Christian Business Concepts
Christian Business Concepts
Scripture and Success: How the Word of God Influences Business Leadership
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Are you struggling to find direction as a business leader? Join me, Harold Milby, on this thought-provoking journey where we explore how the timeless principles found in Scripture can shape our approach to leadership and success. Discover the transformative power of the Bible and learn why integrating these teachings into your daily business practices is vital for achieving true, godly success.
In this episode, we illuminate the core theme of how Scripture provides a crucial foundation for understanding one’s identity and purpose in the business world. With heartfelt discussions about ethical leadership, you will hear compelling real-world examples of influential leaders who attribute their success to their faith.
We delve into actionable steps for effectively incorporating biblical principles in your daily routines, such as daily engagement with Scripture, accountability with fellow Christian leaders, and ways to foster a God-centered workplace culture.
By shifting perspectives from mere profit margins to aligning with God’s purpose, you can lead with integrity and establish a more profound impact in your professional life. Subscribe, share, and begin a transformative conversation on how God's Word can lead to lasting success!
Welcome to the Christian Business Concepts with your host, harold Milby. Christian Business Concepts is dedicated to guiding companies and business owners in becoming effective, efficient and successful through God's Word and godly principles. Now, here's your host, harold Milby.
Speaker 2:Welcome everyone to this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast. I'm your host, harold Milby, and I'm humbled and so very glad that you've tuned in to this week's Christian Business Concepts Podcast. I'm your host, harold Milby, and I'm humbled and so very glad that you've tuned in to this podcast and I really hope that you'll become a permanent listener and just be a part of the CBC community and family. And each week here, what I try to do is I try to share biblical principles that are business principles, but yet, you know, the Bible has so much to say and can help us in so many ways, and especially in business. I want to do is I want to help you as a leader, as a person, to not just find success, but to find true godly success, and we want to help you to grow in Christ and in the power of his might. You know, 2 Peter 1 and 3 through 4 says his divine power has granted to us all things, all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him, who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us His precious and very great promises so that through them, through those promises, that through them, you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. You know this passage. You know it says that, quite simply, it says that he gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness. So if you have a business, you just need to understand that God's already provided the information. He has given us everything that we need in this life, no matter what part of your life, whether it be your personal life, your career. If you're a business owner, your business God has given us everything that we need, and the Word of God gives us so many principles to live by, and especially in the business community and business world. And each week, what I try to do is I try to do all that I can to present a topic and a biblical principle that will enlighten you and it will encourage you and empower you to find that true godly success that we talk about. Help us to grow this podcast by sharing this with four or five others and by placing the link to this podcast on your LinkedIn or Facebook pages. Now, before we jump into today's podcast, let me give a big shout out to the country of Japan for having so many downloads here in the last few weeks and you know, we just hope that Christian Business Concepts is being a blessing to you. We hope that for everybody who listens. So we just thank you for that. And I also want to encourage you.
Speaker 2:At the top of the description of this podcast is a link and you can send us a message through that link. You just got to click on it and it will allow you to send a message to us. Now we can't respond back directly to that link. It doesn't let us know if you're using your cell phone or anything. It doesn't give us your cell phone number or anything like that. But you can share some things. We'd love to hear your words of encouragement. We'd love to hear your words of encouragement. We'd love to hear how God's using this podcast to help you. And if you have a prayer request, you can certainly send that along and we will definitely be praying for whatever that particular situation is for your life.
Speaker 2:So let's get into today's topic. I think this is one that is so important and it's really at the center. It's at the center of what we do here at Christian Business Concepts. As a Christian business leader, your calling is really beyond profit margins, it's beyond market share. You are entrusted with being a good steward over the resources, over leading people and making decisions that reflect who God is. It reflects his character, and when you look at success in this context, it's not merely financial or professional. It's about aligning your life and your leadership with God's purpose and central, the very central part to this alignment is the Word of God, the Bible, and today I want to speak to you about why scripture is foundational to your success as a Christian business leader and how it provides practical guidance for you to integrate it into your daily life and your daily work. You know, I think about Tom's Shoes. You know Blake Mikowski, who founded Tom's Shoes. He really, you know, he kind of revolutionized what I would consider to be this social entrepreneurship with this one-on-one model that he had. So for every pair of shoes that he sold, he donated a pair of shoes to a child who didn't have any, a child that was in need, whether it be in the United States or across the world. And this was all inspired to him by his Christian faith, his faith in God, and he integrated compassion and generosity into his company's core values and he demonstrated how business can serve really as a platform for positive change, you know, for positive change.
Speaker 2:So why does the Word of God matter? Well, the Bible is more than just a historical or even spiritual text. It's God's living and active revelation to mankind. You know, the Word of God says in Hebrews, chapter 4 and verse 12,. It says For the Word of God is living in action and full of power, making it operative, energizing and effective. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit, the completeness of a person and of both joints and marrow, the deepest parts of our nature, exposing and judging the very thought and intentions of the heart. Now, that's the amplified version, but it says the word of God is living and active. That just means it is real, it's powerful, and so that's why the Word of God matters, because this is a power that you possess, and the way you possess it is by reading the Word of God and finding out what God says.
Speaker 2:You know, when you believe the Word, when you literally believe the word of God, you know what you're doing. You're taking the limits off. You're taking off the limits, you know. I remember when I had a go-kart and I had a motor on it and it had a governor on it and that governor limited the power of that motor so that she wouldn't go too fast. But I want you to understand that when you believe the word of God, you've basically taken the governor off. You're removing the limits, the limitations.
Speaker 2:Psalm 78, 40 and 41 in the Living Bible again says says oh, how often they rebelled. He's talking about the children of Israel when they were wandering in the wilderness. He says how often they rebelled against me in those desert years and grieved my heart. Again and again they turned away and tempted God to kill them and limited the Holy One of Israel from giving them his blessings. They limited God. And I'm telling you just in my experience of my life, from the time that I've given Jesus my life and accepted him as Lord of my life, I have done everything I can to learn about what his word says and to learn what it means for me personally.
Speaker 2:You know, in Genesis 3 and 1, you know it kind of explains that the moment that you doubt God's word you become vulnerable. You know it's hard to trust God if you're questioning his word. You know, for a Christian business leader the Bible really serves as a guide. It's a source of strength. It's a framework for decision-making. You know, the enemy came and the devil came to Eve and tempted Eve, and one of the things that he said was has God said, did God really tell you this? And what he was trying to do is to bring doubt in her heart. And he did about what God had said. And I encourage you, don't doubt what God said. It's in black and white, it's been written. There's been more Bibles printed than any other book in the world and here's why I believe that it's so so very indispensable.
Speaker 2:Number one it provides a foundation for our identity and our person as a person, and our purpose as well. So, again, it provides that. It gives us that foundation, because our identity is not in what you own, it's not in what you do for a living, it's not your career, it's not your title. That's not your identity. Your identity, the Word of God reminds us, is rooted in Christ. It's not rooted in your achievements or your failures or where you went to school.
Speaker 2:You know, galatians 2 and 20 says I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, in the life that I now live, in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me, so as a leader, and gave himself for me, so as a leader. This anchors you. It anchors you, keeps you from drifting. It's what an anchor does right, keeps you from drifting and it gives you the ability to deal with the pressures that you have in business. It reveals God's purpose for your work. In Colossians 3 and 23 and 24, it says whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you'll receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ and it just gives us that purpose, and we're to glorify him. Serve other people that's part of everybody's purpose, but God will hone that in even a little bit more detailed for each of us individually. So understanding this transforms your business from a mere enterprise to really an overall and overreaching ministry.
Speaker 2:You know Norm Miller, who was the founder of Miller's Ale House, said I came to Christ under duress. I realized that I had become an alcoholic and all of the life trappings I acquired were no longer satisfying to me. I was an empty person and on top of that I was anxious with the fear of failure. It was around that time that a friend of mine told me that I needed to read the Bible. It was God's word and it was truth. I simply asked God to prove that his word was true. I simply asked God to prove that his word was true, and he found that it was, and he became successful. And he became successful in God's eyes.
Speaker 2:So you know, as we go on to the next thing, it's important to understand that God's word offers so much wisdom, especially when we're making decisions. You know, because business demands that we have discernment. Whether we're negotiating deals, whether we're managing teams or navigating ethical things. It helps us with that decision making. Proverbs 2 and 6 says for the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. The word really equips you to make choices that really align with eternal principles rather than just trends. We can say that. So a practical example is when you're tempted to cut corners in your business for profit. You know you don't want to do this. You know Joshua 1 and 8 says keep this book of law always on your lips, meditate on it day and night. It encourages us to have integrity in our lives and in our businesses. In our lives and in our businesses.
Speaker 2:You know Masiyawa was a her first name is actually Strive, strive Masiyawa. She was from Zimbabwe and she was an entrepreneur and she was a founder of a company called Econet Wireless there in Africa. And she's a very devout Christian person and he actually attributed success to faith and biblical guidance. You know he had spoken about trusting God through challenges and he referenced Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 a lot. You know trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding, he'll direct your path. And so his ethical approach to even telecommunications in Africa. And then, of course, when you add that to his philanthropy like he funded education for a lot of orphans, thousands of orphans it just kind of demonstrates how he leaned on God's word to navigate business and to bless others.
Speaker 2:The word of God also. It builds resilience when you're challenged, when you have challenges in your life. You know, business man, there is all kinds of uncertainty, there's market shifts, there's competition, there's possible burnout personally. But the Word of God provides strength, it provides hope. Jesus himself relied on Scripture to overcome temptation. When we talk about Matthew, chapter 4 and verses 4. It starts because it was then that he went into the wilderness and he was tempted of the devil, it says and every time the devil tempted him, he quoted scripture and that's how he overcome it, so it can sustain you through your trials, because it did for Jesus. And maybe, you know, maybe there's a financial downturn, maybe you're struggling because of that, maybe things are not looking as bright as they were, you know, a couple of years ago. But just remember Romans 8 and 28 says all things, all things, everything, all things work together for good to those who love God. So that scripture really can offer you a reassurance that God is sovereign, even when you have had a setback.
Speaker 2:The word of God also it kind of shapes your ethical leadership. So you know, the marketplace can actually sometimes those moral lines that we're trying to live by, they get a little blurred sometimes. But you know Scripture provides a very clear standard. You know Micah 6 and 8, you know it says Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. That's what God expects from us. And so it helps to really shape our ethical person and ethical leadership. And when you root your leadership in biblical values, you're going to build trust with employees, you'll build trust with clients and partners and then you'll develop long-term success. So, for example, you know when you're drafting a contract. You know, because Matthew 5 and 37 says let your yes be yes and your no be no, and that just means you're reliable. You know you're reliable, so you know. I think it really helps us to understand ethical leadership.
Speaker 2:But also, it also aligns again, which is what we're about here. It aligns success with God's definition. You know, the world measures success by wealth and maybe your position or status or how much power you have. You know, but Scripture defines it as faithfulness, fruitfulness, obedience to God. That's what you see in Matthew 25 and 21. And a business that's rooted in God's word. It prioritizes eternal impact over temporary impact or temporary gain. Even so, what's a practical example?
Speaker 2:Well, instead of hoarding all these profits, you know, 2 Corinthians 9 and verses 6 and 7 encourage us to be generous in our giving, that we trust God to multiply what you sow. Listen, god is not worried about money. You know the people always want to say well, the Bible says that money is the root of all evil. No, it doesn't. It says the love of money is the root of all evil. Listen, god owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The Bible says God's not worried about money, he's worried about not so much that you have money, but that money has you. And the way that you prove that money doesn't have you is by being generous with the money and the resources that you have. So be generous in your giving, be trusting in what God has for you and realize that he will multiply what you sow, whether it be in a local church or whether it be in a ministry or some organization.
Speaker 2:You know, zig Ziglar said one time if you're not living in the will of God, you are uncomfortable in the word of God. So when you refuse to do what God's word says, then God's word will become uncomfortable to you. You know Zig Ziglar. He believed that God wanted to remove obstacles and heal the wounds that limited people. That was his purpose in life and he did everything he could.
Speaker 2:Now, how do you integrate the Word of God into your leadership? Well, you got to understand its importance. That's just the beginning. That's what we've been talking about is why is it important? But that's kind of like the first step. You've got to understand its importance and then here's how you make scripture a practical cornerstone of your life and business. So first you have to have daily engagement. You need to start your day with Scripture, even just 10 to 15 minutes today, in a passage like Proverbs or the Gospels. It helps you to set your mind on God's priorities. You know you can choose a verse each week, you know. For example, you know, maybe you just pick Philippians 4.13, and then you just kind of reflect on that and how it applies to your current challenges, your current situations and in your personal life, in your business life.
Speaker 2:The next thing that you need to do is meditate, meditate and memorize. So Psalms 119 and 11 says I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. So you need to meditate on God's word. But then memorize God's word, spend some time and memorize some very special scriptures to you, whatever those may be. Memorizing key verses it really kind of helps you to recall them when you get into a critical moment and that's when you want to call out on God's word. You know a good one is, you know, if you memorize Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, because it says Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. That is such a great passage to memorize and then you can recite that. You know when you're praying You're asking God for direction, because the Bible says God watches over his word to perform it. So you know you can share. When you're praying God, you know I'm praying today, your word declares, and then you can share that scripture and you know.
Speaker 2:Then the next thing you can do is you need to apply it in your decision-making. So when you're faced with a choice, you need to apply it in your decision making. So when you're faced with a choice, you need to ask yourself some questions. First of all, what does the scripture say about it? What does the Bible say about it? And you can use a concordance or even an app off your phone. I use an app on my phone. It's a concordance, so I can look up words, I can look up phrases of words and it'll find them for me in the word of God. It also has Greek and Hebrew, so you can actually find out what specific words mean. It's very easy to do with this app. So I encourage you to look through some of those things.
Speaker 2:But before, even in business, you can take it this far that even before you're going to launch, let's say, a new venture. You know. Study Matthew, chapter 7 and verses 24 through 27. It talks about the wise builder who built his house upon. You know, a strong rock foundation, and the one who didn't. But you want to meditate on that before you launch a new business or a new venture, just to make sure your plans rest on God's truth. The next thing is be accountable. Have community Surround yourself with Christian leaders who value the Word of God and discuss how it shapes their businesses too. You know you can join or maybe even form your own monthly Bible study group with, maybe, peers in your industry or peers in other industries. Maybe you want to have a variety of people, but these are all business leaders, maybe business owners. That's something that you can do.
Speaker 2:The other thing that you want to do is you want to prayerfully depend upon God's word, you know. Ask God to reveal how it applies to you and your work and your profession applies to you and your work and your profession. You want to make sure. Psalms 25, 4 and 5 says make me to know your ways, o Lord, teach me your paths, lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. For you I wait all the day long. So pray, pray, through Colossians 3.17, which we shared earlier about whatsoever you do, whether it be in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Speaker 2:Make sure that you're doing that and then have faith and dependence on God's word for your business. It'll help you to overcome your fear. It'll help you to overcome anxiety. You know, philippians 4, 6-7 says do not be anxious, don't be fearful about anything, but in everything, in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, trusting in God's provision. When you trust in God's provision and I mean you really trust in God's provision it I mean you really trust in God's provision it'll remove fear of any kind of financial instability or any kind of economic downturn, because you're trusting that God is your provider and you learn that through his word. So you know, seek God's will in your business for growth, seek his will. You know, james 4 and 13 through 15, it just kind of reminds leaders to commit their plans to the Lord. And so you know, realize that you don't want to assume that what you're doing is what God wants, but you want to get God's mind on it and make sure it is, and so that you want to do that.
Speaker 2:So then you want to use scripture to shape your workplace culture. You know that's something else that you want to do there. You know create a God-centered workplace. You can incorporate prayer, bible study and godly values into your workplace culture. There's no law that keeps you from doing that. Make sure you know what the law is, because there's so many people, so many Christian leaders in business that feel like they can't do anything because it's against the law. No, you're protected by law. Now, you can't force employees or force people you work with to participate, but you can make them available. So I would do that to help create this culture in the workplace.
Speaker 2:You know Matthew 7 and 12 says so whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. Well, that's the golden rule, so you can demonstrate that. You know it's not just about you know speaking the word of God. It's about living the Word of God and let your people see that. Let them see that that's how you operate and that's, again how you create this God-centered workplace and how you treat your employees and how you treat your clients and you treat them with compassion and fairness and respect. What that does is it builds stronger relationships and it builds business growth. And then, like I said, you witness through what you're doing. Let people see what you do, not just what you say.
Speaker 2:A Christian business can be a powerful witness when you demonstrate God's word in your life. So here's our choices. With the word of God, we either can ignore it, we can reject it, we can obey it and we can stand on it. So you can stand on the word of God, it's going to sustain you. You know the secret to receiving God's promises and there are over 30,000 promises in the Bible. But the secret to receiving those promises is found in John 15 and 7. It says if you abide in me and my words, abide in you, ask whatsoever you wish and it will be done for you. You know practical steps for applying the word of God in business.
Speaker 2:Those things that we've talked about are so very, very important, so very important, and you know I just think it's very, very powerful. You know, when you begin to see the fruit of a word-centered business and word-centered leader, you root that leadership in Scripture and when you do that, the outcomes are tremendous. They're so profound. You'll have personal growth, you'll have a stronger business impact and you'll have an eternal legacy. Your work really contributes to God's kingdom, and then you'll have an eternal legacy. You know your work really contributes to God's kingdom and then you'll have true godly success. You know, 1 Corinthians 3, verses 12 through 14, says Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. So I think it's so foundational.
Speaker 2:But I wanted to share with you how important the Word of God is for your business. It's so important. So what are the top three things I would suggest you do? First, choose one verse to meditate on this week and maybe journal I believe in taking notes and just journal the impact that that scripture has on your leadership this week. And then I would share this podcast with maybe some of your team or other Christian leaders to maybe get some discussion started about the power of God's word in your business. And then, thirdly, I would pray. I would pray this. I'd say Lord, let your word dwell in me richly as I lead.
Speaker 2:You know, the word of God is not an optional add-on for Christian business leaders. It is the bedrock, I believe, of true godly success. It shapes your character, guides your decisions, aligns your business with God's will. And as Jesus said in 15 and 5, apart from me you can do nothing. So I believe that by abiding in his word you tap into this source of wisdom and strength and power and purpose that no MBA, no strategy can replicate, it can't reproduce it.
Speaker 2:So when you prioritize Scripture in every aspect of your leadership, you not only achieve business success but also eternal success and eternal impact and you bring glory to God. You know Matthew 6.33 says but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. And in verses 31 and 32, it kind of explains what these things are. So commit today. Commit today to making Scripture your compass and when you do that, you watch how God transforms both you and your business for his glory.
Speaker 2:Lord, we thank you for the power of your word today, lord, and I thank you for those who have listened today and have a better understanding of how it can impact their personal lives and their business lives. Lord, I pray they will take seriously the importance of applying your word to every aspect of their life. In the name of Jesus, amen and amen. Well, thanks again for downloading and listening to this week's podcast. I hope you're blessed by it. Please remember to share CBC with others and help us grow this community and help us reach one million business leaders and organizational leaders and individuals with this message of finding true godly success. Well, that's all the time we have for today. So remember Jesus is Lord and he wants you blessed.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning into this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast. Go to ChristianBusinessConceptscom for more information and resources. Be sure to check out other podcasts that will help you take your business and your personal life to a whole new level of success.