A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (December 15, 2015)
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25)
God wants to bless your business. If you are a Christian and you own, operate, or manage a business, it falls under your authority and should be a blessing and not a curse. Your family business or the store or department you manage should be among the most blessed businesses in the community.
The Bible gives clear instruction on how a righteous person should do business. When these principles are followed, the result will be success. From the very beginning, God has given man the responsibility of maintaining the Garden through working it and taking care of it (Genesis 2:15). Later, He explained that work should take place on six days and the seventh should be a day of rest (Exodus 23:12). God gave man all kinds of skills to design, engrave, and create (Exodus 35:35).
He also gave rules that a righteous man was to follow in doing business. He said that when you are buying and selling, you shouldn’t have two different weights in your bag, one heavy and one light, but you should have accurate and honest weights and measures so that your business associates would not be defrauded (Deuteronomy 25:13-15).
His instructions also cover employees. He said that if you employ people in your business, you should not defraud them nor rob them of their wages (Leviticus 19:13). As a businessman, you should be generous and lend freely, and conduct all of your affairs with justice (Psalm 112:5).
The Scriptures tell us that if we earn money in a dishonest way, it will dwindle away because it is better to have less and be righteous than have great gain with injustice (Proverbs 13:11; Proverbs 16:8).
To sum it all up, we are told in Galatians 6:7 (Phillips Bible) that a man’s harvest in life depends entirely upon what he sows. The righteous who sow according to the Word (and that includes your business) will have a great harvest. However, as a Christian businessman you have an enemy. The enemy has a goal and his goal is to steal, kill, and destroy everything that you put your hand to in order to make you look like a fool in the community and in front of the world. He uses every available method to cause scoffers to point their finger at you and ridicule you and defame your God.
But even in his attacks, Satan is a failure. If we place our trust in God, then whatever the enemy has meant for destruction, God will bring about a greater victory. Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Our job is to submit all we have, including our businesses, to Him and follow His rules of good business principles. When the enemy attacks, we don’t run in fear, but continue to believe that God’s Word is true, standing firm in faith while the storm rages. We must hold tight to our belief in His Word that in spite of the affliction, a great deliverance is on the horizon.
Recently, three deacons in my church have had direct attacks on their businesses. All of these men and their families are strong in faith and have dedicated their lives and their businesses to the Lord. One of them has a restaurant where a fire started in an exhaust vent. While the building did not burn down, the restaurant was gutted on the inside and had to be closed for a couple of weeks for repair. Another deacon has a food processing business and retail store in a neighboring town. Although his business is not a fast food outlet, someone attempted to create a “drive through” in his business when they drove their car through the front wall all the way to the cash register inside the store.
Another deacon owns an auto parts store in another neighboring town that burned to the ground this last year. One conclusion a person could draw from this is that it is not a good idea to be a deacon in my church! (That is humor!)
The reality is, the attacks that the enemy meant for destruction have actually brought them all into a better place financially. All three businesses were operated with honesty and integrity, and I might add, they are all three tithers.
Several years ago, Pastor Keith Moore spoke at our church and made a proclamation that has been repeated as a word from God many times since. He said, “If you will take care of God’s house, He will take care of your house.” I have been in the ministry for over forty years and have been a pastor for over twenty years and I have never seen the children of the righteous forsaken. In every case, when God is honored, there is victory.
Whether you are young or old, or whether your business is large or small, whether you are the owner or the manager, everything that is under your control is under your authority and God will bless it. God uses businesses to fund His ministries. You are the King of your business! Proclaim that Jesus is Lord over your kingdom and submit your kingdom to the kingdom of God. When the affliction comes and the enemy tries to steal, kill, and destroy, you too can stand firm in faith and expect a victory.
