TIPS & TRICKS

Defining Faith in Life and Business

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When the multitudes came to John the Baptist in Luke 3, and he preached a message of repentance, it is telling what John did and did not tell them to do.

He told them not to rest upon their associations, saying, “Bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

He did not tell them to recite a creed or to put the Star of David on their clothes. He told them to repent – to change their thinking, change their direction, and to bear actual good fruits from this change.

Then, the people ask him, “What shall we do then?”

He first tells them to give from their excess to those who are in need.

He tells tax collectors not to collect any more than they are supposed to collect for themselves.

He tells soldiers not to intimidate anyone, not to bring false accusations against anyone, and to be content with their paychecks.

Then, he calls their attention to the coming Messiah.

You see, we often make “faith” a more complicated topic than it really is. Faith is difficult, but it isn’t complicated when we take it as a whole. It doesn’t mean an abstract intellectual assent to a list of ideas. In the original language, belief and faith are not really separate concepts. Believing a truth moves you to act upon it, or it isn’t really belief or faith.

Faith is faithful. It means holding to the way, to that which is tested, loyally carrying out God’s plan for mankind.

It’s surprisingly simple, most of the time.

Be generous, be on the lookout for opportunities to do good (and take those opportunities whole-heartedly), don’t squeeze people for more money than you ought to, don’t intimidate or falsely accuse others. Be content and not filled with greed.

Sometimes complicated, easy things are more appealing to us than simple, difficult things, but I think most of the time the scriptures call us to that which is simple, difficult, and honest.

So following our faith in business, then, doesn’t have anything to do with printing little crosses on our products, hiding scriptures on what we make, or putting “Christian” in the title of our brand. If you feel compelled to do those things, more power to you, but the heart of faith in business is something so much plainer, and more powerful, than that.

It is choosing to be God’s man in the field. His boots on the ground. His hands and feet.

We all know people who have an extensive network. People who are quick to say, “I know a guy for that.” “I’ve got an electrician.” “I’m good buddies with a consultant.” “I’m friendly with the mayor.”

We ought to be the network for God. When God needs a person in finance, are you going to be found faithfully carrying out your business in a humble, diligent, honest manner? Are you His person in finance, always looking for an opportunity to do good?

Jesus Christ is a person, God in the flesh, redeemer of mankind, and a personal relationship with

Him is rightly taught as a very important part of life.

But sometimes we forget that He, by His own proclamation, is the Way.

Jesus is a person, but as God, He is also capable of being a mode of being. His is the kind of life that does not pass away, that echoes into eternity, that withstands trials, hardship, and testing.

The humbling truth for each of us in business is that usually, this just means we need to do a good job, with a good attitude, at a fair rate, with excellence, with generosity, with concern for the others we work for and with, and with an openness to doing good when the opportunity arises.

So if you have been pondering the big question of “How do I live out my faith in my business?”

The answer is not much different than how the scriptures would tell you to live out faith in your life.

“Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

Quick Hits

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• Christianity Today calls for more churches to support their local crisis pregnancy care centers.
• After a week of volatile trading and a precipitous drop, CNN Business declares that “The Nvidia Spell Is Broken.”
• Is television drying up? Forbes explains the shrinking rewards for creating a hit T.V. show.
• Trying to get in touch with the IRS? Good luck. The Wall Street Journal reports that 2/3 of taxpayers who reach out for help can’t get on the phone with a human being.
• Business Insider reports that the U.S. Housing market is heading for a correction.