The right business practices tend to maximize revenue, keep costs low and ensure the impact and profitability of a company. Demonstrating love for your fellow man is a foundational ‘right’ practice for Christian entrepreneurs. So, how can you infuse your business practices with the love of Jesus?
What Makes Christian Businesses Different?
While secular businesses usually have a single mandate—to bring maximum value to shareholders—Christian business owners juggle a variety of interests. The goal is not just to serve financial stakeholders, but also to find ways to impact —staff, partners, customers, their families and communities and the world. At their best, Jesus-centered leaders can use business as a means of spreading the Good News and helping others to find faith in their own lives.
Aligning Faith with Business Practices
So, what does this mean in practical terms? How can a Christian entrepreneur bring their faith into their business processes in a meaningful way?
Prayer
Be a pray first business leader. Utilizing prayer in your business decisions can give you the spiritual guidance you need to move your organization forward with integrity.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Some strategic times to pray are:
- Before client and team meetings;
- When hiring new employees;
- When considering new products or services;
- When selling your business, or purchasing another business;
- When there is conflict or confusion over an issue.
Mission and Vision
Another straightforward but powerful way you can introduce your faith more directly in your business is by rewriting your brand statement to more closely align with your faith. By putting your faith front and center in your mission statement, you’re letting employees, customers, and stakeholders know what is central to you personally and the spiritual underpinnings of the whole organization.
Here are a few tips for writing a good faith-based mission statement:
- Lead with whom you are in business to serve (your audience of One) and how your organization makes the lives of others better.
- State clearly how your faith guides the organization.
- Make it short, clear, and easily understood.
- Be transparent and truthful.
- Make it active and measurable.
Operations
Lastly, how are you communicating your values through your daily business operations? How would a client, supplier or employee know that your business is aligned with Christian values simply by watching your daily actions?
Here are a few ways to operationally move within a faith framework:
- Create partnerships with not-for-profit organizations.
- Build relationships with fellow Christian suppliers and contractors.
- Make Christian holidays special for your employees and community, and be respectful to other faith’s celebrations.
- Be active in your community and industry; interact with your colleagues in ways that they can experience the love of God through you.
“Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”
While hardly an exhaustive list, these examples are a few options for guiding your business through prayer and honoring your faith in your daily business operations.
