In my work around the world, I have noticed that the people I love and serve that are not flourishing spiritually are also not flourishing physically. They often suffer from poor air quality, water stress (both quantity and quality) and the impact of degraded soils. I cannot stand idly by watching them suffer. So my colleagues and I have introduced two initiatives, one of them being the Environmental Technology Initiative (ETI). ETI...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 334 – A Goodly Staff “Masters, treat your bondservants with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.” — Colossians 4:1 (NET) Last week we spoke about offering a safe environment to our employees. That the devotion came out on the day of the tragedy at CFB Wainwright, where four service members died and 39 people were injured, made its message...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 333 – In Safe Hands View this in your browser It was the early 1990s. I was vice-president of operations for a major treatment company—one we considered best in class. Then came an early-morning phone call I will never forget. Two of our employees had been badly injured in an accident. The news struck me with a physical force, bending me over.  Yet my anguish could not compare with...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 332 – Do you see what I see? I blew it again a few Sundays ago. I forgot other people cannot see what I see. We’ve spoken about our dear friend, Louise, who is smart, perceptive, sings beautifully … and is blind. Terri, Louise and I were in the church hall having coffee. People were milling about, including some Louise knew. I ‘assumed’ she could see them and reach out to speak to them,...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 331 – Pride vs. Confidence View this in your browser There is a difference between pride and confidence. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” — Proverbs 16:18 Pride looks inward and can lead us to believe that every success is proof of our own worth. Humility helps us see a fuller picture: we have worked hard, yes, and we have also received much—gifts from...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 330 – Rock bottom My friend Craig Daell when speaking of going through a challenging time said, ‘When  you hit rock bottom, you come across the Rock of Christ.”  “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer…”— Psalm 18:2, NIV It was 2002, and I woke up at 2 AM, wondering how we were going to make payroll. Unable to get back to sleep, I walked through my back...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 329 – The Ecosystem of Talent View this in your browser I was having a lively discussion with my friend Justin about the complementarity of talent. He is just starting his career, and we talked about how leaders need to surround themselves with people whose talents complement their strengths and fill the gaps in their abilities… that we need more than flattering echoes of ourselves. I shared...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 328 – A Trout’s Tail Many years ago, a pipeline had to cross Chance Creek in the Alberta foothills just as the brook trout were preparing to spawn. Our team had to install the pipe and restore the stream before the trout arrived. The pipeliners completed the crossing in one remarkable day. Then Jim, a fellow biologist and an artist in stream-bank restoration, took over. Using trees felled...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 327 – Lost in Translation I have the privilege of working in many countries and across even more cultures. It is a humbling place to be, because so much can get lost in translation. And sometimes I have rushed in like a bull into a culture made of beautiful glass. I remember mentoring a local company in Pakistan. They had significant problems, and we rushed straight at them—as good Western...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 326 – Sabbath revisited The last time I addressed Sabbath rest in the workplace, I focussed on the rest you need as a business leader. But recently, my friend J challenged me to think about Sabbath in a different way. J has a farm in central Asia. He asked, “What if we gave the farm a sabbath?” Indeed, what would it look like for a business—a farm, a factory, a shop, or...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, No. 325 — Welcoming the Stranger View this in your browser One of the privileges of serving people in Central and West Asia is that I am often the guest of some of the most hospitable people in the world. From Pakistan to Kazakhstan, and from India to Iraq, welcoming the stranger is considered a high calling. “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained...