1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (NKJV):  “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” 

 For decades, I’ve seen many parallels between Kingdom-building and business-building. Many times, I’ve told businesspeople that you’ll never take the mystery out of sales and marketing. You can try to forecast, but prospecting has a mysterious cycle that you’ll never be able to neatly fit in an Excel spreadsheet. Yes, everyone should do what they know they should be doing. Beyond that, your team has no good and noble option but to trust the Lord of the harvest to bring in the business in His time and in His way. Otherwise, you can drive yourself and everyone around you crazy trying to manipulate outcomes in an unnatural, forced way. 

Today's a new day! Keep making those sales calls. Keep reaching out to existing, past and prospective customers. Keep promoting your products and services. Don’t get flustered, don’t get impatient, don’t try to aggressively force the sale. Faithfully plant, water, and trust God for the increase and praise Him when He provides it. It’s part of His divine provision for your life and organization. 

Let’s think about and discuss these questions:

1. In a business environment, how can we understand and apply "in God's timing, in God's way"?

2. Have you ever had the experience of “failing to meet business targets”? How did you handle it at the time? What reminders did today’s learning bring to you?

3. Looking back on the past, how has God helped and provided for you? Write this one down and give Him thanks!