You are more to God then Your Checkbook

This may come as a surprise to some of you but the vision God has for your life is bigger then the checks you are able to write. Don’t get me wrong I believe in tithing and giving to where you are taught the Word of God. However, I honestly don’t think when God formed me in my mother’s womb that was the biggest thing he saw for my life.

For one reason God is not short sighted. He sees things from the position of eternity. My mother use to always say that whatever God was grooming me to do here I would be doing throughout eternity. There would still be a world running and things would still have to get done. We are not just going to be sitting around hanging out in heaven. So what is God’s bigger picture. He is working to bring all things together in both heaven and earth. (Ephesians 1:10).

So your purpose here on earth has got to be bigger then your ability to write a check. If God has gifted you in business then He expects you to use that gift for a bigger purpose. Yes, pay your tithe and give your offering. But also see that Monday through Friday are not just an excuse to keep you busy until Sunday comes around again. There are things God expects you to do through the gifts of your hands that expands His impact far beyond the walls of the traditional church.

One last thing. I guarantee when this reality hits you and you grab a hold of it there will be a joy in you that will overflow. It will feel as though a dim light has gotten brighter and something suddenly came alive in the depth of your soul. You have not fully lived until you have lived out the purpose God has for your life.

Your Business is Not Your Island

Not sure when this philosophy started but after so many bank failures, major corporations dissolving, and tons of small and medium size business doors closing; the reality we are connected should have birthed a light bulb over our heads. “Hey! Perhaps I need to think broader then the walls of my firm or my stockholders portfolio.”

The reality is when a decision is made in one organization it has an impact on a number of people, groups, and cities. Strangely the budget of a major car dealership in the mid-west has an impact on a small business in California where they don’t even use their product. Imagine that! What about vice versa? The closing of a number of small businesses located in Texas has an impact on a major International company and its budget.

Today, our companies are not our own small islands in which we can afford to make consistent bad management decisions. We must begin to think on a broader level and ask ourselves constantly how my company will affect the global market. Then ask ourselves how will the global market affect my business?

If Cash is King…The Cash Flow Statement is His Wife

In a good marriage the husband and wife have good communication; understand one another’s character, and a good understanding of who rules the house.

If you are going to have a successful business today you had better make sure the marriage between your cash and the cash flow statement has not filed for divorce. In other words, you need to understand how money is flowing through your organization and the impact on operations. Basically, how they are talking to one another. If not, lack of good communication can cause the house to crumple and your only customers are lawyers.

It doesn’t matter the size of your organization make sure you know the exact profit for your organization and if it has already been allocated. Owners should know the true character of transactions – is money actually flowing into the business or is it just a paper entry. (Ex. Change in Accounts Receivable.) This will give you a clear path to plan for the future and make necessary adjustments.

Lastly, it is not the balance in your checkbook but the balance at the bottom of the cash flow statement that truly rules the house.