Marketing Concepts in 2 Minutes

What Does God Expect of You?

If you're like me, you have a lot of people in your life who expect a lot of things from you. My family expects me to care for them. My pastor/boss and my church expect me to do my job and fulfill my calling. My bank expects me to pay my loans. My dog expects me to walk him and feed him. My friends expect me to lend a hand and a listening ear. My blog readers expect me to blog. Well, maybe...

Above all, though, we should ask, "What does God expect of me?"

At the risk of trying to summarize the Christian life in a brief, even cheesy, outline, I want to give you a brief, cheesy outline that I discovered years ago. I thought it was worth posting. I don't think this is original with me. I can't remember where it came from.

1. God expects you to GROW.

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! (2 Peter 3:18)

2. God expects you to GO.

Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. (Mark 5:19)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

3. God expects you to GLOW.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (Matthew 5:14-15)

4. God expects you to SOW.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

5. God expects you to SHOW.

I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. (Psalm 89:1-2)

6. God expects you to KNOW.

Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

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Fear & Permission by Chris Guillebeau

Anxiety is repeatedly experiencing failure in advance. (Seth Godin)


I heard Chris Guillebeau say this in a TED talk.

Why Money Can't Buy Happiness (Or, Spend Money on Adventures, Not Stuff)

Do you know why money can't buy happiness? It's a phenomenon called the "Hedonic Treadmill." It's the tendency of a person to remain at a relatively stable level of happiness despite changes in fortune or the achievement of major goals. As a person makes more money, expectations and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.

For example, when you buy a new car, it's great at first, but after awhile it's just your car. Or you buy a new living room suit and you dare anyone to eat or drink while sitting on your new sofa because it is new and beautiful and it has made you happy for three consecutive weeks. Then one night you decide to eat spaghetti on your sofa and you spill spaghetti sauce on it. You shrug your shoulders and think, "Oh, well" because it's just your sofa now, not your new sofa that made you happy when you first purchased it.

The hedonic treadmill is science's way of proving the old axiom, "Money can't buy happiness." Solomon wrote, "Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income" (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Life is an adventure. During this adventure, millions of dollars will pass through your hands. (Don’t believe that? If you make $30,000 a year between the ages of 25 & 65 you'll make $1.2 million.) You can spend your money on adventures or you can spend it on stuff. New stuff will get old. New adventures will never get old.

So what to do with your money then? Dan Ariely, a behavioral finance expert and the author of The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home wisely says, "The best way to maximize happiness is to spend money on things you won't get used to. If you're deciding between a sofa and a vacation, go for the vacation. You'll quickly get used to the sofa, but the vacation will bring long-lasting memories" (Money, June 2010).

From my perspective and as much as possible, I want to spend my money on things that last. Whether it is my own personal adventures or supporting the adventures of others (e.g., mission trips) I want to choose experiences over material things.

Sometimes material things and experiences collide. For example, eight years ago I bought my first motorcycle. I wanted to enjoy the experience of riding down country roads on a beautiful day with the wind in my face and bugs in my teeth. I ended up buying three motorcycles over time. I sold the last one last fall with no regrets. For me, I enjoyed the experiences but over time riding got rather commonplace. I never did a cross-country ride. I still think I'd like to do that, but for now, I've "been there, done that" with motorcycles.

What adventures do you seek? More importantly, how do you find true happiness? Here's my suggestion.

Are you happy? Are you buying new stuff that soon gets old or are you investing in adventures and new experiences?

Baby Steps

If you've ever helped a baby learn to walk, you've received a glimpse of what it's like to be God.

Once a baby has learned to crawl up on things and stand using the support of that thing upon which he/she has crawled, then baby steps begin. Sofas were great for this stage of development at our house. Our children learned to walk the length of the couch before venturing over to outstretched arms in the recliner across the way. When they were brave enough to leave the safety of the couch, we would hold their hands as they stumbled and wobbled across the room.

At just the right time, when their balance was more consistent and their confidence sure, we would let go of their hand and the independence began. We clapped. We snapped pictures. We hit "Play" on the video camera. We called grandparents and friends. Our baby has learned how to walk!

Then they fell. Usually, and conveniently, on their padded and diapered bottom. Sometimes the fall would bring laughter and sometimes it would bring tears. Persistence was key. Over time, they would master this basic skill and an entirely new stage of life would begin for both the child and the parents.

Sometimes God lets go of our hand in order to help us grow in spiritual maturity. Have you ever been through a stage in life wondering "Where is God?" It's no surprise that we develop our spiritual lives in the valleys more so than on the mountaintops. At times when we are in the valleys of life looking up, we can't find God. Why is that?

C.S. Lewis wrote, "He wants them (believers) to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles."

Lewis also wrote, "Sooner or later He withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature (i.e., believer) to stand up on its own legs - to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature (i.e., person) He wants it to be."

These periods of God letting go are opportunities for our faith to shine. Lewis also wrote that the prayers offered during these dry times are those which please God the most. It is in the valleys when we look to God for hope. It is in the valleys when we reach down deep in our souls for faith. It is in the valleys when we determine that we will love God and be obedient no matter the cost.

These are the times that stretch us and challenge us to believe and trust the core values of our faith.

As we stumble along, fall, get up, take a few more steps, fall again, more steps, fall, cry, and get up for more baby steps - determined to master this walk of faith - our Father walks patiently behind us with a proud smile saying to the angels in heaven, "Look! My child is learning how to walk the walk of faith!"

And the angels rejoice.


* C.S. Lewis quotes are from the The Screwtape Letters