God's purpose for Business

What is God’s purpose for business? Does it even make sense to ask that question? Does God only have a purpose for people in business? Or does God have a purpose for institutions like corporations, economic systems, and governments?

The quote referred to as the Westminister Shorter Catechism (1674) speaks to God’s purpose for humans. “Question 1: What is the chief end of man? Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”

Which leads us to the next question: How? How does a person glorify God? How does a business glorify God? John Piper’s modification of the Westminister Catechism helps to answer this question. His answer to the question, “What is the chief end of man?” is “Man’s chief end is to glorify Godby enjoying him forever.” We glorify God when we place Him at the center of our lives, when He becomes our greatest source of satisfaction and joy.

The result of the Fall and of sin is that humans want to be their own god, and be the source of their own satisfaction and joy. We do this by trying to fulfill ourselves with human relationships, with money, with success, with sex, with power, with the cheap thrills of this world. Our sin is rooted in pride, the belief that we can do a better job than God at fulfilling the desires of our hearts.

What about for business? Does it make sense to say that the chief end of business is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever? Perhaps it seems a bit abstract to think about the enjoyment of a business. But we can think about how a business glorifies God.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve asked various Christians in business this question, “What does it mean to you to honor God in your work and your business?” Here are some of their answers:

· To advance God’s kingdom – seeking and saving the lost, either doing it yourself or helping others to do this

· Have fair employer/employee interactions

· Serve your customers’ needs

· Do your work and run your business ethically

· Use business as a platform to introduce people to Jesus

· Be a selfless, servant leader

· Treat people well

· Pray for and with co-workers

· Genuinely care for clients, for their well-being and eternal salvation

· Value relationships over money

· Reconcile broken relationships even at your own cost

· Give a portion of your profits to God (the more money I make, the more I can give to advance God’s kingdom)

· Walk in the Spirit in all that you do in work and business

· To best display Christ's likeness, running a business that is ethical, with integrity, and displays the fruits of the Spirit

And now I ask you the same question, “What does it mean to you to honor God in your work and business?”