TEB Book Review: Anointed For Business by Ed Silvoso

I was having lunch the other day with a client that is the CEO of a rapidly growing automotive service company that has experienced hockey stick type growth over the last 3 years. I have always been impressed with his vision and laser focus on achieving the company’s purpose, and I asked him how he cuts through all the distractions and works on his most important activities. He told me that he focuses on the most important thing – his calling from God. You see my friend is a believer in Jesus Christ, and he feels call to run his business in a way that shows the world his faith in Christ. This was such an encouragement to me, as I also feel that my job is a calling from Christ.

My understanding of how I can live out my faith in my daily work was encouraged a few years ago when I read Anointed For Business by Ed Silvoso. Ed is an extremely successful businessman that attributes his success to running his business based upon biblical principles and using his business as a tool to glorify God. His influence has helped me define one of my bedrock believes, specifically:

The same God that created the universe, and everything in it, created each of us. On top of this, He has a plan to show his love and goodness to all the world and He calls us to play a critical role in that plan.

Sometimes we compartmentalize our lives to the point that we section off our work-life, our family-life, and our spiritual-life. I believe that we achieve our greatest satisfaction when we allow each of these to be brought together and balanced for a purpose that is greater than anything we can accomplish individually.

 Here are my 3 greatest take-away points from the book:

1.   We are divinely designed and placed

If we are to play a critical role in God’s plan then He has uniquely crafted us, through the one-of-a-kind blend of our characteristics (physical, emotional, mental), experiences, passions and abilities. This is the same God that has created a trillion, trillion snowflakes. He created you, positioned you in this time, called you to this place, and gave you the tools required to achieve a task only you can accomplish. This could be running a successful automotive service company, being a banker, designing and building custom homes, or administering a 153-bed hospital.

2. Godly characteristics make good business sense

I work with many entrepreneurs who lead fast-growing companies and most have a 10-year strategic plan, a few have 30-year strategic plans; and one has a 100-year strategic plan. Wanting to build a company that impacts generations is a bold vision. A vision that is rooted in key strategic values that do not shift over time, but act as a lighthouse to ships that are miles off shore. Values such as honesty, integrity, serving others before yourself, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are all characteristics that God calls us to live out in all aspects of our lives, not just our personal or family lives. They also happen to be characteristic of some of the most profitable and long lasting companies in the world.

3. The impact of your business goes beyond the impact of your church

A priest, a banker and a social worker all go into a bar… No, this is not the start of a real joke, but rather the description of a lunch I had a few years ago. We came together to encourage one another as we were realizing what the job was that each of us were called to do. This lunch solidified for me the realization that my training and job allows me to enter and influence circles that neither of the other could join. Likewise, the connection that my social worker friend will have with her clients, is a million times stronger than I could potentially have. But all of us were called to further the love of Christ and lead people to him. We all just go about it differently and in different circles. Circles that grow every day with the new people that we meet, like the ripple in a pond caused by a stone. I believe that God places us exactly where we are and we should not be afraid of sharing his love in that space.

 I want to be loud and clear in this confession: I am not a perfect example of how this all works – but I do try to live on His calling every day. When I do fail, I am thankful for the understanding and forgiveness that I am given by my friends and clients. 

Being an entrepreneur is one of the most difficult and demanding things you can do. The good news is that entrepreneurship today is a team sport. Hit the connect button on LinkedIn or Facebook NOW and together we will start maximizing your profit, strengthening your leadership skills, controlling your business finances, and using your bank as a strategic advantage. When we connect, tell me what you feel your calling and gifting is.

Greg Martin is an entrepreneur’s insider to the banking industry and passionately believes that every person was uniquely designed for a higher purpose and calling. Greg guides entrepreneurs in defining and achieving their purpose and calling. His deepest passion is living life with his wife of 17 years and their wonderful son.