This is a significant month in my history – Nine years ago in April 2015, at the peak of my earning years, I left my role as a financial planner after 24 years.
In my last blog, I explained how God multiplied my business significantly in less than five years. A logical question is, why would I ever consider leaving a business that God had obviously blessed?
Journey
I find it so interesting how God uses little things to nudge us along the way. In April 2012, we visited our daughter in Calgary, AB. We attended Centre Street Church, then the book store after the service. There I discovered the NIV Stewardship Study Bible. I briefly looked through it and saw there was so much alignment with the Kingdom Advisors Core Training that I had studied in 2011. I decided to purchase it (USD $39.99) and proceeded to the cashier. I waited in line, then laid the Bible on the counter and took out my wallet to pay.
The cashier simply said, “That’s yours!”
I responded by saying, “No, I just picked this up and am here to pay for it.”
She then explained how someone had donated this Bible with the understanding that whoever expressed an interest in it – it was to be a gift to them! I was completely shocked but couldn’t help believing that God was working through this somehow.
Interestingly, about one year earlier a pastor shared something with me (a “word from the Lord”) that I sincerely questioned. For me, this was one of those things that needed to be tested and confirmed, but I decided that rather than reject it, I would park it, then wait and see. It went something like this: “You are to leave the old word and God will give you a new word that He wants you to share.” The question that I struggled with was that I love God’s word so much; how could I leave any word that was God-given and so meaningful?
The Word – Stewardship
That first evening I had gotten my Stewardship Bible, I opened it to Genesis 50 and read such a powerful story. It illustrated even deeper what Joseph meant when he said to his brothers (in vs. 20),
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Immediately across from this verse was a story that came from the province that I was born and raised in and where I was practicing as an advisor for more than 20 years.
God Meant It For Good
Good things can come out of bad beginnings. The story of a fishing fleet that left a small harbour in Newfoundland and was caught in a terrible storm illustrates this point. The ships, caught in a storm, did not return home when expected, and during the night, the mothers, wives, and children of the fishermen, walked along the shore looking for some sign of their loved ones and praying for their safe return. That same night, one of the homes in the village caught fire and burned to the ground. When morning dawned, the entire fleet of ships sailed back into the harbour. Everyone rejoiced except the woman whose house had burned. She approached her husband in grief and said, “We are ruined! Our house and everything we had was destroyed by fire.” Her husband shook his head. “Thank God for the fire. It was the light of our burning home that guided the whole fleet into port.”
Ronald E. Vallet
Was it a coincidence that we were in Calgary and just happened to into the bookstore that day? What are the chances of walking into a Christian bookstore that exists to sell products and be given such a gift? Was God involved and using this event to lead me toward “a new word” which was clearly stewardship?
Living as a Steward!
I remember the day well. It was the end of my work day – I sat alone in the waiting area and just looked around at the reception area, my office, then the filing cabinet which represented my clients and the assets under management (AUM). I started to pray (out loud) and surrendered my business to God. “This is yours, Lord. It’s not my business, I surrender it to you. Please use this business for your glory.”
The overriding purpose of Christian stewardship is glorifying God. God was transforming my thinking – I was no longer the owner, I was only the steward. I was overcome with gratitude as I recognized how God had been active in my business to help me build meaningful relationships.
Today, as I continue to read my Stewardship Bible, I see how King David was “overcome with gratitude. His natural inclination was to give back to God and he longs to build a house for the Lord. But Nathan shuts down David’s enthusiasm” with a message from God:
“God reminds David that he has never asked for a house. In fact, God turns David’s offer on its head, announcing the he (God) will instead build David a house, establishing his throne forever.”
The Stewardship Bible, How We Give to God, p. 504
Reading this made me realize that what David desired was quite different than what God intended. It’s less about what we want to do for God and more about what He wants to do for us! When we completely surrender our business to God, our deepest desire shifts to running that business for God’s glory. Interestingly, it seems God turns our offer to Him on its head! Our work becomes an opportunity for God; He (God) works to build a business for us.
That my friend is the real key to business success!
Lorne Robinson's Blog 