Servant Leader, how often are we faced with a situation where our faith is challenged - and we fail? About a decade ago while on vacation from my Operations job in Afghanistan, I was sitting in a small mom and pop cafe in New Martinsville, WV, having breakfast with my best friend. I don't remember the conversation, but I remember telling him very clearly that I don't put my trust in my faith because my faith will fail me. He was aghast, but I was honest. At some point in my journey, my education will fail me, my experience will fail me, my religion will fail me, my family will fail me, and my faith will fail me. But does that mean I'm destined for failure?
No, it doesn't. Romans 4:3 tells us that, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." But did Abraham's faith ever fail him? Sure, it did.
And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” (Gen 12:11-13, NKJV)
You see, Servant Leader, even our faith will fail us. But that's only half the story. Genesis 12:17 tells us the most important part of this story.
But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. (Gen 12:17, NKJV)
So, what does this have to do with business? Everything.
The next time you are challenged with something you have never done; your faith may fail but the God whose desires are for you to prosper will see you through it. The next time your boss says the company has lost faith in your effectiveness; your faith may fail but the God who parts the sea will walk you through it.
You see, Servant Leader, our trust truly is not in our own faith, but in the architect of that faith - the God of the Universe. So, the next time you are challenged and find yourself pleading to, "say you are my sister," don't be discouraged. God doesn't hold your failing faith accountable; rather, He holds those accountable who made your faith fail in the first place. It's just one more demonstration of God's mercy and grace in your business. If you place Him first in your life and in your business, and you follow the path that He leads you on, even those moments of failed faith won't derail you.
So, have faith, Servant Leader. And when your faith fails you...
"...know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28, KJV)
