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Biblical Business Management
Being R.E.A.L. By Thomas Nolte
SUCCESS IN BUSINESS and in life is based on many factors. Sales and organizational skills, being an expert in your field, knowing your competition, sufficient funding, and things of this nature come to mind easily. Other factors play an important role as well. Things like communication skills, staffing, the industry we’re working in, the economy, rules and regulations, politics. More easily overlooked but absolutely essential are our people skills and personalities. Who we are and how we treat others contribute tremendously to our success. Although godly character is no guarantee for success, it is the best foundation. Becoming more like Jesus and following His amazing example in dealing with people will give us a security and a firm foundation for our success. The Bible teaches that God gives glory, honor and wisdom to the humble man. Following Jesus in living a righteous life brings the joy of a clear conscience and a good night’s sleep. It eliminates fears and worries and gives us hope for eternal life. Our focus changes from what we want to what God wants. We begin to see how He wants to use us in the lives of those around us and He wants to help us in the challenges we face. How we define success for ourselves will determine our goals and what we do and how we do it. This series of four articles proposes that success will come when we are R.E.A.L — Righteous, Eternal, Authentic and Loving. If our leadership is based on these four factors, we will do well. Today will focus on “R” — being righteous and relevant.
something objectionable to a colleague because it was good for business. Sometimes, we ourselves do something that’s not truly legal to benefit us or someone else. Without righteousness in all that we do, there is no security, no true joy. Even if no one finds out in this life, God certainly does and He will hold us accountable. Whenever we deal with money — like paying taxes, giving wages to our employees, and settling bills — there are many opportunities we can choose to do right or wrong. Since money is so close to our hearts and we work for it, it easily reveals our true character. Ask yourself: Could anyone audit my finances and how I deal with money at any given time without me ever losing sleep? Being righteous with money can often mean that we pay more than we would like. At the same time, the desire for righteousness means that we will speak the truth no matter what the cost or consequences.
Righteousness isn’t just a spiritual virtue. It also guarantees our success.
Being Not Doing Righteousness is defined as doing things correctly, being honest and striving to be holy. The focus on “being,” not “doing” is very important. We can all do the right thing at times but if it is not who we truly are, then more often than not we will fail and not do what’s right. Temptations come from all directions, especially at work and in business. People sometimes compromise their own values, doing
Recently, I was confronted with this issue when my wife and I became shareholders of a local corporation. We had promised to give any income originating before the date of acquisition to the previous owner. When an unexpected corporate tax refund brought about $17,000 several months later, I knew that we, being the new shareholders, could legally keep this money.Yet I also knew that we had given our word as explained above. Though in my heart I struggled and tried to justify not having to tell them, fully expecting to have to remit it to them, I informed the previous owner of the refund and offered to send them a cheque. God blessed this decision to honor my word rather than talk myself out of it for the sake of keeping the money. The former shareholder surprisingly did not accept the tax refund but saw it as company funds that now belong to us. I was, to say the least, encouraged and grateful. Consistent Living Furthermore, a desire for righteousness also means not allowing (con’t on p. 26)