target audience. Just being like Jesus equates to leading and ministering to others by example. We are to exemplify godly principles in our business philosophy and practice. We are to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 20: 7-8; 1 Peter 1:14-16).
When we commit to being like Him, we are committing to be role models in our conduct (1 Timothy 4:12). We are committing to show others how to be “a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned” (Titus 2:7-8, NKJV) putting our opponents to shame to the point that they have nothing negative to say about us! We are committing to set the Highest standards for others to follow by allowing our business practices to give credence to our belief in God. But does this mean that we have to be perfect?
Must we be perfect?

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV) that we must mature as individuals and “grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.” We are to be obedient to God and live and mature by following the example of the life of Jesus Christ. But this doesn’t mean that we have to be perfect. We just need to exemplify excellence and wisdom. Remember, excellence is doing your best. Excellence is not perfection. We will never be perfect, for we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We just need to do our best to live the Christian life we espouse so that God can use our faith, testimonies, and blessings to bring others closer to Him.

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart oversees global corporate partnerships for Harvard Business School. She is an international speaker, consultant, and author of the award-winning book, Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life. For more insights and information, please visit: www.shelettestewart.com and www.revelationsinbusiness.com.

Your Divine Mission

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age.
– Matthew 28: 19-20 (NKJV)

The term purpose is generally defined as intention or a reason for being. Your reason for being. God created all of us, including His Son Jesus, to glorify Him. Jesus acknowledges this when He prays: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” (John 17:1, NKJV). Therefore, our purpose as God’s sons and daughters is to glorify Him so that His “name may be declared in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16, NKJV).

On the contrary, the term mission is typically defined as an important assignment, vocation, divine calling or personal ministry. Your divine assignment. Your personal calling. Jesus is a perfect example of an individual who stayed focused on God’s mission for His life. Jesus followed God and the Holy Spirit as He pursued His ministry. Just as God anointed Jesus to do His work, He will also anoint you to do yours in the marketplace.

Your purpose precedes your mission. One way to frame this connection is to remember:

• Your purpose tells you why you were created (i.e., to glorify God).
• Your mission tells you how you will glorify Him (e.g., through your commercial initiatives).

Our Collective Mission

Jesus tells us that just as God sent Him into the world to spread the gospel, He (Jesus) sends us into the world to spread the gospel. He declares we are to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15, NKJV). This is our ultimate collective mission as believers. For us as Christian business leaders, this means that we are sent to spread the gospel of Christ in the business world.

Identifying Your Personal Mission

In my book, Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life, I share a step-by-step process for how to identify your individual mission and connect it with the mission of your business. And, the first step is to begin from within. If you have questions regarding exactly what your calling is as an individual, then the answers are easily accessible. The answers lie within you.

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God actually anoints you with the same Holy Spirit with which He anointed Jesus. “This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NLT). This is reinforced by Jesus as He declares: For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21, NKJV).

The Bible reinforces the fact that God’s Spirit lives within us in many passages including the following:

• “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17, NKJV).
• “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living with you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11, AMP).
• “That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” (2 Timothy 1:14, NKJV).

Ponder the following questions:
• “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, NKJV).
• “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19, NKJV).
• “Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” 2 Corinthians 13:5, NKJV).

Because God’s Holy Spirit resides within each one of us, you only need to look inside yourself to God, Who resides within each of us, to discover your divine mission. Pray for His revelation, direction, wisdom, and power to discern the mission that He has ordained for you.

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart oversees global corporate partnerships for Harvard Business School. She is an international speaker, consultant, and author of the award-winning book, Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life. For more insights and information, please visit: www.shelettestewart.com and www.revelationsinbusiness.com.

Connecting Your Profession with Your Purpose

Are you doing what you love for a living? Do your professional endeavors reflect God’s purpose for your life? How does the mission for your business align with God’s mission for your life?

The Bible says that we are to be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49, NKJV) and to do business until He returns (Luke 19:13, NKJV). But “doing business” is becoming increasingly difficult day for a myriad of reasons – – from weak economic systems, corporate corruption, and poverty – – to unemployment, underemployment, and job dissatisfaction.

Our careers consume over half of our live. We spend more time at work than we do with our loved ones! So, it’s critical that what we spend most of our waking hours doing, for most of our lives, is also spiritually edifying. We spend too much time at work not to enjoy it.

We don’t have a personal life and a professional life;
we have ONE life and we have to make it count!

How do we make our lives count through our career pursuits? As always, the answer is found in the Word of God. The Bible says “where there is no revelation, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18; AMP). One critical revelation is the importance of having a Biblical foundation for your professional and commercial endeavors. And, the process begins with believing in God and receiving salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16, NKJV).

Business people don’t plan to fail;
they simply fail to follow God’s Plan

We must remember that God is the sovereign Creator and the Lord of all. We are simply stewards over His businesses and the Bible serves as our ultimate career and business planning guide. We must immerse ourselves in His Word and pray to discover our God-given purpose as individuals. The Bible says that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28, NKJV). Prosperity follows purpose.

Steps for Connecting
Your Profession With Your Purpose

You are never too young, nor too old, to identify and pursue your God-given purpose. Following are a few practical suggestion and pragmatic ways to uncover your purpose and align it with your profession:

1. Begin from Within: Pray to the God who created us and ask Him to reveal His purpose for you (James 1:5, NKJV).

2. Recognize the Clues: We are all blessed with gifts (Romans 12:4-8, NKJV). They are often clues to your spiritual calling and purpose. What is it that you do so well that you are always getting complimented on? What are your passions and hobbies? Make sure that you incorporate your natural skill sets, talents, and abilities into your professional endeavors. This will allow you to feel as if you are being compensated for a hobby!

3. Quench Your Thirst: Jesus says: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink (John 7:37, NKJV). What do you thirst for spiritually? Intellectually? Creatively? That thirst, that yearning, that calling, that desire, is there for a reason. It’s not to be ignored. Identify your areas of thirst and quench them through your business ventures.

4. Leave a Positive Lasting Legacy: Nelson Mandela once said that “courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” We must overcome fear and pursue all that God has ordained for us because it’s not just about us. Aligning career and calling positions you to leave a positive lasting legacy in your family, in your community, and in the world. You will transcend the world’s boundaries of temporary success and position yourself for eternal blessings and salvation. Success and Significance. Now, my friend, go forth and connect your profession with your purpose and enjoy the journey!

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart oversees global corporate partnerships for Harvard Business School. She is an international speaker, consultant, and author of the award-winning book, Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life. For more insights and information, please visit: www.shelettestewart.com and www.revelationsinbusiness.com.