Kingdom Business: What is it? Is it possible? How do you Lead it?
This week, ABA is introducing the first issue of a new and separate newsletter, The Spirit Led Business™, providing Insights on Building a Kingdom Business – a company led by a person who in turn is led by the Spirit of God. Some believe that Christianity and business cannot or should not be mixed. Others believe it is not politically correct to mix religion and business. Therefore, you may be thinking it strange for American Business Advisors to publish a newsletter on the integration of God and business. Perhaps you are not familiar with the scripture from the Bible printed in the sidebar of this letter: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant…” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Since our Mission Statement says we exist “To Help Small and Mid-sized Businesses Grow and Produce Wealth”, we believe we would be negligent if we did not educate our market on how God participates in the process of running a business and producing wealth from it.
If you are not at all curious about this topic or feel offended by it, please feel free to unsubscribe from this newsletter below. You will continue to receive only The Strategic Edge™ and ABA Insider™ newsletters in the future. However, if you are adventurous and interested in knowing more about God and the amazing journey of walking with God in business, stick around for a few months and decide for yourself what you think. I will be sharing key insights learned in my own spiritual journey. As you can imagine, my own walk is a constant work-in-progress, but I think you will find the articles interesting and thought provoking.
The Case for God
Did you know that 85% of the adults in the world have a religious affiliation! Why? Because: 1) Humans intuitively know in their hearts that there is a God. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and 2) It is logical, all you have to do is look around you at the beauty, complexity, and order of His creation. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). If you are a skeptic and want more evidence read The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.
The Case for a Personal Relationship with God
Of the world’s adult population, 33% list Christianity as their religion and 76% of the adults in the U.S. list Christianity as their religious affiliation. Why? Because it is the only religion that promises eternal life in heaven through God’s grace by giving his Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrificial gift to pay the price for the wrong doing of mankind. In all other religions you must work your way to heaven, a mission impossible!
Many of those listing Christianity as their religion believe that they are a “Christian” because they were raised in a Christian home or attend a Christian church. Those are good things, but they do not make you a Christian. True Christianity as explained in the Bible is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with God. God is a personal being and wants to be personally involved in your life. “Jesus replied ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’” (John 14:23). Christ taught us how to start this relationship. “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” That is “born of…the Spirit (of God). Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit (in humans). For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (From John, chapter 3).
It is a human’s spirit that makes mankind different from other animals. They do not have a spirit. When a person puts their belief in Jesus Christ, that person is born into God’s family, and at that time, their personal relationship with God begins: “Yet to all who received him (Christ), to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of Godchildren born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12). That is, your spirit is given life as was intended from the beginning of creation, and God lives in you (your spirit) for eternity (forever, regardless of what kind of physical body your spirit lives in)! If you would like more evidence for the claims of Jesus Christ, you can get the DVD The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.
Building a Kingdom Business
Maybe you’re a Christian and you run/own a business. Have you ever felt as though running/owning a business is your calling from God? Or, have you ever felt as though you are a second-class citizen in God’s Kingdom because you are a business person? You are not alone! The tension between these two feelings is worldwide. Michael Baer in his book Business as Mission says “In much of the world there is a fundamental conviction among sincere Christians that there is something intrinsically wrong with business and that no serious follower of Christ would go into business, much less consider it a calling.” However, if you have ever felt you were being led to integrate God into your business mission, there is a good reason for that desire. Baer goes on to say that “business is a good thing from God…a high calling from God.”
If you believe you have such a leadership calling from God, you are faced with a challenging job. Dallas Willard said “It is as great and as difficult a spiritual calling to run the factories and the mines, the banks and the department stores, the schools and government agencies for the Kingdom of God as it is to pastor a church or serve as an evangelist.”
Baer says building a Kingdom business is intentional. It involves intentionally integrating your God given purpose with God’s purposes in the Bible. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
And, if you are to build and lead a Kingdom business, you are going to need Kingdom resources and know how to use them. Following is a summary of some key topics we will be covering in future articles:
The Case for Building a Kingdom Business
How to Become a Born Again Christian and How to Know You Are One?
Christ’s Finished Work of Grace at the Cross – What Did it Do For You?
God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Truth – Your Personal Counselor/Mentor
Walking with God in Business – Being Spirit Led
Sanctification – Growing Up Spiritually
The Battle Against Spiritual Forces of Evil – Using the Armor of God
The Kingdom Culture, Part 1 – Christ the King, Leader
The Kingdom Culture, Part 2 – Behavior
The Kingdom Culture, Part 3 – Rewards and Reprimands
The Kingdom Culture, Part 4 – Your Position, Privileges and Power
The Kingdom Culture, Part 5 – Communicating with God
The Kingdom Culture, Part 6 – The Success Principle
The Kingdom Culture, Part 7 – Feedback and Assessment
Godliness – Is it a Mission Possible?
Walking as Jesus Walked – Is it a Mission Possible?
The insights on being a spirit-led Christian apply to all people who have been born into God’s family, so if you are a member of God’s family and are seeking to strengthen your relationship with the Lord, you may want to follow these articles as well. If you want to begin a personal relationship with God you can do it right now where you are. John 1:12 says “Yet to all who received Him (the Lord Jesus Christ), to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Pray to the Lord Jesus, tell Him you believe that He is the Son of God, that He died for you and invite Him into your life as savior and Lord. Then when you go home tonight start reading the book of John in the Bible. If you don’t have a Bible, go online to bible.org and click on Net Bible. Then click on Online NETBible and go to the upper left corner where it says Display Bible. Scroll to John and click on Go. And if you do pray or you want someone to talk to first, call us at ABA!
It is for these reasons that we have establish this newsletter, and I will discuss some key Insights on Building a Kingdom Business in the next issue of The Spirit Led Business™.
The Spirit Led Business™ is published by American Business Advisors, Inc. to provide business and personal improvement information and ideas. All material is presented to provide general and broad information only. The information found in this publication does not constitute business, tax, financial, or legal advice and should not be acted upon without seeking the counsel of a professional advisor.
