The Purpose of Your Business
Business is a blessing. I'm here to directly contradict those who think that business is a necessary evil. If that were the case, then God probably wouldn't have sent Jesus to the family of a small business guy. If business were a necessary evil, then Jesus wouldn't have been managing the family business after Joseph passed away. I believe business was designed to be a blessing to the owners of the business, the family of the owners, the customers, the vendors, the employees, and the community around the business. Any company that's not doing these things is a business that won't be around for very long. How do I know that God intended for business to be a blessing? I read my Bible.
Let's look at two things. First, when Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment, what did He say? He said this: love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. He said these two commandments summed up the entirety of the law and the prophets in the Old Testament. It's pretty simple. Love God, love people. If you do this in business, people will love your product. If you don't do this in business, eventually, you'll end up out of business or maybe even in jail. We need to remember that Jesus was a business guy. He performed most of his miracles in the marketplace, and most of his parables are in the marketplace context. He understood that loving God and loving people could transform the marketplace. Early believers in the Roman Empire did just that.
Let's take a look at the Old Testament. Is business talked about there? Of course! It was—many times. Many Old Testament patriarchs are business people— for instance, Abraham. Abraham’s corporation was so large he had 300 armed guards. His flocks were so numerous he needed a small army to protect them. His assets were so great he employed tons of people. Abraham's business was a blessing to himself, his family, employees, customers, and the community around him. The people in Canaan loved Abraham because he was a blessing to so many.
When we operate a business to be a blessing to ourselves, a blessing to our family, a blessing to our vendors, a blessing to our customers, a blessing to our employees, and a blessing to our community, we have the best chance of our business succeeding. When we operate our businesses with these five things in mind, our world and the world around us will be transformed. God intended business to create excess so that the business would still bless those who didn't work within the business. For instance, a stadium building in the local community. Not only does the stadium employ people, it inspires business owners to start businesses around the stadium, like restaurants, clothing stores, bars, and transportation businesses. One business can cause many other businesses to flourish.
Let's look at your business:
Is it a blessing to you? Do you come home every day knowing how blessed you are? Is it a blessing to your family? Are they grateful for how it provides for them? Are they grateful for how the business fits into the fabric of your family?
Is your business a blessing to your vendors, do you pay them on time and a fair rate?
Is it a blessing to your customers? Are they blessed by the quality of your product or service?
Is your business a blessing to employees? Are they paid well? Are they treated well? Do they know they are valued as a person?
Finally, is your business a blessing to the community? Does the community you operate within know how much you love them? Does your generosity flow out the front door of your business onto the streets around you? Do you take from your excess and bless others so they can flourish too?
You've been blessed not just to increase your status of living but to increase your status of giving. Is it reflected in your business? If you haven't been able to answer all of these questions in the affirmative, take some time to be strategic on how your business can be a blessing to everyone it impacts.
TAKE THIS TOPIC FURTHER:
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About the Author, Jim Brangenberg
Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!