The Gospel and Business

I recently talked with someone who had worked for a major Christian company.  She said that she would never work for Christians again.  I can understand this.  I grew up in a ministry family.  I have seen the worst of it, and I am sure that I will see more.  It seems too often that when we enter the work place, even sometimes a Christian one, we check the gosspel at the door.  Then there are those who see themselves as “right” who run roughshod over others in the name of their rightness.   In looking to serve Christ, we stripe him.

 Someone that I worked with once a while ago said, “You know, the difference with a Christian businessman is that he will bless you before he cheats you.”  Actually, he used more colorful language.  What are we playing at?

There has to be a better way.  If Christ is Lord, then he must be Lord of all, including how we work.  There are worse things than failure.  I have failed many times, and I am sure that I will fail again. 

 For me, this highlights a huge problem with the church today.  As we have bought uncritically into the American economic system, we have adopted its values and ways of doing business.  Unfortunately, many of the modes of operation of the business world are more based on being opportunistic than being virtuous.  In fact, many perfectly acceptable business practices may be in direct contradiction to the teaching of Christ.  We should be motivated by higher ideals.

 We should seek to produce a product that would please the Lord.  We should pay our employees enough that a full-time worker can reasonably support a family.  We should avoid cutting corners or trying to work the system.  This may not be the way to "make it in America," but it is the way of Christ and the church.