It's All About Who You Know

In this information economy the old adage takes on more significance than ever:  “It’s not what you know but who you know.”  The Bible certainly bears this out:  It is all in Who you know!

The “Who” that the scriptures speak of goes beyond mere networking and making good connections.  It’s more than “knowing someone who knows someone;” it’s knowing someone who will make you someone.  The writings of Daniel, chapter 11 verse 32, identifies the “Who”:  “The person who knows their God will be strong and do great things.”

Notice that Daniel delineates two definite benefits to knowing the LORD.  The first is, when you genuinely know Him, you will “be strong.”  That strength refers to, not just an empowerment, but a strength of character.  In that empowerment is a unique enablement that He assigns to you.  His Spirit gives you an ability which is like no one else’s.  That ability gives you an edge over those who do not know Him.

The second benefit comes as a result of your unique enablement: you will be able to do great things!  Knowing Him should affect what you do – today, this week, this month, this year.  It can empower you to do the extraordinary.

Take advantage of Who you know and do something great this week!

A Miracle at a Party

I find it somewhat amusing that Jesus’ first miracle is still an issue of debate for His modern day followers – you know, when He changed water into wine.  Was it real wine or just a good batch of grape juice?  While the pundits are left to ferment on that, let’s focus on the message in the miracle.

Jesus is concerned about the whole of your life:  including having success on your job, your emotional well being and your enjoyment of life.

When Jesus healed someone in their body, He was communicating His concerned about our health.  When He miraculously gave fisherman the best catch of their professional lives, He was communicating His concern for our career success.  When He made the best wine at the party, He was communicating that His concern for us goes well beyond what we define as “spiritual.

Jesus endorses our enjoyment of life.  He says repeatedly in the scriptures that He wants us to have joy and for that joy to be “full.”

We tend to compartmentalize our lives, separating the spiritual for our profession, and especially from anything that seems like fun.  Jesus shows us time and time again that the spiritual positively influences every aspect of our life, including our joy.  He clearly demonstrated, when He changed the water into wine, that miracles are not just for Sunday, and joy is not just for Saturday night.  Both are for every day and every part of our lives.

Don’t separate out the spiritual from the other parts your life, because to be truly spiritual is to be joyful, balanced, and successful. 

Jesus' Business Genius

One of the first encounters Jesus had with Peter was on a morning after Peter and his business partners had suffered an unsuccessful night of fishing.  These fishermen were cleaning the debris out of their nets, rather than selling fresh fish to customers, who each morning turned the shore into a marketplace.

Jesus asked Peter if He could use his empty fishing boat as a platform from which to speak to the massive crowd that was clamoring to hear Him.  Since he had no fish to sell, Peter piloted the boat a little ways back from the shore and listened patiently to this revolutionary teacher.  When Jesus had finished ministering to the crowd, He turned His attention to Peter and instructed him to drop his nets again.  Now that was somewhat ridiculous, first because Peter was the professional fisherman, and Jesus was just a teacher.  Secondly, net fishing was done before the sun came up, as the sun’s heat would drive the fish deeper in the water and away from the reach of the nets.  Thirdly, there was this enormous crowd that had come to listen to Jesus teach, but was now watching this professional engage in what could have been interpreted as “fishing folly.”  That could ruin his professional reputation.

Reluctantly, Peter decided to just obey the teacher’s word and, to his amazement, he caught so many fish that his nets strained to breaking.

Peter’s simple compliance to spiritual guidance resulted in an incredible miracle in his business.  He had the greatest catch of fish in his career at the exact same time that the greatest number of potential customers was on his shore.  And all because he was obedient to the word from ‘the teacher,’ who they now realized had business savvy and marketing brilliance.

Jesus is concerned about your professional life and its success.  He has more than just a word about your spiritual wellbeing.  He has a strategic word for your business – and it could lead to your miracle.  Take the time to listen.  You will find that what He calls you to is obedience and the willingness to take a risk.  He’s not just a good teacher, He’s a business genius!

Consult Him and you’ll discover that Success is Spiritual!