Recently I met with a group of twenty business leaders from around the globe to compare notes and experiences around principles for business in the kingdom of God. We met as a working group during a gathering with Harvest Evangelism in California, a diverse collection of cultures from Asia to Europe, Africa to North and South America.
Our discussions centered around what characterises a business that has Christ at its head. Often referred to as a ‘Kingdom Business‘, we settled on the idea that ‘Transformational Company‘ is perhaps a more effective term capturing the impact that such a business has on its surroundings. Ultimately, we agreed, our vision must be as big as to disciple nations.
We talked through typical characteristics of a Transformational Company from our experiences, and identified some common traits. We should be givers, rather than takers; we should lead with excellence; our employees should be valued and treated well, as should our customers and suppliers; we should take a lead in caring for the world; we should deliver with excellence.
All of these characteristics and more should be evident if we simply apply biblical principles to our business. In fact the bible is packed with resources and wisdom to equip any business leader. It’s no surprise that the business and leadership books of the world include biblical quotes ranging from the words of Jesus to the wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs.
So we asked ourselves, what makes a transformational company or kingdom business different from any other ethical business? The answer, we concluded, lies in three areas:
- Doing business in the power of the Holy Spirit. We recognise that we do not merely operate in our own strength. We expect to see the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the whole Church, and that includes our businesses. This power at work may be evident in many ways, including the areas below.
- Extraordinary miracles. We know that God did extraordinary miracles through the Apostle Paul (Acts 19:11), himself a marketplace man. And Jesus promised his disciples that anyone who believes in him will do greater things than he did (John 14:12). We can and do expect to see God working miracles through us when we are aligned with His purposes. Our gathering in California was full of testimonies of God’s miraculous work in the marketplace.
- Insights and wisdom, at the right time, to glorify God. This includes revelation from God about solutions to business challenges, and God-inspired ideas that allow us to address a need or start a new business.
Doing business for the King means doing business that brings about transformation. I encourage you to believe God to do more through His power at work in you, in your business.
How have you experienced the power of God at work to do more than just good business?
Hi – thanks for the encouragement. I believe that God has given me an idea for a new business that will help many unemployed people. Right now I am waiting on God’s promise to bring the right people around me to make it happen, which I know will come to pass because He has promised it.
Brilliant, Andrew. Looking forward to hearing more about this as God connects you with the right people.
I am currently doing a research paper for an MBA in Minnesota. The genre is to think Biblical and speak secular. The paper is on the subject of Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR. I am currently planning on using the term “Transformational Company” in the paper to describe one approach to CSR. I hope to place a call for action at the end of the paper for more transformational companines in the United States.