Three Paradoxes of Business
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.
Ezekiel 11.20 concludes God’s promise for changing His people, so they will obey My decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be My people, and I will be their God.
The One True God, the Christian God, makes obedience to Him quite simple to understand. He boils down His will for humanity into the two commands of love Him first and most and love our neighbor like we love ourselves. This isn’t hard to understand and certainly seems reasonable.
The hard part, the part all humanity from all time has been unable to do, is actually live it. Our first conflict is with God Himself. Page 3 of the Bible tells of humanities desire to be god instead of remaining submissive to God.
Page 3! Barely into God’s story is the recording of humanities rebellion against God. We want to be god because we want absolute power, control and authority over our circumstances and others. It is why we do what we want to do regardless of what impact it may have on ourselves or others.
The result of this rebellion is our own demise. It explains war, poverty, disease and death. Remaining in rebellion means when we face God for judgement we will finally understand we are not god and will miss the eternity we could have had with Him where love and peace reign forever.
Second, loving others as ourselves is hard because we love ourselves and then others if we deem it to be in our best interest. This type of loving explains divorce and damage in our relationships whether with family, neighbor or employer. Loving others after loving ourselves keeps us selfish and self absorbed but also lonely and isolated.
God promises to help us if we will let Him. He promises to give us new hearts that will motivate us to love Him and love others. He invites us to faith, faith that will trust that the process of loving God first and others as myself really will result in my being the happiest and healthiest version of myself possible.
True love abandons self preservation for loving God and others resulting in eternal salvation with God and those who also have loved Him and others. That will truly be heaven.
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MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
A Publication of CBMC International
September 12, 2016
Three Paradoxes of Business
by Rick Boxx
Have you ever taken time to examine your personal worldview and factors that have formed it? Our worldviews are critical since they shape the ways we think about the world and how we respond to it. In that light, many commonly held views on business run counter to the biblical worldview, and we would be wise to understand how these perspectives conflict. Here are a few of them:
Profit. In the 1980s, noted economist Milton Friedman proclaimed, “the only purpose for business is profit.” Many leaders embraced Friedman’s view, justifying their pursuit of enhanced profits at all costs. In 1987, this worldview went on public display in the theatrical film, “Wall Street.” In one pivotal scene, at the same time the actual stock market was crashing, largely due to greed, Michael Douglas, playing the film role of Gordon Gecko, ironically declares, “Greed is good!” Unfortunately, many still believe this mantra, despite much evidence that such thinking is wrong.
The paradox arises when we consider what the Bible says. For instance, 1 Corinthians 10:31 teaches, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” This is saying that God desires our businesses – our work – to glorify Him, not just acquire profits. Which view have you chosen?
Partnership. Jim had an exciting new business idea but it required a significant sum of start-up money. An acquaintance offered to invest the necessary funds and become Jim’s equal partner. Although Jim’s wife cautioned her husband against being “unequally yoked” with this man who did not share the same beliefs and values, Jim charged ahead anyway, eager to obtain the financing he needed.
The story came to a short-lived, sad conclusion one year later when Jim’s partner forced him out of the business due to his disdain for his spiritual beliefs. We see a similar dilemma in 2 Chronicles 20:37 after Jehoshaphat, the king of Israel, partnered with a wicked king to build ships. God destroyed the ships and sent a prophet to tell Jehoshaphat, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.”
Position. The business and professional world says we can choose whomever we want to be our partners. God, however, owns everything according to the Scriptures. If that is true, should He have the right to choose the people with whom we partner – and how we work with them?
When I was young, climbing the corporate ladder, my mindset was focused on moving higher and higher so more people would serve me. Then one day an experience rocked that worldview!
The president of the bank I was working for asked all of the employees to drive their cars around back because he was going to wash their cars as an act of service to the staff. When in disbelief I challenged his unconventional approach, my boss smiled knowingly and reminded me Jesus served His disciples when He humbly washed their feet.
Jesus said in Luke 22:26, “The one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” The mindset of our world says leaders should be served, but God says the best leaders are those that serve others.
Copyright 2016, Integrity Resource Center, Inc. Adapted with permission from “Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx,” a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To sign up for Rick’s daily Integrity Moments, visit www.integrityresource.org. His new book, Unconventional Business, provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God’s Way.”
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