So now you have a shiny new company vision that will encase the Christian company culture that you worked so hard to build. Congratulations, you’re done with the easy part.
Now you can get ready to do the hard part. And that is casting your vision to your employees so that they get caught up in it.
If you don’t do it right, then your vision might just as well be a sheet of used paper destined for the trash bin. Do it right, you can set your employees on fire with the passion that will transform their lives and the company.
So it’s really worth doing it right. But how? Jesus knows everything so he left us his Word, the Bible so that we can use his model for vision casting.
It took Jesus three years to mold his ragtag team of disciples into the history maker they turned out to be. Get ready for a marathon, rather than a sprint.
Here we go.
1. Tell them
You need to tell them what the vision is about. This should happen during the hiring process. Employees need to understand what they are getting into. Is it something that they can believe in? No one else can make that decision for them.
If being part of a Christian company is not their thing, then agree to disagree and part ways. No harm done. If they believe in the vision they must also be willing to commit to it.
Jesus made the vision clear to the disciples right at the get-go. He said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Andrew, Peter, James, John, and the rest of the disciples dropped everything and never looked back.
From studying the Gospels and looking into the background of the disciples, we can tell that the disciples had other ideas of what Jesus was all about. They thought Jesus was going to free the nation of Israel from the Roman invaders. Jesus had to constantly teach them what they were supposed to do on earth – the vision.
That went on for three years. And in Jesus’ hour of greatest need, the disciples still abandoned Jesus.
So you have your work cut out for you. You need to really get your employees caught up in the vision.
2. Tell them the long game
A vision is not something you achieve, it’s something you strive for. It’s not a destination. It’s the journey.
In Jesus’ time on earth, he only had a handful of followers. That’s a failure by worldly standards. The Pharisees must have thought that was the end of it when they crucified Jesus. But Jesus was playing the long game.
By instilling the vision in the disciples, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, these motley crew was able to turn the world upside down. After 300 years, the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as the official religion.
Your vision will be questioned at one time or another. It may come from one or two of your employees, a manager, or even by yourself. That’s okay. Those are the times when it’s time to check where we are in our journey.
What landmarks or milestones have you passed by already? No, don’t panic and change your vision. Just like any traveler on a long journey, maybe you just took a wrong turn and need to change the road you’re on.
3. Train them
Jesus sure did train the disciples. He taught them. He ate, traveled, slept, rode out storms, waded through hostile crowds, and ministered with the disciples. That’s a classic show-and-do mentoring.
For three years, Jesus would rarely let the disciples out of his sight. Jesus would leave them a minute and the disciples would find themselves in trouble – almost sank in a boat, couldn’t drive out a demon, arguing who was greatest among them, and sleeping when they should be praying.
He had them listening and watching his every word and work. He made sure the disciples were taking it all in when he preached. He had them distribute bread and fish. After the people had gone, Jesus would have a question and answer session with his disciples. He explained to them the meaning of the parables.
Eating was not only a time of camaraderie, it was also a time of teaching. We are most teachable when we are relaxed. That’s when people ask questions that come from the heart and they also get answers from Jesus that strikes the heart.
John chapters 13 to 17 are known as the Upper Room Discourse when Jesus spoke to his disciples over supper for the last time before his crucifixion. This was when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. Jesus’ words were well chosen and quite loaded with spiritual truths since those were his final moments with the disciples.
These were the training that Jesus put the disciples through. The apostles were always learning on the job.
If you want your Christian vision to be impressed in the hearts and minds of your employees this is what you have to do. You are not only shaping your business. You are also changing people’s lives.
Spend time with them outside the office. You can set meetings at a favorite local restaurant. You will learn more about your employees if you let them talk about their life.
Just listen and look for clues to what stimulates them. Is it sports? Then you can use it to talk about the vision. If the outdoors then use metaphors from nature to reinforce your vision.
4. Empower them
Jesus would send out his disciples from time to time. He empowered them to heal people, drive out demons, and teach the Good News.
In Luke 10, Jesus sends out 70 disciples in pairs. On another earlier occasion, he sends out the 12 apostles. Jesus gave them specific instructions on where to go, what to carry, and what to preach.
He also told them to expect failures, and what to do when a village doesn’t welcome them.
We can assume that this is a regular thing for the disciples. Jesus would regularly send them out into the world.
The disciples were seeing the vision at work. There would be opposition. There would also be huge gains like the time when they came back rejoicing that the sick were healed, and demons were expelled.
Jesus was quick to point them back to the vision (Luke 10:20). Healing the sick, and casting out demons were great but the real victory was that people’s names are written in heaven.
Your employees will have a better chance of getting caught up in the vision if they see the vision at work. Let them experience the victories as well as the failures.
Get them out of their comfort zones. Copy the way Jesus sends out and empowers his disciples. He sends them out in pairs not only to cover more ground, but it is also more powerful and efficient.
These pairs of pre-resurrection evangelists can encourage one another. Two is also the minimum required number of witnesses in the Jewish culture. Two are exponentially more powerful than one. Supporting each other is also very satisfying.
5. Be consistent
Jesus was consistent with his messages. Mark 1:14-15 states Jesus came proclaiming the good news, saying “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
He never deviated from the message and the vision. He said the kingdom of God was at hand. Then he told and showed various ways how that can be.
He didn’t get caught up in the politics of the day. Most people, including his disciples, thought Jesus was going to expel the Roman invaders from the land once and for all. Then re-established David’s Kingdom forever.
Jesus showed what God’s kingdom was like. It was not the kingdom the people expected. And he was not the savior the people imagined him to be.
So Jesus spent three years pounding into the understanding of the disciples that the Kingdom of God is way bigger and better than a mere earthly kingdom. And the disciples would play a big part in making the vision a reality.
Jesus would always hang out with the outliers in society, the downtrodden, the poor, and the outcasts. If he sees someone could use healing, Sabbath or not, that person was going to get healed. And the demons, they would shriek in fear before being cast out of people.
And then there was the cross. He was always on the march towards the cross. He always talked to the disciples about the cross, how he would die and how he will rise up again. “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised”. (Matthew 16:21 ESV)
Consistent and regular exposure to the vision helps ingrain it into our subconscious. Not only is it to be communicated verbally, but the vision also needs to be relayed visually. Put it up in areas where employees congregated like the canteen, conference room, and the main entrance and exit.
It should also be consistently communicated through the actions of the managers and policies of the company. These are the areas where the rubber hits the road. The various programs, training, and systems in place in your company should consistently reflect the vision.
6. Integrity
What can we say about Jesus and his integrity? He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
When Jesus said to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Mark 12:31) that is what he did when he healed the man born blind from death (John 9), the woman caught in adultery (John 8), the paralytic (Mark 2), the Samaritan woman (John 4), reattaches the ear of the Malchus (Luke 22:49), and ask for forgiveness for his enemies (Luke 23:34).
There was no question that whatever Jesus preached, even if his enemies didn’t agree with it, they couldn’t label him as a hypocrite. Not for lack of trying, but they were not going to find anything that Jesus preached and didn’t do.
He walked the talk. He spoke his mind. Jesus didn’t care who you were. You were going to hear what you needed to hear, not what you wanted to hear.
This is the bar that you should strive to reach by making your stand as a Christian business owner. You will be scrutinized 24/7 by people, by the world, and by the devil.
In the age of social media, where one moment of weakness or misjudgment can ruin your career and reputation. There is no room to be a fake especially since the secular media is quick to crucify the fallen Christian leader.
Guard your integrity. Do not speak in anger. Do not decide while high on emotions. Your emotions, ethics, morals, and honesty will all be tested. Maybe even all at the same time.
Remember what Proverbs 15:4 says, “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” To the people around you, your testimony is only as good as your last impression.
Final Thoughts
Being a Christian in business is tough. There are so many moving parts you need to watch out for. The bar is also high for someone who wants to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
But that is to be expected. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me,” Matthew 16:24.
It is worth it to bring your vision to fruition. That’s why Jesus left us his blueprint — the Bible. In it, we can find the strength and wisdom to work towards the vision.
