The Value of Having Many Advisors
Our Mission
To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.
Colossians 1.28 explains, we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. This verse most succinctly defines the occupation or purpose of every Christian: to bring people to Jesus and help them know His will. When God lived on earth He began His work by inviting men to follow Him so that they could become fishers of men. When God left the earth entrusting His work to the care of men He commanded them to go and make disciples.
The current state of the world is evidence that Christians have been failing miserably in their prescribed occupation. Too much time and attention has been given to our vocation so that we can live more comfortably in a world that is not our true home. The world is in increasingly more desperate need for the Christian message to love God and to love our neighbor.
The world does not need the Muslim message, it is oppressive and vengeful. The world does not need the Hindu message of human separation. The world does not need the Atheist/Agnostic message that provides no basis for morality. The only message that invites love, humility, forgiveness and compassion is the Christian message. The world suffers because men are evil. It is when men hear the Christian message, turn from their evil ways, and follow God’s commands that real change for the better of all humanity occurs. There is only one God, on that Christians and Muslims agree.
The Christian God, the One True God, commands all people everywhere to turn from their evil ways and to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. This love is practiced by obedience to His commands. What is His chief command? Love our neighbor as ourselves. Christians are to consider their neighbor more than themselves in their dealings in business, in the home and in politics. Imagine a world where people obeyed God in this way. Governments would no longer be corrupt. Families would no longer be broken by divorce. Business would be equitable to all peoples regardless of income or color or intelligence.
The world needs to be reconciled to God Who then reconciles humanity to one another. This message of reconciliation has been entrusted to Christians who are His ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through them. If the world would be a better place for everyone then every Christian must become occupied with their mission to win people to Jesus and to teach them to obey His commands.
His Opportunities
- April 29th, Friday, Conversational Apologetics with Andy Bannister. Andy is the lead apologist for Ravi Zacharias Ministry in Canada. 7.30-8.30am at the Crafty Palate on Washington Sq. Cost is free but you must pre-register HERE
- May 18th, Wednesday, Michigan Prayer Breakfast. 7.30am-9am at the Lansing Center. This year’s speaker is Luis Palau. Buy your table and register for this event HERE.
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CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com
MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
A Publication of CBMC International
April 4, 2016
The Value of Having Many Advisors
by Robert J. Tamasy
Some time ago I received a phone call from a friend who told me about a new business venture he was planning. He asked if I, being a writer, could come up with a catchy, marketable title for the enterprise. My friends know me as the guy who is never at a loss for words.
Before starting to think of clever names for the business start-up, I asked my friend if he had done his due diligence in researching the pros and cons of this particular type of company. He said he had already done that, and was eager to get underway. I had no background in that type of business, but two of my friends had engaged in ventures like that in the past. So I urged my friend to contact them and ask for their feedback. My desire was not to discourage him or change his mind, but to ensure he had examined all aspects of the proposed business to avoid problems in the future.
Years ago I learned an important principle of decision-making. We tend to make decisions based on emotion, then justify those decisions with facts – facts to support the course of action we want to take. Sometimes this works, but other times an emotions-first, facts-second approach can lead to disaster. Feelings can and frequently do cloud sound judgment.
So how do we avoid this potential pitfall? By seeking advice and wise counsel from people we trust – even those who are not certain to agree with and support whatever we wish to do.
The book of Proverbs has much to say on this topic. For instance, it states, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure” (Proverbs 11:14). A similar passage tells us, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed”(Proverbs 15:22). Here are other principles from Proverbs that relate to decision-making and seeking advice from others:
Be wary of trusting our own judgment alone. Decisions – especially hasty ones – can be very easily justified and excused. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if I do not act now, I will miss out!” we reason. Or we tell ourselves, “They (those who disagree with us) simply do not understand.” But Proverbs 28:26 warns, “He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.”
Seeking advice from others can reveal faulty thinking. Are we making decisions based on emotions, or without considering all the factors involved? Wise advisers can offer assurance – or reveal flaws in our reasoning. “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).
Humbling ourselves to listen to advice is itself an act of wisdom. Turning to others for their counsel can seem humbling, especially when we already believe we are right. But if our goal is to make the right decisions, the humility to consult with others is an asset. “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise” (Proverbs 19:20). “Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge” (Proverbs 19:27).
It is said that “Hindsight is 20:20.” In seeking wise counsel – especially when pondering difficult, complex decisions – others can offer their own hard-earned “20:20 hindsight” without our having to gain it through the pain of foolishness and failure.
© 2016. Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.
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