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Business by Kingdom rules is for the King, not our selves

The Lord’s Business

I own a Christian gymnastics school.  The Lord moved me in this direction four years ago.  In that time I have done much meditation on both how to run a business and keeping my priorities right according to the Kingdom of God.  From the outset I understood that business is a worldly affair.  That does not mean Christians do not own businesses, but it does mean our priorities will be different.

As a citizen of the Kingdom, my responsibility is to build His kingdom, not my own.  The natural tendency in owning a business is to see it as your business and make every effort to build your business into your own kingdom.  But that is not the way of the King.  Everything belongs to Him.  He gives us stewardship over some things, but those things still are His.

It is noteworthy that in the parable of the talents (Matt 25), the rich ruler gave his servants the talents.  The servants did not take the talents from the rich ruler.  If we are engaged in a business that the Lord is not directing us into, we are stealing from the Lord and those to whom He intended to give that business.  Adam and Eve were guilty of the same crime.  All the fruit belonged to God, yet they were given the right to eat freely from all the fruit except from one tree.  When they ate that fruit, they stole it from God.  So, as believers, we are not to engage in just any business activity.  We are to pursue only that business that the Spirit has led us into.

Marketing the Kingdom Way

Marketing is of the world, but all the world belongs to God, therefore marketing belongs to God, too.    In the parable of the sower and the seed (Matt. 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8), the sower did not seem to care where the seed fell.  Some fell on the hard ground, some on the rocky soil, some amidst the weeds and others in good soil.   Solomon also tells us in Ecclesiastes to cast our bread on many waters (Ecc. 1:1),  so general advertisement is used by both the world and the kingdom.

When I first started my business, the Lord used the book, “Organic Church,” by Neil Cole to show me my marketing and business approach.  Neil pointed out that church organizations often spend far too much energy on the fringe elements in the congregation instead of focusing on the those who are serious about their walk with Christ.   I realized that I needed to focus my business efforts on those who were really interested in what I had to offer instead of trying to please and win the fringe  elements that were not going to stay anyway.

At this same time I began reading Seth Godin’s materials.   This is the same point he makes regarding Tribes.   It does not matter what you are into, there are a tribe of people who  will have that same interest if you can find them.  They are the ones to focus your energies upon, while letting the other seeds fall where they may.

In the organic church communities there is much talk about finding the man of peace for evangelism and church planting.  This idea is based upon the instructions of Jesus to the apostles in Luke 10.

Luke 10:5-7
5    And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6    And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7    And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.  (KJV)

The general understanding of this passage is that the man of peace is a well connected person.  If this person believes the gospel, he will tell his friends that he is networked together with, and the gospel will spread.  If they stay there, more will be accomplished than if they tried door to door sales.

This is the heart of word of mouth advertising and reputation building in marketing. This is the kingdom way to market.  I have been amazed to watch my business grow with almost no advertising budget to speak of, simply because I have several moms who really believe in what I am doing.  They are telling their friends  and are bringing more kids to my gym without any other effort on my part than to do my best in coaching and sharing the lessons of Christ through gymnastics to their kids.

Wealth is not the Goal

It is easy to think that running business is so you can become rich.  Many believers are torn between the “prosperity message” and “poverty as holiness”, neither of which are correct.  The kingdom way is about trusting Christ in every circumstance and being content where you are  (Phil. 4:11,  1 Tim. 6:8,  Heb. 13:5).  If we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto us (Matt. 6:33). The goal of running a business in the Kingdom is not wealth.  Wealth is a by product, not the end.    Abraham did not seek wealth.  He obeyed God and wealth was added throughout his life.    Solomon was asked what he wanted from God, and because he asked for wisdom, God granted him wealth and power. as well.   God has no problem with our being wealthy.  His concern is irresponsibility and faithlessness.   If we show ourselves faithful with little, we will be faithful with much, too (Luke 16:10).

Neither is wealth and indicator of our obedience.  Contentment is the indicator.  We all have seasons in our personal lives which will hold true in our businesses.  Paul said that he learned to be content whether he was abased or abounded (Phil. 4: 11 & 12). Abasement may come for many reasons but is in seasons.  Likewise prosperity has its season.  We do not govern our business activities according to the current economic climate, but according to the unchanging principals of God.  The Jews had prosperity in the land of Goshen while the plagues fell on Egypt.  God makes pockets of protection in stormy seas for those who abide with Him on the deck ( Matt 8).

Treasures in Heaven

The 20th century church has portrayed Christianity as only an insurance program for Heaven. Get that premium paid today and rest assured that you will have your mansion in the sky. It is regrettable that this attitude has been encouraged by organized religion. The Pearl of great price is already in the heart of every believer. It is not to be buried underground for a future day, but is now and forever.

It is interesting how gold came to be a medium of wealth. Even amongst conservatives today, gold is touted as the answer to the fiat money system of the Feds. Yet it came in value by an interesting path. In the post Flood days of the early families of Noah that spread out after the confusion of the tongues at Babel, pagan sun worshipers believed that the spirit of the sun would inhabit yellow objects. The wearing of gold jewelry was considered valuable because the sun spirit would inhabit the gold amulet around one’s neck or in one’s ears. Their confidence and value in gold was not the metal itself, but spirit that they believed inhabited the metal. Exchanging gold pieces was to exchange portions of that spirit. The more gold you had, the more the power of that spirit would indwell.

Christians and conservatives are looking at gold as their safety net today, but without understanding this backdrop. Believers running businesses based upon the leading of the King, have the real Spirit, and do not need the gold for the Spirit to inhabit. He inhabits our hearts, instead.

This is the only gold that God cares about. The hearts of men. If we are treating all people with the same value that Christ esteemed them (by dying on the cross for everyone, whether they accepted Him or not), we are gathering treasure in heaven. If we value people the way Jesus does, then He will prosper our businesses now and we will be gaining great treasure in heaven for later.

Jesus is the abundant life. If we abide in Him, we abide in the abundant life. That abundance is manifested in a multitude of ways, financial prosperity being simply one of them. So we run the business that God gives us according to His way, not the world’s. For we are given the business to build up His Kingdom, not ours. And in the end, He allows us to enjoy great harvest and the fruits of our labors.