07. Why Working Harder Isn't Moving the Needle

Western entrepreneurial culture is obsessed with the idea of radical ownership and self-actualization, and our ability to determine our own destiny.

But as much as we like to think that we are in control of outcomes, and as much effort [laughs] as we exert trying to make sure our desired outcomes happen, there's another major variable at play that we have got to talk about.

Welcome to the podcast.

We are in part two of a three-part series where we are challenging this idea of God as my CEO, and looking at what it really means to build and lead from partnership with God.

Like, does God actually lead our vision and our strategy, our pace, and our priorities in business? Or is that really, for the most part, just up to us? Uh, in the last episode, we talked about the notion that God already owns everything, [laughs] including your business, and the implications of that on how we then approach business.

And we talked about two very, very countercultural business strategies that both result in an incredible amount of peace and joy in business.

You're gonna wanna go back and listen to that last episode to get caught up.

But today we're gonna be building on that foundation with something that's going to either deeply unsettle you or deeply free you, depending on where you're at right now.

And the idea is this, that God doesn't just own your business, He ultimately directs outcomes according to His will.

[laughs] L- let me just repeat that.

You and I do not control outcomes.

Now, I've wrestled with this idea for 20 years as an entrepreneur because it is so baked into American psyche [laughs] that if you just work hard enough or are strategic enough, or you hire the right people, you have a big enough team, you spend enough money on ads, then you can engineer any outcome you want, right? But interestingly, God has something different to say about this.

So let's look at what scripture says starting in Psalm 33:10-11.

It says, "The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes.

But the Lord's plans stand firm forever.

His intentions can never be shaken." So nations, not just people, not just individuals, but nations, entire economies, entire markets are thwarted or established according to His will.

That is wild.

Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purposes of the Lord that will stand." So many are the plans, one is the purpose [laughs] of the Lord.

Now let's look at Ephesians 1:11.

That tells us that He works all things according to the counsel of His will.

And then there's Isaiah 46.

This one really stops me every single time.

God says, "I declare the end from the beginning.

My purposes will be established.

I have planned it.