Business and the Bible (part 4)
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
“A Master of Intrigues”
Proverbs 4:14-16
Enter not into the path of the wicked,
and go not in the way of evil men:
avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
For they sleep not except they have done mischief,
and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused some to fall.
R: Whether done in an obvious campaign to ruin someone's reputation, or done behind closed doors with snide remarks meant to discourage someone until they give up, God hates (6:16-19) this kind of behavior.
Fortunately I have only seen a few minor examples when it comes to online businesses. The occasional talebearer, harassment, or technical attack.
Proverbs 17:20
He that hath a perverse heart findeth no good;
and he that shifteth about with his tongue falleth into evil.
If a Christian has the temptation to hurt someone in any way, obviously some serious self examination needs to take place. Destroying a lamb is to serving the devil as loving each other is to serving Christ. Seeking to do harm, or wishing for someone's ruin is a symptom of a “perverse heart.”
For anyone struggling with very negative emotions, such as rage or jealousy, that take you down the path to committing violent acts that hurt others (whether physical, verbal, or typed!), you must repent and seek God and any help He'll lead you to.
For those experiencing the abuse, remember that God will defend you and He is there for you. You will be blessed. You are always safe in His arms.
L: We will begin with a couple of the original Hebrew words and meanings:
Except - bad (bad): separation, apart, alone.
Taken - gazal (gaw-zal'): pluck off, strip, rob, consume, spoil, take away by force, tear.
Our business should bring glory to the Father. When we choose to take our business down a road that is filled with wickedness; i.e., cutting corners, not reporting all of our taxes, lying, cheating, taking business lunches in inappropriate places, etc.; when we do this we have stepped out of the Will of God [the narrow path] and into the wide “path of the wicked.”
This only brings separation from God. We drift away from what God has planned for our lives and business. We will lose our peace and even sleep. It will be taken away! That is a scary thought. I don't ever want to build a business that is not grounded on the Rock. The Rock of our Savior Jesus Christ! The peace that comes with that!
The next time you are tempted to do wrong in business, remember Who it is that has blessed you with talent and success in the first place. Do not turn from His righteous path. For if you walk strong in faith and do not grow weary, He WILL bless you more than you could ever imagine. You won't get far on your own.
More References
Pr 3:29, 4:14-19, 6:16-19, 11:9,
12:21, 12:26, 16:27, 16:27-30,
17:5, 17:13, 17:26, 19:5, 20:17,
21:10, 22:8, 25:9-10, 25:18, 26:18-29
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Business and the Bible (part 3)
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
Not Withholding Good
Proverbs 3:27
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
R: Hoarding greedily, spending money carelessly, or just turning a blind eye to those in need are all frowned upon in the Bible. In fact, a selfish attitude disgusts God. Yet most of us turn away when we see a beggar on the corner, despite the wad of cash in our purse or wallet.
Sharing what God gives us is part of our faith. We should continually grow in fruitfulness throughout our lives, in what we share. That goes for our money, our time, our work, and even sharing our hope in Christ to those who will hear. There is no need to compartmentalize or limit what we give back to God. Our born again, spiritual giving nature should only grow as we grow in our relationship with God and in how we relate to others.
Yet there are Christians who won't give a penny or a hand if it doesn't benefit themselves in some way. There are Christians so scared of financial problems that they become common day Scrooges.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honour Jehovah with thy substance,
and with the first-fruits of all thine increase;
so shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
Believing God will take care of your needs is a matter of faith, and faith is something that grows. We aren't born again with a perfect faith. We work for it, He works in us. Our faith gets stronger and stronger. We know and trust more and more that He will provide for us, as he provides even for small animals and birds and even the lilies of the field. He will care for our needs, and bless us. We should share the blessings He gives us, whatever form they come in.
How sad would it be if a would be Christian never learned to be charitable to others in need? Others who could receive Gods blessings through a Christians selfless giving? Our giving is a testament not only to God's pure kingdom, but to Christ's own sacrifice.
Be ready to not only be blessed by God, but to bless others through Him, using you for some of His greatest work!
May your focus be on sharing, on relationships [your family in Christ] and spiritual things, which last forever, and not on wealth and material.
Worth repeating... Prayer of Proverbs 30:8
Remove far from me vanity and lies;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the bread of my daily need...
L: It is very easy to get caught up in all of our “stuff” and forget Who gave it to us. God does not give His children wealth so that we can have fancy cars and daily pedicures. He gives us wealth to further His Kingdom and His purposes.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having nice things. The problem arises when we begin to love those things and feel we can't live without them. We become so obsessed with making sure that we can maintain our material status, that we fail to see the person in worn second hand clothes sitting next to us at church every Sunday.
The bottom line…love God and His purposes more than your material possessions. Our material possessions should be of no value in comparison to our walk with God and the eternal treasures He'll give us if we ask. Love people and their needs more than a manicure or new tech toy. Open your eyes and allow yourself to see the needs of those with less than you. Give sacrificially. Give the way Jesus gave for you!
More References
Pr 3:28, 11:24, 11:25-26, 14:31,
15:8, 19:17, 21:13, 25:14, 28:27
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
Not Withholding Good
Proverbs 3:27
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
R: Hoarding greedily, spending money carelessly, or just turning a blind eye to those in need are all frowned upon in the Bible. In fact, a selfish attitude disgusts God. Yet most of us turn away when we see a beggar on the corner, despite the wad of cash in our purse or wallet.
Sharing what God gives us is part of our faith. We should continually grow in fruitfulness throughout our lives, in what we share. That goes for our money, our time, our work, and even sharing our hope in Christ to those who will hear. There is no need to compartmentalize or limit what we give back to God. Our born again, spiritual giving nature should only grow as we grow in our relationship with God and in how we relate to others.
Yet there are Christians who won't give a penny or a hand if it doesn't benefit themselves in some way. There are Christians so scared of financial problems that they become common day Scrooges.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honour Jehovah with thy substance,
and with the first-fruits of all thine increase;
so shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
Believing God will take care of your needs is a matter of faith, and faith is something that grows. We aren't born again with a perfect faith. We work for it, He works in us. Our faith gets stronger and stronger. We know and trust more and more that He will provide for us, as he provides even for small animals and birds and even the lilies of the field. He will care for our needs, and bless us. We should share the blessings He gives us, whatever form they come in.
How sad would it be if a would be Christian never learned to be charitable to others in need? Others who could receive Gods blessings through a Christians selfless giving? Our giving is a testament not only to God's pure kingdom, but to Christ's own sacrifice.
Be ready to not only be blessed by God, but to bless others through Him, using you for some of His greatest work!
May your focus be on sharing, on relationships [your family in Christ] and spiritual things, which last forever, and not on wealth and material.
Worth repeating... Prayer of Proverbs 30:8
Remove far from me vanity and lies;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the bread of my daily need...
L: It is very easy to get caught up in all of our “stuff” and forget Who gave it to us. God does not give His children wealth so that we can have fancy cars and daily pedicures. He gives us wealth to further His Kingdom and His purposes.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having nice things. The problem arises when we begin to love those things and feel we can't live without them. We become so obsessed with making sure that we can maintain our material status, that we fail to see the person in worn second hand clothes sitting next to us at church every Sunday.
The bottom line…love God and His purposes more than your material possessions. Our material possessions should be of no value in comparison to our walk with God and the eternal treasures He'll give us if we ask. Love people and their needs more than a manicure or new tech toy. Open your eyes and allow yourself to see the needs of those with less than you. Give sacrificially. Give the way Jesus gave for you!
More References
Pr 3:28, 11:24, 11:25-26, 14:31,
15:8, 19:17, 21:13, 25:14, 28:27
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Business and the Bible (part 2)
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
Wisdom Over Wealth
Proverbs 3:13-14
Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding.
For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver,
and her revenue than fine gold.
R: It is mainstream to be obsessed with earthly riches. Many of us who go to work on our own do so simply to earn an income to meet our families needs, or to supplement a spouses income. For some, going into business is believed to be a means to immense wealth.
Proverbs 23:4a
Weary not thyself to become rich....
When we focus our business energies on God's will and priorities for our lives, offering a useful service, doing our job well, maintaining business relationships and being responsible with our resources, we can have a positive, successful career.
When we focus on money, money, money, the business may dwindle down to a “me want” show that no one will watch. Yes, some will get their money, but at what cost? Their families? Their soul? Will they use it to further God's kingdom like Abraham, spreading out their wealth selflessly? Or will they use it for their own “wants” agenda, like Solomon did for a time when he let go of prudence [ignored his better judgment and God's wisdom] and ended up having his heart turn away from God as a result?
If God means for anyone to be wealthy, then hard work and integrity will get them there, and they will spend it in His honor. When a righteous man has money, buying Bibles for those in foreign countries will not be beaten out by amassing collections of watches and jewelry. The focus should never be on getting rich and hoarding junk. The focus should be on pleasing God and serving others.
Does the idea of only having your simplest needs meet for the rest of your like, void of a second home or yacht, upset you? What about selling everything you own, if God asked you to? Does it make you feel ill? Then you're simply not focusing on Him. Instead, your heart is set on worldly things. Worthless things that won't last forever. Repent, and put your focus back on God and His Kingdom.
Remove far from me vanity and lies;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the bread of my daily need...
L: In 1 Kings 3:1-15 Solomon had an opportunity to ask God for anything that he wished. God would give it to him. What's amazing this about this is that he didn’t ask for riches! He asked for wisdom, understanding, and a hearing heart.
God was so pleased by this that He didn’t just give Solomon wisdom, but He made him the wisest man who ever lived. That’s not all…God also gave Solomon honor and an incredible amount of wealth!
You see, if we would set our minds on God and gaining His wisdom to live an obedient and upright life, He will bless us with the rest. It may not be earthly blessings like thousands of horses or cars, but we will be blessed with very good things.
The Word tells us in Psalm 37:4 that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires and secret petitions of our hearts.
The reason He can do this is because, if we are wise and walking with Him, we will not ask for blessings out of greed and lust. We will ask for and with wisdom, and we will be close enough to God and wise enough to handle any type and volume of wealth that He blesses us with.
More References
Pr 3:13-26, 4:5-13, 8:10-11,
8:19, 11:4, 11:28, 15:16,
15:17, 16:8, 16:16, 20:15
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
Wisdom Over Wealth
Proverbs 3:13-14
Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding.
For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver,
and her revenue than fine gold.
R: It is mainstream to be obsessed with earthly riches. Many of us who go to work on our own do so simply to earn an income to meet our families needs, or to supplement a spouses income. For some, going into business is believed to be a means to immense wealth.
Proverbs 23:4a
Weary not thyself to become rich....
When we focus our business energies on God's will and priorities for our lives, offering a useful service, doing our job well, maintaining business relationships and being responsible with our resources, we can have a positive, successful career.
When we focus on money, money, money, the business may dwindle down to a “me want” show that no one will watch. Yes, some will get their money, but at what cost? Their families? Their soul? Will they use it to further God's kingdom like Abraham, spreading out their wealth selflessly? Or will they use it for their own “wants” agenda, like Solomon did for a time when he let go of prudence [ignored his better judgment and God's wisdom] and ended up having his heart turn away from God as a result?
If God means for anyone to be wealthy, then hard work and integrity will get them there, and they will spend it in His honor. When a righteous man has money, buying Bibles for those in foreign countries will not be beaten out by amassing collections of watches and jewelry. The focus should never be on getting rich and hoarding junk. The focus should be on pleasing God and serving others.
Does the idea of only having your simplest needs meet for the rest of your like, void of a second home or yacht, upset you? What about selling everything you own, if God asked you to? Does it make you feel ill? Then you're simply not focusing on Him. Instead, your heart is set on worldly things. Worthless things that won't last forever. Repent, and put your focus back on God and His Kingdom.
Remove far from me vanity and lies;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the bread of my daily need...
L: In 1 Kings 3:1-15 Solomon had an opportunity to ask God for anything that he wished. God would give it to him. What's amazing this about this is that he didn’t ask for riches! He asked for wisdom, understanding, and a hearing heart.
God was so pleased by this that He didn’t just give Solomon wisdom, but He made him the wisest man who ever lived. That’s not all…God also gave Solomon honor and an incredible amount of wealth!
You see, if we would set our minds on God and gaining His wisdom to live an obedient and upright life, He will bless us with the rest. It may not be earthly blessings like thousands of horses or cars, but we will be blessed with very good things.
The Word tells us in Psalm 37:4 that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires and secret petitions of our hearts.
The reason He can do this is because, if we are wise and walking with Him, we will not ask for blessings out of greed and lust. We will ask for and with wisdom, and we will be close enough to God and wise enough to handle any type and volume of wealth that He blesses us with.
More References
Pr 3:13-26, 4:5-13, 8:10-11,
8:19, 11:4, 11:28, 15:16,
15:17, 16:8, 16:16, 20:15
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