LEAD August 2021 | Page 58

comes to a business partner — someone you spend the majority of your day with — this same sense of camaraderie and companionship can be incredibly life-giving .
Now , in terms of the practical , a business partner is crucial to getting even the simplest things done .
When you ’ re leading a business by yourself , you ’ re constantly trying to present circumstances that best encourage your customers , your employees , your investors , and your spouse or other family members . And each of those is like a plate that ’ s on fire that you have to keep spinning . It ’ s exhausting .
Sharing that burden with someone is key . Having a partner you can turn to and just be honest with changes the way you approach business . When things are great , they share the joy of achievement . And when things are terrible , they ’ re the one person that you don ’ t have to convince that things aren ’ t as bad as they look .
Your partner gets to know the inner workings of the business as well as you do . And when that type of professional transparency occurs , it can lead to a deeper personal vulnerability that is like a salve for your soul .
Secular entrepreneurs sometimes have irreconcilable differences , but that shouldn ’ t happen to two business partners united in a faithful pursuit of Christ . Of course , that ’ s not to say that all Christian partnerships will work perfectly .
One of the most unifying experiences in life is to go through a battle with another human being . And business is a battle . It ’ s hard work . It ’ s challenging . Each day brings its own difficulties . But those trenches can create an unbreakable sense of unity that can be used to bring joy , purpose , and practical benefit to your life and your work .
Many people have heard of the Inklings — the famous group of authors that included C . S . Lewis , J . R . R . Tolkien , Charles Williams , and others . And perhaps the best known of those friendships is the one between Lewis and Tolkien , two names that are practically inseparable today .
But if you look back at these men ’ s lives , to before Oxford and the Inklings , you ’ ll find their first shared experience occurred in World War I . Both Lewis and Tolkien fought in the trenches of the Somme Valley in France , where they watched their friends die and experienced the brutal realities of war firsthand . And when you read their books , particularly The Lord of the Rings , you can see the effect this had on their lives and their writing .
The whole Lord of the Rings trilogy is centered around a group , a band of brothers , that was on the quest of all quests . There is the partnership of Sam and Frodo , of course , but you also get to follow the trio of Legolas , Gimli , and Aragorn
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