Many people are sensing God’s call in their life to step out into the marketplace and to do so for the for the sake of building God’s Kingdom. People talk of wanting to help connect others and it is not important whether they get any business from it or not. I hear these comments which sound like the cry of self-sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom and wonder what is the real underlying foundation?
All of this verbage sounds acceptable in church circles, yet the under lying foundation of that train of thought leads to sinking sand. Truly, where is God in all of that theology? The spirit of poverty that exists today would tell King David or Joseph to give away all their money and expect nothing in return. So allow me to help break what is holding many of the Christians in the marketplace back from success. Yes, there are many pragmatic people who might scream, “This is absurd! Just get to the numbers. Give me the 5 step approach on how to do what God wants in my business.” The solution is to first reveal the spiritual truth and then we can get pragmatic about business without cutting God out of the business.
Many of the biblical references speak in agricultural terms. So ask yourself, “Where in the Bible does it teach us to sow seed and do not do it expecting to reap a crop? Just the opposite is true! We are shown the demand God puts on us to steward properly so we do reap an increase.
Much of the church world believes we should give everything away or do it for a very cheap price. Once again, I ask you to ask yourself, “Where does it teach us this way of thinking in the Bible?” Everywhere in the Bible when it talks about giving to someone or forgiving someone their debts it is out of abundance and overflow. Remember there was no planting or harvesting in the 7th year, so why and how did they do this? Well, many are familiar with the supernatural reasons of why in God’s economy yet very few live the how. In actuality, very few “can” live the how. The reason is too many people are dominated by a poverty mentality which paralyzes and stifles wisdom and good judgement. The reason people could survive the 7th year without planting was because they sowed seed, reaped a harvest, and properly stewarded their profit. Out of overflow we have God given power to bring live. In a spirit of lack everyone is covered in death.
For the meat eaters discern now between supernatural provision and the use of wisdom. We need to obey the Holy Spirit and where He calls us to go. There are some who are called to live with much financial abundance and others to live from provision to provision. The key being where is your faith? For the one with much could come to trust more in his bank account than God and it would be seen in all his financial decisions. The one with less could become full of worry and enslave himself to man which then blocks and/or distorts communication with God. Both circumstances are the same thing in different manifestations. Both lack faith and trust in an almighty God.
The point being is to slow down and allow the Spirit of the Lord to come upon you. Allow the Spirit to speak to you. Then believe what He says and take action!!!
Imagine trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together at the exact same moment. Exactly! Impossible! So, how do you do it? You look at the big picture (Your God given vision) and then you take the pieces and one by one put them together. Some days it seems to flow effortlessly and other days it seems like nothing fits. At the end of the day it is not about whether it was hard, easy, or how much you got done, yet did you obey God and do what He asked of you?
Wow! Thank you for such encouragement. I pray you be just as encouraged in what you are doing for the marketplace ministers.
I am in the mortgage/real estate business and have no idea how to bring Jesus here without being flaky. (other than loving people and treating them right)
I recently had to change the company I work for and put in a change of e-mail address to you but have not received any mail at the new address.
Please add my new address to your list. blessings
Elanor – one thing you can do in any business, but is especially relevant in today’s housing market is to be a person of honesty and integrity.
This may mean telling some potential clients that you’re sorry, but they just won’t be able to afford a home, rather than getting them a loan that will cost them too much in the long run, or will steal their dreams of home ownership away in a few short years and ruin their credit, or adjust up in three years to a payment they could never afford.
It may mean offering a lower cost (and lower commission) loan or home to a client because that’s the responsible Christian thing to do.
It might just be taking the time to educate the client and explain exactly what the terms of their loan are.
One real estate agent I know from my church donates her entire commission to the church anytime a member of ANY church has a transaction through her. It has “cost” her thousands of dollars over the years, but the rewards far exceeded the dollar amount she “missed” from her pocketbook.
There are always ways to serve Christ in your business dealings, and, personally, I find that being an honest person first goes a long way towards gaining a person’s heart for Christ, much more than handing them a tract or hanging a footprints poster in your office.
Thank-you so very much for your timely advice and
encouragement. I have bought 5 very used carpet vans and with little capital, converted, at first one, but will wind up with 3, good operational service vehicles.
I have little capital for advertisement, due to not being paid for FEMA work. So it is a “one at a time” commercial build up of a client base. It has come on me to bury myself into the christian world, for one of my next areas to commit selling my service to. I’ve had to examine my plan for the real reasons pushing it.
Prayer will show me whether to push forward or not with the deep discounts I am considering offering churches. Up to the point where I will clean church carpet for free in exchange for 200% of the value from cleaning church members carpeting at regular prices.
My point is, that I’ve has to examine whether this is a valid business move, motivated by desire to help/enhance the Church of Christ on earth or whether it is a guilt buy out, lol.
As a part of examining whether our motives are clear or not, in our dealings, all of us may need to open our hearts to whether we are being self-defeating due to percieved guilt for our lives. This guilt is obviously one of Lucifer’s ploys for undermining a true walk in the Lord’s ways, both in business and our personal lives, and benefiting as He wills us.