Are you an entrepreneur who is a Christian or a Christian who is in business?
Your answer will reveal how you run your business.
We are Christians first before anything else.
You are not in business to make money. You are in business to make a difference in people’s lives for God’s Kingdom. These can be your employees, your suppliers, and your customers. That’s why it’s important to exhibit the essential characters of a Christian businessman.
1. Your identity is in Christ
Our identity is in Christ. It’s not in our last name, business, title, education, achievements, or anything else that we think we are. It’s not in what we own either, cars, homes, properties, stocks, and careers.
These worldly things are temporal and they constantly change. What will you do if your identity is tied to these momentary items then you wake up one morning and these things are all gone?
All you need is to read the news to find out about the latest millionaire who went bankrupt, the celebrity who got canceled, the politician who will go to jail, and the list goes on and on.
Then there are the millions you’ve never heard of who find their lives empty and grasping for meaning.
“The world and its desires are passing away,” says 1 John 2:17. It continues,” but whoever does the will of God lives forever. “
Who you are in Christ will continue forever. Doesn’t man try to acquire wealth and power so that somehow he can extend his slowly dwindling life? Well, Jesus has the answer. If you believe and accept him as your Savior and God, then you will become a child of God.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” John 1:12
You only have one life to live, don’t get this one wrong. You are a child of God first.
2. You’re a leader, not a boss
Leading people and bossing people around are two different things.
Bosses are either despots or bullies. They give commands and expect people to get it done. Bosses often see people like tools to achieve their own personal goals. The relationship is strictly employer and employee.
Some bosses expect that employees should be grateful for being able to have a job.Employees must understand that in return for getting salaries, they must lose themselves for at least eight hours a day serving the interest of the company.
Leaders make people around them better. They are patient and make an effort to share their experience and knowledge with those under them. Investing in people is intentional for leaders. For them, the idea that people are your best assets is not just a cliche.
They play the long game but it yields sustainable and better results. They model how Jesus mentored the apostles [“and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples,” Mark 4:34]. For three years, Jesus focused on impressing his character and values on the disciples. When He was teaching a big crowd, the disciples were there seeing, listening, and helping.
Even when the disciples were hard of understanding, Jesus patiently explained.
When John and James wanted to burn some people. “When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54), Jesus corrected them immediately.
After Peter, disowned Jesus, He made a point of re-establishing Peter among the Twelve (John 21:15-19)
3. You reflect the character of God to your people
Paul writes in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Paul identified these virtues because they reflect the character of God. These are not just for show-and-tell in church and life groups, these fruits of the Holy Spirit are to be shared with people around us where ever we are.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house“ (Matthew 5:13-16).
You being a business owner occupies a high ground from which to shine your light and sprinkle your salt on people. Business owners have more freedom in sharing the Gospel with employees. Unlike sharing between employees, where the Christian has to tread extra-lightly at the risk of being reported to HR.
One aspect of being in a position of leadership is that you will always be scrutinized. Therefore integrity is very important. You must be able to walk the talk. Be blameless in how you go about your business. Pay your employees and contractors, remit their social security obligations, and settle your taxes on time.
Holiness is just one aspect of God’s character, another one is mercy (“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies,” Psalm 25:10).
Your employees will make mistakes at some point, some mistakes can be very costly. You must be sure to balance being just and being merciful. Only the Holy Spirit guiding you through the Scriptures, prayer, and your pastor can help you make the right decision during the countless screw-ups that happen in a business.
4. You seek to add value to people’s lives
Business people are often motivated by visions of luxury cars, private jets, mansions, media coverage, and awards. Even Christian ones can get unsuspectingly seduced by these worldly pleasures. Just look at the long list of Christian businesses and even church leaders who fell prey to sin.
We have to be careful and constantly set our hearts and minds (Colossians 3:2) on things above, in Jesus Christ who values us so much that He came down from heaven to pay for our sins.
This message of the Gospel is the value that we should wish to add to people’s lives. There is no greater treasure.
If the people you work with are Christians, you can take them under your wings and be their mentor. Smart people learn from their mistakes. Wise people learn from other people’s mistakes. Wise Christians who all made tons of mistakes don’t let others make the same mistakes.
Mentoring is a concept that is shown in the Bible. In Proverbs 27:17, we read “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Moses had Joshua. Naomi mentored Ruth. Samuel had David. Elijah had Elisha. Barnabas mentored Paul. Paul mentored Timothy.
Mature Christian leaders should be producing more of themselves in the next generation. Studies show that most people aged 16 to 30 will leave the church. They are losing their Christian role models and falling prey to the illusion of social media and the lies of the world.
5. You don’t compromise your Biblical worldview
Some businessmen like to highlight their so-called skills in negotiations. When most of the time the proper word to use is compromise. The kind that destroys your testimony.
Remember the Colorado baker who got sued when he refused to make a cake for a gay wedding? He got sued and the local courts ruled against him. The Supreme Court, however, favored the baker. Hopefully, he will still get to make wedding cakes.
Are you willing to make stand for your faith when it comes to losing customers? If some customers take offense at your Christian posters or signages, will you take them down?
What if an employee complains that he doesn’t want to hear any Christian language, music, or conversation? Will you dial down your witness in the workplace?
A decision-maker for a major account just received some very generous “gifts” from your competitor. He is now making subtle suggestions that you should be equally giving or risk losing their business. Oh, what to do!
You started your business holding on to God’s promises and refused to look back to Egypt, your place of bondage. When the parted waters of the sea closed behind you, there was no turning back. Then why would you long for Egypt when you just have to cross a few streams on the way. Surely, God who parted the seas can make a way through the streams.
Don’t be afraid. Trust God. Isaiah 43:2. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
6. You embrace being a steward of God
Christians in business understand that we are merely passing mists in this world. “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes,” James 4:14.
That’s right our time on earth is but a fleeting moment compared to the eternity that awaits us. We won’t be able to take anything with us. The sooner we realize and accept this, the sooner we will be able to embrace our roles as stewards of God.
Psalm 24:1: The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. This means you and I and all we have is God’s. God gave you a business because He wants you to glorify Him with it. Not live a life of indulgence.
We are to go about doing God’s business by means of the business He gave us. We are to help channel and manage resources for the church.
We are to take care of the environment. In Genesis 1:28 God told the man and woman to “fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
We are to watch over our family, the first institution established by God. As temples of the Holy Spirit, we should ensure that our body is healthy both physically and spiritually.
7. You love God first, people next.
To you loving God is not just some vague concept to be displayed in how we do church. This is the lynchpin that ties the first six reasons together. God is the reason for our purpose and hope for our future.
If we love Jesus, then we will obey Him (John 14:15). Obedience to His Word is a product of our relationship with God. It’s not fear or gratification. You are really driven to please Him in everything that you do. This includes your business.
Nothing comes between you and God, as far as you can help it. All your business decisions are measured in the light of the Scriptures.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful,” Joshua 1:8.
There you go. That’s the Christian formula for success. With God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit you can overcome in business and in life.
You work hard because you are working for God and not man. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” states Paul in Colossians 3:23. We have a God of excellence who made everything good.
No one wants their loved ones to be disappointed in them. We surely don’t want to disappoint God. Even though our All-Knowing God knows our every thought and move.
Final thoughts
Let us be reminded that we are here to make a difference for God. He puts us in a position of influence or wealth to accomplish His purpose.
Nebuchadnezzar refused to recognize this so God taught him a lesson in humility. (Daniel 4).
Jesus is alive and He said he is coming back. We better be living like he’ll be ringing the doorbell anytime soon. For we will give an accounting of the life He has given us (Luke 16-17).
