In my career, I have sometimes started a business without God and sometimes with God. That is, in some cases, I determined what kind of business to start and decided all the details on my own, without consulting God. For others, I have taken the time to pray, seeking God's wisdom and guidance and His leading on all the details that are so important to starting a new business and moving it toward success.
I have found that the difference is like trying to run with a strong storm and the wind in your face versus running with the wind at your back. In other words, you can try to do it the hard way or the (relatively) easy way. Starting a new venture is never easy, but tapping into God's infinite wisdom, guidance, and provision definitely helps overcome the inevitable obstacles.
When thinking about starting a business, it is very important to remember one important principle: everything belongs to God. As it is written in 1 Chronicles 29:11: “The greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the splendor, and all that is in heaven and on earth, is Thine, O Lord: Thine, O Lord, is the kingdom, and Thou art above all, as the Sovereign.”
Think about this for a few minutes. Another scripture, from Psalm 24:1, reads: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof, the world, and all that dwelleth in it.” Both of these passages mean that God is in charge. He controls the entire universe, matters big and small, including our business. Trying to build something contrary to God's will or His plan is an act of foolishness.
We can give many examples of entrepreneurs and innovative business leaders who wisely decided to dedicate their businesses to God from the very beginning. One of them was the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, founded by Truett Cathy, who started with one restaurant and then his company grew to thousands of stores throughout the United States. Not only did he dedicate his business to the Lord, but he also made the unusual decision to close his restaurants on Sundays—no exceptions.
Before his death, Cathy said of his venture, “You don’t have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask that you base your business on biblical principles because they really work. I would be outraged if shareholders who don't know the business tried to tell me what to do."
Once, addressing a large crowd, Jesus Christ said: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, whether he has what it takes to complete it, lest, when he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all those who see it begin to laugh at him, saying: “This man began to build and was not able to finish?” (Luke 14:28-30).
In fact, Jesus spoke about the cost of following Him: “And He said unto all, If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). However, this principle also applies to starting a business: we need to choose the right foundation on which to build.
Before starting a new business, you should take time to pray and seek God's will. If we act according to God's plan, He will confirm our work. If you have already started your business without including the Lord in it, you should reconsider the decision: and better sooner than later.
Copyright 2024, Non-Traditional Business Network. Adapted with permission from UBN Integrity Moments. Visit: www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a ministry of faith in action for the international small business community.
Questions for reflection/discussion
NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following texts: Proverbs 16:7; 24:27,30-34; Matthew 6:24,33; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:17, 23–24.
Difficult task
Take time this coming week to rethink your approach to work. Are you working for yourself, or are you ultimately seeking to work for God and trust Him to guide your decisions and actions?
Sometimes good intentions are not enough. It is very helpful to have people who will encourage you to follow Jesus Christ where you work. If you are part of a CBMC group, you can find such support. If not, pray and ask God to direct you to fellow believers who can provide the necessary help.
