I was listening to Dave Ramsey’s podcast. He was dealing with the news regarding Toys R Us filing for bankruptcy and closing all their stores. Quite naturally, being a person who has built his livelihood around finances and teaching people how to live debt free, he focused on the fact that their huge debt load made it impossible for them to respond to the disruption caused by the advent of Amazon.com. He went on to say that, “Disruptions will come in a business 100% of the time.” His point was that we must be in a position to deal with those disruptions.
As he continued, he told how that in the 1920’s people had a box in their kitchen called an ice box. This ice box was used to store bacon, milk, and other perishable food items. The local ice companies would deliver huge chunks of ice that were placed into the ice box to keep the items cold. Around this time, the Frigidaire Company invented Freon and the Frigidaire refrigerator. This caused a major disruption in the ice house business. Most ice houses failed to adjust to the disruption, and consequently, went out of business. However, one ice company did adjust to the disruption. They started using their ice house to store and sell perishable food items. That ice house that made the adjustment is still in business today. Its name? 7-Eleven!
Disruptions come to all businesses, ministries, families, careers, and individual lives. The question is what will we do when they come? I’m guessing there’s not one person reading this article that hasn’t experienced disruptions in life. In may have been when someone you loved dearly informed you that they no longer loved you. It could have been when the doctor informed you that the test results came back and that it wasn’t what he was hoping for. It could have been when your child told you to sit down; they had something to tell you. Maybe for you it was when, after fifteen years, your company downsized – and you were the one who got downsized. It could have been when you discovered your spouse was having an affair. It could have been when you discovered your business partner was cheating you. It could have been … ? Let me give you two words: Disruptions come.
So, what do you do when disruptions come in your life? There is really only one course of action. As best you can, without compromising Biblical principles and convictions, embrace the disruptions and – adjust. Failure to do so will put you out of business! As you adjust, remember that Romans 8:28(KJV) is still in The Book, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” How many things? ALL things. What do they do? They work together for good. For whom do they work together for good? Those who are called according to His purpose. Note: Not all things are good. In fact, many things are really, really lousy! But the promise remains that even the really, really lousy things we encounter – work together for our good.
Disruptions come. As a Christian, we must embrace them and adjust! Disruptions are not there to break us; they are there to make us! Often, our disruptions propel us to heights we would have never obtained otherwise. Just ask 7-Eleven!
Bro. Aaron