Is A Good Name Important In Christian Business?

There have been several incidents lately that have caused me to think about the importance of a good name or reputation and how it relates to a Christian business owner or leader. Most recently, I received a request from Rajeev (my friend in Chandigarh, India). He has faced a challenge or two relating to this idea and asked me to post about it. In this post, we will answer the following question:

Is a good name important in Christian business?

Look To Scripture

As I often do, I want to start by going directly to Scripture to find the answer. If you do a search for “good name” or “reputation,” you will find a handful of verses that fit. A couple of these include:

A good name is better than precious ointment…
Ecclesiastes 7:1

He must have a good reputation among outsiders…
1 Timothy 3:7

The first verse makes it clear that a good name is valuable and therefore should be protected. The author compares a good name to something rare, implying that it is not common to everyone.

The second verse comes from Paul’s description to Timothy of Christian leadership in the family of God. I know of one example where a church runs an advertisement in the local paper, listing the names of prospective deacons and asking for people to submit any reasons why the names on the list may not be qualified to lead. That is strong!

Why Is This True?

So we can see from Scripture that a good name is important for a Christian to maintain. Why is this true?

The more I read into Scripture about why we (believers) are still here on earth and not immediately whisked into heaven when we are saved, the more I believe it is for the purpose of being conformed to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29) AND to point others toward Him (1 Peter 2:11-12).

Quite simply, if we maintain a good name through the struggle and trouble this world throws at all of us, then other people are more likely to look at us as examples to follow. If we have a good name, meaning people have little negative to say about the way we live, then they will trust us to share with them the reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15).

Good Name Important For Christian Business?

So, assuming you agree that a good name is important for a Christian to maintain, then the follow-up question remains. Is a good name important for a Christian business?

I think this is a pretty clear answer, but I think some explanation could help as well. I think it is clear to most everyone that a good name is important to any business so it must be important for a business that is run for Christian purposes, right?

The difference here is that the Christian business has additional responsibilities.

Benefits To A Business

For a normal business, there are many benefits to having a good name. First, a good name will help to generate repeat and referral business. This is critical to the financial health and sustainability of the business over time.

A good name says that you have been good to your word over a long enough period of time that it is likely you will continue to do so. This is crucial to establishing new relationships such as those with banks, vendors, and other businesses.

A good name will also give you an advantage in hiring better people over time. These days, sharp candidates are researching the businesses before they apply for a job. Those with a good name will get the higher consideration from the better candidates.

Christian Business = Further Responsibility

These are all desirable benefits for a business that has a good name, but I think the Christian business has further responsibility in this area. For a business that has associated itself with the name of Christ, it becomes even more important to maintain a good name.

I have talked to too many applicants that have told me stories about former employers that claimed to be Christians but acted otherwise in carrying out their business. In these cases, they clearly turned people away from Jesus with their hypocritical behavior.

I was even talking with another Christian business owner the other day. He told me he is very cautious when a new vendor comes to him, claiming to be a Christian. He says he has been burned too many times!

Influence Brings Responsibility

The point here is that when we begin to associate ourselves and our businesses in any way with the name of Jesus, we take on the responsibility of the influence we will have on others. It is not acceptable for us to claim Jesus and act otherwise.

Sure, we will make mistakes. There is no way for us to avoid that completely. At the same time, we must remain aware of those times and respond accordingly to make it right. People will be forgiving, but only if we are quick to admit error and rectify it.

There are too many people in this world that still do not know Jesus. We are here to point them toward Him. If we are bold enough to use our businesses in this effort, then we must be just as diligent to make sure we maintain a good name. It is His name we are representing!

Does your business have a good name?

How difficult has it been to maintain a good name?

Have you seen consequences for the lack of a good name?

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