Day 11--The Importance of Being Enterprising

"Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief officer or rule, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from tour sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--Your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man" Proverbs 6:6-11).(NAS)

When I was a teenager I would hear people speak of entrepreneurs like W. Clement Stone, Napoleon Hill, S.B. Fuller,John H. Johnson and my pastor the Rev. Princeton H. McKinney as men of vision. They would characterize their persona as being "enterprising." Enterprising is defined as initiative and imagination in taking on a project or venture of great difficulty, marked with great ambition. As a result of their enterprise they created successful, profitable businesses and ministry.

We live in an age where it seems that the characterstics of industry, hard work, and enterprise are no longer prized. The words like "hustle" which before connoted an individual working hard to do what it takes (legally) to provide for him or her self is now associated with illegal activities. It appears that the creativity and the resourcefulness that comes through the development of a business, church or non-profit organization is lost for the security of JOB in an uncertain economy.

The other week I met with Scott Chaplin who is General Counsel for City of Refuge in Gardenia, California. Scott is an attorney, investor and entrepreneur. I would define him as being "Enterprising". He has a great book co-authored with Bishop Noel Jones, "A Vow of Prosperity." One of the lessons he shared with me was the importance of controlling your own life and investments. Think about this, when you work for someone else, or entrust someone with your investment dollars, are you really secure? The reality is that you are serving at the whim of a company, the economic factors and even the temperamental nature of a manager or in the sense of investments an adviser. You in fact are operating with the greatest faith in relying upon others to ensure your future. It is reported, Warren Buffet shares that he only invests in businesses that he understands, because he rather bet on himself to run it, than entrust others in an envronment he knows nothing about.

The writer of Proverbs would suggest that we develop an "enterprising" spirit of creativity and industry. Look at the example of the "ant" he shares with the reader. The "ant" is a hard worker, but more importantly an ant is a smart worker. It is not about working harder as much as it is working smarter! Bishop TD Jakes teaches that an individual must have at least four streams of revenue. Having one stream of revenue, like just a job, leaves you very vulnerable to economic conditions and other factors outside of your control. An enterprising individual is one who with creativity looks for ways to develop passive income that provides cash flow in times of changes in the economy and shifts personal cash flow.

Some will say, I am too busy, I have a security already. My friends, I share this from the perspective of a church in a community that after 911 over 200,000 jobs left a corporate community within a year. I share from the experience of many of the people that I serve lost their homes in the sub prime mortgage crisis and even now some are struggling. Moreover, I had entrusted a friend to build my investment portfolio and retirement, only to find out that it was not the most appropriate or soundness of products she had invested my money in. She profited greatly and was secure off of commissions and residuals of my money, while I struggled in a shifting economy. So I speak from experience about this subject. Being enterprising is not about enough hours in the day, it is about taking charge of your life and building a solid foundation. I encourage you to take charge of your life and spend the time to invest in YOUR LIFE!

S.B. Fuller who at one point was one of the riches men in the United States (1960's and 1970's) lived in a neighboring community. When I was a teenager, I would ride my bike past this mansion and had no clue that a man of great vision, tenacity and industry lived their. I just thought it was a nice house. While reading a book, "Success through a Positive Mental Attitude" ,I learned of S.B. Fuller. Mr. Fuller created a Hair Care Products Company. At one point he had the number one company in the South, even though he was African-American, he sold to "whites". In the 1960's this was unheard of. A friend of my mother who lived in the community, that Mr. Fuller lived, told me the story of how he knew him to be a man of vision, and tenacity and he allowed nothing to stop him--even when a business failed, he simply kept creating.

One thing I found striking about Mr. Fuller was his vision for a better life. He told Mr. Stone the story of that shaped his enterprising spirit. He grew up poor in the rural south, like the countless masses of African Americans of his time. One day, he asked his mother, "Why did God make us poor." I guess he heard the laments of those in the church and prayers of the church members. His mother shared, "God did not make us poor, we are poor because your father chose for us to be poor." This was Jim Crowe, Pre-Depression era, crop sharing times and his mother had the insight that the only reason for their poverty was a decision. Wow! Mr. Fuller, took that and ran with it and created a business empire that many would have said it was impossible for an African American in is day.

What decision have you made with your life and are you busy making a living or designing and creating a life?

Living with Faith and Power and Creating a Phenomenal Life!

Bishop Keith Russell Lee
Hoffman Estates, IL and Los Angeles, CA

FOCUS: Creative Streams of Revenue

Spiritual Prayer Treatment

Father, strengthen the work of my hands.
I honor you with the totality of my life.
I stir up the gifts that are within and I
develop and create a life.
In the Name of Jesus and Through His Power!
Amen! And So It Is!