- Psalm 37:16 (AMP) Better is the little that the [uncompromisingly] righteous have than the abundance [of possessions] of many who are wrong and wicked.
- 1 Timothy 6:6 (AMP) [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.
- Proverbs 16:8 (AMP) Better is a little with righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation and right standing with God) than great revenues with injustice.
A little with contentment. Seems like an oxymoron. In this society of “he who has the most toys, wins” attitude, this “little” idea has no traction. Being “content about it” would seem to indicate that lack of assertiveness, poor self-image, and destructive personal behavior. Surely the concept of happy poor people is not what God wants, especially for the businessperson. As business people, we want to be magnets to the lost. Attractive magnets. Can’t be that with a failed business. Yes, you can. It is your attitude that’s the key. That’s what the world is watching.
What drives a person is important, even vital – an attitdue. Some insight might be gained by noticing the Amplified translation’s rendering of that word “contentment” (“that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency”). From whence does inward sufficiency come? It comes with the understanding of purpose.
The book of Jeremiah succinctly points us to purpose: In Jeremiah 1:5 [the Lord said to Jeremiah] "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." What I am about to suggest is not original with me, but has been around a bit: substitute the word you with your name: "I knew [you] Griff before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born, Griff¸ I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." Now, replace the words “spokesman to the world” and substitute it with words that shape, describe or capture your purpose. For me that might look like: "I knew [you] Griff before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my teacher, advisor and mentor to the business world." But there’s more.
Your purpose and mine is expressed in a focus that has as its foundation, love (see I Cor. 13). Let’s try that with love added: "I knew [you] ____your name here______ before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you to express my love to people as my teacher, advisor and mentor in the business world."
With this understanding, drivers for the Christian businessperson are not wealth. Not status. Not prestige. Not power. What should drive us is the process of living out our purpose and leaving the results to God. Something like learning a golf swing: if you’re thinking about the result and not the process, you’ll often miss the shot. Focus on the process.
“Fear of the Lord” starts with our understanding of His love for us (He formed us, knew us and set us apart) and our purpose is a unique expression of how he “formed us.” That purpose can be achieved in many settings. Living richly results in fulfilling your purpose. Do you have true wealth?
Copyright (c) 2006 by P. Griffith Lindell
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