There are many ways to “conduct business”. And as business owners, especially small business owners you are on your own pretty much to determine how you will conduct your business. What practices will you choose and what limitations will you be certain to put into place for your business?
Being a Christian business owner puts yet another factor there to consider when you’re determining how you will conduct business because you have to take into account your own set of ethics, morals, and beliefs.
When determining how you will conduct business as a Christian business owner there are some Biblical laws and commandments that you should definitely consider first. They include:
The Golden Rule says, “treat others as you want to be treated.” Treating your employees, clients, customers, and anyone for that matter that you deal with in business as you would like to be treated is the first step to conducting business in a Christian-like manner.
The Ten Commandments are located in Exodus 20, especially “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” Let’s face it, as Christian business owners we must have some limitations on how much time we spend on our businesses, so if you do not take any day off besides the Sabbath at least give that day to the Lord and do no work.
Other Ten Commandments that we should especially look to uphold in business are “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Both commandments deal with your neighbor or fellow business owners.
Many times we come to blows with other business owners, whether we feel threatened by them or we wish we have what they have or we feel belittled by their accomplishments, it is never right to say things against them just because of our jealousy or to be envious in the first place. God will reward us in our own time if we are obedient to Him.
Therefore, commit your business to God and He will bless you, as the Bible says, “Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.” Psalm 37:5 (NASB). So, as you set out to determine your business practices, take all of these laws and commandments into consideration.
Treating your business in the manner in which it should be as a Christian business owner will only pay off for you in the long run, watch to see how God will bless you for your acts of obedience to Him.