Andy Mason (00:00.856)
Hey, welcome to the conversation. I'm Andy Mason, and you're listening to the Heaven and Business Podcast, where we help you navigate the messy intersection of faith, family, and business. And I want to unpack today for you one of the things that we are bumping into with individuals that we work with really around the world. It it seems to be at one end, success without significance. Things are working, but not satisfying. There's still this ache on the inside that could be overwhelmed.
And feeling never enough. And the other side is doing everything you know to do. And it's just not working like you expected, or the results that you thought you would get to date. And you're wondering, have I missed it? Am I doing something wrong? I want to unpack for you just some keys that you can walk to walk through that are gonna help you realign and get momentum again, get the passion back, get the momentum back. Because what I know I'm seeing again and again and again, Isaiah 55 says this.
Why spend your money on what does not satisfy? You can gain the whole world and lose your soul. And I see this over and over and over again in my own life where something's not working, and I'll try and just grab it, fill it up with ice cream. But ice cream does not satisfy. It just leaves me fatter and fuller and hungry for something deeper. It's not sugar, it's not ice cream, it's not another truck. Although I just got the truck, it does not satisfy. It might look cool.
In the front yard, but it is not what will satisfy. What truly satisfies is only Jesus says this come to me and I'll give you life, that which will satisfy you. Come and walk with me and work with me, learn from me the unforced rhythms of grace. So if you're listening to this, this is for you. So what do you do? Practically, I find myself in this situation. Number one, it's actually easier than you think. Remember, stop.
Cause. Don't try and build your life around an identity of what hasn't happened. Reflect back on what has. you may be 40, you may be 50, you may be 60. You've got a lifetime of walking and experiencing different things. Go back and reflect on where were the things that caused and produced the most life. A life and life more abundantly. That's why Jesus comes. So look for the evidence of life.
Andy Mason (02:27.99)
Isaiah 55 says this go out with joy, be led forth with peace. Where were there indication or evidence of life, joy, and peace? What were you doing at the time? What caused it? Was it what you were doing? Was it who you were with? Was it where you were? What were those things? And you could call those testimonies or good news, but it's your record, David in the Bible, re reflected and remembered on the lion and the bear.
Paul, he says, I remember my chains. I remember where I came from. So what are those indications from the past that you can put together? Write them down, reflect on that. Janine and I just went away for a couple of days and did like a mini sabbatical. And that's what we do at these things to recenter, realign, refocus, reset on actually what is producing food.
Fruit. Don't get distracted by where there's no fruit. Look where there is evidence of life, hope, joy, and things that you know I was born for this. So that's number one. Number two is re-anchor your identity. So often, just life happens. we drift, we get busy, we get overwhelmed. I've got to re-anchor my identity and that which does not shift and change, that which is timeless. And the only thing is the word of God. It's true.
In the beginning was the word, the word was God, the word was with God. I lock my life back into the word of God. So, what are you doing there? Is what have been these scriptures in your life that have anchored you? right now we're doing a 30-day word at work. It's a 30-day rhythm to get back into the word. Why? Because what I find is most of us are illiterate when it comes to the word of God. And then we feed ourselves in.
Commentaries and books and resources, but we miss the one thing that gives life. It's the word of God that's all scripture is inspired by God, is useful for correction, for a correcting, for aligning, for rebuking, for training in the way that we should go. So I get back to that. What are those scriptures that have anchored me? I'm I'm not gonna run around and looking for something new. I'm gonna reflect and say, God, what is those words? What are those words that have
Andy Mason (04:46.486)
refined and defined who I am and what I'm called to do. For me personally, one of those we got at the end of a 21-day prayer and fasting, thinking that God was going to give something profound. Go and do this. And the scripture that I got at the end, like why could that have not been at the beginning? I could have stopped the fast. No, it was at the end, the 21st day is like I can't even remember how I found it, but it was this scripture, Titus 1.5. For this reason, I have sent you to this location.
That you would set in order what is lacking and appoint leaders in every place. Sounds great? Well, it wasn't. Why? Because I was already doing that as a business business consultant, as a relationship manager in a bank, all these different areas. I wasn't. you just described who I am exactly. Because the scriptures say of who you are. Before you were born, he knew you. He made mention of your name. I love it. John.
The Baptist. He says this when people come to him and say, Are you this guy? Are you that guy? Can you be what we want you to be? And he says, No, I am. And he proceeds to quote scripture that defines and tells of himself. Jesus did the same. This is who I am. I am. He stands up in Luke 4 and he says, The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me because he's anointed me. And he proceeds to do these things.
Well, for you and I, we all of us have got that same mandate. But Jesus stands up, declares it, and then says, The scripture, this prophetic word is fulfilled before you this day. He's saying, I am the fulfillment of this prophecy. Well, what are the prophetic words through scripture that define you? I encourage you if you're struggling in that.
Join us on this 30-day word at work. We'll post that link below. You can jump in. There's recordings there that'll walk you through, and I'm looking for John 663. His words are spirit and they are life. I'm not just writing down random scriptures that sound cool. I'm listening and I'm looking as we go through what are the scriptures that produce life, that shift me, that challenge me, that shape me, that lead me, that guide me. That's what I'm looking to in regard.
Andy Mason (07:06.798)
To the word of God. Another one in this is prophetic. Now, for us, prophetic word is people that we know that we trust that are mature in God, they can pray and hear Him, and they give us encouragement about what the Lord is saying to us for the future. I don't look at that for random people, but it's trusted, a reputable people that are walking with God and have godly character. It's encouraging, it's exhorting.
And when it's repeated, it aligns up with my life. It's so good. I align that with wise counsel because I want to know how do I live this out? I'm looking at Romans 16, 19. It says, be excellent at what is good. So innocent of evil. Two things there. One, excellent. What are you good at? What have you had a lifetime that's proven and reputable at doing? Have you given yourself to become really good at it?
Second, innocent of evil, which is godly character proven over time. And three, and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. That's evidence of a fruitful walk with God that you can see not last year or the year before, but last week, this week, what is God saying? When I'm going to someone to get them to pray for me, that's the kind of person I want to go to. Someone who has that real, alive, current.
Walk with God and a proven life and family that you can look at that they are trustworthy. That's how I know. So go and reflect on that. Maybe if you've got a history of prophetic words, go back and reflect over those. What has God been saying about you from years ago to today? So so encouraging. In this, I mean, really, that's just about seeking God again. God, what do you want me to know?
Before I was born, you knew me, you made mention of my name, you had plans for me that are good. you have, I am your masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good works that you prepared in advance. So show me what those are. Make it obvious and help me to see it. I remember when I was leaving university and thinking about where was I going to go next? Greatest prayer to pray. God, help me, help me see it, make it obvious.
Andy Mason (09:26.252)
Because I'm kind of clueless. And he's so kind and he's so loving. And he will lead you even when you are clueless. What's the next one? Is get away if necessary. Janine and I just did that. We took two days and we just reflected. We started with gratitude. Gratitude is always good because it'll reset you from being miserable to being, wow, look what God has done. Look what God's done in our family, in our kids, in our life. Look what he's done in their health.
Looks what he's done in our finances rather than, no, how am I going pay the taxes? Look how God has provided in the past. It's like rather than, no, how am I going get that contract? How am I going to find that conference? Look what God has done in the past. It's offensive not to believe God will do in your future what he has already done in your past. I stole that from someone I know and trust. Great quote to remember and guard our life by that.
Here's another one is rebuild boundaries. Often the very success that you have achieved can become, if I don't have really clear boundaries and priorities, the very success in favor of God will kill me, swamp me, overwhelm me, because now I've grown, more people hear about it, more people want it, more people grab it, and I'm living by everyone else's demands and needs.
Come back and remember this. Jesus had and was the solution for every single person on the planet. But Jesus knew what he came for, knew where he was going, and he had a really, really big yes inside to what he's called to, and he had a big no inside to saying no to people who had big needs, big holes, big need of help, but he refused to be there moment because he knew where he was going, an entire village at one point.
Come, gather around and say, Jesus, we want you. And he goes. He goes, I'm called to other cities also. Another time, his mother and his brothers, his own family come, come home. We need to have some time with you. And he's like, No, who are my brothers and my mothers? It isn't not to do the will of the one who sent me. He says to his disciples, those that have left everything to follow him, get behind me. I am called to go this direction. I will not compromise.
Andy Mason (11:50.444)
So that leads us into the next point. Perhaps you're in a stage where the reason that you're struggling is because you're living a life of compromise. When I allow compromise, drifting away from what I'm called to and chosen to, allowing other people's needs to affect me, refusing to do the very little things that God has called me to do, do not forsake the fellowship of the brethren.
It's important to engage with others and do not withhold in generosity. There's so many things that God has commanded us to do. We call these the three-foot shift. In John 21, Jesus was on the shore and he speaks to the disciples who had been fishing all night and caught nothing. They says, throw your net out on the other side. They say it's a three to six-foot shift. You're not changing boats, you're not changing.
location, you're not changing venue, you're not changing nets. You're literally taking what you've got and you're changing it slightly. One small but significant shift released enormous breakthrough. Well for you and I, maybe that's the little compromise, the little wandering of the eyes, the little avoidance of spending daily time in the Word. Maybe it's avoiding and withholding generosity
Maybe it's, hey, Andy's invited you on a trip and you keep saying no, but on the inside, you know, I gotta be there. So what is it for you? What are those small but significant things that you're sensing God speak? Your conscience is telling you, but just dumbing it down and dumping it down and dumbing it down. Where do you necess need to say no to other people's priorities so that you can live the bigger yes, which is the priority of God for you?
Finally, wise counsel and community. This don't do this alone. Do this with others. for Jenny and I, we do this with each other, but we have others that speak into our lives. I meet every couple of weeks with a mentor that speaks into my life. I've got people that I've said before with a baseball back covenant that have the permission to love me enough to tell me the truth. I don't wait for that. I invite that.
Andy Mason (14:14.228)
In because that's so critical that I would not waste my life on other people's needs, desires, and dreams, but I'll fulfill it. And how do I know? Because I'm going out with joy, I'm being led forth with peace, and all the mountains and the hills, the obstacles and the people burst into songs of joy. That's how you know, even in the midst of obstacle and challenge and adversity.
I have a joy and a hope and a confidence and a confirmation from heaven that I'm in the right place at the right time, heading the right direction. If you want to go deeper in this, I encourage you and invite you, join us on an upcoming either event or trip in person. By all means, you can do this yourself, do it with someone else, do it with the wise counsel. But if you get in a room with 150 other business people, Dallas conference is coming up.
Join us there. Three days, your life will be changed with clarity and confidence for what's next. Or if you want to like go all out, join us in Colombia, we're going to be serving them and then doing a three-day mini adventure retreat in the coffee capital of the nation of Colombia. So you're serving others and then in doing so, you're going to benefit so much yourself. Or if you want to be what we would call our
World class impact trip. We do an adventure retreat to Zimbabwe. It's coming up in October. And we do a week-long leadership week where we take our gifts, our abilities, and we pour that in to serve a local community of business people that love Jesus. We got a couple coming with us, and their expertise alongside their business is what they've done and how they've forged a healthy marriage.
From two broken marriages, they've been built one healthy marriage. So they're gonna do a marriage workshop that they're gonna do and offer to those local people. There's so many things that we're gonna do that over that week. You can find out more on the heavenandandbusiness.com events page. You can find out about the Dallas trip there, but the Zimbabwe one, it's just a life changer. Why? Because in addition to that one week long of serving others, you're gonna get so much benefit activated in you.
Andy Mason (16:34.07)
It's one thing to get out of your funk and your sl just the what's going on here. And even if like you find yourself just, I've got to buy another truck, I've got to do another this and gotta paint the house again. Stop it. Take what you've got and pour it out for the sake and benefit of others, and you'll find so much life gets poured out. But then at the front end or at the back end, we do a three-day houseboat tour on a lake.
In Zimbabwe, where we do mini masterminds, we go on as as there's hippos a hundred yards away. It's it's surreal and awesome. Or for five of you, we've got room, we're doing for this for the first time with our local partners, we're doing a lion encounter. Yeah, it's not for the fainted heart, but it is the highest population of wild lions per square foot in the world. Why would you do that? Because I know.
I was born for adventure. There's something about the wild that I get to experience that. I just reconnect with God in the midst of that and be overcome by God who made the world and saw that it was good. What about you? I've listed a whole heap of things from reflect on the past, get re-engaged with the word.
I seek him again for a current word. What is he saying to me right now? Engage with wise counsel. Maybe get away on a mini retreat yourself and ask the Lord, what are you saying to me? Where did I leave my joy or obedience? Maybe there's somewhere when I need to realign with something that he's convicted me about that I've let drift. And do that in a connection with wise counsel and join us on an upcoming trip.
