Responsibility

We have a practice at home —- that is, we try not to help J if it’s something which he can take responsibility for. So that he grows to become responsible.

He left abit of green in the basin after gargling his mouth with water after dinner.

Me: Did you leave the green there?

J: Yes, Papa.

Me: Is there a maid to help you clear it?

J: No.

Me: Then who are you waiting for to clear it?

J: Waiting for you to help me clear lor.

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 3

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 3

The context of this sharing can be found in Part 1 & Part 2. 

It's purpose is to stir up more Christian businessmen/salespersons to walk in the ways of the Kingdom and represent themselves with integrity and moral ethics.

In my limited exposure for close to 7 years, I honestly haven't met one top/rich businessman/salesperson who stays true to the King in the ways he/she handles businesses. I would love to connect with one.

In the previous post, I shared that 𝐬𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 keeps you in complete rest, so that your trust is in God, and not your shrewd ability to l̵i̵e̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵c̵o̵m̵p̵r̵o̵m̵i̵s̵e̵ close deals. 

To me, it's not called 'ability and smartness' if you need to use 'sales tactics' to close deals. Anyone can do that and be a top producer. I encountered a Christian rookie who suddenly became a top producer within a short period. Guess what? He used l̵y̵i̵n̵g̵ sales tactics in front of my client.

Therefore, such top producers (with many awards) in the eyes of men are zero in the Kingdom. I have no respect for them, regardless of their million dollars' achievement and their countless times receiving awards on stage. They have received their reward in full (Matt 6:2)

The principle of sowing and reaping does not just apply to the preaching of the Gospel. It also applies in business deals. When you realise that God is indeed your Provider, you no longer see the deals as your provider. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨. Christians compromise when they think that the deal is 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 to God's providence. So they cannot afford to lose that deal.

In the context of the Gospel, you keep sowing. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐰. Period. You might reap what you sow directly, but you might also reap what you did not sow directly.

The same perspective is to be applied to business deals. Your job is to sow. You might not close the deal that you are handling (sowing) directly. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩 (Gal 6:9), even if it is not the deal that you have been sowing. Ask me how I know...

Because it happened so many times in the past 7 years that I began to notice the pattern and the ways of my faithful & loving Father. When He said that 'I will never you nor forsake you', He meant it in the context of Providence (Heb 13:5). He never lies!

You can be working hard (sowing) in one deal, and you don't close it because you stick with integrity and do not compromise. And God will remember your sowing and drop another deal for you to reap in time to come. Because He is your Father who provides. He keeps no record of wrong, but He keeps records of faith. Each time when you trust Him and don't take things into your own hands, He records it as faith. When you believe, you will receive (Mark 11:24).

I have not heard anyone shared this when it comes to business deals before. But this is something that God has taught me as I sought Him. It's a biblical principle that will put you at rest when you represent the King in the business/sales industry. Be blessed and walk in Him!

P.S: In the past, I always didn't want to do any recruitment, because I wasn't a top producer. Recently, I felt God speaking to me to start recruiting, so that I can impart Kingdom values in the marketplace, in a cut-throat industry where many Christians have succumbed to Mammon.

If you are keen to stay true to the King in the midst of businesses, drop me a PM or text, and I'll be happy to connect with you.

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 2

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 2

As shared in the previous post, while many Christian businessmen/salespersons say that they trust God to provide, their actions prove that they put their trust in their own flesh.

Foolishness in the eyes of men can be the power and the wisdom of God if we put our trust in Him. I have done a number of foolish things in the eyes of men, including giving up deals in order to protect my value in Christ. I cannot be purchased by money, because I have been purchased by the life of Christ. You can only choose one in the Kingdom.

When one tries to close a deal without adhering to moral ethics, integrity and the laws of the earthly exousia (Romans 13), you can be certain that he/she fails to put his/her trust in God. He/she is using his/her own wisdom & ability to handle/close the deal. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐞/𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐡 𝐉𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐡, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐡.

While there are certain laws that might seem challenging to follow as businessmen/salespersons, we must remember that we are first and foremost, Christians (identity). Whether we like it or not, we need to submit to the earthly exousia, as long as it doesn't contradict the heavenly exousia. I expounded on Romans 13 in a series some time back.

'Do it as long as you don't get caught' might apply in national service, but it does not apply to believers. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐍 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Walking before God may sometimes make you feel shortchanged IF you are only looking at the temporal. Because the reality of this life feels more real to you than the reality of the kingdom. But if you would spend time connecting with the Father's world, you will understand what truth really is. The true future is awaiting for you and me.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦. Yes, salvation is free, but reward is not. What we do has a direct impact on eternity, whether you see it or not, and whether you feel it or not.

To be at rest as a Christian businessman/salesperson; to be one who trusts that He is Jehovah Jireh and El-Shaddai, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐁𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑.

While the Kingdom principle is about reaping what Christ has sown, the natural principle of sowing and reaping still applies. It was established by God (Gal 6:7). Since God cannot be mocked, you can trust Him, and not be deceived by the flesh.

In the next post, I will share how sowing and reaping puts you at complete rest when it comes to your business and sales deals.

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 1

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 1

In my coming 7 years of encounters with all kinds of Christian salespersons/business people, I have learnt a great deal of what NOT to do, even in the midst of financial challenges. No one except my wife knows it full well.

I started off in this journey pretty affected by them, because they are Christians. I have expectations on Christians. Their lives are supposed to be different. Yet they are living like anyone, sometimes worse than non-believers, because mammon is involved.

Over the years, the wisdom and the peace of God empowered me to perceive and live differently. I refuse to lower my standard to that of those who do not know His way and realise their own value. You can call it stubbornness. It's sanctified perseverance, without which, it would be easy to lose your footing in a cut-throat industry, where many have. 

I am sharing from a life lived in this sales & business industry without compromise in integrity when it comes to money, often at the expense of losing deals. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐲, because while many Christian businessmen/salespersons see their deals as their financial providence, I don't. 

I see God as my financial providence and El-Shaddai, literally. For I have so many face-to-face encounters with Jehovah Jireh. It would probably blow the mind of Singaporean men when I share some of the testimonies, which I don't do so in the public, due to confidentiality.

This post is meant for genuine Christians who are or want to be businessmen/salespersons. When you don't draw a regular income, and when you do not know when is your next income, that is when rubber meets the road. Your true beliefs (good or bad) will be revealed, regardless of your preaching. In the face of competition in the mammon world, you will be put to the test, whether you trust Him or yourself.

It is still too early to say that "I trust God to provide... God will always provide...", until you are placed in that situation. As far as I know, many of us don't really trust Him to provide, apart from our lip-service. The moment when you tell someone, "I'm believing God for this $$ amount of money...", you already show that you don't trust Him.

Rest (trust) comes from revelation. The bigger God is to you, the more you know how to stop striving. The lack of trust is the main reason why Christian businessmen/salespersons try to do things their way and compromise in various areas.

I am resolved to do what is right in the eyes of God as a Christian salesperson, even when it seems foolish in the eyes of men. For I know that the reward on earth is temporal. I'm looking heavenwards for a reward that is eternal.

That said... in the next post, I am going to share a kind of perspective that will put you at rest when you handle business/sales deals. I haven't heard anyone share about it in my limited exposure.