Profit

James 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'"

I use to always interpret this scripture from the perspective of asking, or hoping, God will bless our efforts. I read it as if it suggests we go about our business and "if the Lord wills" then we would see a profit. Reality is very different in the aftermath of my own experience. Reality is that we don't know how long we will be on the earth so make every minute count for God. James is saying don't think you are going into business for a year to make a profit with the implication that you will follow God when you are done. On the contrary act on the Lord's will today.

Over a year ago I sat down to lunch with a globally renown pastor who for whatever reason has adopted me as a spirital son. There we talked about the turmoil in my life. I lamented over God not blessing my efforts. I shared my confusion about knowing I am called to ministry, but working in a dying dead end career of doing mortgages. It was during this lunch that he said something I dismissed as not God.

He said, "Jeff, I hear God saying that He will call you out of mortgages when you are at the top, not the bottom."

For me, I was done with mortgages. For me God was saying quit... which I reluctantly, and forcibly did. It was shortly there after that this blog began, both a chronicle of my walk in surrender and daily devotional for others to share and be inspired by.

For months there was a struggle until one day God told be He was bringing me a job. I thought finally. Finally something in Ministry was coming my way.

Wrong again. The call came and it came from a mortgage company. Hanging up the phone I heard God speak, "Take that job." I could just scream. It was just seven months ago that I complete let go of a mortgage career.

To make a long story short. In month one of working there I was the number one producer in the branch. Month two was just as good, but I was passed by a co-worker. In month 3 I am looking at the loans I have to close, and this is the part that blows me away. If most of my loans close this month I will be the number loan officer in the company. I have a legitimate shot at closing more than the hundreds of other loan officer employed along side of me. Isn't that just like God? Here I had forgotten what my pastor friend and mentor had said. But now, I cannot forget it.

In the end it is not about making a profit. It is about doing the Lord's will. After all, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

Thank you Jesus for your instruction, thank you for revealing your will, and thank you for the profit.

JOB

Back to the salt mine.

James 4:13-15, "Come now you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' ... Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

After hundreds of job applications and only a few interviews, finally out of the blue comes a workable job in the mortgage business. In fact, I was on my way to an interview for a global bank when a man called me wanting to interview me. He was calling from a company I had not applied for, and had come across my resume only God knows where. In the conversation he asked me not to take the job I was headed to without interviewing with him.

So I go to the interview with the global bank, and nothing feels right. As I am driving to the interview with the mystery caller God speaks to me the thought, "take this job." Pretty bold thought considering I know nothing about the company, nothing about the work environment, and have interviews still scheduled with other companies. Not to mention the fact that they have not offered me a job to begin with.

And so went to the interview last week, and I was asked to interview with the two partners again the next week. One of the questions they asked was, "Why do you want to work here?" I had no answer other than a gut feeling.

They also asked, "What are your objectives in working here?" To that I said if you are looking for someone to climb corporate ladders and chase money I am not your man. I am just looking to do my 40 plus hours a week and earn enough money to eat. After all if you don't work then you can't eat.

You have no idea how far a departure these answers are from my former self. A self hell-bent on rebuilding a lost empire. A disappearance of identity grounded in position, accomplishment, power, and prestige. A lack of need to be the smartest guy in the room, to use an Enron phrase. I didn't say this to them, but I will say it here... I just want to practice the presence of God. And if God says, "take the job" then it must be because that is where He wants to meet with me. Again... not a place He wants me to be. Not a job He wants me to pursue. Not an identity He wants to establish. But It is where He wants me to be with Him.

What a difference, and what a peace comes with the decision. I further wish that it was that simple. But it's not, nor ever is. From every direction job offers are coming. (Where have they been the past five months?) Three other companies are begging me not to take a job until I have talked to them. One is salaried management in the mortgage arena. Another is a salaried position helping a company develop an internet presence and marketing strategy. A third is a hamburger joint, my favorite hamburger joint, where the owner spent nearly an hour today trying to convince me I should take it over. And take it over for nearly nothing, so that him and his family can move back to California.

Self, ego, everything about me that is not God is saying do it all. Do mortgages, consult, and own a burger joint. But we shall have to see what happens. I have given it all over to God, and I will go nowhere without Him. So where He leads I will follow. And when He leaves that place, Lord help me to follow then too. After all, it's easy to move from pain to comfort, but from comfort to pain is a little more challenging.

I will close by saying that with everything good from God the devil present counterfeits by the dozens. I and you have to stay faithful to being obedient to where God tells us to go, and pray that God reveal the counterfeits as they come.