Business God's Way
As Christian business owners, how do the ways we operate mark us out as different to those who don’t know Jesus?
Relationship with God
Our personal relationship with our heavenly Father is the key and the foundation to running any business God’s way. All of our efforts are useless and futile if we do not partner with God, doing what He wants, where He wants it done, and how He wants it done. The blessing of the Lord spells the difference between success and failure, satisfaction and regret, which is why you must run your business in full partnership with God. But how will we truly produce any fruit for the Kingdom if we just merely know the story of Jesus but have no real relationship with Him?
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV)
We cannot bear fruit for the Kingdom without this personal relationship with Him. We must know the Savior at a deep, personal level in order to truly understand His will for our lives.
John 15:5 says apart from me you can do nothing. What does that mean? ‘Nothing’ means nothing! No lasting fruit for the Kingdom can be produced without remaining in Him, and you can only do this through a true relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ.
Generate a profit
Your business must be profitable if it’s to continue to be an effective tool for God’s kingdom here on earth. As a Christian business owner, you’re to be diligent in your work and an active participant in the business, rather than just an observer. You should always strive to honor God with your firstfruits and believe it is the foundation of all the profit that you receive from God.
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23 NIV).
“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” (Proverbs 10:4 NIV)
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV)
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV)
Accounting & Budgeting
When you’re doing business God’s way, you record income and expenses accurately both in your day-to-day business operations and for income tax reporting purposes. For example, all cash received will be reported as income, and all expenses will be accurately categorized.
“The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.” (Proverbs 11:1 NIV)
Also, you operate your business with a defined budget for those income and expenses, which includes having an allocation set aside as emergency reserves.
“The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.” (Proverbs 21:20 NIV)
Paying Creditors
Paying creditors as agreed and on time is of the highest priority. You should make every effort to treat vendors, suppliers, subcontractors and any other creditor, including customers, with good, honest communication.
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you.” (Proverbs 3:27-28 NIV).
Debt
Debt
As a Christian business owner, you should always strive to keep out of unnecessary debt and operate with a focused goal to pay off any existing debt on a regular payment schedule. Borrowing to pay operating expenses or to buy product should be avoided.
“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” (Proverbs 22:7 NIV)
Anonymous, Holy Spirit-Directed Giving
As a Christian business owner, you should always strive to give both anonymously and with a generous heart, allowing God to receive all of the credit. You should actively seek God’s direction in giving profits to fund God’s work. Remember to trust God wholeheartedly and to be obedient to His instructions with regard to both the percentage of profit to be given, and as to whom the recipients of the gifts should be.
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-4 NIV)
“Remember this; whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver and God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NIV)
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17 NIV)
Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ
As a Christian business owner, your not just in business to make money and support the kingdom with those resources. The Great Commission is also one of your top priorities. so you seek to share the Gospel with everyone you and your business have connection with.
This includes employees, customers, subcontractors, vendors, suppliers, and professional service providers. A great way of doing this is to openly declare God’s ownership of your business and share the Gospel on your company website. We recommend Turn Vertical that makes it easy to do this.
“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.’” – Mark 16:15 (NIV)
“So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” Matthew 20:16 (NKJV)
People Matter Most
People are your biggest and most important asset. Positive Christ-centered relationships with employees, suppliers, subcontractors, and customers shoud be valued even more than profit. Each person should be treated with an equal amount of respect no matter what position they hold or what service they provide. Treating everyone fairly and with dignity and respect will open the doors for an effective witness for Jesus Christ. Also you should promote and encourage your Christian employees to grow in their faith through discipleship.
“But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:9 NIV).
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV)
Accountability
As Christian business owners, we must hold ourselves accountable for the Biblical management and operation of the business. Without a sound plan for accountability it can be very easy to drift off course. You need some other Christian or a group of Christians to whom you are accountable and with whom you can discuss major decisions or communicate personal problems or difficulties.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22 NIV)
“Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22 NIV)
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV)
Quality Products & Services Priced Fairly
You should always strive to produce quality goods and services at a fair, competitive price while delivering them with the highest level of honesty and customer care. Producing a poor quality product or service, breaking delivery promises, or not treating customers with the utmost respect will negatively affect your witness of Jesus Christ to your community and the world.
“Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord, all the weights in the bag are of his making. (Proverbs 16:11 NIV)
Sabbath Day
You should honor the Lord’s day by not conducting normal business on this day, nor working or requiring employees to work on the Sabbath Day.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not work, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” (Exodus 20: 8-10 NIV)
Balanced Life
First God, then self, family, business, church, and finally everything else. Use these biblical principles for living a balanced life as you run your business, and lead by example:
1. God
God should be your first and highest priority above everything else here on earth:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 NIV)
2. Self
You must also take care of yourself so that you can then honor and serve others. You need a good diet, exercise, and proper rest:
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV)
3. Family
You are responsible to God for the precious gifts He has given us as a husband or wife, and as a father or mother to your children.
“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8 NIV)
4. Business
God has entrusted you with the management of His business. However, remember making money is never more important than God, your health or your family:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)
5. Church
Supporting and encouraging fellow believers who are part of the Body in communal worship is vital to your spiritual growth and theirs.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…” (Hebrews 10:24, 25 NIV)
6. Everything Else
Extracurricular (fun!) activities such as vacations, kids’ sports or hobbies etc., should also be treasured. They’re gifts from God.
“This is what I have observed to be good; that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them, for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil, this is a gift from God.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 NIV)
Want To Become An IGB Partner?
IGB Partners are businesses that have been given over to the Lord and are run on the principles you have just read. Find out more about what it means to be an IGB partner and download our editable covenant document to see what is involved.
“Fight like a junkyard dog to give anonymously and finish the race dead last.”
— It’s God’s Business