Video Transcript: "Accounting and Accountability"

In this video, we're going to dive into biblical standards for accounting and  accountability, and like the rest of this, course, this is not going to be exhaustive  and really in depth on the details of accounting, so we're not going to talk about  does the Bible say that we should use cash based accounting or accrual based  accounting, or talking about, you know, how to do balance sheets and things like that. We're going to be with the as with the rest of the units. We're looking at the  biblical themes for this topic, and also, what are the biblical standards that we  can identify from the scripture that we could take and practically apply in our  businesses. First standard here is to define your metrics. So what is a metric?  It's, how are you doing? It's a measurable number, it's a it's a graph, it's a chart,  it's something that is really a barometer, an indicator of how well your  organization is doing in a particular area. Proverbs 27:23 says, know well the  condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds. So we're talking about  an agrarian economy. Back in these days when the flocks, I mean, this was, this  was your business, you you had to know well, make sure that everything is  accounted for, that all of the sheep are accounted for. Like Jesus talked about,  how which of you having, if you've got 99 sheep and you lose one who's not  going to go after that one sheep, of course you're going to go after that one  sheep because you care about 100% of what's going on in your company, and  you need to be aware of what's happening and and so how do we apply this? I  would recommend that you identify the top two or three metrics, the top two or  three indicators that drive the success of your company. So in my case, with my  book publishing company, I know that there's a certain number of proposals that  I need to be sending out to authors on a monthly basis, in order to get back the  right number of books, and in order to have enough books that I can look at and  make make sure that we have the right quality and that we have the right  quantity of books that we're putting out in a given month. And so the more  proposals I send out, I know percentage wise, that I'm going to be converting a  certain percentage of those at any given time are going to convert into becoming books that we publish through High Bridge books. So what are those top two or  three metrics that drive the success of your company, and so that's from more of a CEO owner standpoint, but within your department, you have certain key  metrics that are that are going to really be sort of the 80/20 rule of you get 80%  of the results from 20% of what you're doing, what are, what is kind of that 20%  that is making the biggest difference. I remember when I was in the Air Force,  we had a monthly metrics meeting. So there's a squadron of about 500 people,  a lot of moving parts, and so in a one hour meeting, the commander is going to  gauge the health of the entire squadron that he is responsible, he or she is  responsible for and and so with each unit, we had seven flights, seven divisions  within that squadron, and there were about two or three key metrics for each  one of those units, and the commander knew that if one of those numbers was  off, that was going to be a big there's a big problem going on in that particular 

unit. And then also establish a reporting frequency. So maybe these are  numbers that you look at every month. Certainly your cash flow is one of the  most important metrics for your business, if not the most important metric to  make sure that you're able to make payroll, that you're able to pay your vendors, and that you're able to also be able to invest in the things that you need to invest in on a monthly basis. So define your metrics. This is how you can know well,  the condition of your flocks. So another way of approaching that is, when is  taking an inventory of our resources considered a sin, and when is it considered  faithful stewardship? So back here on this side. When I'm talking about metrics,  somebody saying, Oh yeah, you know, I look at how many website visitors I'm  getting every single day. I look at how many podcast downloads I'm getting  every single day, how many likes that I get on my posts. And then you're  constantly refreshing your browser to see, you know, how many you know, it  really just sort of feeds the ego. So when is taking an inventory of our resources  considered a sin, and when is it considered faithful stewardship? And two very  interesting scenarios here, both of them involve one of God's leaders taking a  census of his people in the first instance here, this is when David is taking a  census. But it says, Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to  number Israel. And then Moses takes a census. And it says, take us. And this is  God saying, take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, whoever  is able to go out to war in Israel. So the activity was the same. They both were  taking a census, but one was stewardship, and one was vanity and and so  David's accounting, David's census, was abhorred by God. It was just, I mean, it actually says that Satan was the one who stood up against Israel and inspired  David to take the census, whereas with Moses, this is clearly God saying, take a census. And so Moses accounting was ordered by God. And so what is it? What are the metrics that we need to be tracking, how frequently, how involved and  focused on those metrics do we need to be? And you know today, because  when we're focused on metrics, we're probably taking our attention away from  doing other things that might actually move the needle, versus just sitting there  watching your money like a hawk or watching certain things that might be able  to pad your ego. Or the flip side is they might destroy your ego. They might  destroy your confidence, they might think, convince you that, well, we had a bad day today, so our company's going under, and so neither is the approach that  God wants us to be taking. But we need to know, what is God so when you're  when you're wanting to know, what are the metrics that I need to be tracking,  ask the Holy Spirit, don't let Satan be the one to stand up against you and your  company and say, Why don't you track this? Track it every day. Track it like this.  Because all that's going to do is cause destruction and your company and in  your your personal, just emotional, mental well, being the right way to go about  picking your metrics and the reporting frequency is to ask the Holy Spirit, ask  God, God, what do you want? What do you want me to be tracking? What is 

really most important to you in this business, that I need to be concerned about  it, not worried about it, because Jesus made it very clear that we are not to  worry, but just let let tomorrow take care of itself, but just focus on what's going  on today. So there was a but there was also a very specific reason why Moses  was commanded to take a census, and that was to find out who was able to go  out to war in Israel. And so this was at the very beginning of the nation of Israel.  And whereas with David, this was peace time. And so why would he need to  number Israel in the midst of peace time? They weren't necessarily gearing up  for any wars or battles or anything and so but the bottom line is, regardless of  what is happening around your company, the key is to go to the Holy Spirit about because you might be tracking the wrong that you've been maybe tracking the  same metrics for a long time, and it's really not helping your company that much. And then maybe you're tracking the wrong things. Maybe the if you'll ask the  Holy Spirit, what do we need to be tracking so that we can know well, the state  of our flocks. He would absolutely tell you that if any of you lacks wisdom, as the Bible tells us ask God, he will give it liberally and also with accountability and  accounting. So I kind of lump these two into this, into this unit, because they are  so closely related. And the advice here is to choose advisors who understand  how to make disciples in the marketplace. So the people that you are bringing  on to share the business advice for your company, if at all possible, try to make  sure that they have this worldview like you and I have, that we understand that  God is interested not just in us making a profit, but in us making disciples, and  that we are ultimately working for him, not just working for for money. Because,  you know, we're all familiar with, you know, the top one of the top accounting  firms that you know was was cooking the books, and Enron just caused a major  collapse of of an entire economy and and these are the people that are  supposed to be the ones that are checking up on and making sure that that  these companies are walking in integrity, that things are being reported properly, and so it doesn't necessarily do any good for you to be a person of integrity, but  you're bringing in people advisors who don't have the same worldview, who just  don't really care as much about doing things with integrity and but there's so it  says in Proverbs 11:14, where there is no guidance, the people fall, but in  abundance of counselors, there is victory. And so it really depends on who those counselors are as well. And if you have enough of the good ones, they will  drown out the bad ones as well, but because sometimes it's not always so  evident who, who is a person of integrity and who isn't, but, but the other, the  other part of this that is a little more insidious about only bringing In or just not  really having enough counselors and advisors for your company, especially if  you're an executive and you're you're the leader, the manager of the company or of your department, is that if you don't have godly advisors, as Larry Burkett  says in his book, Business by the book, which is a classic that I recommend for  this course, he says that the difficulty isn't the advice they give, it's the advice 

they don't give, specifically the lack of spiritual insight. And so when you don't  have trusted Christian business advisors that you can inevitably kind of get,  convince yourself that God just isn't relevant to your business. And that's one of  the main reasons why I was led to start this course, build this course, is because they're just I had not really had enough understanding about and really seen that available in the marketplace, that that God really mattered to business, not just  that your work matters to God. Yes, our work matters to God. I've heard that  message a lot. But how does it matter in accounting? How does it matter in  marketing? How does God matter in all of these different facets of business. And believe me, there are many ways, as we're seeing in this course, that God is  relevant to business, but, but you might take this course, and then months from  now, you might forget a lot of it, but if you have that trusted Christian business  advisor that is supporting you, that is regularly speaking into your life, speaking  in to your company, you're going to make sure that your company is is in a safe  place. And so a diet of business advice and guidance, fed primarily by non  Christian thinkers, and there are a lot of very smart business gurus will condition a person to believe that God is not relevant to his or her business. And you  might be thinking, well, you know, where do I find godly Christian business  advisors? Well, C 12 is one that I recommend convene. Now, some of my clients are part of these organizations, FCCI, the fellowship of companies for Christ  International. There are many great ones, and I'd encourage you to go and get  plugged in with one, maybe not with a big organization like any of these, but with with individuals. There are plenty of individuals, that they might not be affiliated  with one of these larger organizations, but that they are godly business advisors, and I would also say, to be vulnerable, because these types of advisors, if you  find the good one, find a good one, that it's going to be a safe place where you  can. Be vulnerable about what is really going on in your business, in your  department, to make sure that you are being transparent, that you're not having  to hide things, and just deal with the insecurity that comes along with that, just  the fear that comes along, but just knowing that you have another brother, sister  in Christ. In fact, there are, there are advisors that focus specifically on praying  for companies, praying for you as a leader, manager in your company and and  they will intercede for you and actually teach you how to intercede for your  company, as well as providing business guidance as well. And the last point  here, under accounting and accountability is to report honestly. And this goes  along with what I just said about being vulnerable. But there are this is really the  the story throughout the Bible that we are expected to be honest about what we  have. We're expected to be honest when it comes to taxes, when it comes to  reporting to investors, when it comes to reporting to supervisors, to  subordinates, to clients, about what is really going on in the business. And  there's a extremely sobering account in Acts 5:1-11, of Ananias and Sapphira,  who were actually struck down by God because they had not, because they had

withhold, withheld their possessions from the church, from the family of  believers. Again, I'm not just talking about a church building, I'm talking about  the family of believers in that particular area, but that they had lied about it, and  that they had misrepresented what they had. It's not a problem to have a lot of  possessions to be wealthy. That can be a very godly thing when there's the right  heart that comes along with that, but the money really just amplifies what is in  our heart. The problem was that they were misrepresenting what they had. And  And Peter says to them, You have not lied just to human beings, but to God. So  again, this goes along with Colossians 3:23, whatever you do, work at it with all  your heart as working for the Lord, not for men. So you're not just working for  the Lord, your customer, your your advice, your accountability the government,  as far as the way that you're treating the government and hiding things on your  taxes, hiding things in your reporting to investors, not telling your clients what's  going on, lying to your customers, things, things like that, you have not lied Just  to human beings, but to God, they were actually struck down by God. This is a  very sobering thing. This is a very critical matter when it comes to our integrity  as as people, is to always be transparent, be vulnerable. And really a great  starting point is to bring in that advisor who can, and I have said, I just met with  a group of advisors just yesterday. We meet over Skype and talk about things  are happening in our businesses, and so you need that in your life as a business professional. And this also relates to taxes. Jesus said to render to Caesar, the  things that are Caesar's, and to God, the things that are God's and and so  Jesus, in that context, is talking about taxes. And I'm sure there's deeper  theological meaning. In fact, St Augustine suggested that this is Jesus, talking  about his body that would be given up to Caesar and crucified under Caesar's  command and and that his, but his physical body would then Be, would just be  mutilated, but that he was he would still go back to the Father, that there was  that, that that meaning, that was foretelling the how he would be given up to the  government, and that he would ultimately be crucified, but that He would be  raised and and power, and now is seated at the right hand of the Father  Romans 13 tells us a lot more about the way that we are to relate to the  governing authorities. And so if you're, you know, part of the the Tea Party  movement, or. Or this, this libertarian movement, or you just, you just hate the  government. You just hate taxes. And believe me, I don't want to pay any more  taxes than I than I need to, but we are still called to be in subjection to the  governing authorities. Doesn't mean that we obey the government and  everything that they tell us to do, because there is, there is no authority except  from God and those which are established by God. But first of all, we are  working for God, not for the government, but God uses the government. But  whenever the government is telling us to do something that is counter to what  the Bible teaches to what God wants us to do. We certainly have to go with what God is saying, but we still need to be honest about where we are. So just 

because you don't like taxes doesn't give you the right to hide your your revenue or hide expenses and things like that from your taxes render to all what is due  them, taxes, who taxes due? And this is just, this is just an example, but the  point is about reporting honestly and and I'm making an issue about taxes here,  because there is an alarming percentage of people that have actually admitted  in anonymous surveys to defrauding the government and the way that they  report on their taxes. And this is a, this is a very destructive thing, and is  something that when, when we are living for God, that we are doing business for God that our aim is to make disciples, to reveal the glory of God. We're not  doing God any favors. We're not advancing the great commission when we  aren't doing it his way. And a critical part of that as it relates to accounting and  accountability is to report honestly. See you in the next video.