How to run business as a Christian

Obituaries
It is very interesting to note that when Jesus started looking for His disciples, He never went to the synagogue. Instead, He went to the marketplace.

It is very interesting to note that when Jesus started looking for His disciples, He never went to the synagogue. Instead, He went to the marketplace. Most of the miracles, signs and wonders we read in the Bible didn’t take place in the synagogue. It was outside of the synagogue that these miracles took place.

Grace tidings with dr doug mamvura

The enemy has made us believe that business is a secular thing and creating wealth is a sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. If it was a sin to create wealth, why would God give us power to create wealth? (Deuteronomy 8:18).

As business leaders, we are called to support the work of God in a big way. To whom much is given, much is expected.

Tithes and offerings are no longer enough to support the work of the ministry. It is going to take massive wealth to expand the kingdom of God. This is why God gives us “the power to get wealth”. It is not so that we can be showy, flashy, or boast about how rich we are. Instead, it is so that “we may be a blessing” to God’s people.

When I was growing up, not having money was a badge of honour for believers. Most of the people didn’t have a clue that God wanted them “to be prosperous” even as their soul prospered (3 John 2). This is why “though He was rich, He became poor so that we could become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Most believers have a negative impression about money and riches and it is mainly because of the way some unscrupulous and deceitful so-called men of God have exploited the unsuspecting flock for their selfish gain. The other reason is purely ignorance of the Word.

I believe that as we run our businesses as believers, we are at the centre of what God wants us to do and that is part of our mandate. This is why He gives us the power to create wealth. We can’t create wealth by “claiming and grabbing”. We have to work. Apostle Paul says he who does not work, neither shall they eat. Most of us believers are very lazy. The Bible is very tough on lazy people. It calls them “sluggards”. Some think that by getting “anointed oil” or “anointed water” or anointed whatever, they will become successful. I am yet to come across a verse that tells me if I get anointed oil or water I will become prosperous.

Please help me see where that is written in the Bible, lest I am in the dark. Unless you work, you can get as many drums of anointed oil as you want or you can have 100 anointed major prophets and apostles and archbishops and half their wives praying for you, but you will never be successful or prosperous.

Some believers are very lazy and gullible they become fertile ground for the fake prophets and pastors who then take advantage of them because they don’t want to read the Bible. Please note that, I am not saying every pastor or prophet is fake. However, if you know the Word of God you will be able to discern the difference. There are good pastors and prophets who can teach you proper kingdom principles about prosperity and creating wealth.

You should realise that your business is part of the Kingdom of God. This means that you have to run it based on biblical principles. Some of us are running our businesses secularly. We are compromising a lot on our biblical principles, hence we are failing to record success. You have to bring your faith into your business. One of the believers who have done this very successfully is our brother Strive Masiyiwa. I am not surprised with the level of success he has achieved because he has realised the secret of bringing one’s faith into one’s business and never compromise on your faith, values and principles.

A Christian should run their business based on Godly — not secular — principles. Your Godly business can radically change the lives of your employees and customers.

In the wake of corporate scandals, corporate accountability has become very critical for those of us who are running businesses. This call is very important particularly to those of us who are believers. Many have abandoned biblical principles in running their businesses. There is no longer a difference between a business belonging to a believer and that belonging to an atheist. Our society as a whole has little knowledge or understanding of God’s Word and principles for conducting our lives and businesses. We need to realise that conducting business God’s way will bring great blessing and peace to all involved. God’s Word says: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

We must take responsibility as Christian business leaders to educate our stakeholders about God’s values and principles for conducting businesses. We must then implement and adhere to these values and principles by establishing systems of accountability throughout the organisation.

In any organisation, there are two fundamental factors which I believe impact success greatly.one is vision, which is the strategic factor, and values which is the behavioural factor. Vision statements will answer the question: “What must we accomplish?” Value statement answers the question: “How must we behave?” At the heart of an organisation’s culture are its values and principles. If these values are shared by all stakeholders, the work of the organisation will reflect this belief. Shared values in an organisation will influence opinions, behaviour and attitudes ultimately determining results. Implementation of values and principles is a process which begins by clearly defining an organisation’s core values and principles. This is followed by communicating and enforcing these values throughout the organisation. The organisation must align company procedures and systems and processes to reflect company values and principles. Companies that take this process seriously ensure that all employees understand not only the letter of these values, but also the spirit of them. Core values and principles should be enduring and non-negotiable. Values and principles should be determined through careful consideration and not from mimicking others.

In my experience as a business consultant, I have seen that most company values are the same and this clearly shows lack of understanding of the importance and purpose of company values.

In addition to implementing your core values and principles, they must also have credibility. Values’ credibility is the result of a company’s ability to manage its performance through its core values and principles.

Values’ credibility results from creating work environments which are aligned with your core values. This may be accomplished by rewarding behaviours and performances which reflect your core values and principles. Companies that are serious about their core values and principles will take steps to deal with violations to ensure that values have credibility.

If you are running your business from a Christian perspective, you should never compromise on things like integrity, taking bribes or evading taxes or any violation of biblical principles. This is why it is critical to ensure that your value system is well-understood by all your employees and even suppliers and other stakeholders.

It is your responsibility as a business leader to take the necessary steps to correct circumstances, which are inconsistent with your core values and principles. It should be noted that values’ credibility comes with consistent, unbending steadfast leadership. Employees notice the little things in their environment as cues for how they should behave. They desire to believe in their company’s vision and values, but are always watching for inconsistencies that destroy credibility. Credibility is all about consistency between words and actions. People will hear the words, observe the actions, and measure the difference. A leader will be judged as credible when the gaps are too small to matter.

When members of an organisation understand and support the core values and principles that are responsible for its success, and the when they experience these values in their everyday lives, a strong, loyal bonded community which shares vision and purpose will be gradually built.

The importance of establishing values in a business can’t be over-emphasised. This is why it is very important to ensure that all new employees are well-indoctrinated in the values, principles or philosophy of the organisation. If you are running your business using biblical principles, it should be very clear and there shouldn’t be any doubt to all other employees regardless of what other faith they may belong to.

Those who are not able to accommodate your values and principles should be given an opportunity to leave.

Dr Doug Mamvura is a graduate of Charis Bible School. Feedback: [email protected] or Twitter @dougmamvura