8 Rules for Work and Business

Used with permission: www.GoodJobNotes.com

My wife and daughter have run a karate school for nearly 20 years now, and we have taken our share of lumps, bumps and terrors, both business and personal.  During that time period, I came to the foot of the cross, and accepted Christ as my Lord, and that complicated everything.

Now, most if not all of the advise we are freely and commercially  given is worldly, and follow simple dictates like:

1) Business is Business
2) If it is going to be, its up to you.
3) If you help enough other people get what they want, you will get what you want.

The problem with number 1 is that if Business is outside of the grasp of God, and you are allowed to act in worldly manner to succeed in business, because it is business, then you are outside of the will of God by choice.

If you have chosen one of the biggest parts of your life to NOT follow God, it is hard to maintain the attitude that you are indeed a Christian.  We discovered that early, so we sought help and advise on how to deal with that important issue.  The most common answer we got was: The Parable of the Unjust Stewart - Luke 16:1-9. Seems pretty clear when Jesus says, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. (ESV).  It is wise, it seems, that we plan for failure by tricking people in business.  See, Jesus said so.

Here is the problem.  You can't read the entire bible 1 verse at a time, and without looking at the context, from time to time.  When Jesus talks about worldly wise people, it is always in the context that God has little use for them, because worldly wisdom is foolishness to God. Jesus is slamming the worldly wise.  He is telling us that we are to use God's wisdom as well as the unrighteous use worldly wisdom with respect to money.  In other words, this is NOT licence to cheat people.  Rather and example of being shrewd with the wisdom of God.  Money is not even part of the real message.

SO #1 IS WRONG. Business is just another mission field, and is to be treated as such.  God is a 24/7 life style.

The last 2, I deal with in How to Successfully Spiritualize Greed.  What it comes down to is that business is God's just as much as Church is, and he can not be envoked or used as a reason or method to harm any of God's creatures.

That caused a big problem for us.  How do you deal with the commands of God in the Business World?  How does one follow Jesus there?

And that brings us to the card shown above, and again here.  8 simple rules for the business world, drawn from the word of God, and solid within the context of each rule.  God is everywhere, even in business.

1. Always work Hard, even if you are not being treated fairly. - Colossians 3:23 We are told over and over again, that we are to work hard, as if it is for the Lord, and not complain.  The extreme example is even given those who are in servitude.  God wants us to be a good example for him to use.
2. Pay your debts. - Psalm 37:21 - hard to argue this one.
3. Pay your taxes. - Romans 13:6 - it surprises me that I know dozens of Christians who cheat on their taxes, or claim that they do, because they are unfair, and not Godly.  Hey, there are lots of things my government does that I deplore, but Jesus is pretty clear about taxes.  Pay them.
4. Treat all people fairly; be obvious about it - 2 Corinthians 8:21 - Again, pretty direct.
5. Don't do what everyone else is doing, just because everyone else is doing it. - Romans 12:2 The actual context of the verse is a tad more direct.  It says NOT TO DO WHAT THE WORLD IS DOING, as the world IS EVIL.  That old addage, don't re-invent the wheel simply does not always apply.  Sometimes, the wheel is just plain wrong, and you need to do it God's way.
6. Pride comes before the fall.  Be humble at all times. - Proverbs 16:18 There is a fine line between competitive drive and bragging.  This verse is about that line.  I have fallen on this very point in my life so many times, I begin to think I am hard wired to fail in it.  Yet, I force humility to come out of my mouth as appology for the error.
7. Even if it seems too hard and pointless, do it as if it has already worked. - I Corinthians 9:24  All things work together for those who have answered God's call.  Work like you actually believe the path you are on is of value to God, because it is. If you have run your work life for God, that is the promise - run like you have already won.  That is called faith.  Let God make it happen for you.  You just do the work.
8. Take risks. - Ecclesiastes 11:4 - With number 7 in mind, and realizing that God does not want you to be foolish, it is in fact hard to win, if you do not play.  We are not born to fear, but joy.

If you mission field is owning a business, act like you are of Christ, because you are.  If you work for someone, act as if your work matters to Jesus, because it does.

Out into the world of God we go, to help others come to the peace and joy of grace, which we have ourselves already partaken.

-peace

God Hates all Haters

I was reading in a Christian blog about one of the hot topics in Christianity - "the gay issue."  What really gets me is that after having read 200 comments, and dozens of links, I know nothing new about Christ.

Before I give you my thoughts on what this has to do with God Serving You and Christian business in general, let me review some of the stuff I "learned."

Theological students have their own vocabulary, and when using it, it has the logical equivalent of putting a Q.E.D. on the end of their statement, as if God is Math, something I actually used to beleive.  They say it, it means something to them, so it means something to us, and it proves their point.  Seems all disciplines in man do this.  I am a little worried that the Church strives to the same level as the world. Here are some words that you need to understand any of the Christian Scholars.
   a) Exegesis: Exegesis is to sentences, chapters and books what Etymology is to words - the study and understanding of the subject in the context of the time, place and use when it was used.So When they use this word, they are saying, you must look at the word in its original language, the language that the writer thought in, the style of writing and the context of what you are looking at.
   b) Reductionist Theology: When teaching the bible, instead of having someone read the whole book, chapter, verse, and tear it apart with exegesis, just "reduce" it to the main thought, running the risk that you might miss an important meaning.

An example of Reductionist Theology is what Jesus said when he was asked in Matthew 22:36-40, what the most important commandment in the law was.  He answered "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

I have reduced how I live my lives as a Christian to this verse.  Love your neighbor as myself. 


Anyway, a famous pastor has become a public champion of  Men acting Like Men, and that launched a debate as to the rolls of a female and a males in our society and the bible.  The debate first grew personal ... I hate gays, you don't worship the same God as I, You don't know what your talking about, etc. 

One person quoted Genesis and the creation story, and by Exegesis proved that man was strength, and women was soft, man was first, women came from man, and that was that.  Men Rule.

The next person called him intolerant, and ignorant of the context and time, an Exegesis argument, and proclaimed separate but equal.  (As if we don't know what happens when you do that.)


The whole thing rang less of a discussion of God's Love than it did of human pride, and that reminded me of a 1950's song .. watch this song video .. and see if you find any truth for our age.

This this is my take on it.  I no longer know the science of "gayness."  I am a little upset that the word Gay used to mean one thing, and now means another, but the English language is alive and changing, so that ones I have to let go.  

I really don't care what the science of gayness is.  I live in the US, so I get to pick how I live my life, and I don't pick gayness.  I happen to think the bible is pretty clear on this being a sin, but I am a teacher, not a pastor, and its my job to NOT sin in my life, not to judge others.


More important, again, I live in the US.  It is my job to fight politically and physically if necessary to allow others to pick how they will live.  That is the benefit of the civil liberties we gained in Civil War and the 14h amendment.  It is the strength of America.  Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddist, Paper Bag lover or tree huger.  You get to pick here, and we MUST defend that right.


I draw this strength not just from the law of the land in which I live, but from the ministry of Christ himself.  Jesus gave his life so that I might be able to pick eternal life. With the ability comes the ability to NOT PICK eternal life.  If I was forced to pick, I would not be free.  I am FREE, and so are you.


When Mary sinned by being a prostitute, Jesus did not touch her on the head, and make it impossible for her to sin again.  He did not stone her as the law demanded. Instead, he said, "I forgive you," and "Go and sin no more."  God forgave the sin, no matter how big, and this one carried the death penalty, and gave her the right to "pick," what path her life would take.


What does this have to do with God Serving You?  Pretty cool really.  God did not have to do it this way.  He could compel you to perform a certain way.  He could hate sin and the sinner.  But that is not the path he traveled.  He picked LOVE.  He loves you, so he suffered and gave you the right to pick your own path.  Pretty big service that.

What does that have to do with business?  If you run a business, how far will you reach out for your customers.  They don't always do the right thing, buy from the right person, pay the right price.  You can try to manipulate them for their own good, or for your good.  Or you could follow Christ, and Love them.


Pick Love; Pick Jesus, and Let God order the steps of your life.