Rich Stearns on How God Got His Attention
Long before I became the CEO of global humanitarian organization World Vision US, I led a few other organizations. And I got fired, twice.
The first time around, I was 33 years old and on top of the world. I was a president at Parker Brothers, the toy company, and everything I touched turned to gold. Then two years later, I was fired unceremoniously. The company was being spun off from a larger company, and they decided to replace all the top management.
Finding a new job wasn’t tough, but nine months later I got fired again. My wife and I were trying to raise a young family and had a mortgage, all of which was dependent on my income. It was a difficult time.
I remember my wife saying to me, “Whatever lesson God is trying to teach you, please learn it quickly.”
Anyone who has lost a job knows that it can be a hit to your ego. This is especially true for people who find a lot of their identity in their work. I think one of the lessons the Lord was trying to teach me is your identity is not “CEO of XYZ Company.” Your identity is Follower of Christ.
When I finally got my next job, as a president at the fine china company Lenox, I started every day with a prayer. “Lord, I’m not here to sell china or dishes or collectibles. I’m here to serve you in this place at this time. Help me do that. Help me be your ambassador in this workplace.”
Eventually I became the CEO of Lenox. Then, eleven years after I started, I got a call from a headhunter who wanted me to apply for the position of CEO at World Vision US. That was a crazy thought: I was selling fine china! I’d never been to Africa or most parts of Latin America or Asia. I knew nothing about global poverty. But it felt like God was really calling me to follow him.
It was a dark night of the soul as God and I wrestled over that decision. Eventually I said yes. Though I was terrified, we moved our family across to Seattle and I took the job.
That first morning, I cried out to God. I said, “Lord, it took all my courage just to show up here today and either you’ve made a terrible mistake or you’re going to somehow step in.” I really felt like the Lord said, “I’ve got you Rich, right where I want you. Completely dependent on me.”
Twenty years later, I retired as the longest serving president of World Vision US. The Lord was faithful, but he required obedience. He needed my identity to be Follower of Christ much more than he needed it to be CEO.
—
Rich Stearns is the author of the new book, Lead Like it Matters to God. Find his full interview with Mike here.
