Getting Angry Can Help

Thank you Michael for being obedient to our Lord. HE speaks to all of us in different ways... probably as different as the uniqueness of our finger prints... still the same, he speaks to you by way of HIS surroundings, in the things HE has created. I know HIS plan is for us not to perish and to prosper for the advancement of HIS Kingdom. To this end I have started my own business and yes, have encountered and still face the \"wolves\". I am encouraged by your inspired words knowing I am not alone and supported ,by a group of people, in my struggles. I Pray that Jesus continues to pour out His Graces and wisdom upon you and all his children and continues to open our eyes to see the importance of the unity amongst us so we may flourish (as you have seen) like his rain forests in acidic soils. Amen Ecclesiastes 4:12 - And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Brian Walsh

Will and Skill are two things that no one can ever take away form you

Has anybody been here before? This company brought me in as an equipment tech and told me all about these big plans. So one day, they decide to change things and put me in inside sales. They knew I didn't have any sales experience, but they still put me in sales. Now, eight months later, they want me to leave because they're paying me too much and they have no equipment to work on. I make $23.10 an hour. I was making $26.40 at my old job. I took a pay cut to come here because they said they would give me a management type position at a later date. Now, things have changed and I am forced to look for another job. I want to be mad at them and this is a Christian based company. Any advice?

Shalom Val: I have had numerous encounters like the one you mention - and my approach to the same situation definitely changed with the 20/20 Hindsight experience from each of the previous encounters...as will yours. You might not have as many, depending on whether or not you have your own business, or work for someone else, but the challenged faced is the same. First, I would ask whether or not you invested any kind of time seeking our Lord about the initial job-change. At the hourly rate you were making was there a ceiling you found yourself at that caused you to look elsewhere for more. Did you receive confirmation from those you seek counsel from. Everything we find ourselves in stems from the choices we make, and I have found that when I abide in Him (really setting my own desires aside and seeking His Way for the life He paid for) I am able to face the not-so-good things in life with a kind of strength that comes from knowing that I know I made the rigth choice. Those other times - when I have simply gone through the motions, even to the point where I did not seek out those I am accountible to - I have nothing but doubts and fears about the situation. Because there is no way of knowing with what you placed above, I am going to proceed as if you had the green light from God and performed all the safety measures when making a life-changing situation. Now, you are faced with whether or not the individual(s) intentionally deceived you, or, failed to do what I just mentioned above regarding their own \"plan.\" If you followed all the above, then, it is very possible that you have simply encountered a 20/20 hindsight incident where you can now see very clearly that in the future you will make sure you have your agreement in writing. this agreement would provide for your proctection if the \"plan' does not come to fruition. I have found that having everything agreed upon allows me not to have to wonder about any why's concerning the other party. I do not have to get mad by thinking they intentionally deceived me. I do not have to gossip about their unjust treatment of me. And, I do not have to go down a path where these \"fiery darts\" consume hours of my energy. Why, it has all been decided ahead of time: plan fails - plan B kicks in and this is what will happen. A practical example would be that you agreed that if the management position did not open within \"90 days\" you would be given the opportunity to remain in your postion for a certain number of days to find other work elsewhere. By having this made clear upfront you would then be able to \"step out in faith\" because you knew that this was a door our Lord opened for you - knowing that if the position did not manifest, this was merely the path the Lord has you on to get you to where HE desires for you to be. One thing I would strongly encourage you to do no matter what is to not let the Accuser of the Brethren to sink those fiery darts into your emotions about \"them\" being a \"Christian-based\" company. Val, we are to first check our own short-comings in a given situation (log out of our own eye), then we are to seek Father for ant confession and repentance, and then we are to seek Him for the guidance to move forward...letting the others involved work out their own salvation with your heart-felt prayers filling the prayer-cups over their life with abundance and all that you desire most out of life. One final thought keeps poppoing up. Val, when they moved you into sales, did you \"work as unto the Lord\" while in the position, or did the murmuring within get you to fall short of taking advantage of the $23.10 an hour to learn some very valuable skills that would possibly have moved you into the management position? Being in sales all my life, there have been many times where having a guarantee of $4,000 a month would have seemed like I was in heaven! If it is not too late with this company, and if you can admit that you fell short in your attitude regarding the sales position, my advice would be to go to management and admit that you have been on the downside of things and that you would like x number of days to turn around your performance. Purchase some resources on sales (Michael's Selling Among Wolves... is a great place to start!) and begin to look at the situation as a great opportunity to advance your effectiveness within the marketplace! If you already know all the product knowledge, the rest is a piece of cake...you only have to veiw it that way. Stand up and move with the confidence that your attitude directly affects how you \"hear\" from Holy Spirit, and that when you speak victory, it HAS TO COME!

I am in full aggreement with this blog. I saw myself like this. I had a couple of times where I did the work without them paying me up front, and the outcome was bitter. One thing I was told and I find this to be true, \"Church folks pay for what they want and beg for what they need\". Some christians can try to manipulate you by using scripture to get what they want. It is a sad case but it is reality. In His Service Ronald Smith

\"Walk in Confidence\"... And don't buy the enemy's lies when your confidence is rocked by the wrong actions of a client. \"Don%u2019t give up. Get angry. Get determined. Get focused. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. \" Self-employed and small businesses are especially prone to getting caught in the feeling sorry for one's self attitude. Don't allow yourself to get isolated. Step back. Re-group. And press forward as the Lord leads. Get the counsel of many, but know who it's coming from and take it as such. For me, I was receiving counsel from well-meaning, but employed folks - instead of honest, self-employed or employers. There's such a world of difference from being an employee, receiving a steady paycheck, and being self-employed and truly relying on God for every red cent. (That's not a slam against employees; just that someone who has had a steady job for years on end - completely commendable - is more likely to look at a self-employed person struggling and say \"Go get a job.\") I now can appreciate the fact that my bosses in years past struggled to make time for their employees becasue they were having to keep so many more plates spinning. Employees - pray for your bosses. Look for ways to bless them becasue ultimately, it will bless you. Employers - pray for your employees, and don't fear building meaningful relationships with them; just know the boundaries. Blessings.

I can relate! I left a 15 year career a year ago and started a manufacturing business. I was so confident that I would be able to run the business \"God's way\" and it would all go well. I had good experience, a supportive family, had attended a selling among wolves boot camp, and even bought the Taking Back the Gates of Commerce cd's. Naturally, I was wrong and I often thought that somehow I had painted a bullseye on my back for satan to target. We have had breakdowns, off quality product, employee problems and now we are trying to figure out how to just pay the interest on the debt, let alone any principle. The things that have kept me going though are 1) We are called to walk by faith, not by sight 2) The Lord Jesus paid the temple tax by having Peter go catch a fish. He also took care of Peter's tax at the same time. I am confident that he has the answer for my needs and that they will be met. 3) I look back to the past and remember the times He has brought me through, even when my performance didn't warrant it. Praise God for mercy, grace and my hope is in his UNFAILING love.

Val, I have to say that my experience was exactly like yours, sad to say. Interestingly, it ended up putting me in a place where God could use me, you see, while I was sitting back, collecting a paycheck, my real skills and abilities weren't being used to honor God in a way that I think He would want. It got to the place where I felt like I was Jonah, sitting in the belly of a whale - the situation couldn't continue the way it was. I felt as though God was directing me...I didn't want to go, but it became impossible to do anything else. I was seriously being consumed. I told God I wasn't ready, wasn't skilled or tooled enough...He was fracious enough to remind me of Moses, and that I was being like Jonah...I needed to chose for myself. I chose to follow...knowing full well that I was going to enter the path of the Isrealites. Without going into details, I am facing the Red Sea, with mountains on either side and the Egyptian army behind me. I am continually encouraged - the Lord is showing me, tactically, that He is my Guide. I am waiting for the seas to part. Be encouraged, be blessed. Don't have faith in Christianity...have faith in God. He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever. In Christ, Alone, Rick

I had wanted to post the other day, but somthing stopped me. I can't agree with Michael's post more! The problem is, I have been angry but at all the wrong things and people!!! Job's wife told him \"Curse God and die.\" Wasn't that the whole point of the testing of Job - Satan's bet with God to see if Job would turn from God?! In so many words, Job's wife had the insight - and her conclusinog was simply \"Throw in the towel, bud! At least you wouldn't have to go trhough any more of these trials.\" I guess what I'm saying is know whom to direct your anger at. (Sorry for the trailing preposition...) I mean Satan! As my wife and I were talking this morning, our neighbor, a big Zen follower, was walking past our house as he does every day, sometimes several times a day. We live on the corner of two streets, and this guy walks up one street, turns the corner, down the other, turns around and repeats the cycle. My wife suddenly turned to me and said, \"I wonder if Mr. Chai's - a nickname we've given him - walking about our house somehow has a spiritual impact on us?!\" I mean, I don't believe in a bunch of heebee-geebee stuff - and there's no replacement for good honest hard work - but I do believe in the supernatural! My wife further explained that she envisioned a wall being put up around our house everytime this guy walked by...and that this wall was one of the things that was keeping out our provision. I suddenly found myslef very angry - but this time at the Enemy. This guy's been walking past our house for at least the last year now. I can't believe I didn't \"see\" this before now! Perhaps I would have if I would have stopped and asked God in the first place. Please continue your prayers for us. If you're finding yourself particularly irritable at those you love the most, and frustrated by life's circumstances, get with God. Give it to him. Let him know you're frustration. And ask him to give you spiritual eyes to see things that may be causing your anger to be misplaced. In Him...