Elevate

Last month we discussed the topic of ‘Yoking together in business’. We posed the following questions :

• What should our attitude be towards working closely in business with non-Christians?
• What are the dangers?
• How do we / should we choose business partners, whether Christian or not?

The bible talks in 2 Cor 6:14 “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

Whether or not your business partners have a faith in God, their ‘life principles’ are as important in how they conduct themselves. Are they the same outside the business as they are inside it? Through our discussions these issues seemed to be more important in a business setting.

However we also touched on the dynamic that is possible where faith is mixed together with business to provide a powerful tool. In these scenarios God can develop something unique and powerful for his purposes.

Last month we discussed how the Christian principle of sowing and reaping applies to business. If the promise of scripture applies what should we expect to see happen when we sow through our businesses? How do we sow in a business environment?

One example which came to light during our meeting was the way that we can work with our clients in these difficult times. One person had a client that owed them a large amount of money. So rather than putting extra pressure on them in the short term to quickly repay the debt decided to work with the client to arrange a payment schedule. 

How can we sow in our staff and our communities? Another story came to light where a client’s company decides annual to invest 30% of profits back into other businesses. “As you sow, so shall you reap’.

Joseph refused the advances of Potipher’s wife, not because he thought he couldn’t get away with it, but because he knew he couldn’t live with himself if he accepted them. Ted Engstrom wrote on the subject – the following are summary points from his article.

The world needs people :-

• Who cannot be bought
• Whose word is their bond
• Who put character above wealth
• Who possess opinions and a will
• Who are larger than their vocations
• Who don’t hesitate to take chances
• Who won’t lose their individuality in a crowd
• Who will be as honest in small things as they are in great things
• Who will make no compromise with wrong
• Whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires
• Who will not say they do it “because everybody else does it”
• Who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity
• Who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hard-heartedness are the best qualities for winning success
• Who are not afraid to stand for the truth even when it’s unpopular
• Who say “no” with emphasis, even though the rest of the world says “yes”

What will you choose to do today?

The integrity of the honest keeps them on track.. Prov 11:3