Dealing with devastation in the family business
In last week’s reflection, I laid out the full cycle of Israel and God’s interaction during the time of the judges. Now we’ll begin to look at individual judges, beginning with Gideon. But first,...
Faith & Family Business
History repeats itself in the family business
February 4, 2024
My last reflection focused on how the Israelites suffered because they turned away from God. It is one part of a cycle, and we see the fullness of the pattern here:Then the Lord raised up judges, who...
Architects of our own distress in the family business
January 28, 2024
In last week’s reflection, we see that Israel angered God by forgetting their covenant with Him and worshipping other gods. Now we see the consequences of Israel’s disobedience:So the anger of the ...
What do you worship in your family business?
January 22, 2024
Last week’s reflection focused on how Israel was becoming separated from God by forgetting God’s expectations, lessons, and values. We see the detachment deepen in the next verse, as Israel begins to...
Losing sight of your legacy
January 15, 2024
As we begin to study the Book of Judges, we see a period of time, after Joshua’s death, when Israel repeatedly disappoints God. Chapter two describes the beginning of this separation:…And there arose...
The Book of Judges and the Family Business
January 7, 2024
Welcome to my Faith & Family Business Reflections for 2024. Over the last three years, I’ve written about Jacob and Esau, reflected on the Book of Proverbs, studied David, and offered 24...
A (final) blessing for the gifts of a family business.
December 24, 2023
Life in a family business is full of instances to give thanks for God’s gifts and to ask for His help, to recall the contributions of the people around and before us, and to acknowledge and forgive...
A blessing for those estranged from a family member
December 12, 2023
Think of your own family, or families you know, where someone has cut ties. The pain people feel in not seeing or connecting with their children, siblings, parents, grandparents, or grandkids can be...
A blessing for communication in the family business
December 10, 2023
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”I doubt the author of that quote (often attributed to George Bernard Shaw) was referring to a family business,...
A blessing for those inheriting a family business
November 26, 2023
When it comes to passing the business to the next generation, an awkward dance takes place. Parents are struggling with all kinds of issues: how to be fair, whether to be equal, when to gift assets...