Businesspeople know a lot about winning and losing.
After all, success in the business world is easy to track: sales, revenues, profits, growth. If a company is publicly held, winning or losing seems as simple as checking their NYSE ticker. Victories and defeats can feel like a daily battle.
On the battlefield of business, finding an “edge” is the key to winning. Whether it’s a strategy, a mindset or a crafty approach, we all need something to drive our achievements.
If you have a faith in Christ, your edge is always with you – and you should know a lot about winning.
One of the most underutilized notions of our faith is remembering that we live in victory. What happened on the Cross provided the greatest triumph in human history. From that triumph should come a response considering 2,000 years later, the victory is still active and available to you and me:
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:4-5
One of the reasons I started this blog was to encourage Christ followers to bring their faith to work. As I wondered why this was a challenge for us, I determined one major reason is we believe faith provides no real value to our jobs.
This is a tragedy, given our faith should bring a winning mindset to all we do. We never fully experience our faith if all it does is make us a more “polite” secular person.
What does Jesus’ victory do for us? It gives us perspective that in any business or work challenges, our greatest problem has been solved – sin and death have been defeated. Everything other challenge should pale in comparison.
It also gives us confidence, peace and strength to overcome any obstacle. It doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges, it just means we have the perspective to persevere.
We aren’t working for victory; we are working from victory. The calm strength of a Christ follower should be evident whether giving or receiving motivation.
Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
1 John 5:4-5
Do you think of strength when you imagine the joy of the Lord? Too often, we think joy can only evoke a soft and emotional mindset. When I think of the joy of the Lord, I think of strong confidence.
While the confidence we have is powerful, for some reason we pull from other areas of life when seeking an edge at work. The alternative to using faith is to pursue an edge removed from our faith.
I was an athlete for a season in my life, so I know several forms of motivation. Locker rooms are full of bravado, puffed chests and intensity. Hours of training are spent focused on being the best and outworking the competition. Coaches get worked into a frenzy to fire up the team.
In hindsight in sports, and today in business, I’ve found that a lot of our motivation is born out of fear. To find an edge, we are driven by the fear of losing, thus provoking a response to avoid it. In business, we fear being rejected by a customer or a coworker, so we devise strategies to overcome that rejection.
That “edge” should be unfamiliar to anyone who calls Christ their King.
Men who fear God face life fearlessly. Men who do not fear God end up fearing everything.
Richard Halverson
The antidote to fear isn’t strength, it’s trust. If we trust the Lord, the secret to our motivation is simply trusting God and working from His victory. After all, Christ has accepted us – and we have nothing to fear.
There is practical application of our faith at work, even in the places where we don’t imagine. Our faith can lift us up and give us perspective, but it can also give us an edge in our strategies and in our daily battles.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
1 John 5:4-5
While Jesus was the lamb of God, He is also the roaring Lion of Judah. Through Him, death has been defeated. If that doesn’t give you an edge in every aspect of your life, I question if you’ve truly considered what’s been done for you.
Work from victory today.
The Better Word:
- What gives you an edge? Whatever it is, don’t let your pursuit of it be driven by a fear of rejection or failure. Be driven by Christ’s victory and God’s acceptance of you – consult with the Holy Spirit to remind you of the truth you know.
- Praise and worship are powerful tools to fuel a winning attitude. In basic business strategy, we should play to win, and avoid playing not to lose. If you believe that Christ is King, think of His victory when you’re planning an important meeting, presentation or review. Give Him praise for the ultimate victory, and use that confidence to fuel your actions.
- Be mindful that finding an edge to win isn’t about crushing your competition. It’s about using the strength of the Lord to overcome challenges and use your voice to glorify God. If the Lord gives you victory in your pursuits, be mindful not to gloat or be filled with pride. Remember who gave you the victory in the first place.
Speak A Better Word 