“Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.”
Every Wednesday morning this month, a group of businessmen is meeting at my house in one of The Edge “Iron Sharpening” groups. This morning’s discussion around the small business book The Redemptive Business touched on one of Solomon’s points in this chapter of Proverbs. In the midst of many great points for the Christian business leader, there was the truth that making money in business is not wrong or evil. It is actually an important part of what God wants His followers doing. Let’s face it, we will not impact many lives through a business that is gone tomorrow, and losing money is not sustainable. The key realities for believers in business are many, but one is that we do business with integrity. This does not mean we necessarily have fish symbols, crosses, or any other Christian insignia on our trucks or in our logo. It doesn’t mean we don’t, but in reality, that is a cheap way to represent God if that is the only thing that distinguishes us from non-Kingdom companies. As Martin Luther said, “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” Doing sloppy business is another way of stealing from our customers or clients. Overcharging is another. The problem with listing a few examples is that we may feel let off the hook because our unique ways of taking advantage of others in business are not mentioned. Anything that would not reflect the excellence of our King is wrong. Today, do your work for the audience or client of One. #BeTheEdge
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Colossians 3:23 NIV
