June 16. Counting Resources.

Allocating resources is near the top of every leader and entrepreneur’s priorities. But we are focused first on results and creating those results often takes us into an area of not using resources efficiently. Results and resources can battle one another. Think about a vehicle that is designed to travel at a very high speed.

Now imagine the mechanic on your team has put a limit of only half power for operating the machine. The focus on the result will often discover where the ineffectiveness is occurring. Measurements help us to monitor the resources. What resources are not being used wisely?

I do not want to think about using resources in terms of only good or bad means. I ask us to think about using resources and how to use them to increase the manner of multiplying usefulness and helpfulness. Where are you thinking that resources are being used for the most help and usefulness at your company?

If we intend to increase, then we can start by giving the current situation a score. Ask your team what score they might give the area you are willing to consider as a discovery area. I suspect that many on the team might have some ideas while others might not.

Once a team can shape some ideas, an entire team can be accountable to make improvements. What is the first thing that you can do to improve it in the next seven days?

In Acts 10 NLT, we read that Peter had a vision that challenged his awareness of what was good and bad regarding the food the people were to eat. He declared in his vision that he had not eaten any of the unclean or bad foods.

But the vision taught him to go and to be useful as God has a message for everyone. Next thing you know, he is having a conversation with a Roman centurion who was the captain of the Italian Regiment. I think that might have been unnerving and scary. 

 Roman government were the conquerors to whom the nation of Israel was living under. It turned out to be a very helpful and useful conversation though. Where might our understanding of good and bad be missing God’s mark? Think about what seems to be bad and consider how at times it can serve God’s purpose.

Something that is bad in our mind’s eye can cause us to be fearful. But on the other side of fear is freedom. Perhaps we might be able to be accountable to adopt a change of mindset faster. Are we willing to switch to a mindset of being helpful and useful? What is the first thing you can do about it yourself in the next seven days?

Who will be your accountability partner?

?Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you have made the fish in the streams, the lakes and the oceans and they all have a purpose. Help us and our brothers and sisters in Christ to find where we can be useful to honor you.

May our highest use be that which brings others into relationship with Christ. May you strengthen us today as we cast our words with care. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen