Our Mission

To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.     

Jeremiah 13.11describes, as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.

The Lord has chosen His people for a relationship with Him, to be bound around His waist, to live in the closest proximity to Him. The Lord has chosen His people to be close to Him that they might make Him known in the world so that all people in the world will give Him praise and honor. This is the life of the Christian, to be close to the One True God in a loving relationship and to make Him known in the world until all humanity loves God the same.

The Lord wants us. The One True God created us to be with us and for us to be with Him always that He might hear our praise and adoration and rejoice over us with His good and holy presence. Yet we are a stiff-necked people, a people bent upon our own will and ways. Haters of men we take vengeance upon those who wrong us and ignore those who need us. Yet God loves us.

The Lord God Almighty reminds us to live as He lives since we are created in His image. We are to love our neighbor though he wrong us, forgive our neighbor for he knows not what he does, share with our neighbor the forgiveness and peace with which God offered to all of us through Jesus Christ the Lord. We are to model before our neighbor a life of praise and worship to the One True God even as we encourage our neighbor by our deeds and words to obey all of the good commands of the Lord for in doing so we find joy, life and blessing forever.

This is not an impossible work; to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as our self. It is a hard work unless we stay bound to the Lord and follow Him as He seeks and saves the lost.

Our Opportunities

  1. Don’t let the Coronavirus keep you from giving. Help us win and disciple business men through your donations at: https://give.idonate.com/cbmc-inc/lansing 
  1. The annual global leadership summit will be occurring in Lansing August 6-7. Some of the world’s foremost leaders in business, politics and religion will be speaking. Learn more here. Register here 
  1. Step one to becoming an effective ambassador for Christ in the marketplace is to pray for unsaved men by name. The easiest place to gather for prayer is at your place of business. CBMC helps Christian men form prayer teams. Check out our program here then email Mike for helping getting one started at your company.  

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917  / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

July 20, 2020 

The 3 P’s of Business Authority

by Rick Boxx 

 A former executive of the General Mills food company, Marc Belton, talked in an interview about what he called the “three P’s” of business status: Perks, Privilege, and Power. His observations were very insightful, and I could relate with much of what he said. I would like to summarize his points, beginning with Perks – extra benefits received due to position and achievements. 

As a young banker, I once presented a loan request from a country club to our loan committee. The CEO of the bank was so excited that I was bringing in this new business, he announced to everyone in the room that the bank should buy me a membership to this country club! Envy spread throughout the bank, however. Soon afterward, some of my superiors had negotiated country club memberships for themselves, and my original “perk” was significantly modified to make it less attractive. I decided to forgo this “opportunity.” 

A passage in the Bible, Galatians 5:26, warns, “Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” As employers, we should be cautious about what perks we offer to certain employees. Whether we intend it or not, these can bring envy and conflict within the team. 

Another point Belton made was that as leaders rise through the ranks of an organization, their positions often afford them with more Privilege. Maybe this takes the form of additional freedom in how they spend their time, the availability of company cars, or exclusive invitations to meet with influential leaders. 

These privileges can allow pride to surface in the individuals who receive them, which can set the stage for moral and ethical failure. For instance, they could determine to do whatever is necessary to retain and add to those privileges. In addition, what becomes “normal” to someone of privilege, might be viewed by others as wasteful, unnecessary extravagance. 

The Bible teaches, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). Gaining added privilege as a reward for hard work can be admirable, but we would be advised to be careful that pride in our privilege does not lead us into dishonor. 

Belton’s third point regarded Power. The uses and abuses of power are manifested in many ways, but he cited as an example the fact that labor unions have been in decline for many years. Many believe that one contributing factor has been the power some union leaders and officials have abused and misused. 

Years ago, a friend of mine attended a union meeting, expecting to listen to and perhaps participate in a discussion of a potential work stoppage. One union member stood up to protest the strike. However, before he could voice more than a few words, two large men immediately escorted this dissenter from the room. This action made it clear there would be no more “discussion.” 

Another passage from the Scriptures addresses this type of business behavior: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). Success in business usually brings with it the opportunity for increased power. This power can be used in many beneficial ways, but it also can be misdirected. We should be aware of this temptation and not to allow power to lead to pride and arrogance. 

© 2020, Unconventional Business Network Adapted with permission from “Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx,” a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more, visit www.unconventionalbusiness.orgHis latest book, Unconventional Business, provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God’s Way.” 

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

July 20, 2020 

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

  1. What “perks” – extra benefits – have been offered to you, or to others in positions of influence within your organization? Do you think they are appropriate? Have you seen negative effects that they have generated? How do you think those can be avoided? 
  1. How have you seen “privilege” being demonstrated, either at your own workplace or in other environments? What are the positive benefits of extending those to certain individuals? Again, what are some of the potential pitfalls of providing privileges to some, and not to others? How should this be properly managed, in your opinion? 
  1. What are some ways that you have seen “power” utilized in the marketplace? In what ways have you seen it used well – properly, in your view? How have you seen it abused? 
  1. How do you think the realities of perks, privilege and power can help to advance not only specific individuals within a company, but also to challenge and encourage those who do not necessarily qualify for such benefits? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 3:27-28, 11:25, 22:29; Mark 10:45, 12:30-31; Luke 6:31; John 15:13; Philippians 2:3-4 

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com

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