I approach the Bible the same way I approach everything else. I focus on the practical, particularly the practical aspects of creating something. This practice has developed into a brand-new series: The Devotion Desk: Scripture Checked. The entire series comprises lessons for business from the scriptures.
Why this series exists
For many years now, I have been practicing syntopical reading and intersection thinking regarding business books, memoirs, and interviews. Scripture offers the same unrefined material if you know where to look for it. A prophet asking a hard-up widow what she has in her home. A fisherman being told to lower the net once again after spending a fruitless night fishing. Animals being provided with food without storage, and lilies dressing themselves up better than any king. A runner being encouraged to prepare as if he really wanted to win.
This is not just symbolism to me. This is resourcefulness, faith, focus, and self-discipline. The type of content that anyone who has ever started a company or worked professionally is familiar with.
How each post works
Each piece in this series is organized identically. First, there is the story itself, stated in its purity without any flourish. Second, the lesson learned from that story. Finally, the how-to component, because I do not want to leave each article with just a takeaway, but an actionable one. This way, by the end of each article, you will find some sort of value in it you can put into practice this very week.
Who this is for
Any entrepreneur, professional, or artist whose faith plays a vital role in his or her life is the target audience of this series. You do not need any theological knowledge to understand this content. You do not need to have studied these scriptures previously. All you need to do is look at these ancient stories from a new perspective and accept the thought that you might get a viable strategy from these texts.
What is coming
The first four articles in this series have all been planned out. One of them examines 2 Kings 4 to see what Elisha can teach us about making the most of our resources. Another focuses on Luke 5 through the lenses of desire, belief, and expectancy to find some lessons for entrepreneurs. The third one takes ideas from Matthew 6 and uses birds, lilies, and Solomon to deliver a message about provision and business anxiety. The last one is entitled Run to Win and describes a faith-based approach to growth that most companies dream about.
The other articles in this series will follow the same pattern. Every post will be structured as a story, then a lesson, then an application. No post in this series will require your blind faith. They are all supposed to stand on their own, regardless of whether you are using them to study entrepreneurship or your devotions.
If you have been following my series on applied reading, this series will be quite recognizable. Same method, different books. It is nice to have you join me in exploring The Devotion Desk and some business lessons from scripture.
Sources
Passages referenced in this series are drawn from the Bible (2 Kings 4:1-7, Luke 5:1-11, Matthew 6:25-34, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
