LifeTotes takes discarded things...

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 1 Corinthians 1:27

In Western economics, we are taught to constantly consider the bottom line. The bottom line or “the final total of an account, balance sheet, or other financial document” has become our metric gauge for determining profitability and, ultimately, success in the business arena. We build institutions, corporations and even households around it. It is wise to spend less than you have and to find ways to generate more than you had. This is what we have been taught. If a person is investing in a particular industry, we have been taught they ought to know the future of that industry, where it is headed, in order to wisely allocate their investment. This is how the world works.

It is true that some economic principles are wise. It is true, and wise, to spend less than you have. It is certainly beneficial to find ways to generate more than you had. However, the means to the end and the result of those means do not come without consequences  

LifeTotes invests not in industry, or product, but in people. When we consider the future of our industry, we are really considering the future of the human race. Where are we headed as a people? In a world where it may seem foolish to overpay the poor and uneducated and then redirect the profits to further benefit their wellbeing, we stand by 1 Corinthians 1:27. We believe that God chooses things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. We have sided with the economics of Jesus who said that the greatest among you shall be your servant, who considered the outcasts of society, the forgotten of this world, the orphans and widows to be elevated above others. This means, before considering our bottom line, we consider the people who are making our products, the communities in which they live and the ways in which we, as a company, can serve them, knowing that this is our responsibility. If we cannot afford to treat people with dignity, we cannot afford to be in business at all.

Crazy Business

Colossians 3:23-24  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

The line between success and insanity is a fine one. A definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. While that may be true, I’ve often advised young people I mentor, entrepreneurs just starting out, individuals looking to get into better physical shape or just anyone looking to succeed in a particular area to get in place and stay there.  Know the right things to do (educate yourself), and continue to do them consistently and the results will eventually manifest. This feels a little crazy sometimes! It requires grit, especially when results aren’t apparent at first, second or third attempt. It requires a lot of self-coaching, focus and stamina. However, anything worth doing probably isn’t easy, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the proof is in the pudding, but don’t try to go straight to the desert before eating your meal. My point here is, most people give up as soon as things become difficult or navigating something new becomes murky. It’s okay to fail a few times before you succeed. It’s actually okay to be realistic enough to expect a few failures along the road to success. Right now, LifeTotes is navigating through some new territory. We are excited! We are realistic. But most of all, we are working with all of our hearts as unto the Lord because we know this is His story and not ours. With that kind of promise, who can fail?