Doghouse

One of the most infamous things I ever did as a business owner was to fire my wife. At the time we actually owned several companies and she worked directly for me. There was one big problem that she had; she would not do what I told her to do. For example I would tell her to mail a letter for me and she might, or might not do so. If she did mail it, she would do it on her timetable and not mine. When I would say something to her about it, she would get mad and sulk for days. One day she walked by my office and glared at me as she went by. I called her in my office and told her to get her things together and leave because she was fired.

She looked at me with fire in her eyes and told me, “You can’t fire me”. I looked back at her with more fire in my eyes and said, “Oh but I can!” I told her that she did not work there anymore and to get her things together and leave. (And yes, to answer your question, it was very “unpleasant” around our house for several weeks.)

It was rather comical from a business perspective though, as word that I had fired my own wife spread like wildfire throughout the company. The word on the street was that apparently I was dead-serious about running that company. The logic being if it became necessary I was even willing to fire my own wife whom I loved; obviously I wouldn’t think twice about firing someone else, (whom I did not love), if they did not perform their duties in an acceptable manner.

Later I did allow her to take over one of the operations within our publishing company and manage it from our home along with several ladies, but her days of working directly for me or at our main office were over. Years later when I founded Horizon, my wife asked if she could work for me again and I asked her if she was going to do what I told her and do it when I wanted it done. She agreed and I hired her back and we successfully worked together for another fifteen years.


Some might think this was ruthless, or crazy, or whatever, but it makes perfect sense to me. I have always maintained that while I have a heart as big as Texas, I have a job to do as CEO. I take it very seriously, and I intend to do it come heck or high water! I cannot manage a company by playing favorites and having double standards be it my wife, one of my sons, or one of my friends, et al. I love my hand but if I get cancer in it, I would chop it off without a second thought and that is how I view managing employees.

When I think of all these people who think God is just some big-hearted guy-in-the-sky that is going to cut them some slack because He is a nice-guy-loving God, I think about this incident. What kind of statement would it make to the martyrs who have given their very lives spreading the word of God and the salvation plan of Jesus Christ throughout time if God cut someone, (even someone who was a “good” person), some slack and let them slide into heaven without accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior? For that matter what would it say to Jesus Christ who suffered so terribly on the cross for our sakes? What would it say about God’s word? It would say He is a liar.

God cannot lie even if He wanted to as he is holy and righteous by His very nature. Trust me my friends, God means what He says regardless if we agree with Him or His Bible or not. “Anyone”, including the nicest person in the world, who dies without Jesus Christ as their Savior will be sent directly to Hell for eternity. Those are the rules and we must abide by them if we want to dwell in paradise when our lives on this earth are over. God said it, and we can take it to the bank that He fully means what He says. God does not play favorites or have double standards.

All have sinned and one sin according to God’s holy word is enough to send us directly to Hell without further discussion. When we die only one thing will make a difference and that is whether or not the blood of Jesus Christ covers our sins as payment for those transgressions against God’s holy law. If you are hoping to get in without it, then think again because God is not going to allow that to happen. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword”.

Anyone who has read the Bible understands that God is someone who should be feared. In Proverbs it states that the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord. Yes God is a loving God. He sent His only Son to die on a cross as payment for our sins as proof of that love. He is also a holy almighty Judge whom lost sinners should fear as He will no doubt uphold His law to the letter.

Matt. 10:28
And do not fear those who kill
the body, but cannot kill the soul. But
rather fear Him who is able to
destroy both soul and body in hell.