A Labor Day Prayer

Father, thank you for blessing us with talents, abilities, spiritual gifts, passions and drive so that all of our efforts may bring glory and honor to You. We thank you for those who have maintained employment through these tough economic times. We pray that You give us the privilege to reflect Your character to our employees, employers, co-workers, clients and customers.

For those who have lost their jobs and are seeking employment, Father please give them the peace that passes all understanding. We ask that You meet the needs of their families and encourage them to seek to open doors of opportunity.

For all of us Father, may we never see our worth and identity in the jobs or careers that we have, or don't have, but in Your sacrifice and love for us. Finally Father, we pray that You continue to use our chamber to be a catalyst for encouragement and commerce as we desire to reflect You as we build business, build community and build the Kingdom. Amen.

Pulling through

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke added his voice to those who say we are not facing a “double-dip” recession. Gross Domestic Product is increasing, albeit slowly. Bernanke said, though, that the recovery “won't feel terrific."

Among those in agreement is investment advisor Barry Ritzholz, who said on his blog Monday wrote, “Following the initial surge in data off of the lows, we have entered a slowing phase of the recovery.”

Ritzholz discredits those who forecast a “double-dip” recession by pointing out that although some economic indicators are slowing, “none of it is consistent with past double dip recessions.”

But we are in, as he puts it, “a soft patch.” And Bernanke warns us that the recovery is not “going to be fast enough to put back eight million people who lost their jobs within a few years.”

Of course, we know that small business is a great driver of employment. According to the Small Business Administration, businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for more than half of American workers. Also, “While small firms create a majority of the net new jobs, their share of employment remains steady since some firms grow into large firms as they create new jobs.”

Your chamber is here to help you through this soft patch. Through the events and courses we offer, our goal is to help you build the relationships you need to succeed. That’s why Monica Wofford will be talking to us Thursday about leadership. That’s why we’ve lined up teachers to help you build your business and claim your place in the Seven Mountains of Culture. And that’s why, on any given Friday, you can meet with your peers to brainstorm answers to the challenges you face in your business.

As Christian businesspeople, we don’t face these tough times alone. We are part of a family of faith that serves a mighty God. So when the stock market wavers and nonfarm payrolls are down and the European debt situation starts looking pretty bleak, take heart. He has overcome the world.