God’s Purposes For Business

A pastor addressed a group of Christian business people and said that he didn’t know how much God cared about businesses because in the end they burn up. His point was that God’s interest in business is that it provides a venue for building character, a forum for evangelism, a vehicle for making money, a means to create jobs, and an avenue to meet man’s physical needs. Notwithstanding the value of these functions, could the intent and purpose of God for businesses be bigger than this? Could God actually ordain the existence of businesses with intent and purpose in mind beyond these functions? If so, what could that intent and purpose be?

I wonder how Chester’s question strikes you.  Here are my thoughts:

Everything of the world burns – no surprise there.  While the rest of the outcomes listed are a laudable part of operating a business according to Christian principles, they can seem self-serving and without much meaning unless one has a perspective on God’s overarching purposes.

I am reminded of the opening line of Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, where he says, “It’s not about you.”  While we do learn what Warren intends by this startling statement, it is somewhat misleading because understanding the assertion depends upon what the meaning of “it” is.  In one sense, “it” is about you, and about me, and God’s ordination of all that we do in life. 

For reasons that we cannot begin to fathom, God has chosen to carry out His work in the world through people.  People are His handiwork, examples of His own workmanship, and so is the work of their hands.  God has ordained that some will be teachers, some pastors, some tradesman, some homemakers, and some business owners.  Each person is of highest value, with no one being more important, in God’s economy, than any other.  Why is this? 

At least four possibilities occur to me:

• So that He might be magnified in the world through the lives of all those who live, and who die, for Him. 
• So that He might receive glory and honor through the follower of Jesus, in a way that is a witness to the world (seen and unseen), of how He works. 
• So that He might grant, to some, salvation. 
• So that those who will not come to repentance, having seen and heard, will be without excuse. 

His purposes for our vocation, business, or profession, are to demonstrate His strength and honor through us, in how we handle both success and failure.  The world is watching as we work for His greater glory.  But, the pastor’s comment is incomplete.  We must come to understand that God works through all human endeavors to accomplish His purposes.  Ultimately, it is all about a God who is not willing that any should perish, and who has ordained our work, our businesses, from before the foundation of the world, to be to the praise of His glory.  Rom. 9:23; Eph. 1:4-11, 2:10; Heb.11:3; 2 Tim. 2:20-21.

What are your thoughts?  How would you respond?