Aligning with God in Business

By what authority do we conduct business?

An atheist might answer this question by claiming autonomy. A theist, who does not believe God cares about business, might also claim autonomy. But a biblical theist, who believes God cares about business and is therefore engaged in executing his will through business, would look to God as the basis for the authority to conduct business. Therefore, business would be a divine activity or ministry that should be conducted congruent with the will and ways of God.

Given this latter view, what does Scripture teach about aligning with God in conducting business in his universe?

One of the key concepts of Scripture, as noted in the above text, is conducting business within the boundaries God has sovereignly placed on each organization. Consider the following four key characteristics for properly functioning within God's boundaries.

Design: God has created a universe that includes seasonality. For example, there is a time to work and a time to rest. There is a time to sow and a time to reap. Given this reality, organizational leaders must be aware of the current season and apply their energies to making the right decisions and performing the right tasks congruent with the season.

Limits: The Creation Mandate¹ provides the purpose of business. Organizations are instruments for ruling God’s creation. Business is, therefore, a venue by which mankind fulfills the Creation Mandate. And because of the size of the physical universe and the principle of division of labor, no single organization can do it all. Therefore, business leaders must discern the specific assignments for their respective organizations in accordance with God's design.

Stewardship: Given an intentional, strategic² Creator who is the sole source of all,³ business leaders, individually and organizationally, must wisely steward time, talent, and treasure congruent with the design and limits of God always seeking alignment with the will and ways of God.

Wisdom: Given a sole sovereign Creator,⁴ God’s wisdom is the only true wisdom. Organizational leaders must learn how to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit to discern God’s wisdom through Scripture and his creation.

In summary, business leaders are authorized to conduct business in God’s universe as a spiritual activity of alignment with the will and ways of God. Wise organizational leaders will therefore steward organizations according to God’s design and limits.

Here is your business tip. No organization can be all things to all people. Management must recognize the divinely appointed boundaries of an organization and function within those boundaries. There are divinely ordained principles that must be mastered to do this well. First, management must understand the nature of seasons and how to prioritize activities according to the seasons. Second, management must function in alignment with God’s limits such as identifying the right customers, the right scope of services, the assigned geography, and the correct timing. Third, management must adroitly steward time, talent, and treasure to accomplish the work assigned to an organization. And fourth, management must learn how to discern the requisite wisdom for leading and managing an organization based on knowledge gleaned first from Scripture and second from creation.

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1. Genesis 1:26–28.
2. Isaiah 46:9–11.
3. Acts 17:25.
4. Isaiah 46:9–11.