Products[1] are the first purpose for business. Simply stated, the first purpose for business is this: Business exists to provide a means to produce products[2] that enables the community to flourish.[3]
Milton Friedman wrote about the virtues of for-profit businesses bringing good to the community at large:
The great virtue of a free-market system is that it does not care what color people are; it does not care what their religion is; it only cares whether they can produce something you want to buy. It is the most effective system we have discovered to enable people who hate one another to deal with one another and help one another.[4]
Flourish combines the concepts of increase, health and success. Christian business owners focus on producing products that contribute to the flourishing of their community. Their output provides a positive, increasing element for those who live in their community. They contribute to increasing the success of their stakeholders in healthy and ethical[5] ways. What they do enables both themselves and others to be successful. Said another way, Christian business owners do not work toward their own success without also working to help others be successful at the same time.
Biblical Passages on Products
The Bible is not silent on the creation of products. Goldsmiths, silversmiths, and blacksmiths are all mentioned in the Bible. As a general class, craftsmen are also mentioned in conjunction with the building of the temple. Their skills are recorded as being used for both evil and good. For example, goldsmiths were known to create idols that led people away from God.
Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. This is what the Lord says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.” No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. “Tell them this. ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.
Jeremiah 10.1-11
Apparently, their skills and abilities were seen as quality craftsmanship: “all made by skilled workers.” While their work output was high quality, it was the intended use of their products that God called “worthless wooden idols.”
Just because the work output of a skilled worker has high quality doesn’t mean it is valuable in the eyes of God. If the output leads people away from God, if it isn’t in alignment with God’s character and moral will, if it displays a distain for God, then no matter the quality or the skill that was used to create the product, it is a “worthless wooden idol.” Habakkuk puts it this way when he asks this insightful question:
Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.[7]
So, two lessons. First, because it is God who gives us our talents and abilities, those whose work product is clearly bent on sin still give God glory when their skills are on display. Remember that it is God who gives us our abilities, and when we develop those abilities—even when used for evil—I still believe God is glorified.
Secondly, if the craftsmen’s’ output is intended for an evil purpose, then their sin is compounded because their work leads others to sin. The intention of the product’s use is in focus here, not the quality of the products.
Examples of high-quality products that are used for godless ends abounds in our society:
- Comedians who are clearly gifted communicators and are just downright funny tell jokes that lead people away from God—they could have used their gift of humor to draw people to God, but instead they lead people away from Him.
- Beautiful women who display their beauty in unholy ways that lead men to engage in lust, adultery, and so forth. These women lead men away from God. In addition, they allow their beauty, intended for the sanctity of marriage, to be exploited and their personhood degraded as men use them for their own selfish ends.
- Social leaders and/or politicians who use clever soundbites to help garner grassroots support of a clearly unbiblical law all in the name of civil rights.
- Singers who display incredible talent but glorify sin in their lyrics (see below).
- Writers who are gifted communicators but author novels that glorify sex or killing.
- Storytellers who make movies or TV shows that sanction sin and portray it as normal.
An illustration of a singer with incredible talent is Katy Perry —an immensely popular singer/songwriter who grew up in a church[8] where both her parents were pastors. She found “success” with songs like “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It “or “Last Friday Night.” The music is catchy, well played, and well mixed. Clearly, the musicians are talented individuals, including Katy herself. If one were to put holy lyrics to the song, I think most Christians could really enjoy it. But her music clearly sanctions promiscuity and rebellion. She is leading people away from God, and she knows better. She is one of many influencers and teachers in our society who are leading people away from God.
On the flip side, we also find high-quality products being used to glorify God. For example, real skill was needed to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.
Exodus 35.30-36.1
Several things to note here. First, it is noted twice that the Lord gave these men their skills and abilities. Their abilities included making artistic designs in gold, silver, and bronze. They also had unusual ability to set stones, to work with wood, and create various kinds of artistic crafts from (it appears) most any raw material that was available to them at that time.
Secondly, their work product encouraged both individual and corporate obedience to God and love for Him. As they constructed the sanctuary, they were personally being obedient to God and the community’s support demonstrated corporate obedience to Him as well. In essence, the success in their work contributed to the community’s success.
This is an example of highly skilled work output that draws people to God. It is an example of how products can be restorative in nature—restoring people to a right relationship with each other and with God. Our work, as business owners, can also be like this.
Thirdly, they were filled with the Holy Spirit—anointed by God to do their work. They were given wisdom, knowledge, and understanding about their skills and the materials with which they were working. The Spirit of God was “on” them, working through their skills to cause unusual creativity and excellence in their work product to bring glory to God.
This teaches us that any work (that isn’t sin) can be performed under the anointing of God, and as such is ministry when conducted this way. The dichotomy we have set up between clergy and laity must be diffused in favor of seeing all anointed work as ministry. Said another way, the Bible does not differentiate between some work as holy and other work as secular. All work can be either —it depends on the individual performing the work and his relationship with God.
Considerations on Producing Products
In this section, I’ll discuss several biblical passages that I think apply to our roles as business owners as we produce products. These considerations are presented in no particular order.
Enriching yourself at the expense of doing good for someone else is sin.
James 4.13-17 says:
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.[12]
Business travel in the first century was common, and they often traveled widely for business purposes (Acts 18.2, 18; Romans 16.3). The businesspeople described in this passage have made their plans (go to this city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make money). But God has no place in their plans.
These business owners presume to know the future, yet they are unaware that they do not even know if they will be alive tomorrow. Their knowledge is limited, and their lives are uncertain. This truth is not part of their awareness.
Hence, they are a “mist” that fades quickly. They are arrogant and godless. They might be religiously serious, but they are far from God.
So, James instructs them to include God in their plans. And not just include Him but be led by Him. “If the Lord wills…” This is the good that they should do—be led by God in their business dealings.
Furthermore, since their life is just a mist that quickly fades, then when they can do good for others, they should seize that opening and not procrastinate. We are no different, right? It is common for us business owners to assume that after we have made our millions, then we will become philanthropic. Then we will have time to serve. But here, James is saying that when the opportunity to do good comes your way, you need to act now. To stand down is to sin.
This applies to treating your stakeholders well. Your stakeholders include
- Board members
- Auditors
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Media
- Employees
- Creditors
- Investors
- Partners
For example, if a government agency arrives unannounced to audit your activities for compliance, you do not grouse about it, complain to others, or have anger toward them. On the contrary, you make sure they are comfortable and well resourced. You are kind to them. You are cooperative. You give them respect and love that both their personhood and their position deserves. You take this as an opportunity to “do good.”
Another example would be working with your banker. Often, your banker is your senior secured lender. More than a few business owners either outright lie to their banker or they don’t give her the full truth. As a creditor to whom you owe money, in your role as a Christian business owner, you give your banker all of the truth. You show respect to her. You don’t get mad if she says “no” to an increase in your line of credit or requests your financials. You do good to your banker by showing respect, giving full, honest answers, and ensuring your fulfilling your responsibility to pay her time.
Look out for the interests of others.
Understanding the needs of other people—even when not expressed—is a hallmark of a Christian business owner who is interested in being good to others. This isn’t mind reading. It is understanding how all the moving parts affect each other and then having the ability to put yourself in their shoes and experience (to some degree) what they experience.
Those who are deficient in understanding the moving parts and competing interests of the people and processes they manage usually find themselves wondering how they could be so misunderstood. For these folks, life is more a series of parallel processes with inputs and outputs. It almost as if they were born with some kind of SIPOC[13] gene. They are linear in their thinking, not relational.
When I interview candidates for key positions, I try to discover the candidate’s ability to connect the dots between people in their sphere of influence. Selfish people who are immature interpret events mainly in terms of how they are affected personally. Mature people are able to interpret these same events in terms of how others are affected and understand the relationship between others. Psychologists call this emotional and cognitive empathy.[14]
Looking out for the interests of others is commanded in Scripture:
In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others…[15]
As Christian stewards, we look out for the interests of others. But we also look out for the interests of God.
When possible, products should provide a healing or restorative characteristic to broken situations.
This consideration goes to the concept of health. Van Duzer writes:
Rather than simply adding to a community’s stockpile of available goods, Christians in business will need to look for opportunities where the service or product that they provide may be used to heal or restore. In other words, a business should seek to serve its community by providing not only additive products but also products that reach back and help to redeem broken situations. For example, a business could provide services that would help clean up polluted waterways and toxic dumps. It could provide aesthetically pleasing designs for urban renewal projects. It could produce vaccines for diseases that are decimating communities, munities, make available Internet access to economically oppressed communities or publish books that will increase understanding between tween communities torn apart by racial hatred, and so on.[16]
Nearly all service-based companies attempt to solve a problem. Many goods that are manufactured also solve a problem. Once solved, it seems that a new set of problems often appears that was both unanticipated and unforeseen. In addition, sometimes solutions create new problems. The recursive nature of solutions creating their own new set of problems is, in part, a result of the Fall and the infection of sin in our world.
So, we don’t shy away from creating products that are restorative in nature. In the future, should our product prove to create more problems, then we’ll work to solve those too.
The concept of balance is in play.
Christian business owners do not discount or minimize their own interests when looking out for the interests of others. God’s call to steward His possessions remains in force as we balance our own needs with the needs of others.
I find, in most situations, by listening to the voice of God, one can strike the right balance in each situation.
If the development or providing the product requires someone to sin, it is not a product that will enable the community to flourish.
This should be self-evident, but I thought it best to call this out.
The best illustration I can think of is in the telling of stories through movies. It seems to me that one actor can act as if he is killing another and not actually kill the other person—it is merely acting and would not be sin. But it is not possible to act out a graphic sexual scene without actually engaging in sex with another actor, which would be sin. In addition, I don’t see how an actor can use God’s name in vain and not sin.
Another example would be having garments made in third-world sweatshops so that they can be sold here for less money. The meager wages paid to these workers abuses their dignity and enslaves them to poverty. If you are purchasing your supplies from shops that mistreat their employees, you have a responsibility to clean up your supply chain such that you are not supporting sin.[17]
Moreover, any product’s intended use can be perverted to an evil use. I don’t think business owners are responsible for such perversion—especially when the intended use of the product is well-known.
For example, I don’t think bakers are responsible when a person eats too many donuts. I don’t think an art teacher is responsible when his student decides to draw racial slurs on a public wall. I don’t think the driver’s education teacher is responsible when a student obtains their license and decides to drive drunk. Those who chose to pervert the intended use of product for nefarious ends are responsible for the misuse of the product, not the manufacturer.
While Christian business owners cannot anticipate every possible perversion of their product, they can reasonably anticipate a few, common perversions. To this extent, a conscientious business owner will introduce mitigations into her product to minimize the opportunities for perversion when reasonably possible to do so.
This standard introduces serious gray areas. In these areas, Christian business owners depend on the leading of the Holy Spirit and hearing the voice of God during product design and development as well as delivering that product or service.
A product whose use results in destroying relationships does not enable the community to flourish.
Conflicts are inevitable in life. Products that build on those conflicts for financial gain tear down the community. Christian business owners do not engage or support these types of products.
Examples include online hookup services that allow people to connect for casual sex. Another example was The Jerry Springer Show,[18] which exploited the broken lives of young people to make money for the show’s owners. Support of this show (and others like them) would be sin for a Christian business owner.
But other, more subtle services destroy relationships as well. Offering a service that encourages financial infidelity, such as gambling or get-rich-quick schemes, are examples of a product that destroys relationships. Lawyers who encourage lawsuits among family members or partners who were once dear friends are more examples.
Lawyers who bring peace to relationships are doing God’s work—helping bring peace where there is conflict. Most lawyers I’ve met are interested in outcomes where relationships are preserved and settlements are equitable and livable. Frankly, most lawyers I’ve met don’t enjoy the fight.
But not all lawyers are like this. For example, those who live on creating class-action lawsuits mainly for the purpose of (essentially) extorting money from “deep pockets” are not helping the community to flourish.[19]
We need a legal system that recognizes that obtaining justice has its limits. Achieving justice in our American court system is not the same as finding it in God’s system of justice.[20]
A product sold without sharing needed information enables one party to win at the expense of another, and this is sin.
Healthy economic transactions are fully voluntary and meet the needs and interests of both parties. This doesn’t mean we do away with self-interest; it merely means we disclose enough information to make the transaction truly voluntary. In addition, we do not use deception[24] in our negotiations. Voluntary transactions must have a proper disclosure of truthful information flowing both ways. To do otherwise is sin.
A product with addictive qualities such that your customers become dependent and keep purchasing your product is not a product that will allow the community to flourish. It enslaves your customers in an unhealthy, involuntary relationship with your company.
This can be applied to a wide range of products, such as gambling or prescription drugs. But it can also be applied to food additives, alcohol, and other products that (essentially) cause a person to want that product over and over again, to their own detriment.
Christian business owners pay attention to their products and understand how their customers use those products. If they detect their customer is losing or has lost voluntary choice concerning the consumption of their product, then the Christian owner needs to step in and either stop selling to her customer or devise an alternative plan to keep her customer from becoming dependent.[25]
A product that asks people to violate the law is a product that does not enable the community to flourish.
Generally, this consideration is a true statement. However, as our society moves further away from God and our laws begin to reflect values that are clearly sin, then Christian business owners may need to face violating the law in order to be obedient to God.
We find an example of the placement of God’s laws above our laws in Acts 5 after Peter and John have been arrested and imprisoned on the Temple Mount for preaching in Jesus’s name. Miraculously freed from prison, they continued their teaching and were rearrested to appear again before the council:
And when they had brought them, they made them stand in the Sanhedrin, and the high priest put a question to them, saying, “We strictly commanded you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!” But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “It is necessary to obey God rather than men!” [26]
Obedience to God over men has been the position of the Christian church down through the ages. Daniel and his friends not bowing to a statue of gold created by King Nebuchadnezzar is one example.[27] Other examples include the Egyptian midwives (Exodus 1.17-21, Esther (Esther 4.16) and the wise men (Matthew 2.8-12).
This discussion is in line with our discussion in Chapter 1, The Theological Context for Business Ownership, in which we need to persevere under trials of different types if we are to be faithful to Him on this earth and reign with Him in eternity.
How to Measure This Part of Your Business
Here are some ideas on how you can measure your products to see if they align with what God has given us in Scripture. Rate yourself as best you can and then ask your trusted advisors to do the same. Discuss your differences with them and gain their perspectives on your business and your products.
- Do your products help your community to flourish?
- When God gives you an opportunity to do good, do you follow through?
- Do you appropriately look out for the interests of your customers?
- Do you appropriately balance your own interest with those of your customers?
- Does your product require someone else to sin in order to use it?
- Does your product require someone else to sin in order to produce it?
- Does your product contribute to the destruction of one or more relationships?
- Is appropriate, truthful information shared with your customers before they purchase your product?
- Does the consumption of your product require people to violate their values or break the law?
- Are you operating under the anointing of the Holy Spirit in your day-to-day ownership activities?
[1] In this chapter, my focus is not on the value or theology of work. There are dozens of books and ministries devoted to the integration of work and faith.
[2] For purposes of discussion, when I’m referring to “products,” I’m also referring to services. It would become tedious to keep reading “products and services.” This would apply, of course, to ministry services as well.
[3] This purpose is taken directly from Jeff Van Duzer’s book Why Business Matters to God. I want to note that Van Duzer’s book is a must-read for those who want to dive into how business can help bring redemption to this lost and broken world. He has written one of the most thoughtful books on the integration of Christian theology and business generally. For parts of this chapter, I’m standing on Van Duzer’s shoulders and am deeply indebted to him for his work and thinking.
[4] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/332451-the-great-virtue-of-a-free-market-system-is-that
[5] In this context, one cannot have a healthy increase unless that increase is ethical.
[7] NIV Habakkuk 2:18–19
[8] “Katy Perry Biography.” Biography.com. The article notes that she was rebellious during her teen years. She had the opportunity to use her talents for Christ but chose not to.
[10] משׁח, to smear with liquid, anoint; to administer an oil or ointment. This is done often in a religious ceremony of blessing, dedication, or consecration.
[11] תִּצְלַ֤ח, to move hurriedly. Gesenius: to go over or through; to attack, to fall upon. This same word is used later in 1 Samuel 18.10 when an evil Spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. In both instances, the sense is that David and Saul are the recipients of a spiritual force from God moving hurriedly to come on them. In both instances, God sent these spirits to accomplish His purposes. God’s plans will not be thwarted or set aside (Job 42.2) ,and God can use either the Holy Spirit or evil spirits to accomplish His purposes. His sovereignty is absolute; He is not to be charged with sin and is never seen as committing sin when He directs evil spirits to accomplish His will. God’s sovereignty is often illustrated in the Old Testament and should be balanced with His love, justice, mercy, and other attributes.
[12] ESV James 4.13–17
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIPOC
[14] “The Psychology of Emotional and Cognitive Empathy.” Lesley University. Lesley.edu.
[16] Jeff Van Duzer. Why Business Matters to God: (And What Still Needs to Be Fixed) (Kindle Locations 1179-1184). Kindle Edition.
[17] This is not to say that all lower wages are a mistreatment of employees. The cost of living varies greatly across the world. The larger point is that wages paid should allow employees to sustain themselves at a level that allows them to fully participate in the life of their community.
[18] https://www.jerryspringertv.com/
[19] Examination of Litigation Abuses. House Hearing, 113 Congress. Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice of the Committee on the Judiciary. March 13, 2013. Serial No. 113-8. http://goveinfo.gov. The Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice for the House of Representatives met to review an examination of litigation abuses. Destroying relationships is a core problem in our legal system. Rep. Trent Franks, Arizona, said this: “Another problem that is becoming apparent is the increasing practice by which third parties fund litigation between others when such third parties have no other no connection to the substantive law of the case. When financial speculators with no substantive connection to a lawsuit fund litigation like they would any other speculative venture, existing problems in the American legal system are made much worse.” For example, as it is currently written, Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure does not mandate that lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits be made to pay their victims for the cost of defending against a frivolous litigation. Consequently, lawyers can file frivolous cases with virtual impunity. That being the case, third-party litigation financiers can spread their risk, funding meritless cases as well as deserving cases in the hopes that one or more of the frivolous cases will yield a jackpot settlement so large it can potentially fund all the other cases as well and produce a profit too. On the other hand, the practice of third-party litigation financing can also deter the settlement of cases. This could happen when settlement offers are large enough to pay the lawyers and the victims they represent, but not large enough to also pay the lawsuit lenders the interest they charge on their loan. These types of lawsuits, which pit one class of people against another party—usually a business—destroys relationships when the lawsuit is frivolous. Christians should not be involved in these types of matters.
[20] See my discussion in Chapter 2 under the section Understanding God’s System of Justice.
[21] “How to Keep Your Cabin in the Family. “ Jennifer Mayerle, November 13, 2017. WCCO TV. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnesota.cbslocal.com
[22] “Minnesota Cabin Trusts. “Mullen & Guttman, PLLC. Mullenguttman.com
[23] “The Ultimate Guide to Sharing Cabin Ownership.” Cabinlife.com
[24] There is a difference between deception and privacy. I’m not advocating for full transparency in a negotiation in which one’s leverage is given away.
[25] This is especially important for Christians who own bar and liquor stores.
[26] LEB Acts 5:27–29
[27] Read Daniel 3.1-30
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