For twenty years I ran my company the way I had been taught: maximize profit, minimize risk, outmaneuver competition. I was successful by every worldly measure. But something was hollow inside.
The ICCC Conference That Changed Everything
I attended an ICCC conference in Europe on the invitation of a business partner. Honestly, I went more for the networking than the teaching. But something happened in that conference room that changed everything.
The speaker - an ICCC leader - was teaching about Jesus as the "Chairman" of our businesses. Not a metaphor. Not a nice spiritual sentiment. He meant it literally: Jesus should be the decision-maker, the strategist, the one we report to.
"Have you ever asked Jesus what He wants to do with your company?" the speaker asked. "Have you ever submitted your business plan to Him for approval?"
The question hit me like a physical force. In twenty years of business, I had never once asked Jesus what He wanted. I had asked Him to bless my plans. I had asked Him to help me succeed. But I had never asked Him to be in charge.
Surrendering My Business to Jesus
That night, alone in my hotel room, I knelt beside the bed. I wept - something I hadn't done in years. I felt the presence of God in that room more tangibly than I had ever experienced.
"Jesus," I prayed, "I don't know how to do this. But I want You to be the Chairman. I surrender my business to You. Show me how to run it Your way."
In that moment, something shifted. A peace I had never known settled over me. For the first time, I wasn't alone at the helm.
Life with a Divine Chairman
That was seven years ago. My company looks different now. We pray before board meetings. We seek God's direction before major decisions. We have given away more money than I ever thought possible - and somehow, there is always more.
But the biggest change is inside me. I no longer carry the weight alone. I have a Chairman who never leaves, never fails, and always knows what to do.
