Setting the Table

Episode 12:  In this podcast episode, Greg Blakemore, CEO and President of The Nehemiah Group, discusses the pivot his episodes will take in Season 2.  Greg poses two important questions he grappled with and that other business leaders face.  The theme for this episode is Setting the Table. 

Episode co-host Jim Ray comments that Greg has an interesting way of approaching each new year of his business.  They shared an office condo for several years.  During this time, Jim observed Greg’s process for assessing the passing year and planning for the upcoming year. 

Greg expresses his wish that Season 2 doesn’t become some typical religious story.  It’s not.  He’s confident in his Christian faith and is willing to share some insights into what God has done in his own life. 

The Two Important Questions

Early on, Greg began asking the first important question, “Can I trust God with my business?”  Several years later, Greg realized God had a question for him, “Can God trust me with His business?”  Those questions can be difficult for many of us to answer, from time to time.  Yet, they persist. 

Greg explains that he’s been in construction development for 43 years.  He’s been the leader of the Nehemiah Group for the past 23 years, during which he’s also been a man of faith.  In this season, you’ll come to see that if you trust God with your business, and you’re willing to do His, there exciting things waiting to happen.

Greg Explains His Process for Assessing and Planning

At the end of the year, things slow down between Christmas and New Year’s – especially in the construction industry.  This is when Greg has his board meeting with God.  Getting into the process can be a little difficult.  Greg sequesters himself in the conference room for the week.  There are always so many distractions.  It can take an entire day for him to get finished “chasing squirrels,” so he can earnestly begin the process. 

Greg begins by asking God if he did what he was supposed to with his time, talent and treasure.  How did he do this past year.  Greg analyses his financial statements and spends time thanking God for the revenue and the opportunities provided.  He looks back at his previous journals and looks to see what actually worked out in his business and life.  This is the review part of the process.

As Greg begins looking toward the upcoming year, he prays for guidance and provision.  While Greg admits, he doesn’t hear an audible voice, very often he often feels God’s prompting. 

Setting the Table

Not everything Greg journals about comes to fruition in the following year.  It may be two, three or four years down the road, but he can definitely see how God is at work “setting the table” for those things He wants to happen.  This does, however, require effort on Greg’s part.

As the week progresses, Greg focuses on pray and calming things down, so he can enjoy this time with God.  He mentions the statue on his desk that has the scripture text, “Be still and know that I am God.”  At times, it can be more difficult to remember that text.                  

The journal Greg keeps is his map.  It provides an understanding of the mission for the upcoming year.  The things that will happen are going to happen with God’s timing.  Things are progressing according to His schedule, not ours.  This is why we refer to this episode’s them as, Setting the Table. 

Regardless of our calendars and deadlines, things are being moved into place in preparation of His banquet.  The table has to be set, beforehand.  We all have a role to play in ensuring the table is ready.  Greg explains how this role in the process can sometimes become frustrating for us.  There are simply things happening for which God wants to trust us with His business.

Igor’s Journey (a Joseph Moment)

In scripture, there’s a story of when Joseph, Mary and Jesus were in Bethlehem.  During the night, Joseph was warned by an angel that he needed to take the family and flee to Egypt, immediately.  Joseph awoke and guided his family to safety.  It was time for Joseph to take action.

Greg has a good friend whom he’s known since the kid was 14 years old.  Igor is Ukrainian, but was living in Bosnia when he and Greg first met, roughly 20 years ago.  Igor is now grown, married and has children.  Jim and Greg stayed in his home during a trip to Bosnia in 2017.  Igor was living back in Ukraine, when the Russian invasion occurred. 

Greg saw a news story about the invasion and immediately thought of Igor and his family.  He felt a prompting to call Igor and urge him to leave, immediately.  The next morning, Igor, his wife and their 5 kids got into a car and headed for the Hungarian border.  They arrived safely and the Hungarian border closed the very next day.  Greg and Igor had a Joseph moment.

What Greg realized, is that he was simply a messenger.  God needed something to happen because He was setting the table; more about this in a few minutes.

A mutual friend happened to be living in the area.  This friend met Igor at the border.  introduced Igor to his brother-in-law, who noted Igor spoke Bosnian, Russian, English, Ukrainian and Croatian.   The brother-in-law was able to introduce Igor to another man who immediately hired him to assist with refugees.  This happened in a period of 2 days.  Shortly thereafter, 4,000 Ukrainian refugees showed up at the border as they tried to escape the Russian military.  Igor was there to help them.  Again, God had just set the table.

This story had nothing to do with Greg’s business.  It was God using both Greg and Igor for His business.  The obedience to God’s will is what Greg recognized as the challenge, or actually, the opportunity.

God Works in the Quiet

As we layout our business plans and strategies, we apply our time tables.  That’s how most of us were taught to run our businesses.  When we encounter challenges and problems, many of us turn to prayer.  It’s when those prayers seemingly go unanswered that we are tempted to question faith.  Why isn’t this happening?  I need this now!

But there’s a bigger plan unfolding.  God works in the quiet.  Maintaining our focus on the fact that He’s at work, even when we don’t see it; even when our deadlines aren’t met; even when all seems lost.  God is still at work.

Greg mentions that he’ll introduce us to Walter, another friend, who really is doing God’s work.  This entire season is focused on stories and examples of how we, as business owners and business leaders can achieve business success, if we are also willing to be entrusted with God’s work.  In doing so, we will come to understand that we really can trust God with our business.

Being Willing to Walk

There are times during which God wants to trust us with the small things, so that later, he can gift us with the larger ones.  Neither Greg or Jim believe in coincidence.  Things often happen for a specific reason.  It may be the fact that God wants to see your obedience.

When we ask God for help, we need to be patient when it comes to His timing.  During those times, while the table is being set, God will often ask us to start walking.  You may recall the bible story about Jesus’ encounter with the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda.  Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed?  The man replied, “Yes.”  Jesus responded by saying, “then pick up your mat and walk.” 

God is waiting to be invited into your situation.  If we have faith, and we’re willing to hand our dreams and problems over to God, then we need to be prepared to do the work.  We have to be willing to walk, when we are called to do so.  He’s trusting you with His business.

Thanks for Your Time

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, follow the Achieve Business Success Podcast on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others.  Connect with The Nehemiah Group on LinkedIn and Facebook.   We’ll be back with another episode, in two weeks.  Thanks for listening.