Invest yourself and invest in the greater good

Can our business lives and our Catholic faith mix? It may seem at times that they would be opposing one another, and that is true, if you approach business in the manner the secular world expects you to. In his book Invest Yourself: Daring to be Catholic In Today’s Business World, John Abbate tells readers just how they can successfully bring their Catholic faith into their business lives. It’s a game changer.

John is the perfect person to write this book as he himself tackled this question. As an independent franchisee/owner-operator of McDonald’s restaurants he knows a thing or two about running a business. Throughout his career, particularly after a reignited love of the faith, he learned one important thing. Bringing faith into the workplace requires us to totally rethink how we approach the business world.

“I hope that as I share my own journey and discoveries, you will gain a deeper understanding of the fact that business success and a thriving Catholic faith aren’t mutually exclusive, but instead together can form the basis of a life of abundance – a life that is rich in matters to God.”

The first realization we must make is to realize that our work is a vocation. When we look at our work through this lens it becomes less laborious and more missional. When we realize this sense of mission then it’s much easier to allow our faith to take root within it. THIS is the thread that will weave throughout your business life and lead to a legacy that will be worth leaving behind.

John points to four keys steps in creating this legacy that is not about how many cars we own or how many vacation houses we can acquire. It’s ultimately about our impact on people and the world around us.

1. Declare and believe in yourself as a gift and worthy of contribution.
2. Dare to make a difference by investing your time, talent and treasure.
3. Get out of the scarcity mode of success or failure and into the mentality of simple contribution.
4. Accept that we are meant not for comfort but for greatness. Has there ever been a saint who did not accept discomfort and persecution?

“In the business world if you want to live and leave a legacy. You must invest your time, talent, and treasure in people. The legacy we leave in business is about developing magnanimous leaders who are capable of imparting our mission to others.”

At the core of the New Evangelization is the mission that was laid at the feet of St. Peter and the apostles. That mission was to “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Are we wiling to make the sacrifices in our business lives to make this happen? Are we willing to give up some of our time, talent, and treasure to make our “jobs” missional and in turn fulfill the call to bring others to Christ?

Is it possible to achieve this in the workplace? The answer to that question is yes. John Abbate has written a book that clearly shows the path forward in achieving that. The answer to the other questions lies firmly in whether you are willing to become a source of change in our society today.

To learn about this book, listen to my Off the Shelf interview with author John Abbate exclusively on Breadbox Media.