Some of the thoughts in this series are taken from a series by Bruce Wilkinson, Leading a Company For Christ
Better or Different
"If we only have great for profit business corporations, then we will only be a prosperous nation, not a great nation." Jim Collins(GOOD TO GREAT)
I have a good friend who came to know Christ several years ago in sort of a miraculous way. It seems he was in a desperate situation that threatened his life. In the mist of this crisis, he told God that if He would save him, he would follow Him the rest of his life. Well, God did save him and he did keep his promise to serve Christ. This was a miraculous event in two ways. My friend was so bad even the devil did not want him. However, his commitment was sincere and over time he worked on his behavior and became a better person. After a period of time, all those who knew him began to realize there was something different about him.
As new Christians we have the tendency to work on improving ourselves in certain areas. We work at being more honest, less selfish, more patient, peaceful, and a host of other characteristics. The basic principle of Christianity is that we are not better than our old self or better than the non Christian world. Non believers can be extremely honest, totally selfless, patient, kind, and loving. True believers are like my friend, we are different. The Holy Spirit has come into our lives and transformed who we are. "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life , to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it's deceitful desires: to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4: 22- 24
The business community should be no different. Again, however, we have the same tendency of working on our behavior to be more ethical, have better working conditions, and treat employes better. A company or business person who proclaims Christ is not better than; it must be different than. It is not our duty to improve on the world's ethics but to live under the command of Christ to be transformed. Being better than only places us in a state of where everything is matter of degree and not different.
Look at it from God's point of view. We have a different kind of love, different kind of honesty, and a different way of treating employees. Jesus addressed the crowds in the Sermon on the Mount in a way that was totally contradictory to their existing way of life. Jesus told them when you pray, go away privately, don't let other see you give. Jesus told them if they lust, they have committed adultery, if they hate, they have committed murder. Jesus says we have a different way of thinking, a different purpose. Our aim should not be to point things to the company, but to point things to God. And this is just as radical for us today as it was for the crowd on the mountain.
"You were bought at a price, do not become slaves of men." 1 Corinthians 7: 23. When Christ died on the cross for us, he bought us and everything about us. We have been bought, not hired. When we accept this we become a slave to Christ, we are owned by Him and all we have is His, not ours. Problem is, we think we can continue to do our own thing. We pray for God's Kingdom to come here on earth, but we may be hesitant about our own life, and clearly resistant in our business. Christ paid too greater price for us to exclude Him in the marketplace. Jesus has called us to not only to be different, but to reconcile the world to Him. What greater place that has a greater need than the marketplace.
If our beliefs are wrong then our behavior will be wrong. If our heart is changed then our behavior will change. What we offer has to be different than what the world offers, and it has to have made a difference.
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT
How are you different from an unbeliever?
What does it mean that Jesus has bought us and how does that affect our view of business?
What are some areas where you might need to change?
