Mostly due to my own internal assessment, I have always felt “inferior” to others in occupations where clear and apparent opportunities to display the glory of God exist. For example, in my original estimation it always seemed more apparent for one to see how the glory of God can be displayed in the life of a teacher with opportunities to mold young hearts and lives (even if in just small ways) with a bent for the glory of God. Medical professionals have a clear and simple platform for going overseas to do missions and while attempting to heal individuals physical bodies from disease and sickness, offering the solution for how Christ can heal their soul from the disease of sin. To some degree I’ve always felt that “business” carries a negative connotation and outside of using business to build a simple relationship to share the gospel I’ve never seen how “secular” business could be a direct representation of God’s character and, when done right, it is a good thing ordained by the Father for everyone’s good.
I’ve spent the better part of the last ten years learning about all things business related. I have an undergraduate degree in finance, a master’s in business administration and have spent countless hours learning things from management techniques to corporate finance and fundamentals of our economic system to individual financial planning and wealth management. And I will whole heartedly admit that I thoroughly enjoy learning about business and economics!! I can’t begin to imagine myself in any other field. [I am SO thankful for medical professionals but I would hate to be one myself; I stand in awe of teachers but would be absolutely miserable if I was one myself.] However, until I read Wayne Grudem’s Business for the Glory of God, I never realized the direct correlation between business and the glory of God. I don’t suppose, from a spiritual perspective, I’ve been happy to tout my love of business and simultaneously really feel as if my field was one completely ordained and straight from the heart of God.
Grudem does a phenomenal job of explaining how, as believers, we should thank God for business related concepts such as money and profit, inequality of possessions (election season was a great time to read this chapter! BOO for socialism!!! :), employment, ownership, competition, and borrowing and lending. Grudem admonishes the reader not to allow the distortions of good concepts to warp our thinking about the concept itself in an evil way. The overall theme that Grudem consistently makes through the entire books is that good, God-glorifying business is right and necessary for it fully displays God’s character and provides a practical outlet for his people to display and advance the gospel. Grudem even remembers the poor in his discussions regarding money, possessions, and business and asserts that, though providing the poor with food and clothing is good and certainly right, it is at best only a short-term solution to the problem of poverty. Grudem continues by stating that the only real long-term solution to world poverty is through business.
In conclusion, I am thankful to be able to reconcile my desire to display God’s glory in every aspect of my life with the love of my career and general business. Grudem’s book has set me on a course to discover new ways to do missions by examining existing agencies like Opportunity International, who provides microloans (less than $500) to individuals to start business in poor areas of the world. The estimated impact of these loans has been hundreds of thousands which has then in turn impacted millions of lives. This has set me on a trajectory to see how the Father will use the love of business that he has gifted me with to more fully display his glory and advance his gospel throughout the world.
I’ve spent the better part of the last ten years learning about all things business related. I have an undergraduate degree in finance, a master’s in business administration and have spent countless hours learning things from management techniques to corporate finance and fundamentals of our economic system to individual financial planning and wealth management. And I will whole heartedly admit that I thoroughly enjoy learning about business and economics!! I can’t begin to imagine myself in any other field. [I am SO thankful for medical professionals but I would hate to be one myself; I stand in awe of teachers but would be absolutely miserable if I was one myself.] However, until I read Wayne Grudem’s Business for the Glory of God, I never realized the direct correlation between business and the glory of God. I don’t suppose, from a spiritual perspective, I’ve been happy to tout my love of business and simultaneously really feel as if my field was one completely ordained and straight from the heart of God.
Grudem does a phenomenal job of explaining how, as believers, we should thank God for business related concepts such as money and profit, inequality of possessions (election season was a great time to read this chapter! BOO for socialism!!! :), employment, ownership, competition, and borrowing and lending. Grudem admonishes the reader not to allow the distortions of good concepts to warp our thinking about the concept itself in an evil way. The overall theme that Grudem consistently makes through the entire books is that good, God-glorifying business is right and necessary for it fully displays God’s character and provides a practical outlet for his people to display and advance the gospel. Grudem even remembers the poor in his discussions regarding money, possessions, and business and asserts that, though providing the poor with food and clothing is good and certainly right, it is at best only a short-term solution to the problem of poverty. Grudem continues by stating that the only real long-term solution to world poverty is through business.
In conclusion, I am thankful to be able to reconcile my desire to display God’s glory in every aspect of my life with the love of my career and general business. Grudem’s book has set me on a course to discover new ways to do missions by examining existing agencies like Opportunity International, who provides microloans (less than $500) to individuals to start business in poor areas of the world. The estimated impact of these loans has been hundreds of thousands which has then in turn impacted millions of lives. This has set me on a trajectory to see how the Father will use the love of business that he has gifted me with to more fully display his glory and advance his gospel throughout the world.
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