First, let’s remove your guilt about not having time to serve at church how you think you should. God has called you into the marketplace, which means you are on the front lines when living out your faith.
What DID Jesus tell us to do? Go and make disciples.
Let’s look at three steps to help you rethink your role in serving God and get some CLARITY around how best to live out the Great Commission through your business.
We will break down what Jesus really said and then look at three words: Pray, Friend, and Share- to help you live out the great commission for Jesus or “on commission” for Jesus.
Working on Commission
Have you ever worked ‘on commission’? Salespeople know and understand what it takes to ‘get the sale’ and what it takes to make a living through commissions. It is all in the numbers. Plus, it is pushing up the number of sales and the percentage of your commission on each sale.
While in Direct Sales, this was the ‘game’ I played. Meeting month-end quotas so I could make the extra 5% bonus on top of my 25% commission and a 10% bonus for my team. In a good month, I brought home 40% of my sales. Pretty impressive, right?
There weren’t as many good months as you might think.
Let’s look at the definition of commission: is an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people. The use of the word today to mean being paid a portion of the sales is actually an idiom (which is to say, the words do not mean what it is saying, think of the expression ‘raining cats and dogs’).
Working the Great Commission
Are you working ‘on commission,’ or are you working on your commission? You could be doing both, but only your commission has eternal value. Jesus’ last words were for his followers were to go and share His message and make disciples.
In Matthew 28:19-20 we read,
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This commission was not given only to those vocationally chosen to be pastors, missionaries, church directors, etc. The Great Commission was given to all of us who call ourselves Christians. We each need to be living this out in our day to day.
Live out the Great Commission as we work
Ask yourself. . . What does that mean for me as an entrepreneur? What does it mean for you and me as we work each day?
Let’s look at the command in verse 19- Go and make disciples . . . baptizing them . . . teach them to obey.
I think breaking down the words is always helpful.
Go- wherever you are, you can share Jesus’ message. Since you spend most of your time in your business, doing your work, this is your place to ‘Go.’
Message- share your story. What was your life like before you were in a relationship with Him? How did He convict your heart enough to begin that relationship, and how has it been since your relationship has grown? Your ‘Message’ is unique to you.
Baptizing- once they accept Jesus, they identify as believers by being ‘Baptized.’ You are an example. Share your experience.
Disciple- teaching what God requires of believers. You have been assigned to make ‘Disciples’ (or, can we say, be a mentor).
You have a Commission
But, I want you to look back at this command from Jesus. . . this verse begins with the word THEREFORE. That means there is something He said that was important before He got to this part.
There was a reason He gave them this command. And, He gave the command to everyone present. He gives the same command to us today. We are not excluded from living out The Great Commission. We are part of the church, the church is the bride of Christ, and as His bride, our role is to be an EZER, a helper, to Jesus.
How is this possible? How can we HELP Jesus? That’s where the THEREFORE comes into play. As we say in my Bible Study, “What is it THERE FOR?”
So, let’s back up to verse eighteen. It says
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Woah! All authority? What does that mean?
Since Jesus died for us and took His place next to God in heaven, He can do and send whomever He pleases.
AND it pleases Him to send you and me into the world to be part of HIS-tory. You live in this time, in this culture, to live out The Great Commission personally.
Are you tracking with me? If so, put an ON COMMISSION in the comments. Have you looked at your work in this way before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Your Personal Great Commission
You know, God has made you a steward of your sphere of influence. He is expecting you to live up to your Calling. And don’t forget, at the end of The Great Commission, He states that He is always with you (and me) until the end.
So. . . What are the three steps I said you can take to get started? The three words are Pray, Friend, and Share.
Three Steps to live out the Great Commission:
- Pray- Ask God to show you the five people who need to know Jesus. Begin to pray for these five people. They could be family/friends, or they could be from your office, your business dealings, networking, etc. Who are the five in your sphere of influence that you see/talk to frequently?
- Friend- Start or deepen a relationship with one or two of these people. It could be a simple lunch invitation, one-on-one meeting, or social event invite. Find out about that person’s life and become a true friend over time.
- Share- Tell your story about being in a relationship with Jesus. You may be the only ‘Jesus’ this person ever sees. By building friendships, you have gained the opportunity to share your story. Jesus IS the Good News. You want your friend to know.
Working your Commission
Let’s face it, in the world, working ‘on commission’ is always about the numbers. So, let me give you some.
Sales statistics tell us that nurtured relationships lead to more sales: 451% increase in qualified leads and 50% more sales with 33% less cost. (Scott Tousley, 107 Mind-Blowing Sales Statistics That Will Help You Sell Smarter [SlideShare])
If such a big increase can happen in your sales force with a little nurturing, imagine the impact you can make by building authentic relationships through your business each day.
Do you get how much power has been given to you by God?
Do you know He wants you to live out your Calling in the marketplace by being exactly who He created you to be?
He wants you to get CLARITY so you can BEST Serve Him through your work, to live out The Great Commission through your business.
If you think you need some Clarity around how you can truly show up in your business the way God created you, focus on your Calling, and not feel guilty anymore . . . then let’s have a Clarity Conversation and talk about the Calling Clarity Community. Let’s chat about how this Community can show you to live out The Great Commission with confidence and truly serve God through your business.
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