The Price of Arrogance...Learn from Wachovia

Unless you live under a rock, you've no doubt heard of the mortgage crisis now battering the U.S. economy. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been lost with billions more to come. But what's this have to do with your ministry or binistry? Patience, friend, patience.

Check out this article about Wachovia Bank's mounting losses. Especially notice the arrogance of their CEO not long ago, supremely confident as he was that Wachovia not only wouldn't be hammered by credit losses, but actually would profit from any changes in credit markets.

About pride, Scripture couldn't be clearer. Arrogance is the mortal enemy of your walk with Christ and true success. In fact, "pride comes before a fall," and "whoever trusts in himself is a fool."

I'm sure that in 2007 things we're cruising along nicely at Wachovia. Pride and good, old-fashioned stupidity blinded them to their risk exposure and rolled out the red carpet for the world of hurt they won't soon escape.

Ministry and business to the glory of God works the same way. The slow creep of prideful blindness to spiritual weakness and organizational ineffectiveness, suddenly manifests in a dam break of apathy and irrelevance.

Where are you at? Are you trusting in yourself or are you clinging to Christ? Remember, "past success is no indicator of future performance." You must take up your cross daily. You must yield yourself, your circumstances, and your organization to our God, Who is an all consuming fire. He must purify you and purge pride.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul confronted his readers' welcoming prideful adversaries to the Gospel. Paul's response: "But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I
shall find out, not the words of those who arrogant but their power." (I Cor. 4:19). Indeed, the Spirit works the same way in our lives. He is not concerned with our words, but with the power of our deeds, a power which "is from God and not from us." (2 Cor. 4:7)

As the Spirit commanded through Paul, "Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise...So then no more boasting about mere mortals! For everything belongs to you...and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God." (1 Cor. 3:18-23)

Heed Biblical teaching and learn from Wachovia's mistakes. "Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that He may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6) Your personal, familial, ministry, and binistry success hang in the balance.

God's Work In Spite of You - Ministry & Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

Last weekend I trekked back to the Rocky Mountains of the Western U.S. for green chile in Albuquerque and paintball in the Colorado highlands. In the midst of this testosterone-filled trip, I chatted with a longtime friend and business owner about the ups and downs of operating a company in a manner worthy of Christ and the long and winding road of the entrepreneur. Among his many fascinating answers, my friend confessed that God often blessed his business in spite of him.

Fast forward to my plane ride home...

Awash in the semi-depression that has typified my current journey from ministry & business consultant to working full-time for a single organization, I assumed an aisle seat on my favorite discount airline. Another passenger soon parked in the window seat on my row and we headed up, up and away.

With about an hour left on our near-cross country flight, I awoke from a much-needed nap and spotted the reading material of my window seat friend. A bible? Come on, Lord! First, I want simply to do what pleases you and I can't find a job doing that. And now you don't even seat me next to somebody who's lost, who will spend eternity separated from you unless they repent and turn to Christ. What do I have to say to yet another fellow Christian? Arghhhh!

Or so I thought...

Twenty minutes into our effortless conversation, Mr. Window Seat mentioned that he had previously journeyed to China on a mission trip. I then asked the $64,000 question (the title of a 1960s American game show for you non-Yanks). With whom did Mr. Window Seat go on that mission trip? His answer: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Insert tension-cutting knife here...

Just as my business owner friend confessed that God often blessed his company in spite of him, so the Spirit was now presenting me with an opportunity to share the truth of Christ with someone lost from Him, in spite of my childish bellyaching not three hours before. Soon Mr. Window Seat and I were engaged in a full-throttle debate over who exactly Jesus Christ was and is, whether Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and potential authors of new revelation.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit stayed true to His promises, brought pertinent Scriptures to mind and gave me the boldness to proclaim His eternal truth. FYI, you can see a few Scriptural answers to erroneous Mormon beliefs at the end of this post.

My friend's business pursuits and my airborne gospel encounter should encourage you who are believers in Jesus Christ. Indeed, God will often accomplish His good pleasure in spite of you.

Of course, God's loving work in the face of our shortcomings should not push us to "sin all the more that grace may abound." Rather, we should take every opportunity to thank God for His provision--first of His Son for our sins and then for the work we enjoy and our daily bread. And we should seek our Sovereign God for opportunities to work with Him as co-laborers (like Paul and Apollos in 1 Corinthians 3), rather than as the bratty children of our loving heavenly Father.

If today has not been a good one for you and/or you know full well the feeling of God blessing your work in spite of you, take a few moments to thank Him for His grace through Christ and on your ministry or binistry. Then pursue Him in His word, in prayer and in fellowship with other co-laborers in Christ, to the end that you will become tool in His hand, not an obstacle to His will.

And try not to open your mouth and insert both feet...


Contrary to Mormonism:

• Jesus Christ is not separate from God in His essence (see John 10:30, 17:21);
  
• Jesus Christ is God (see John 8:58, Colossians 2:9, Titus 2:13);
  
• Joseph Smith's teachings completely contradict Scripture and he was a false prophet of the worst kind (see Galatians 1:9 on the eternal destination of such as Joseph Smith);
  
• God has never changed (James 1:17); and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (see Hebrews 13:8);
  
• Eternal life does not entail us becoming gods over our own planets (see John 17:3);
  
• Only Jesus Christ Himself, His direct disciples, and their direct disciples could pen Spirit-inspired, new revelation (see Ephesians 2:20); and the Holy Spirit is God (see 2 Corinthians 3:16-18).
• The Council of Nicea in 325 AD simply confirmed the doctrine of the Trinity, rather than established it. Click here to learn more about it.