As a Christian in the Marketplace, You Have a Very Special Role to Play

by Dave Kahle

Some time ago, an acquaintance of mine resigned his job go into ‘full time ministry.”  He had been a very good salesperson who was respected by his customers and valued by his employer.

           “What a shame,” I thought

           Here was a person who was equipped to perform a very special ministry in the Kingdom, and he was giving it up because of some misguided idea of ‘full time ministry.”  He never recognized that he already was in ‘full time ministry’ and that the role of businessperson as minister is a special calling that God has valued throughout the Bible.

           God created man to work. And business is the primary venue in which work happens.   God uses work as the venue in which to interact with mankind. In the early days of creation, after God had given Adam the charge to work the Garden of Eden and keep it, He gave him his first job – to name the animals.  God worked with him and brought him the animals for Adam to name. It was teamwork from the beginning. God showed up in mankind’s work.

           That set the precedent for how God works with people from that point on.  He gives us a task and works with us to complete that task.  Teamwork from the beginning.

           Long before there were prophets or priests, before there were churches and pastors, there were businesspeople who were empowered in a special way to do God’s will.

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           Almost every major work in the Biblical narrative was entrusted to a person who had been trained and developed in the caldron of business.  Here are a few:

           Abraham, who was probably the richest businessperson of his time.

           Joseph, who ran what was probably the largest enterprise in the world – Pharoh’s grain purchasing and distribution business.

           Moses, who spent 40 years in the business of raising sheep before he was called to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.

           Saul, the first king of the Hebrews, who was working in his father’s business when he was called to be king.

           David, who was also working in his father’s business when he was recognized as the next king of the Jews.

           Jesus, who spent the first 30 years of his life working as a carpenter.

           Paul, who was a tentmaker and spread the good news to much of the known world.

           But it is not just developing leaders in which we see the central part that business and businesspeople played in the Biblica narrative.  Businesses had a key part in the spread of Christianity.

           Following Pentecost, as the early church spread, whole businesses were converted to Christ at one time. The very first conversion of a gentile was the... CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Churchianity or Christianity?