Spiritual Intelligence > Business Intelligence

I'm reminding of a class I took in college involving a Bloomberg Business terminal where I got to tap into a stock trading software that allows you to do things involving quantitative analysis and look at data and information very uniquely for thousands of public companies. It yielded tremendous business intelligence for companies and analysts to leverage like no other. From charts, to ratios, to news that moves, and more, business intelligence has certainly become crucial for businesses to rely upon.

However, due to my unique spiritual background and spiritual experiences I've learned that just like there are two modern screens there, there is another form of intelligence called 'spiritual intelligence.' However, if it were to be on that picture screen there, it'd on the 'right' side. This is a excerpt chapter regarding spiritual intelligence from my upcoming book:

I perceive the Lord to have said to me: “Spiritual intelligence is business intelligence.”

This is where you tell me, “Ryan, where is this written in the Bible?” I’d say, “you got me there, you’re now applying what I’ve been writing in this book, well done, here’s another sticker.”

The significance of the Wise Men in Matthew 2 for the yearly Christmas birth story many of us have heard is that even Wisdom looked to what came from above…? Quick question here: do we look to ‘what is above us’ for wisdom, or do we look solely to ‘what is around us’ for wisdom?

This is looking to what is ‘above’ you for direction. I’m thrown back to my high school math teacher’s poster that hung on the ceiling in the center of the room for all students to see that I would look up at for every test that said, “you can look down in ‘desperation,’ you can look up for ‘inspiration,’ but you can’t look left or right for ‘information.’”

This is for the business that is out of solutions. You’ve looked left or right for information, even your competitors don’t even know what they’re doing, and neither do you! You don’t know what you’re doing and you have a major problem right now that you’re walking through in your business and so you’re reading this. You’ve exhausted all your options, you don’t know where or what to turn to next, and this is even after you may have tapped into your network, or have tapped into books and podcasts looking for answers. But I think God is saying to you that you need to tap into another type of intelligence: spiritual intelligence, and the only way you’ll do this is by ‘looking up’ for inspiration. Because, perhaps, “spiritual intelligence is business intelligence.”

Here’s some Bible, John 21:10-14

“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples,?by the Sea of Galilee.?It happened this way:?Simon Peter, Thomas?(also known as Didymus), Nathanael?from Cana in Galilee,?the sons of Zebedee,?and two other disciples were together.?“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them,?“Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said,?“Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”?When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved?said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.?The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire?of burning coals there with fish on it,?and some bread.

Jesus said to them,?“Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”?So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.?Jesus said to them,?“Come and have breakfast.”?None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.?Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.?This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples?after he was raised from the dead.”

First things first, I hope everyone caught how Simon Peter basically went full on nude in front of his friends into the water without a worry in the world to go and see Jesus, abandoning his comrades who likely struggled to collectively glean and gather the precisely 153 fish into the boat.

But back to the main thing:

Cast. Down. The. Nets. THAT. Way.

Have faith this way, do it that way, put the net on a new side... that way. You may have tried it all day and caught nothing, but have you tried it out of faith and by a command? Maybe He is saying do it this way...

Nope, not that way.?

Nope, the other way.?

Oh, put the net at this side, at this time, on this part of the ocean/lake because you’ve been fishing all day, but it doesn’t mean you’ve been fishing all the “right” ways.?

Because, what if your perceived “right” ways were wrong ways all along if it wasn’t out of obedience??

What if your perceived “right” ways were wrong ways because it was out of selfish ambition??

So, “right” in different contexts can actually be wrong in spiritual contexts.

Because He said in John 21:6: “cast the net on the right side of the boat.”?

Yet, what if they didn’t cast the net on the right side of the boat??

You can think you’re fishing the right way as you did not listen to God and be fishing the ‘wrong way.’?

Your obedience is right, your willingness to listen and say “yes” is right, and the right way with the right results will unfold when you do it His way. This isn’t "Have it Your Way” like the Burger King slogan, but it is “Have it His way.”

John 21:9 “When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it and bread.” This was representative of a lit fire, a remnant fire that I’d argue already emblazoned inside of them over the Lord, and was symbolical of a prior miracle... the fish and bread that were roasting over the fire was a direct memory, or subliminal message from Christ on the parallel story where Jesus fed 5,000 people as He reminded them of what He did in the past.?

This was symbolical of His track record. Symbolical of old moments with Christ to affirm that He was reminding them of the past with Him and ushering them into their future, as He flipped the way they were fishing. Because no longer would they be fishing for fish in the near future, but they would be fishing for people. Because no longer would they fish THAT way, but they’d be fishing a different way now, or the new RIGHT way.

It’s crazy because the breakfast was prepared beforehand, showing God as a thoughtful God. He knew they weren’t gonna get anything their way, but His Way... He sees you not catching anything. He sees you tilling all day and not reaping a harvest, He sees you walking through all your difficulties in your personal life. He sees your business not making any sales despite you doing all that you think you can do there.?

Because the whole context of John 21:6 chronologically speaking is a time of transition for the disciples... as Jesus had just died and resurrected again like a cat with 9 lives and never ending immortality, as He appeared to them despite them probably going back to DAoL, Daily Activities of Living, without Christ.?

Please say to yourself in reading this, “I’ve gotta GET in His presence, because instruction and breakthrough lay there.”?

What ways is He changing you up in reading this book? What ways is He speaking to you? Is spiritual intelligence coming your way? What ways is He pivoting your business right now? Maybe He is saying “throw the nets on the right side” of your business? Please know it is important to write it all down, every Word that you perceive Him to be speaking to you.

When

You’ve

Tried

All your options

There is another way.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life...?

I believe the level of resiliency and, thus, character He wants to cultivate in us lays in our ability to not give up despite challenging circumstances. Because they were in the boat all day, probably, parched and catching nothing. But they came back for another day to see if they’d have any luck. Yet, note that they already had the character to not give up despite not catching anything. The question here is: what are you giving up on right now that really requires more character and closeness with Christ to push through??

Most of us would go home after 4 hours of fishing and not catching anything. Now, what if your livelihood depended upon it? Yet, I’m not solely dependent upon my livelihood and the works that come from my hands, but upon the realization that my source of dependance is > than me. Moreover, this situation tells me their very desperation that they’d listen to a stranger tell THEM, the supposed fishing “experts,” on the art of catching fish and selling them, where to fish. When you’re that desperate and you’ve tried everything, you’re willing to try something new. Perhaps, that’s you right now.

Here is the key: results hinge upon obedience and tested character that is full of endurance, fruit, resiliency, integrity, teachability, humility and higher spiritual values.?

They couldn’t tell from a distance that it was Jesus telling them to do something. It wasn’t until after they listened and they saw the result, it wasn’t until they got up closer to the situation and decided to listen to the crazy command despite likely already having tried fishing on the right side before. They then knew it was the Lord. See John 21:4, “Just as the day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” He said to them, “cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.” They could’ve likely gotten more as they brought the fish they caught back.

Yet, He was reminding them to have childlike faith in calling them children despite them actually being adults because they were going to need childlike faith to believe God for the crazy in the days and years ahead as He would depart from them but impart to them greater works and measures to take part in and do that were potentially going to be greater things than Christ, Himself, did by the very power of the Holy Spirit. Is not Christ’s heart for you to do greater things than Him? Is that not wisdom’s heart for those she is trying to raise up: for them to do greater things than her as she prepares her own sheep to go out and bring people to her dinner? She wants them to have bigger and more impactful dinner parties than her, surely!?

God sometimes will say, “aim, ready, fire” but sometimes He will say, “fire, ready, then aim it” regarding a product or service or spiritual initiative that you take on. You may not know all the answers but your ability to listen to God and intuitively follow the Holy Spirit will be all you need to know. It may look erratic, it may take listening to a ‘stranger’ borderline disrespect you and call you “children,” but as long as you’re humble enough to receive and take it in and follow you may see some cool things happen.

Thus, the ability to apply key business principles, hear God’s voice and obey it, as well as operate in the gifts of the Spirit, which 1 Corinthians 12:8 says, “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” These giftings will be as to how spiritual intelligence will end up influencing business intelligence.?

Old Testament Spiritual Intelligence to Business Intelligence Story Time:

God one day gave Joseph a divine dream that informed him of a devastating future involving a famine? coming to Israel… This story is further epitome of spiritual intelligence that informs business intelligence and just might save you.?

Genesis 41:1-36?

“When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream:?He was standing by the Nile,?when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat,?and they grazed among the reeds.?After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank.?And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain,?healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind.?The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up;?it had been a dream.

In the morning his mind was troubled,?so he sent for all the magicians?and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.?Pharaoh was once angry with his servants,?and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.?Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.?Now a young Hebrew?was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard.?We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.?And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”?So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon.?When he had shaved?and changed his clothes,?he came before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it.?But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”?“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,?when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.?After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.?The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first.?But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

“In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.?After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind.?The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.?God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.?The seven good cows?are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream.?The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.??Seven years of great abundance?are coming throughout the land of Egypt,?but seven years of famine?will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.?The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.?The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided?by God, and God will do it soon.

?“And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man?and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.?Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners?over the land to take a fifth?of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.?They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.?This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt,?so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

How the story goes is that Pharaoh appointed Joseph to be in charge of everything because he was the answer to Pharaoh’s dual problem of both the dream interpretation issue and the applied interpretation. Notice how I wrote applied interpretation, because at the centrality of this is the need for application, The Irrevocable Law of Wisdom. Reminder, you can interpret what God says to you and never apply it!

Don’t let a lack of application stop you from putting both the nets on the ‘right’ side of the boat and stockpiling reserves of food for the incoming 7 years of famine. Either strategically plan ahead and move at the pace of grace God has for you and play the game of chess plotting one move at a time or don’t walk in your foresight whatsoever and lose out on the breakthrough to come!

Do we know the impact on the entire agricultural industry and society of Egypt because of one man’s spiritual intelligence that informed Pharaoh to exercise his political and business intelligence? It’s absolutely stunning as to how Pharaoh listened to Joseph and relied on his spiritual intelligence to inform how he would go onto handle everything in the physical. A crisis of millions of deaths of innocent people was likely averted because of this. Your spiritual intelligence just might be your business intelligence, because while everyone else out there is trying worldly means to ‘get ahead,’ you’re moving to the posture of instruction and humbling yourself before your Creator.?

You know what it required for Joseph to carry out the plan to divert the significant risk of millions of lost lives? Stewardship, foresight, vision, and execution to carry things through! Everything from discernment, to application, to counseling, mentioned in some way, shape or form ended up being some of the things relied upon here.