Business and the Bible

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Business Integrity

Proverbs 1:19
So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain:
it taketh away the life of its possessors.

R: Greed is bad. This certainly sounds like a given, even from the average Joe's ethical standpoint. However, we've all seen Christians taken over by greed. Even seeking it out!

For every famous Christian leader who has been revealed to have real issues with greed, there are probably hundreds if not thousands of us not so famous Christians struggling. Some of those famous Christian leaders have created followers after their own images, to go after “wealth” as an idol [putting more value on money than on God and Spiritual things.] Many followers of these men end up being even worse off in their idolatry than their teachers!

It appears worldliness and all it's vices have crept into Christians lives to a degree not seen in other recent generations. It is even preached at the pulpit in some churches.

Unfortunately, harboring such a vice can create a nasty black hole in a persons moral values, Christian or not. Greed leads to corruption, and everything else in business that is void of integrity. It is as if a person, fueled by greed, blinds themselves spiritually and morally. They start digging a pit for themselves. Maybe they think they'll be hiding their winnings in that pit? Instead they will fall into it and will be buried alive as the dirt walls crumble around them.

Enter in the world of online businesses: internet scams, spam, withholding information, sly MLM, junk products sold as massive prices, trying to destroy the competition, faking clicks, exaggerating about success to lure in new customers, and so on. The possibilities for ill-gotten gain are endless. The ways to corrupt your business dealings are endless. There are even plenty of people out there that'll tell you exactly how to go about these corrupt dealings.

A lot of people come online and commit Internet no-no's out of being uninformed, like something as simple as guestbook spam. However, most of the examples in the paragraph above are fairly easy to determine as wrong using simple ethics. For us, it is not so much a matter of ethics, but of sin. Sin may temporarily get a man what his flesh desires, like money, or a boost in ego, but in the end it will only lead to his destruction.

For a Christian, following Christ and having our work be under Gods authority can keep us from being dedicated to our own wants. In effect, It will keep us from being dedicated to our own spiritual, and likely our own businesses, destruction.

Our goal should be to work for and in honour of God, with Biblical integrity. Not in desperation to earn more and more money. Not fueled by greed. Not into corruption.

Proverbs 10:2
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing;
but righteousness delivereth from death.

Lately, the world had it's first spam related conviction. Eventually online business will be just as regulated as offline business. For non-Christians and the corrupted among us, temptation won't be as great when mans law rules the Internet, and jail time or great fines are being handed down. Most of mankind understand the law and punishment system of society, and most try to avoid getting caught up in that system.

For some reason men, even claiming to be Christians, fear the police and government while having no due fear and respect of God, the Ultimate Authority and Most Just Judge. So many Christians are stuck in the here and now, and making excuses and allowances for sin. It won't stand up in the Just court that is Gods, even if you get away with it here and now.

We SHOULD already be guided by the Greater Law: Gods! We shouldn't be making excuses for sin, using human reasoning to make it seem like no big deal, with no major consequences. We should be working with integrity now, even as many in the world think they can get away with so much online (even offline!)

Proverbs 10:9
He that walketh in integrity walketh securely;
but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

You can be sure that those who have used wicked means to make a profit online will have their dirty deeds catch up with them. If not now via mans law, later, when God judges mankind. That is if they haven't already pleaded forgiveness and grace through Christ.

If Christ is our focus, then we won't be slaves to money, and to corruption.

L: The original Hebrew text of many Biblical words is far more descriptive to what the writer was trying to tell us than what the translators decided to use.

Here are examples of Hebrew words that Solomon spoke throughout this study:

Greedy – batsa’ (baw-tsah’): covet, covetous, plunder, gain greedily.

Life – nephesh (new’-fesh): vitality

Gain in and of itself is not the problem. The problem arises when we covet and have a greedy attitude. My husband always uses the term “keeping up with the Jones's.” Meaning, when so and so gets a new whatever, we have to have one too.

Our whole focus then becomes getting a flesh driven fix. Instead, we should be finding ways to give to others. And when we really want something, we should take it to the Father and allow Him to decide. He loves us and knows what is best for us MUCH more than we do. When we lay our wants at His feet, we can be assured that He will only do what’s best for us- even if it is not what we may want.

Unfortunately, the consequence of allowing our flesh to rule lends to a life filled with lethargy, sluggishness, apathy, or lifelessness. You see, we will never find happiness with money or stuff. The only way to find the kind of joy and fulfillment that God has for us is to live a life submitted to Him. Although we may not always get what we want, we will definitely be more

spiritually fulfilled and content. More then we could ever have imagined! We will also have a peace that no amount of money could ever buy!

More References
Pr 1:11-19, 10:16, 11:1, 11:3,
11:5-6, 11:18, 12:3, 14:22, 15:3,
15:6, 16:11, 19:1, 20:10, 21:15,
24:20, 28:8