4 Verses to Guide a Kingdom-Focused Business
Many Christian businesses mean well—but physical and spiritual lives don’t improve through good intentions alone. If you are a Christian business owner who wants to strengthen poor economies while sharing the Gospel, you must be honest. You must be humble. You must view the people you “help” as equals.You must dig into the Bible and follow its principles.At Kingdom Growers, we have built our business philosophy and model on a several key verses. This way, our work and our passions remain in line with God’s word. When we work with farmers to improve their income and when we share the Gospel alongside them, we keep these pieces of scripture in mind. The Bible has a lot of great things to say, though, so here are a just few of our favorites:
- “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
To build a Kingdom-focused business, your ultimate mission is simple: to obey the Great Commission issued in Matthew 28. Whether your enterprise succeeds or fails financially, it still offers opportunities to form relationships and to talk to people about Christ’s work in your life. Take those opportunities.
- “Whatever you do, work heartily for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)
Although the Gospel is your top priority, you still must run a legitimate business. Even if you live in an area hostile to Christianity, you can’t use your business as a “front” or a “platform” for your ministry. It must actually make money and run well—otherwise, you lie each time you identify yourself as an entrepreneur. Once people discover your “real” motives, they might not trust you again. The Bible tells us to work “heartily.” So, work heartily.
- “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)
The work you do is important, and it’s important for the people you help to work, as well. This is why creating businesses often benefits communities more than distributing handouts. God made people to work, and through this work, they find dignity. They find purpose. If we only offer handouts, we rob people of the satisfaction they can find in jobs. God made us all to work.
- “Then God said,‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:26)
God also created us all in His image. He made you, and He made the poor in His likeness. As Christians, we must remember that we are no better than anyone else. At the Kingdom Growers Coffee Company, we realize we don’t necessarily know more than farmers. Sometimes, we have more knowledge about advanced agriculture, but they still teach us plenty about their communities and markets. The arrogance of limiting a group’s freedom for its supposed good is called “paternalism.” Don’t practice it.Of course, this is just a start. The Bible’s wisdom is vast, and the more you read, the more scripture you’ll find that applies to your business, your relationships, and your life. If you find a verse that has changed the way you work, please share it with us in the comments. We wish you well with your business. May God bless it!