Good morning all-
Last night my husband went out of town and I found myself in front of the television. I don't watch much T.V. because normally I'm busy doing other things but I've had a week off and find myself caught up on the laundry and dishes, so I sat down to watch "Undercover Boss." I am fascinated with leaders of large corporations and have read many books about CEO's. My favorite book was called, "God is my CEO." It chronicled the top CEO's in the nation and what God showed them in each one of their roles, so I was fascinated to see what would be revealed on "Undercover Boss."
They took two Presidents of companies, one from Budget Blinds and the other from RotoRooter. Each very different in persona but the conclusions were the same. People make business. It's the dedication and passion of the people that own franchises, work in factories and dig out nasty hair, plunge sewer lines and help people that make the difference. At headquarters important decisions are made every day; like where to spend money on advertising and how to make more money. Profit is important to companies, without it, they die. So, when corporate people spend their time making decisions for the workers, they have two things in mind: How do I make this business grow? How much money can I make this year? Money keeps businesses hiring and that's what gives us economic growth. When businesses aren't doing well, the economy isn't doing well.
Needless to say, these two CEO's know how to make good decisions. Their businesses are doing well but they wanted to be with the people and that's where the show got interesting. I once read that if you value people, you will make money. It's a simple truth that many have forgotten. People make businesses grow and make profit. Decisions do effect the outcome but at the end of each decision someone has to do the work.
Both CEO's went out and spent time with their people and found similar situations. Some were worried, some wanted their franchisee money spent differently and all had a personal story. First they cared about their jobs and second they were making an impact in the communities where they lived. These two men watched as men and women showed them how important it was to be with the worker. You can't find out what people need if you sit in a glass tower, you have to go where they are to understand the challenges and triumphs of your business. The profit sheet can show you a lot but only by listening and learning do you get the full impact of what your decisions are doing for people.
I watched as these two men changed. Rick, the RotoRooter President was captured crying many times. He had found peace from a lifetime of living with his father's alcoholism. One man, a worker, provided him the avenue to heal an old wound and in the end gave him peace. We never know when our journey will take us into the face of our greatest fear or our most fearsome pain but in the end, God can heal the wounds and make us better.
What did these two men learn? They learned to listen and to care more. They saw what needed to be done and will make appropriate changes that will help their companies flourish and in the end, they have valued a handful of people that will continue making their companies safe and happy places to come to work. Random acts of kindness happened on both shows but in the end many watched and saw how two very different men learned valuable lessons that will lead them on paths of greatness.
It has been stated so many times in the Bible that wise men take counsel and foolish men flounder. I know that we all have ideals of what we think should be done, how we believe people should act and what should be done to be successful. I am as head strong as the next person but I have always believed that ideas should be listened too and that we should never just take our own counsel. People make up companies, families and the world. We were born unique and with our uniqueness comes talents that can be used for the whole. Sacrifice and love for people is what makes this world go round. We need money to survive today but there is so much more to making money than putting it in our pockets.
If you are at home, don't feel bad. You are raising the next generation and you are sacrificing and loving for God's kingdom. If you work outside of the home, please remember that people and wise counsel are what make success, not your decisions. Although your decisions can impact profitability, your sacrifice and love of people can go so much farther. We should all take a lesson from these two men who went to the people and found out that even though they were doing a good job, they could do better. Our actions do matter in this fallen world. And at the end of the day, wise counsel, loving people and making a difference at our jobs or homes greatly impacts our world. We are being looked at to show the world the light of Jesus and even when people least suspect it, God is doing miracles. Just ask the people on the show. They were rewarded for their hard work, their dedication and their ability to do a job well. They never saw it coming and yet, they did the right thing and were rewarded for it.
We never know who we will lead in this life. It could be our sons or daughters. It could be a friend, a co-worker or our spouses. It might be a stranger that needs a hand. Giving of oneself is the greatest gift. I'm not just talking to you; I'm talking to me too. The last year at work has been life changing for me and I am determined to continue showing people that dedication and hard work pay off. And at the end of the day, I want my sons to have Jesus as their guide; to remember the words of Solomon and to seek wise counsel all their days. For we never know where God will put us and when. We just know we have a purpose and talents that He will use to further His kingdom. If you get a chance, check out last nights episodes, they were worth the time. People are the reason we are here. They were who God came to save. We can talk about the economy all day long but at the end of all political decisions, there are people. Please pray for your countries and for the businesses that encompass your economic structure. There are men and women making decisions every day and we want Jesus to be in the mix. Our intellect can only take us so far, we need Jesus because He is the Great Counselor.
Isaiah 61:1 NKJV:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tiding to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Proverbs 11:14 NKJV:
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 15:22 NKJV:
Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV:
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our hope of prosperity resides in wise counsel. It is through Jesus that we love and honor people. It's how we sacrifice our time and what we do in our every day lives that matter. Our roles are set, either at home or at work, but wherever God has placed you one thing remains true, Jesus is our counselor and we can always learn from Him. Make today a day filled with Him as you work or play. Remember that His greatest gift was His life. He knew the right way when men didn't. He frees us, loves us and carries us. We can learn a lesson from a television show but the greatest lesson comes through the word breathed by God!
My prayer today:
O, Lord, thankfully there are no coincidences. As I watched the television yesterday, I saw transformation and understanding. I saw how good people make a difference and whenever I feel like everything is for not, I see You. Your hand is on us every minute of every day. You show us the way and fill us with love. We can't do that on our own. We don't have the capability to sacrifice and to love by ourselves, we are too selfish. But when we look upon the cross and take You in, we become transformed. As I write, I pray for the business owner, the President of companies and the leaders all over the world. It is easy to believe we have all the answers but through wise counsel, we can make better decisions, decisions that are God formed. So please lead our leaders to their knees, give them wisdom and help the struggling economies all over the world. We don't need to make more money; we need to get on our knees and You will do the rest. I pray that You will raise up men and women that know You and that can be vital counselors to those that are making important decisions. You gave us our brains but we need You to guide them to further Your agenda, not ours. We come before You as one, asking that You lead us through wise counsel and that You provide many opportunities to love and value people. I may not always feel valued by the world but I do feel valued by Your sacrifice for me. You gave Your life so that I could have eternal life. My trust and my hope must come from You. We live in a fallen world but everywhere I look, I see miracles. Please help guide our leaders today and give mothers and fathers the ability to grow up wise children that love You. Lead men and women to us that need a Savior and guide us on the right path. We are human and often make bad decisions. Help us today to remember that every dollar, every euro, every decision leads back to You. For today we fall on our knees and thank the Wonderful Counselor for all You do. Thank You for blessing people and for reminding all of us that You are near. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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