There is a Television program, that is on here in America, where a man, who is an expert in the food service industry is invited to come to failing business establishments. He then reviews how they conduct, or rather don't conduct business and then proceeds to help them, that is , to rescue and salvage their failing business.
What is astounding is the conflict that arises when this expert, who has either owned or lunched multiple highly successful businesses in the food service industry , encounters resistance from the very people he is there to freely help.
The various business owners at times are combative uncooperative, stubborn and
at timers belligerent. The owners of failing business just do not want to let
go of the ways they are conducting their businesses which have proven
completely unsuccessful and placed them in a position of being on the verge closing.
Often the business owners have invested large sums of money into the failing
business, to the point of bankruptcy, yet nothing is working. It
is when they after reaching this point of need they call for this expert who
comes and freely offers to help, yet they almost always resist his freely given
advice.
What is unfortunate, is, that this expert knows what he is talking about and understands their problems better than they do. They need to heed his input. He is there to rescue them out of their bad situation.
Often after much conflict and resistance , and a time when the owner is finally placed in a personal conversation with this expert that the business owners will come to see that this expert has their best interest at heart and is there to help and rescue them and to salvage their business and succeed; if they will just receive his free help.
When they set aside their pride, stubbornness and self-justification and accept what is freely offered them and heed the input of this expert and allow him to make the needed changes, which often requires a complete change in the appearance and practices and most of the time even the name of the business, they find that, in the end , even after some stress in placed upon them and their staffs that , that this expert was right all along.
Generally at the end of each program, there is short update on the
businesses and owners , each time that the business owners followed the
input of this expert they have founded themselves positioned for success
and now succeeding they have been rescued. They have been shown a better
way of conducting their business. They have a whole new life to their business
and it works.
No Market
On one episode there was a business owner who
had their establishment dressed in an illogical theme that had no appeal to the
market where their establishment was located. The owner and the business
were only a short time from closing down and being out of business. In the
location which they were located in it had the environment to succeed, but the
establishment with its theme simply would not be sustained. There was no market
for them as they were.
This owner, in desperation called to the expert who came and reviewed her, the
staff and the whole establishment in general. He concluded that the whole theme
of the business, and the poorly trained staff including this woman's' self-willed
husband, were the leading demises of the business. When the expert shared
his conclusions with the owner and staff there was conflict, they argued and resisted,
justified themselves and let him know that in spite of his expertise in the industry,
they thought him to be wrong.
Guest were invited in to see how the staff preformed under pressure. In a short
amount of time, it became evident that they had a dismal failure on their hand.
They were ill prepared for the test, ill-trained, ill equipped and no
leadership, as the guest went away disappointed. How they conducted business
did not work.
After the evening was concluded, the expert reviewed how they did. The owner
still justified herself. Many of the staff could see that a change was
needed and hoped that she would agree to the changes.
Changes But Not Changed
The staff was enthusiastic and liked the
changes and they could see the opportunity which was before them, there was a real chance to rescue this business. The expert's changes were implemented, there
was a complete change undertaken. A new name, new everything it was "born again" as a business.
Guests were then, again invited in, the place was filled with genuinely pleased
customers who asserted positively that they will return. It looks as if
all would be well. The potential is great, there is now nothing to stop
them from succeeding.
But, rather than embracing the all-new life of her business; the owner was
unhappy and clung to her past ideas as to how it should be. She liked her old theme,
which was apparent to everyone obviously was not working. But she and wanted to
hold on to it, even though it produced little profit. She becomes negative.
At the end of the episode it is reported that she walked away from what was
freely given, it was her's. There was nothing to stop her from having it ,
but, her own unwillingness to receive it, and is now back to
facing a bleak future.
There was change but she was not changed. She refused to be rescued. All the
remodeling and name changes was merely cosmetic. There was no transformation of
herself. She, and her business, has walked away from being rescued. At the end
of the episode the update said that she returned to her old theme and things
were not going well.
A Lesson for All of Us.
What can we learn from this? The ideas
which govern the business of our lives often lead us to be on the brink of
failure and closure. Humanity needs the help of an expert, One Who knows the industry of living and how things
best operate for success in life. That expert who knows the industry of
living is Jesus Christ.
Jesus however is more than just an expert on "moral and ethical" living.
Jesus is more than just a self-help teacher (and the Bible which speaks of Jesus, is more than a self-help book,
though some treat is as one) , or one who teaches
strategies for living or positive thinking or practical philosophy.
Jesus is life itself and the Creator of all things.
This One who designed and brought into being all things came to us , to rescue
us and transform us, and the businesses of our lives.
"and the Word became flesh"(14)
Our God has come to us and offers to rescues us,
if we will but freely receive it. This life that Jesus offers us is a life
which we could never accomplish on our own. It is his life in us. he is our
life as St. Paul wrote.
"When Christ, who is your life, ." Colossians: 3:4
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."Galatians:2:20
Jesus is our very life and if we will but freely receive it from him.
Jesus will do more than just give us a new look or upgrade to our existence, Jesus,
like the a fore mentioned expert will give us an all new life, we can
experience being “ born again". Even
to the point of giving us a new name. We share in his son ship. This can be
ours freely if we will just freely receive it. A new name as children of God.
These changes however only reflect what God has made true for us in Jesus, they
more than cosmetic.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not
yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall
be like him; for we shall see him as he is" 1John:3:2
"To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden
manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written,
which no man knows saving he that receives it." Revelation: 2:17
This tells us that we are being more than renovated we are all new, "born again" . Now we are now positioned
to share in all that is our Lord's except His deity.
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together" Romans:8:17
Jesus has given us all a new life that is made to take us into eternity.
Won't Let Go
Unfortunately, we can find that at times, we are
like the owner who did not want to let go of old theme which produce little or
no results, we want to keep the old theme of our lives as she did. We
can't put new wine into old skins. It will not work.
"No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine
will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts
new wine into fresh wineskins."Mark:2:22
Our old ways need to be let go of, left behind us we need to receive from Jesus
all that He offers us, it is freely given if we will but freely receive it.
Jesus offers us a whole new theme for our lives this new theme will bring us
success, he knows for he lived it, and is it. Jesus has positioned
us for the best possible outcome that of eternity with him.
We need to embrace all that is offered us and not to be stubborn as the owner
whose theme was leading to failure. Jesus is the expert that truly knows the
industry of life. Jesus has come and provided rescue for humanity. Jesus
understands all our problems better than we do; we need to heed Jesus' input.
Some sadly will refused to hear and accept what is given, and walk away from
the cross of our Lord instant on their ways....this leads only to heart ache
and failure.... Please do not refuse to be rescued ..
Benediction: May we each and all never refused
rescue from our Lord Jesus Christ, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.
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Rev.Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma
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