When you think of your life and your calling as a Christian in business, what are your financial goals? Do you work to make ends meet, or do you feel a responsibility to be able to earn larger amounts of money so you can fill the many needs in your community, let alone your church?
Do you feel that you have a responsibility to support your church and other ministries, and to also help wherever you see a need, or is your world about just ensuring that you have enough for your needs, so you and yours are taken care of?
Sadly, so much of the Christian world believes that money is bad and, as the Bible says, it is “the root of all evil”. The Bible also says that “it is hard for the rich man to enter heaven”. The Bible tells us this because for so many people, when they make a lot of money, often pride comes with it. Or, they chase money so hard that ethics are lost along the way and people are burned as the pursuit of more money trumps making it with any level of integrity. Yes, money can be the root of all evil, but our world is also run by it, and we cannot do anything to help others, or spread the Word, if we don’t have enough if it to share around.
So what has happened in the church world with so much of the teaching is that we have thrown the baby out with the bath water and we now have much of the Christian community who think that having a lot of money is bad and “the root of all evil”.
I touch on this in my book, NOT Business As Usual, and while it might not be a major consideration for all Christians, for those Christians who feel that their business is a part of their ministry, it is a big question that should be brought to God for consideration. The truth though is that the Bible says it is harder, but not impossible, for the rich man to enter heaven. Also, money can be the root of all evil, but with the right reasons for having it, can do so much good.
To put it bluntly, having a mindset where you just have enough or you and yours is, as a Christian, a selfish way to live. We live in a world that has so much need. Just look around your comminity and you can see moms struggling to feed their kids, people needing work and living off food stamps, and churches and ministries that could do so much good in their communities – if they had the money the need to do so.
In Australia, there is a ‘house two cars and a boat’ mentality, where that’s the goal for so many people. If you can own a home, two cars in the garage, and maybe even stretch to a boat, then you’ve made it. After you’ve achieved that and got what you need, then that will do it and it’s time to settle into a comfortable life.
As Christians, I believe we are called to more than this. This is not a message for every Christian, but the ‘just enough’ mentality has got to go if we are gong to make a proper difference. So I would encourage you to take a look at your business and see where you might be able to make more than enough so you can help those around you.
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Matt Danswan is the CEO of Initiate Media, publishers of Entrepreneur Daily. He is also the author of NOT Business As Usual.
