Новые времена Go back to the homepage 10 rules for successful farming and living What has contributed to my success in real estate over the years is that I grew up on a farm. And that's obvious. My family still owns a ranch in Pierre, South Dakota, USA, and I return there often. In that relatively peaceful farming environment, among cows, bulls, horses and other livestock, I learned many important lessons. Among them are what I call "10 Rules for Successful Farming and Living." I think you will be amazed and enlightened when you read them. Here are all 10 of them: Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Do your job when you have to. Although I no longer work or live on a farm, the 10 "rules" listed above continue to serve as a reminder and motivation of how I should approach my responsibilities each day. Looking at my daily to-do list, I often realize that it contains more than I can accomplish. Yet I feel that everything on my list is important and must be accomplished. There are no items that are optional or wrong. The question is, how do I get all these important things done if possible? Do I get up earlier than usual – and I already get up early – and work through the night? Experience has taught me that this is not an option. The best approach is to give what I need to do to the Lord and trust Him to help me accomplish what I need to do. Psalm 126:2 opens us up to this understanding, "In vain you rise early, you stay up late, you eat the bread of sorrow, whereas to His beloved He gives sleep." Farm work, office work, and housework – in each case there will always be far more to do than the time we think we have available. It is only by relying on God that we find the strength and ability to accomplish what we set out to do. This does not mean that we stay in bed or sit idly at the table and expect the Lord to accomplish our tasks without our help. I find much wisdom in the theologian Martin Luther's statement, "Pray as if everything depended on God, and when you are finished, go to work as if everything depended on you." He also said: "I have so much to do today that I will need to spend another hour on my knees (in prayer)." Many times I have had to spend extra time reading God's Word and praying and then spend the rest of the day trying to focus on the next "one thing" the Lord pointed out. By taking this approach, I strive to please God rather than people or myself. I've learned that it helps to relieve some of the stress and reduce the stress of daily responsibilities. If I think: everything I do is ultimately for the glory of God, I can be assured that He will be with me and give me the strength to do what needs to be done. Colossians 3:23-24 expresses this clearly: «And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that in recompense from the Lord you will receive an inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ». We are to do everything "as unto the Lord". May I (and you) end the day perfectly – for His glory and for the good of others. Ken Korkow lives in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. He is the regional director of CBMC. This material is an excerpt from his book, The Fax of Life. Used with permission of the author. Questions for reflection/discussion How do you feel about the "10 Rules for Successful Farming and Living"? How do you usually spend the day when you look at your schedule and deadlines and realize you have more to do than you could? Do you panic, grumble and complain? Or how? Do you believe that prayer and trusting God can reduce the pressure and stress of a demanding job? Why yes or why no? If you believe this, can you give any examples? What does it mean to "do all things as unto the Lord and not unto men"? Do you think this attitude toward work and its fulfillment would look different? Explain your answer NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 12:24, 14:23, 24:27; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, 4:9-12, 9:10; Colossians 3:17
