Welcome to my weekly Faith and Family Business reflections, where I (briefly) probe important questions that arise in family business – questions relating to behavior, relationships and legacy – from the angle of a Biblical story. For more information about this series, click here.
Last week I wrote about how Jacob became aware of God’s presence, and that we might consider various ways He has entered and is present in our lives. But in the latter part of the verse, Jacob also realizes he “did not know” God was there:
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Gen. 28:16)
Jacob didn’t recognize God’s presence before the dream. Had he not stopped to rest, he might have missed seeing that God was already with him.
In our experience as family members working together, we too can miss God’s companionship. We may be too busy, or moving too fast, to see God. We may not be mature enough to consider how God is present. We may be too self-centered to recognize God in others. We may be too hardened by skepticism to feel God’s love. Or we may be too distracted, or around too much noise, to hear God’s call.
Have you realized, after the fact, that you missed a great opportunity? When you are busy growing your business, experiencing a difficult situation, or living through a time of change, how will you remember to look, feel, or listen for God?
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