I have seen throughout my career
Christians who do business with other
Christians only because they are
Christians.
Repeatedly I have seen this lead to serious disappointment.
Generally speaking, giving business to someone because he is a Christian is bad business.
Giving business to someone because they do excellent work for a reasonable rate is good business.
There is a natural tendency for Christians to want to bless their fellow man or fellow businessman. But don’t ever forget that that natural tendency is called CHARITY not BUSINESS.
If you want to bless your brother send him a check.
If you have a job that you need to hire someone for, find someone who’d be best at that job.
I’ve seen many, many, many people who’ve not followed this advice, fallen into the trap of mixing charity with business and ended up regretting it.
Also, if you’re a Christian in business and expect to cash in on your faith to make up for your shoddy business REPENT! You know better. Start providing an excellent competitive product that’s worth the money others are spending.
I’m not trying to be harsh, but to smooth this out would take a whole lot more words.
Hope this helps.
Joe
18830
Joseph Barlow 
Anonymous,Agreed, the leading of the Holy Spirit is primary. He’ll always lead us in line with the written word.Blessings, thanks for commenting.
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Another point to consider is that your encounter with a business claiming to be Christian may be a God-ordained thing and, regardless of what the outcome may be, we need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit above all. Sometimes it not about business.
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Thanks again – I couldn’t agree more.
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Dave,Amen!I prefer to give my business to Christians, just not those who are trying to sucker me with a Christian fish symbol. I by no way want people to think that I’m against Christian business people, I really just want to call them up to excellence and be better than the world so we really do get the best deal when hiring them.
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Pastor,Fair enough. I think the slight difference of opinion that we have may be in definition. In other words, I consider Galatians 6:10 to be a command and I include patronizing a Christian Business (one that demonstartes excellence)as “doing good, especially to the household of faith”. I think you would probably agree with that. If I understand your position correctly, you simply are calling for professing Christian business people to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling” – to operate with integrity and biblical character and to that I say a hearty AMEN! But I would add – when businesses do operate with biblical integrity, let’s consider giving them at least some of our business.Thanks for sharpening!
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Dave,thanks for the comment.In response:“Would it be ok to patronize a business that markets itself as “Christian” simply out of a desire to work with a fellow believer?” If that’s your highest priority. But don’t think your safe because they’re Christian. They often times advertise as Christians to pull on customers with lower standards.I believe there are 1000s of excellent Christian business people but if the lack of excellence in their business has to be made up with advertising itself as Christian then there is some dishonesty going on.I’ve just seen way too many people get burned with this system.
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Pastor,I enjoyed your post and, although I don’t agree with it in it’s entirety, I don’t question your sincerity. Just a couple questions:Would it be ok to patronize a business that markets itself as “Christian” simply out of a desire to work with a fellow believer? Wouldn’t you agree that there are thousands of “Christian” businesses that do pursue excellence and operate according to biblical priciples?Someone who “does the best work” and a “Christian Business” could be one in the same and that would not automatically equal “bad business”.
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