--John D. Rockefeller

…there will be showers of blessing.  Ezekiel 34:26b.  …see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  Malachi 3:10b (NIV)

Enough

If you are a business owner, why did you go into business?  Many owners have a clear vision that drives them to their ventures.  They have a tangible hope that is best served by opening shop and risking everything.  Others are driven by circumstances and find themselves in business as the only option to unemployment.  Still others seemingly stumble into opportunities that they did not seek, or build.

 J. Paul Getty, once the richest man in the world, is reported to have installed a pay phone in his mansion for the use of his friends and relatives.  A visiting reporter, observing the lavish surroundings, made a comment about the phone, wondering why such a wealthy man would charge guests to use it.  Boldly, he then asked Getty, "How much [money] is enough?"  The rich man answered, "Just a little more."  Getty is also the guy who said that his formula for success was: “rise early, work hard, strike oil.”  And, “The meek shall inherit the Earth, but not its mineral rights.”

Another wealthy man, John D. Rockefeller, a scoundrel in the eyes of many, is quoted as saying, “I had no ambition to make a fortune.  Mere money-making has never been my goal.  I had an ambition to build.”  Rockefeller is closer to the core values that most business owners admire.

My admiration for a man of a different sort took a leap recently when I was privileged to attend an early morning breakfast, in Bloomington, Minnesota, to honor a man who is remembered as a 6’ 2”, 230 lb. linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings.  His career included four Super Bowls.  His name is Wally Hilgenberg, and those who remember him, recall him for his brutal play both on and off the field.  At the end of his career, through the influence of his wife, Mary, he came to faith in Jesus Christ.  Wally is in his second year of dealing with a diagnosis of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease.[1]

The breakfast was hosted by Vikings teammate Jeff Siemon and Search Ministries.  Over 1,000 were in attendance as Wally shared his story by video and in person.  No longer the robust figure that he had been, at the age of 65, with minimal use of his limbs, he is now confined to a wheelchair.  He said of his battle that one of the hardest things for him is that he can no longer “stand up and give my wife a masculine hug.”

Whether he was able to stand was not what we noticed.  What we saw was a heart that was strong, and dedicated to Jesus.  “He [Jesus] is the author and the finisher of every good thing,” he remarked as he challenged others to find their own pathway toward faith in Christ. 

Siemon ended with some brief remarks.  “Is Jesus enough,” He asked us, “when all else fails?”  Indeed, what do you have at the end of the day when the employees have gone home, the doors are closed and you are still there, alone, working through the evening and wondering about the night?  What did Getty have, or Rockefeller, at the end of the day?

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”   Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:13-14, NIV)

What will you do with your life, with your business, with your success, when they no longer sustain you?  The question of enough, may pose itself to you.  I talk to many business owners who tell me that they are experiencing great times in business, for which they give God glory and openly wonder what to do next with their wealth.  But, I talk to many more who are struggling.  Even though they tell me that they have sought the Lord and dedicated their businesses to Him, they flounder and wonder why.

In good times and bad, is Jesus enough?  Or, do we tend to follow Him in the good, and bail-out or default to self-pity and self-effort in the bad?  Can we partner with God in our businesses, in a way that gives Him the responsibility for outcomes?

In part, God desires our commitment to what might be called followship (not followership), by which I mean the condition of brokenness, and the practice of yieldedness before Him.  It is one of five Biblical themes of engagement, pillars that mark the pathway of the noble life – the Way of the King.  The five are: Authenticity, followship, simplicity, resilience, and valor.

Without question, you and your business have an eternal impact on those who know you; your family, friends, customers, and those who use your product or service.  May I commend a noble pathway to you that will leave a legacy of faith?  It is the Way of the King.

There will be showers of blessing for you in following Jesus.  But that may mean something different from what you have previously understood or expected.  Do you want to find out what it means for you?  Lay down your ego, give up your ownership rights, set aside your expectations, and follow Him regardless of circumstance – I know that you will find, as Wally Hilgenberg has, that He is more than enough.