Wilderness or Promised Land? How Your Perspective Shapes Your Success

By: Eldon Kibbey

Have you ever looked at a challenge in your business or career and thought, “I’d rather just give up”? You aren’t alone. Thousands of years ago, a whole nation felt the same way.

The 40-Year Detour

The Israelites were within two years of entering the Promised Land. Instead, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Why? Because they let their fear of the unknown—the “perceived giants”—override their faith in God’s promise.

Why We Make Excuses

It is easy to point fingers at the economy, our competition, or our coworkers for our failures. But as the document “When Perception Becomes Reality” reminds us, the basic problem is often within ourselves. When we seek control instead of relationship, we separate ourselves from the very guidance we need to succeed.

Three Steps to a “Straight Path”

If you find yourself grumbling in the “wilderness” of your current career season, consider these biblical directives:

1. Confess and Reset: If you’ve been trying to run the show alone, 1 John 1:9 promises that He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us.
2. Redirect Your Focus: Stop looking at the “media” and the “ways of the world” for your worth. Focus on His Word for your enjoyment and guidance.
3. Trust the Process: Proverbs 3:5-6 isn’t just a Sunday verse; it’s a business strategy. When we stop leaning on our own limited understanding, He makes our paths straight.

Don’t wander for 40 years. God has given us plenty of examples so we don’t have to learn the “hard way”.

---

grow with other Christian men in your business journey

Are you a Christian businessman who feels isolated, navigating the pressure of career and faith without a trusted inner circle? CBMC Indiana is the only organization that connects you with a peer-to-peer community of like-minded leaders for confidential, life-on-life mentorship to accelerate your spiritual, professional, and personal growth.