We often don’t think about business as being a “kingdom” thing. I’ll have to say, that included me until I actually owned a business. There are many principles, like the laws of physics, that work despite your belief system when it comes to business.
I listened to Ian Clayton’s teaching set titled “Kingdom Business 1” and “Kingdom Business 2” a few times when I first purchased them. I’m finding that it’s good to go back and listen again to teachings after I’ve worked through things. Being prompted this past week to listen again, I “heard” this teaching with a fresh set of ears. Go to www.sonofthunder.com to purchase these MP3 teachings.
At the time of my first listen, I was going through some rough spots financially and had been for quite some time. Much of that was due to my own stupidity, involving my lack of ability to handle money. I did some dumb things but, I also learned from my mistakes. We are often brought to a place where we have to deal with our shortcomings. If we don’t, we stagnate and never seem to move forward. However, we do have the option to stay stuck. It’s all about choices.
In the “Kingdom Business” teachings, Ian discusses integrity as well as the importance of functioning on the other side of the veil for all business practices. In general, I’m finding that when I don’t go directly into the realm of the kingdom for any business dealings, stuff doesn’t seem to work out quite right. It’s so important that even in the midst of the “yuckies” that go on in our lives, we learn to function from heaven to earth out of a place of rest.
Ian discusses the standard view of the “enemy.” This was not something new to me but for some strange reason, it resonated differently this time. We all think the enemy is the devil. That’s the standard thought, right? Ian makes a passing comment (as he often does) that’s a whiz banger! It’s one of those that grabs you around the throat and demands your attention. Ian said that the enemy is often ourselves. In other words, we can be our own worst enemy. What we think the devil throws at us, it’s not him at all! The devil is chilling out in his own depressing-makeshift-power corner thinking “Ah, there’s another person who’s giving me credit for something I didn’t do.” He then leans back in his chair a bit further with a smug look on his face knowing that he has you right where he wants you. It’s called “deception.”
It’s often our own thoughts and actions that wreak havoc in our lives. Thoughts, intents, and actions carry a frequency that’s released around us to frame what occurs in our lives. This can actually be measured via scientific equipment! You see it in those water experiments where Dr. Emoto spoke negative and positive things over water. He then froze the water and looked at how the ice crystals formed. The pretty images were the positive words. The ugly images? They had hateful or negative things spoken. Here’s a bit of my geekiness sticking out – there have been additional experiments completed under more controlled conditions to show what Dr. Emoto found is accurate. So, the next time something goes haywire, check out what you’ve said over yourself in the season before that.
Here’s an example of how thoughts and intents framed a situation in my life: I would have walked through some physical healing much faster had I not wallowed in the “woe is me” attitude. Things didn’t change until my thought processes shifted concerning a particular illness (while I was married). First of all, sickness is NOT mine. I don’t own it. Yes, there may be something on my body from time to time but it doesn’t belong to me unless I accept it. I knew this, too, but didn’t walk in it. I was too worn down (or so I thought) to believe that I could do anything about it. Enough of that. That’s a whole different blog post topic. Moving right along…
Ian also says that choices become important. Stuff literally can sit in front of your face taunting you with the words, “look at me!” Circumstances tend to encourage us to engage them: it’s a choice. Instead, we should engage love (which is the opposite of fear). In addition, it’s important to step beyond the veil into intimacy with YHVH to learn how to deal with the circumstances from a kingdom perspective. It’s only when I’ve done that, I’m in a place of peace. When we learn to function out of that place of rest, life is so much easier!
Another whiz banger that Ian kind of slipped into the teaching has to do with pleasing man. Our affirmation and approval tends to come from our relationships with people instead of God. Ouch!! That hurt but… think about it. How many times have we each done something and looked to another person to approve what we did? Are we doing things to get accolades from people? I guess a good barometer to make that determination is… when we give of ourselves (clean the toilets at church, be on the worship team, sign up to be a helper at a conference, etc.) and no one thanks us or notices how hard we’re working, what is our response? If this bothers us, we’re trying to please man.
Let me say this before going any further. This can also work in the opposite direction – it’s called “false humility.” It shows up in people when we compliment them. Have you ever gone up to someone and said “That was so awesome. Thank you!” They then turn around and say, “It was all Jesus.” They then bow their head in a humble gesture. Yes, I’ve done that, too. I think it was mostly because someone told me that was how I was to respond when complimented. Either way, what I’ve learned to do is take the compliments to the trading floors and trade for more of YHVH. You’ve heard of “casting your crowns?” That’s what trading is all about. You take all those compliments and positive things that happen in your life and cast them before the throne, trading for more intimacy with YHVH. Once I started doing that, I noticed some big changes.
What does this have to do with business? Well, everything. Circumstances will happen that you don’t like. You will have many choices to make, and you’ll be granted the opportunity to engage the circumstance or YHVH. It’s all about choices and learning what to look at and what to turn your back on. We also have to learn to walk in integrity with our business dealings. News flash! Many of the Christians I have dealt with in business walk in less integrity than the unbeliever. Why? It’s because we have expectations between Christians. It goes something like this… “I’d like you to do this job for me but, because you’re doing it as unto the Lord, you’re going to give me a better price, right?” Or how about what goes through our mind when dealing with a Christian business owner? Try this scenario (thinking to yourself) – “This person should bless me because I don’t have enough to pay for it. Then, God will use that and bless them in return.”
When I ran a mobile espresso business, I was the highest paying espresso business in town. Plus, even though I often worked harder than the employees, I gave them the tips. The only time I kept any was when there were only two of us and we both worked our butts off. I wanted to bless my workers for giving their time to my business. In return, I had a couple employees that worked for me for several years, even though I was a seasonal operation and the hours weren’t all that good. I treated them well and that made them want to come back. Well, I think making up cheesy songs for every drink helped a little, too. The customers really enjoyed it, which made them come back each week to see what other antics we’d come up with. I guess when you’ve had 8 shots of espresso by 8:00 in the morning, it opens the possibility for some wackiness.
I love what Ian also said in the Kingdom Business teachings. We are to embrace the circumstance to see what we can learn from it. He even quoted the scripture that I literally had pasted all over my bedroom as a teenager. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Or, maybe it was “All things work together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Either way, these are two scriptures I stepped into. When we learn to embrace the circumstances asking “Father, what can I learn from this?,” we’ll all be in a much better place.
Have you ever been asked the question, “If you could go back and change anything in your life, what would it be?” Honestly, my answer is “My reactions to things that happened.” And, “I wished I’d made better choices.” No, I wouldn’t change who I was married to. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I could change that. Yes, he was abusive. Yes, I responded in unhealthy ways. This situation encouraged me grow up. It’s all about be thankful IN the situation, not FOR it. (I Thess. 5:18)
Ian discusses a particular difficult business problem that propelled him into a deeper relationship with YHVH. Out of that relationship, things began to change. That type of action changes attitudes, which changes the frequency of our thoughts, which changes intent, which finally leads to circumstance changes. It’s been the same for me, too. There continues to be some interesting situations in my life. Life happens and you have to deal with it. It’s the “how” we deal with it that makes or breaks us.
Businesses have ups and downs. When we learn to walk in integrity, allow God to lead us through everything in our lives, turn our intents toward YHVH, and watch what comes out of our mouth, things tend to line up. There are spiritual laws put into place. It’s our choice whether to live by them or not.
How do you walk in integrity through business interactions?
- Treat your employees with respect and pay them well.
- Be giving and do so without an agenda (both bosses and employees).
- Honor the people you work with and work for. Even when they’re acting like a dork, remember the issue is probably more about them and has nothing to do with you.
- Creative a positive atmosphere by bringing heaven to earth.
- If you’re the consumer doing business with someone who is a Christian, don’t expect their services to be cheaper for you. They, too, have to make a living. Your money is literally a “trade” into what they have to offer you. Pay them what you’d pay anyone else for the same service.
- As an employee, don’t cheat your time, give 100%, don’t whine and complain every time other workers do something stupid, and don’t complain about the management and/or customers. Instead, go beyond the veil (into the kingdom realms) and see what Father has to say about it.
- Be prepared to accept responsibility for your actions. Be quick to repent (before the Father) and then establish patterns in your life where change creates positive rather than negative actions and reactions.
- Feelings? There’s nothing more than feelings? Uh, yeah.. let’s not be led by our feelings. People will frost your buttons so be prepared to take those frustrations before the Father. He’ll show you what to do. Hint – it will probably involve some repentance, either on your behalf or those around you. The quicker we repent, the quicker things have the opportunity to turn around.
- When people come at you with accusations, go to the mobile court (court of accusations) and deal with it there, even if you did nothing wrong. By repenting, it disarms the situation. Ian has a teaching titled “The Mobile Court” that will help you walk through that process. Again, go to www.sonofthunder.org to get that teaching. Enter the title into the search box and it should show up. Mike Parsons also has a really good teaching on YouTube. CLICK HERE for that link.
- Don’t expect ministerial services to be free. This includes music, teachings, books, healing sessions, etc. If you’re offering one of these services, set a price worthy of your abilities. If you’re the consumer, think of it as a trade into what that person offers. You’re paying for their time.
- Don’t share “purchasable” materials with others. If they want it, they should pay for it! This is against copyright laws. So, don’t do it!
- Learn to enjoy what you do! Quit complaining and see the positive instead of focusing on the negative. Abiding by the phrase from the 1970’s that was plastered all over bumper stickers – “bloom where you are planted” is a good place to start.
- Add your own…
If this seems a bit harsh, there’s probably a sacred cow (stinking religious thinking) that needs dealt with. Honestly, these are spiritual laws. People who live by them that aren’t Christians generally fare quite well. The Christian community often whines and moans saying “Why are they having such great success and I’m not!” Well, it’s probably because there are spiritual laws not being followed. We have to be willing to see our own faults before we look at the faults of others. Our barometer is registered by what’s going on in our personal lives, our families, and our businesses. I did well in some areas but horribly in others. Once I started to focus on the pieces that were way out of kilter, it was amazing how my overall life began to change for the better.
Had I not looked at the crap in my life, I’d still be in the same place today that I was several years ago. Even though I was a good business person in general, there were things in my personal life that needed attention. I’m still on the journey but as I walk through the tough stuff, I literally graduate to that next level where I get to deal with more stuff! But, with that comes a new level of authority as well as freedom in my life. If I can do it, so can you. This may sound goofy but when hard stuff happens now, I say “Woo hoo! I get a chance to learn something through this!”
Thank you for taking time to listen to my musings on the subject of kingdom business. I hope it provided some insight for you. Feel free to post your questions/comments below or shoot me a message by clicking on the “contact us” button in the right side bar.
Here’s my declaration for you today: May YHVH, Jeshua, and the Holy Spirit become so real in your life that no circumstance can pull you away from that love. May your whole being resonate with the light, Glory, and Love of the Father!
Blessings,
Del
© Del Hungerford, 2018