I arrived a few minutes early and watched as Tyron finished his lunch time boot camp. He was all smiles as he encouraged the participants. "I genuinely care for my clients. I show honest, legitimate concern and care for them as people and try to build a good relationship with them. And I'm definitely concerned for their salvation, so I am active in reaching out to them." For Tyron that means that he values his relationships with his clients over the money. If his clients are unhappy with his business, he takes initiative to make things right, even if it costs the business money.
Tyron prays for his clients regularly and takes time to connect with them. "The kingdom of God is about seeking and saving the lost. That means either I do it personally or I help others to do it," explained Tyron. That is why he is committed to excellence. He believes the better he is at his job, the better his business will be. The better business is, the more profits he makes and the more he can give to kingdom work.
A few days later I am in Paul's office talking to him about God and his business. When the business was first started 28 years ago, Paul dedicated it to the Lord. "It's the smartest thing I ever did," said the experienced accountant with a smile. For him, success was measured not by dollars and cents, but by achieving God's purposes. Ministry was always first, accounting second. For Paul that meant that he would encourage those who were Christians, and plant spiritual seeds in those that did not know Christ. His day-to-day work included over 450 tax returns/year but also hospital visitations, prayer for clients (with their permission), and providing pro bono work for Christian charities and non-profits.
"What about profits?" I asked. "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt 6:33)," replied Paul. "This has been proven in our practise. We don't advertise and only take referrals, and God has always given us enough business."
Paul then told me a bit of his story. When he was younger, he worked very long hours. Then he and his wife had their first child, a girl. She was born 5 weeks premature but ended up being healthy. Having a child changed Paul's perspective on life - he viewed his daughter as a gift from God and wanted to spend more time with his family. So he prayed to God for less business. Even though this was over 20 years ago, Paul still spoke with amazement at what happened next. "God doesn't just hear our words, He looks at the heart. God introduced us to computer programs that made us more efficient. At the end of the day, we did more work and made more money with less time."
How can your work be a place for doing ministry?
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