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Friday, February 5, 2010

Stepping out in faith



2:48 p.m. Today's project was to get the house ready for a visit from our youngest son Steven and his friend Eric from Fresno. He is actually here to see his diet coach in Hemet, a Christian professional whose job is to get bodybuilders ready for competition like the event Steven is readying himself for in April.


The exciting news is that Steven and Eric, also a trainer at Bally's and kinesiology major, are starting a business at the end of the month--opening up a gym where they will teach physical education to mentally handicapped adults. Eric's brother is a psychologist who has a group home, but until the gym opens--in the building next door, amazingly, whose tenants are moving out, talk about God's timing--the clients have no physical activity program. So Steven and Eric will work with them in the morning, and in the afternoon and evening, take on private clients to train.

The spirit of entrepreneurism is alive and well, never doubt it! I believe that God's people soon will be the only ones left with the courage to step forward and say, "I'll do it!" We have has our role models first, the Lord Jesus Himself, as we read in Psalm 40: "I said, 'Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.' " And see how the prophet Isaiah respond to the the call of the Lord, who said, "'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'" (Isaiah 6:8) Isaiah reported the words of God to the backslidden nation of Israel, in no uncertain terms, and at great cost.
There is a great cost to starting your own business, whether in a brick-and-mortar store, like my parents who owned service stations and a convenience store, or like the gym my son is opening. I even have costs in my home-based business! A business requires huge sacrifices of time and cash and even greater responsiblility. You're it! Thankfully with God, a believer making a go of a business is never alone or without guidance: "Where God guides, He provides," I've heard Pastor Chuck Smith say many a time.
There is a cost to following Jesus, too. He told His followers in the passage Luke 14:25-33 to "bear his cross and come after Me or he cannot be My disciple." (v. 27); and asks in v. 28, "Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it..."Jesus was not speaking lightly when he spoke of His followers being in opposition to family members, even sacrificing their own lives to follow Him. All of us have experienced family and friends distancing themselves from us, a real shock! But we have also seen the blessing of having them come to Christ later on in many cases, as they "see (y)our good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
For Steven and Eric, the inspiration and excitement of starting a "good work" for the mentally handicapped adults will carry them far, and perhaps some of their current or past clients will hear about them and sign up. However, there will be days of disappointment in this rough economy as they try to recruit private, paying clients. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," is a saying we all know. And it's a true one--there will either be spectacular failure, or spectacular success!
Even though most people like to be in the comfort zone of a steady paycheck, there will always be those who will strike out independently and, with God's guidance, take the tough road of setting achievement and earnings benchmarks for themselves.
And if believers are willing to take personal and financial risks, sacrifice personal leisure and security, and do neverending work in an honest way, the Lord will send His blessing, encouragement--and, as I've seen even on a miniscule basis--sales!!




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