Better to be Pruned Than Removed...
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March 20, 2009"Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John 15:2) In my last blog, I wrote about the Kapok Strategy which is the wise use and deployment of human resources within a company which sometimes calls for release or redeployment in another role of members of the team. It may seem harsh, but it is much worse when the company goes under for good and all jobs are permanently lost. Consider what Jesus taught about the vine: If a branch is not fruitful, He takes it away. Who are you to be nicer than Jesus? Your goal as an employee or a business owner is to be fruitful. As an employee in a down economy, you better be looking for ways to increase your value and add profit to the company or you may find yourself among the branches taken away. It's going to take some creativity, some initiative, some courage, but if you don't take appropriate measures to make yourself too costly to lose, you may end up being too costly to keep. The thing is that all your inefficiencies for the last few years have gone largely unnoticed because there was cash in the kitty. Now the water level is low and every inefficiency or bad business practice sticks out like old roof tops in an artificial lake when the water is really low. If you don't adjust, you will be adjusted. It's that simple. Having said that, laying employees off is not the first line of defense against declining profits in a contracting economy. Join me next week as I share some creative strategies for increasing your profitability and sustainability in hard economic times. Until then, be fruitful.
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Hi Michael,
Along these same lines, during a walk yesterday the Spirit quickened this thought to me: In simple, elementary mathematics these 4 disciplines exist: Addition- Subtraction- Division- Multiply.
Then this thought came: As we do our part in rightly dividing and thus, subtracting that which doesn't belong, then God is able to both add and multiply in those areas of our life!
Mitch
Mitch at 11:27am EDT - March 20, 2009
Michael,
As you are spot-on.
Your brother in Christ in St. Louis.
David Smith
David Smith at 11:32am EDT - March 20, 2009
Amen, again, Michael,
Another very good post that I trust we all will keep safe for future reference.
As the wise business builder looks to the future, we can prepare for just two things with our current U.S. government. I truely believe that with the inexperience coupled with the incompetence in our highest executive offices it will make the old 'stagflation' index in the 1970s even look good in comparison.
1. The government will be printing more money. This will create inflation. However..
2. The government will give us higher taxes which will quash entrepreneirial activities for the most part. (There are some of us who seek to be producers no matter what the take of the government, yes?)
I believe we are looking at stagflation on steroids in the coming years.
Therefore with higher inflation and lower incentive, all of us should be seeking to help our clients a) continuing marketing and selling efforts; but b) really be steering them deeper into the niche markets within their marketplace.
This is no time to wimp back in our various markets. Sure, all of us are going on a more stringent fiscal diet, but we need to have 'encouragers' that keep our eyes open to new opportunities. And letting the 'world squeeze us into its mold' won't cut it for the diligent. (See Hebrews 6:11-12)
What is one thing that you are working on right now that will have at least a 50% impact in your business in the next 90 days?
Steve Lanning at 11:48am EDT - March 20, 2009
Superb!
Because it is the truth of the matter that so many people have not faced until now. My things is --The work that I do, Do it unto the Lord! Many times in the workplace it has been taken advantage of and my worth did not exemplify my work ethics.
Now, I come to realize even more, that \"I am valuable and deserve more and each one of us should work for excellence rather tha expedience. I was a single parent, juggling so many hats and not even taking the necessary time and effort to balance life's adversity that I faced. I never took my children on a vacation. It was cleaning, paying bills and maintaining the houshold. Lastly, it was going back to work as stressed as I left it. Not good!!! Now, I am going back to school to work on a MBA. It hard, but I am asking God to guide me all the way!
I thank God for revelation knowledge and his wisdom. Thank you for truly obeying and being lead by the Lord. God Bless you and Your Family.
Williette Herring at 1:24pm EDT - March 20, 2009
Please allow me to offer a different take or interpretation to this parable.
I lived in Israel for a number of years and it was pointed out to me one day as we visited a village how some vineyards are still run today as they were during Jesus's time. The grape vines simply were allowed to trail along the ground so of course the branches were often susceptile to disease, rot etc. If a vine, or a branch on the vine, was struggling to produce good fruit, (notice that the branch is a part of the vine already) the vine dresser would place rocks under the branches or vine as needed to \"lift it up\" to give it the best opportunity to be fruitful(ie: the rocks and lifting up may be looked at as the pruning, trials, tests or whatever the Lord allows in our lives in order to make us fruitful and conformed to His image. Remember that He has set up in advance good works for us to do before we were ever created in order that we would walk in them. Ephesian 2:10.
Isn't this in line with the Spirit of Jesus and the heart of God...A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish... Isaiah 42:3 and Matthew 12:20.
In my life Jesus has always been accepting, loving and drawing me in and challenging me to move higher on and closer to Him. Yet the balance of course is that He deals harshly with sin and disobedience, but even in that, His motivation is love and healing and restoration. \"The Lord disciplines everyone he loves. He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child\"... Hebrews 12:6 because He loves us enough to do so.
So one other way to look at this parable is that Jesus will lift us up and do what is necessary for us to truly bear the fruit He intends for us to bear which brings such joy, contentment and fulfillment into a believer's life.
David B. White at 2:10pm EDT - March 20, 2009
Dear Michael,
When I first read your commentary on this verse, \"Who are you to be nicer than Jesus?\" I thought OUCH! Where is Jesus' mercy?
Then I remembered a teaching recently - \"Takes away\" is an inaccurate translation of the Greek word \"airo.\" The accurate definition is
1) to raise up, elevate, lift up
1a) to raise from the ground,
2) to take upon one’s self and carry.
Pruning is a wonderful process! No pain - no gain!
But there is also a giving - a chance - to the poor. I'm sure you're looking at slothfulness, but to the merciful and gracious, God will show himself merciful and gracious!
Bill Sullivan at 2:38pm EDT - March 20, 2009
Just good stuff. Simple. True.
Thanks :)
rick at 8:40pm EDT - March 20, 2009