Overcoming the Ites

“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.’” – Numbers 13:30 (NKJV)

Have you ever wondered why God sent the Children of Israel to possess a land that was already occupied? Are you in an industry with lots of competition? How should you approach your competition?

God did not have to send the Children of Israel into occupied territory in order to realize His purpose on earth. He could have created a new territory for them or sent them to a territory that was not yet occupied, especially since at that time, most of the earth was not yet occupied. However, God did not do so as He wanted to get rid of the Ites and show Himself strong and mighty!

One of the things we teach in Biblical Entrepreneurship is that as Kingdom Business Stewards, we are not to compete with others but rather, we are to complete them; however, one of the problems this concept can create is the lack of understanding of how to deal with businesses competitors or even the acknowledgment that we will have competitors. Being complementary or cooperative does not ignore the reality that we will have competitors, but rather, it gives us the right mindset that we ought to have when dealing with competitors.

Why do competitors exist? Why does the Lord allow us to go into a business where there are competitors? Firstly, competitors keep us on our knees and ensure that the customer gets the best value possible. Secondly, competitors exist so that God can be glorified and show Himself strong and mighty.

In Numbers 13:1-2, God instructs Moses to send spies out to search the land before they possess it. Moses obeys God’s instructions and sends out 12 leaders who are to conduct research on the land they are to possess and upon their return from the 40-day journey, they bring evidence that indeed the land they visited is filled with milk and honey as the Lord stated to them and they even bring back the fruit to prove it. However, they also go on to say that the land is occupied by the Ites; the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites. They describe these people as people of great stature and conclude that they are not able to overcome them.

But Caleb quiets the people and declares, “Lets us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 12:30)

How do you overcome the Ites? How do you deal with those businesses that are occupying the territory that God has called you to possess? Here is what you do:

1. Ensure that God has called you into that territory
2. Conduct market research so that you have the data you need to devise a clear strategy
3. Develop a plan with a clear competitive advantage
4. Make sure you are in right standing with God
5. Love and pray for the competitor
6. Know that the battle is not yours, it is the Lords
7. Recognize that there are some companies that the Lord wants to remove while there are some that
8. He wants to maintain, so you must complement them

Not all competitors are bad. The Ites were not the only people that existed during that time in the world. There were other nations i.e. Jethro and his gang. The Ites just happened to be the ones that God wanted to get rid of because of a judgment that was upon them. You should know which competitors you are to collaborate with and those that you should not. Some competitors will be unwilling to cooperate and some may even be committed to destroying you at all costs. No matter who your competitors are, whether friendly or not, small or big; approach them the same way without fear or intimidation, knowing that God wants to demonstrate His power through you and put you in a position to be His witness so that others can turn their hearts towards Him.

Do you know who your Ites are? Know that you are surely able to overcome them.

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the wisdom to discern between those competitors you are called to overcome and those you are called to complete and give you the grace to realize your fullest potential.