Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXXVIII

Just for the record, I'm a Christian. A pretty good one, actually...even if I have to say so myself. I'm also a business man. One thing I've learned as a business man and as a Christian is the fact that many of the same principles hold true for both. One such principle has to do with my competition. In the business world as well as in my Christian walk there are forces who desire to stifle any successes I might achieve and turn them into progress for their own agendas. Therefore it would serve me well to study the tactics of my competitors and always be aware of the methods they're using to further their causes. When I do that, I will see the techniques they're using that appear to be working, and when it's proper to do so, I can adopt those same methods for my own purposes. It would not be too difficult to find people who would readily admit that they do that in the business world, but is it okay to follow the same practices in our lives as Christians? I think it is. Allow me to explain. First let me tell you how this idea came to me. My son and daughter-in-law were preparing to have new flooring installed in their home, and I was helping them strip off the old wood and tile. Believe me...that was a tough job, especially for us who had never done that type of work before. Whoever installed the old floor glued it really well, making our job much more difficult. We were constantly looking for some little tricks that would make our task easier, and Charlie, my son, said, "I've figured out that if I look for a weak spot and attack it, it works much better." I replied, "That's how the devil operates." Charlie joked, "That's where I learned it." I came back with, "Yeah, I guess we could take a few lessons from the devil." Satan is my enemy and I hate him, but I have to admit that he's pretty good at what he does. Can you think of some of his methods of operation that we might should emulate? Think about it! He never ever gives up on anyone. No matter how old I live to be, he will continue to work on me as if I was an adolescent. He doesn't discriminate against any individual, regardless of their race, religion, age, gender, or financial condition....he treats everyone the same. He's constantly on the lookout for any type of opportunity that may come available, which also means that he's always on the job. He's not lazy. He has learned to take good work habits and use them for evil intent, and he has made some great strides toward his wicked purposes by using those techniques. What's stopping us from adopting some of his methods and using them for good? I have no doubt that if we copy his ideas that do not go against the laws of God, we'll beat him at his own game. There's nothing wrong with that. Preston