Faith4Business

In our modern business world most decisions that involve business judgment calls are complex or "Grey" that is a given.  But what I think we fail to recognize is that if we subjected these “Grey Areas” to scriptural guidance the answers arrive in vivid color.

So what is a simple yet effective test for judgment calls in the business world that will keep us on the narrow path?  The bible is a massive text with many stories, lessons, laws and commandments, right?  How does one take a modern problem and quickly assess if it is in good Godly accordance?  Well, I am sure that this could be a subject of great debate and I would leave that to debate to men much smarter and wiser than I.  For me I like to keep it simple and I think that is what Jesus was doing when he said there are only two commandments that need to be kept and by keeping them you will not breach the others.  So lets do the same with our current decisions in the business world. 

1.  Does your possible solution/direction/decision glorify God?  Does it bring glory to God?  Many decisions may at first pass not have much to do with God.  But this is a simple question to which there is only a yes or no answer.  I think in many cases it may be easier to say does this decision have possible outcomes that in any way disgrace or bring dishonor to God?

2.  Does your possible solution/direction/decision show love, kindness and compassion for your neighbor?  Or maybe this is easier to answer by asking does your decision in any way NOT show love, kindness and compassion for your neighbor or fellow man.

This may seem overly simplistic but before you dismiss this I would challenge you to try it.  Remember, a reasonable profit is not dishonoring God nor is it unkind to your fellow man.  A healthy profit may not be either depending on the circumstances or situation.  Opportunistic profit though would have a hard time passing either of the above criteria.  The key is analyzing your motivations and defining if you are in line with the Will of God or the Will of You?

New International Version (©1984)
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'"Luke 10:27

Photo via The Shack

Imagine one day a week with no computer, no smart phones, no email, no Facebook, no Twitter…   

In our digital society, rest, may be the most over looked concept of our generation. More than anytime previously in history we are constantly accessible or plugged-in to work, our friends, and colleagues. This is true for most regardless whether we are at the office or home. We all know that it is not uncommon to check email, twitter or FB on the Berry or iPhone while at the kids baseball game, which takes our focus away from being in the moment. It is also common to check email and put in an additional hour or so of work after the kids are in bed or after the evening activities family activities have concluded.  This results in a constant high level of stress and unrest given our electric device are visually and mentally stimulating leaving us wired.

Solution? Unplug, take a weekly 24 hour “Techno No Fly Zone”? Meaning “Turn it all off.” I know this is unthinkable for some. But if is, then you likely need the down time the most. I would suggest Sunday because that is the when most people would expect to get the fewest calls, text, tweets, or emails. But, you can pick whatever day works best for your schedule. Believe it or not the world will be there when you plug back in and you may find you are not missed as much as you might have thought. And, if you were then just handle whatever crisis emerged a few hours later than you might have otherwise. It is very doubtful that anyone will notice the difference. However, you will notice. There is a significant benefit to such a discipline. You will sleep better after a day being unplugged and when you do re-engage you will notice your creative intuition is back. After just a brief break you will find that you are less scattered and can again focus on individual tasks with greater clarity and creativity.  

Of course, this concept is not new and it is actually biblical. Really biblical as in Old Testament, Ten Commandments biblical.  The Old Testament Law of “Keep the Sabbath Holy” is not just a suggestion, its a commandment. Seriously, if God needed a break on the Seventh day, how is it we think we don’t. It will most likely feel uncomfortable at first, it did to me. But after a few weeks you will find, as I did, that you will actually look forward to the break.  Give it a try!  Recharge YOUR battery.   

While the picture above is satire when your customer calls this is exactly what you should do. And, in general to be in service to your fellow man/woman maybe you should actually give it a try. Make it a great day! P.S. I took this photo while running thru an airport in FL yesterday. Sent from my iPad

1. Be honest.

2. Be honest to your boss.

3. Be honest to your employees.

4. Be honest to your co-workers.

5. Be honest to your customers.

6. Be honest to your children.

7. Be honest to your spouse.

8. Be honest to yourself.

9. Be honest to God.

10. Don't lie.

Want to give your office an upgrade?  Here are 4 simple things you can do daily to improve the environment of your workplace. 

1.      Don't say negative things about your peers or superiors to anyone.  When I was young I was told to say nothing at all if I could not say something good. This is still true today, if you cannot say something positive about someone just walk away from the conversation and say nothing.    

 2.     Say, "Thank You.”  Recognize someone today that is doing a good job and then tell them you are grateful for what they are doing.   

 3.     Be on time today.  Value other people's time by being on time.  Showing up late sends the message that you do not value other people's time as much as your own time. Give others respect by being on time and you might be surprised by what you get back in return. 

 4.     Pray for your colleagues at work today.  Especially the ones you don't necessarily like. Pray that they get what they want not what you think they deserve.  Pray that they find a closer relationship with God. 

Who knows?  With a little conscience effort today you could keep your office from crashing. 

Relationships in business can mean many things.  From the relationship you have with peers, superiors and subordinates to the relationship you have with the company itself.  The thought today is how do we apply our faith to these relationships. Given that more than half of our waking hours are spent at our work.  How then after leaving church on Sunday morning do we apply Jesus's second commandment to these business relationships, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  

This is a tough one for many reasons. This is mostly because of the competitive nature inherent within business and corporate careers.  In most cases as a company we come together as a team to compete against other companies selling products or services. We also compete within our respective companies to show our value of helping the team achieve its goals.  These environments are not conducive to selflessness and building lasting relationships here can be a challenge.  Many have heard the phrase "Nice guys finish last" and that can be true in the short-term. After years of witnessing the behaviors of people in the workplace I can say that the concept of serving others at a cost to us separates the men from the boys.  It requires a long-term vision of how all things work to the benefit of all involved when the greater good is served.  It is delayed gratification, which is too frequently a foreign concept in our modern world dedicated to having it now. Christ said a lot about relationships because it was obviously important to him to give us guidance.  And, ultimately he was guiding us to a relationship with God our Father.  He told us how to love our spouses and treat our neighbors because he knew that it was and is human nature to perceive the world as a place of limited resources, a place where we would compete for the same resources with a "Me" mentality.  In reality when we can see how serving others ultimately serves us and all involved then we can begin to see the world as not a place of limited resources but one of abundance and plenty.  But believing in things yet unseen takes Faith.