January 26,2026

Business by the Book

Genesis 11:6 …and this they begin to do…

Let’s recap. The Lord said of a group of people that nothing which they imagined to do could be withheld from them. He listed some attributes of that group of people that if duplicated would bring success to any group. Those attributes were:  they were one, they had one speech, they had a plan, and they began to work their plan. These are four characteristics of any successful organization. No matter how big or how small, a group would benefit from understanding and implementing these four steps.

Every person reading this unquestionably understands the need to do the work. Begin the work, perform the work, and end the work. Sayings like, “Well begun is half done,” “Many hands make light work,” “Plan your work and work your plan,” and many others are staples within all business environments. They are familiar because they are effective at communicating a very simple truth. To accomplish anything someone must work. Energy must be put to the task, blisters raised, brains exhausted, muscles wearied, sweat created, and drudgery endured. This is work and these are a few reasons few choose to participate. Work, all work, any type of work, whether it is physical work or mental work, work is work.

There are many millionaires today that if interviewed, would say something like this, “I could not outsmart my competition, I could not outthink them, nor could I out-produce them, but I did out work them.”    A very wealthy man when asked about becoming rich said that he accomplished such by only working half days. He continued to say that it didn’t even matter which part of the day he worked, the first twelve hours or the second twelve hours of the day.

To accomplish great things with any group the group must begin, and continue, to work. Volumes could be written on this topic, but suffice it to say that each member of each group must be motivated to do the work of the group, if not the entire group is hindered. This is the work of managers, but that is a thought for a devotion for another day.

Dr. William Howe