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Encouraging Men Along Life's Journey January 28, 2013
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God In The Marketplace
GETTING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES IN BUSINESS - The Next Best Thing
"As we passed the lee of a small island named Cauda, we were hardly able to make the life boat secure." Acts 27: 16
Sometimes in life it is all we can do just to stay afloat. The storms in life come at us from all directions. Waves of huge proportions just keep coming, one wave after another. By the time this wave passes, another even higher and mightier hits us knocking us temporarily below the surface. We struggle to get our feet planted on the bottom of the sea. We push off struggling to get our heads above water for that breath that will sustain us until the next wave comes along.
In these next few verses in Acts, we see where Paul is faced with one of those times. The hurricane has hit and they are unable to guide the ship. The winds of the storm have taken control and the ship is being driven by the storm. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Our life at times can seem out of control. We try to take the helm and steer our life ship into the winds, but the storm is just to great.
Paul sets out a good example for us in the next few verses as to how we should react in these times. First of all, we should continue to work hard and smart. We look for the most business common sense approach to the problem. For me, it is always good to have a "back door" or a plan B to any project just in case something happens that I did not expect. God has a way through the storm, but He depends on us to do our part. We just need to do the next best thing. We never give up, we always have hope, and we keep our trust in the Lord. We work hard, sometimes it may seem we are not getting anywhere, but the next best thing done may lead us to the life boat. "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength." Proverbs 24:10
The next best thing can be to get rid of all the weights that hold us down under the storm. These weights can be a host of various things. From the heart, they can be the wrong motives for what we are doing. Our hearts can be focussed on material possessions, worldly success, selfish ambitions, and self control of our ship. These are hard things to give up, but we are trying to give the ships control to the right Captain.
In Paul's case, the storm had become so severe that they threw overboard all the cargo on board. Think about it, this was their products to be sold for profit and livelihood. Three days latter they threw overboard all the tackle "with their own hands." They have no product to sell, and now, no tools in which to sail their ship. What is our cargo and tackle? Are there some things so valuable to us that we are not willing to cast them overboard? Is it simply a different direction or course to set our sails?
For some folk, the weights could be the lies that we have lived with for so long. It could be the lie that church is church and business is business. Maybe it's the lie that our measure of success is determined by the amount of worldly possessions we have. Many believe that Jesus in their life is not enough to make them happy, there has to be something else. Others would claim that we have the right to be the captain of our own ship. Maybe it's the belief that a little unethical business is okay as long as it gets us where we want to go, What ever our lies might be, now is the time to throw them overboard, to leave them at the bottom of the sea even if it cost us something. " Two things I ask of you, oh Lord, do not refuse me before I die, keep falsehood and lies far from me." Proverbs 30: 7,8
Getting through the storm requires that we keep our focus and that our efforts should be all that we can give. It also requires that we search our hearts and know that all our efforts are pleasing to God. We are willing to change course and we have rid ourselves of the weights that so easily entangle us. When at the time we think we have done it all, there is still more for us to consider, the storm is not yet over.
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