I made the decision to turn my business over to God. I was going to run it as a Christian business with an eternal purpose. Now what? What does that really look like? To tell the truth, I had no idea what a Christian business was or what it looked like. I did not even know where to start, so I went to look for help.
Godly Counsel
While reading the Bible, I saw these verses:
Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.
-Proverbs 20:18Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
-Proverbs 15:22
I know godly counsel can include advice from godly men and women. As I sought that in some of my reading, I came across many books full of such wisdom.
Business By The Book
One book in particular was by Larry Burkett called Business by the Book: The Complete Guide of Biblical Principles for the Workplace.I immediately purchased the book and began to read through it, with a notepad to the side.
This book is a goldmine of practical, easy to understand advice on what a Christian business should look like. Burkett covers topics like hiring and firing decisions, goals, compensation, and many more. I spent hours going through this book slowly, trying to glean all that I could from it.
The Bible
One of the many pieces of advice Burkett gave in this book was to go back to the book of Proverbs. He suggested reading through Proverbs, but not like you may have done it before. He suggested reading through Proverbs with your “business” glasses on – treating it like a business manual or textbook. I had never considered this approach, but I liked the idea!
I will talk more about a specific situation that I addressed with this method in my next post, but I will tell you that Burkett’s advice here was spot on. Regardless of your perspective when reading Proverbs, the wisdom there is incredible. Try it yourself!
Prayer
No matter which of these sources you are using to seek wisdom, it is always good to begin and end with prayer. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth (John 16:13). If we will pray before and after reading, whether the Bible or from another source, God will make good on His Promise to guide us. Pray for discernment and understanding about what you are reading. He will confirm the matter in your heart.
Are you seeking wisdom for your business?
What other sources have you found?
Are you praying for guidance in your search?
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photo by Frederic BISSON
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