Success in business is a Protestant work ethic. Economic Code of the Bible

All institutions in which productive and legitimate service is carried on are highly valued in the Bible as long as the purpose is accomplished in ways that glorify God.

Even in the past generation, working for the church has become synonymous with a career in the service of God. Some Christians even believed that a career in commercial business was contrary to the Bible. Others felt that it was in complete agreement with biblical principles.

How should Christians view a career in ministry? commercial sector? Is work in commercial company something we should encourage Christians to do? In this article, we will raise these two questions by taking a biblical perspective on market activity. We'll start with creation.

CREATION AND SATURDAY

Although the central theme of Scripture is our relationship with God, the material side of life takes its rightful place in the Bible. Work that brings satisfaction from God-given wealth conditions, is a legitimate aspiration; however, the material side of life cannot be separated from spirituality, as can be seen in the connection between God's creation and the Sabbath.

Creation lays the foundation for our concept of wealth, whether we work in the commercial, non-profit, or government sectors. At creation, God created all the materials for the acquisition of wealth. He created human beings independent of each other and of environment. He asked people to both possess the land and take care of the land as faithful servants (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15). The reason is that God is the owner of everything material. He commissioned people to work on His behalf on this earth. Our attitude towards these resources and the people with whom we share them - all this happens in the face of the One to whom we owe all this.

God said of this material world “very well” (Genesis 1:31). God's original plan included people working in the material world (Genesis 2:15). And yet, the greatest purpose of the work, paradoxically as it may sound, was not to accumulate economic value earned by the production and sale of material property, but above all to enter into rest with God. The weekly Sabbath, as a foreshadowing of God's covenant of grace, is inseparable from the commission to work. With the Sabbath rest, we show our allegiance to God by resting from the pursuit of material possessions. The Sabbath was created in part as a barrier to materialism, but sin has corrupted the human experience of work and the Sabbath. The work became hard and burdensome. The workers needed a rest not only from the tiring hard work, but also from the fierce battle for survival. Moreover, the Sabbath is needed as a constant reminder that confidence in our work should not replace trust in God.

TESTAMENT, SHALOM AND BLESSINGS

In His wisdom, God knew about negative impact sin. God's covenant of grace, proposed immediately after the appearance of sin (Genesis 3:15) and then constantly repeated in Scripture, is a covenant that applies to all aspects of life—spiritual, physical, social, political, economic, and so on. Under the influence of sin, the natural human tendency has become to turn something good into something selfish. Just as work became hard, so work turned from a desire to accumulate material values ​​into a source of fatigue (Proverbs 23:4-5). When God made a covenant with Moses, He reminded us of the importance of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8). People saw the fruits of their own labor and, forgetting the significance of the Sabbath, began to rely on own forces in achieving economic wealth.

The endowment with the power to accumulate material values ​​is described in the language of the covenant as follows: “But that you remember the Lord your God, for He gives you the power to acquire wealth, in order to fulfill, as now, His covenant, which He confirmed with an oath to your fathers” (Deut. 8:18) . The covenant was not just a promise of economic prosperity, but also a promise of a full covenant relationship with God, family, community, and all nations based on spiritual abundance. The meaning of such a full life is abundantly embraced in the concept of shalom (peace).

In covenant with God, the whole world would receive the blessings of peace in every aspect of life, including economic well-being. However, economic prosperity achieved outside of a covenant relationship with God is prosperity that takes a person in the opposite direction from God's plan.

BUSINESS PRINCIPLES IN THE BIBLE

The Bible has a lot of business advice. In Proverbs, Solomon especially advises us to watch our means of achieving material prosperity, since our economic future is uncertain (Proverbs 27:24-27). Pruning fruitful plants results in increased productivity (Leviticus 25:3,4; John 15:1,2). When growing grain, certain factors increase yield (Genesis 26:12; Matt. 13:8; 13:23; Mark 4:8; 4:20; 2 Cor. 9:6). It follows from this that the higher the yield, the more it is valued. As a result, it is unwise to use inefficient or useless technology. The use of technology must be wise in order to fully achieve the purpose of this technology, as it glorifies God (Proverbs 1:17, 24:27; Ecclesiastes 10:9,10).

The Bible also frowns on unproductive resources (see Deuteronomy 29:23; 2 Kings 2:19; Proverbs 26:7; Ezekiel 15:3-5; Luke 13:6,7; 14:35; Hebrews 6:8). When a resource becomes unproductive, the resource owner must fix the problem by making better use of that resource, or, if that is not possible, get rid of the unproductive resource and replace it with a productive one. The rationality of the principle of destroying unproductive means and replacing them with productive ones, in accordance with the wisdom of Solomon “there is a time to plant, and there is a time to uproot what is planted”, is justified in the event that property cannot be saved and becomes completely unproductive (Ecclesiastes 3:2. See also Mt. 3:10; Luke 3:9, 13:6,7). These business principles emphasize the spiritual norm that it is God who is the owner of all means of accumulating wealth; and people are laborers together with God in the use of these resources. The earth, as well as everything on it, including technology used in commerce, must be holy and set apart for the service of God.

BUSINESS AS TECHNOLOGY

The Bible mentions hundreds of technologies used in business ventures. Nowhere in the Bible are these technologies or the goals they are intended to be criticized. God is interested in business technology. In biblical times, the technology of the merchant buying and selling goods was the decisive technology for profit. It was a system of weights and measurements used to calculate the value of buying and selling. Those involved in business should consider their business technology and money used in commerce as belonging to God, not only because He is the owner of all material things (1 Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 49:10; 103:24; Proverbs 16:11; Haggai 2:8), but also because market transactions that involve the use of His funds for the benefit of the beings He created must be done in a way that honors Him and takes into account the interests of His society (Leviticus 19:35, 36; Deuteronomy 25:13-15; Proverbs 11:1; 20:10,23; Ezekiel 45:10-12; Hosea 12:7; Micah 6:11). Thus, every work that people do using technology to advance their economic well-being is work with God and for God. When people develop inventions that promote justice, they are also advancing the work of the cause of God on earth. According to the same principle, it is an abomination to be dishonest with others when using technology.

JESUS ​​AND THE MARKET

Jesus criticized the wealthy, money-loving Pharisees for their greed and unethical practices that made them rich, not for their wealth itself. He accepted dinner invitations from wealthy people and received resources from others who provided Him (Matthew 23:25; Luke 11:39; 16:14). Yet He warned people to beware of all kinds of greed (Luke 12:13-15). He advised the rich steward to sell everything he possessed and give to the poor, but He did not make it a universal principle that everyone should follow (Luke 18:18-30). For example, when Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, received Jesus, he gave away half of his possessions to the poor. Jesus did not tell him to distribute the rest (Luke 19:1-10).

Jesus assisted the disciples in their trading (John 21:6-11). He used wealth, resources to accumulate wealth, and labor to accumulate wealth as illustrations of great spiritual truths. He never raised the question of whether it was right to own property. As a result of His miracles of healing, the sick and crippled not only recovered physically and spiritually, but were also restored to their ability to provide for themselves economically. There is an important tension here. Prosperity comes from the diligence and wisdom that comes from our experience and the experience of trustworthy, God-fearing members of society whom we should listen to (Deuteronomy 8:10-20; 1 Chronicles 29:12; 2 Chronicles 1:11,12; Proverbs 3: 13-20). The problem is that when wealth is achieved, people easily begin to rely on their wealth, and show ingratitude, moving away from God, who gave them the ability and resources to accumulate these material values ​​with the help of the resources he created (Proverbs 11:28).

PROFESSIONS IN THE BIBLE

The Bible describes hundreds of occupations associated with all three sectors of the economy: commercial, non-profit, and government. In the Bible, all these professions are considered legitimate. The means by which a person could accumulate wealth in biblical times included land, precious metals, precious stones, animals, equipment, and crops that depended on sun and rain. Trading was expected, and even encouraged. Hiring workers was expected to increase productivity (Deuteronomy 24:14,156; Mark 1:20; Matthew 20:14,15). Not all people have the intention of giving glory to God for enriching them. entrepreneurial activity. Some get rich in an honest way, others in a dishonest way. But both the righteous and the unrighteous await the acquisition of wealth (Psalm 16:4; 36:16; 48:6,7; 51:9; 72:3; 72:12; 91:8; 109:8; 122:4; Matthew 5:44,45).

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became rich through sheep farming. Jesus himself worked in what was clearly a building business. Some of his students worked in the fishing industry. The apostle Paul was also no stranger to entrepreneurship. Although the Bible does not give us a description of all the details of his labor activity, it seems that he was trading in tents he made. He warned that the love of money is the root of evil (1 Timothy 6:9,10). While some merchants took advantage of defrauding others, people like Lydia are mentioned with respect, as they are associated with the ministry of a growing church.

SERVICE IN THE MARKET

Biblical service to others is a response to God's gifts given as a divine loan for the limited days of our lives, not a way to earn God's favor. Peter exhorted the early Christians to use their spiritual gifts to minister to one another in a way that represented the faithful management of God's grace. The reason for this is that whatever we do, regardless of the economic sector in which we operate, we bring glory and joy to God (1 Peter 4:8-11). Paul probably would have agreed with Peter when he similarly advised believers to work hard, for and in the name of Jesus, who is Lord, and not just for men (Colossians 3:17-23).

PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFIT

Scripture suggests that people will try to be as productive as possible. People are expected to be helpful, and if not, they are considered destructive (Proverbs 18:9; Titus 3:14). Hard, honest work brings an honest profit, although this profit is not always guaranteed. Some diligent workers may lack economic prosperity. In the Bible, both economic gain and economic loss are seen as gifts from God. However, people do not begin all the work of planting seeds and caring for crops without expecting something good in return, something more than what they have put into the process (Deuteronomy 20:6; Proverbs 27:18 ; 1 Corinthians 9:7). Thus, one measure of utility is comparing the value of what a person had before hard work with the value of what he received after work - the idea of ​​income or profit (Proverbs 3:13,14; 15:27; Ecclesiastes 3:9; Jeremiah 6:13; 12:13). Profit is one indicator that business decision makers are good stewards of the resources entrusted to them by society or shared with it. Thus, without being preoccupied with profit, the faithful business professional at the same time listens to what information profit can convey about business operations.

While the idea of ​​making a profit is not itself criticized in the Bible, making a profit in an unfair or dishonest way is condemned. Bible prophets strongly opposed criminal business dealings in which the rich took advantage at the expense of the poor. The Bible also condemns the pursuit of prosperity through immoral and dishonest acts. In this regard, the biblical criticism of leaders who make wealth through injustice is directed against political and religious leaders as well as those whose primary job is commerce. Obviously, greed, fraud and corruption are sins that beset not only those who work in commercial firms, but also those who work in non-profit and government organizations (Isaiah 1:23; Jeremiah 8:10; 22:27; Ezekiel 22: 27:28; Amos 5:11; Micah 3:11).

CONCLUSION

How should a Christian view a career in the commercial sector? In short, a career in the profitable sector is a career for God as long as it is a work for the benefit of others, as the work of good stewards of God's grace. Career life in the commercial world must be balanced with Sabbath life as we consistently raise the economic limits of the Sabbath high in honor of the God who owns everything we work with.

Is working for a commercial firm something we should encourage Christians to get involved in? Undoubtedly! It is our duty to be good stewards of public resources. Honest profits earned through hard work, business development and the exchange of public resources should not be tarnished, but, on the contrary, appreciated. Dishonest profits derived from profiting at the expense of others must be avoided at all costs. Moreover, working in a legitimate business, in a commercial firm, is an opportunity for a Christian to exert a good influence, not only in supporting productive labor, but in changing the world of work where necessary; by encouraging others to seek periodic rest from the tough need to accumulate economic profits. This is one way that those in business can bring the Sabbath rest with them from Monday to Friday. Life, even working life, means more than possible material abundance, “for the life of a man does not depend on the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). All institutions in which productive and legitimate ministry is done are highly valued in the Bible as long as the purpose is accomplished in ways that glorify God.

Michael. I. Kafferki (D.B.A., Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana) is Professor of Business and Management at Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, Tennessee, USA. He is the author of six books, including Management: A Faith-Based Perspective (Pearson Education, Inc., 2012), the first undergraduate management textbook designed for use in Christian colleges and universities. Email: mcafferky (dog) southern.edu.

Translation by Oleg Litvinenko

Illustration: Quentin Metsis. Moneylender with his wife. 1514 Louvre.

BUSINESS according to the commandments of the Torah and the Bible

It is a blessing to earn money with your ability, because you can enjoy the fruits of your labors, as the psalmist writes: "You will eat from your hands: blessed are you, and good to you!" (Psalms 129:2).

Editorial

The article published below turned out to be so unconventional for our publication that we are still in some doubts. Of course, there is nothing wrong with the fact that we provide pages of the magazine for all its well-wishers (and even detractors). On the other hand, we would not like to be suspected of the one-sided religious preferences of our publishing house. Therefore, simultaneously with this publication, we officially declare our readiness to accept the opinions of all parallel religious denominations.

The Creator created our world beautiful, created man as his representative on earth.

And endowed him with the ability to improve the world he created as his junior partner. create, create, build

cities, hospitals, factories, inventing machines and means of communication - for all of the above, funds are needed: the more progress, the more funds are needed. Let's see together what the Torah and the Bible have to say about business.

It is forbidden to be dishonest or deceive in a business transaction, because we are commanded: “If you sell something to your neighbor or buy something from your neighbor, do not offend (do not deceive) one another” (Lev. 25:14). Conducting honest trading operations is the same as fulfilling the entire Torah, and this is the first thing that will be answered in the Heavenly Court.

Just as it is forbidden to deceive a believer, it is also forbidden to rob, cheat or steal anything from those who do not believe in God. In many cases this is even worse, as it gives the religious people a bad name and profanes the name of God.

It is forbidden to covet someone else's property, since it is commanded: "Do not covet your neighbor's house ..." (Deut. 5). If someone incites someone to sell a thing that he does not want to sell at all, the instigator is also guilty of violating the commandment “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house ... nothing that thy neighbor has” (Exodus 20:17). Both of these commandments are found in the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), and they remain valid even where there is no dishonesty.

The first thing a person will answer for in the heavenly court is whether his business was honest or not.

Honesty must even exceed the mere requirements of the Law, and all business dealings must be conducted with absolute integrity and fairness to all. Whatever stratum of society a person belongs to, he needs to remember that God is constantly watching him, and act accordingly. Therefore, we are commanded to do what is right and good in the sight of God.

It is forbidden to use dishonest money for charity or any other religious purpose, as God told the prophet, "I, God, love justice and hate robbery" (Isaiah 61:8). However, business or career should always come second to duties to God. Anyone who puts his interests before serving God is guilty of violating the commandment to love God first of all.

Let's go even further and find out what the fundamental relationship is between the world of business and the invisible world of morality and ethics. Is it true that these relationships begin and end according to a certain set of rules detailing undesirable patterns of behavior in doing things that have little to do with holiness, but are nonetheless necessary? Or is it the other way around: doing business is associated with the need for significant spiritual potential?

A truly religious approach to business ethics does not at all consider commercial activity as an absolute evil. Like everything we do in life, the call to do business comes from above. Often, according to the usual way of thinking, moral standards are correlated with altruism and self-sacrifice. And the Jewish view of business focuses on the development of qualities and character traits that at first glance do not have a special moral meaning.
You may have heard of the classic description by the sages of the Torah and the Bible of the judgment of souls after death. The first question that the soul will have to answer is: “Have you honestly conducted your business?”. Is the Heavenly Court only interested in how honest I was as a person, and yet the business world is nothing more than a laboratory where my honesty is tested for strength? In my opinion, this is not so. It seems to me that the heavenly court wants to know if I was involved in the work in the field called "honest business", precisely because it is, by definition, endowed with holiness of such a level that it is tested in court in the first place.

And here's another one interest Ask: "Have you multiplied good deeds?" It emphasizes the need to take certain actions aimed at achieving concrete results. The question is not asked to make sure that in doing business we did not cheat, did not lie, and did not violate any of the 613 commandments. He emphasizes the fact of the existence of business activities, which in themselves are sacred. The sages made it clear to us that the first thing that the Almighty wants to know at the Heavenly Court is not the number of sins that we managed to avoid in business; nor is it a list of evil deeds from which we have duly abstained; and not even charity, which we did in addition to commercial activities(“I regularly donated 10 percent of my earnings to charity. During lunch at the office, I also managed to teach Torah.”)

The sages advise that we will have to describe in detail our usual activities in the course of doing business. I am inclined to believe that the Heavenly Court Special attention to this area of ​​activity precisely because it has a hidden potential for good, which we unleash by engaging in seemingly completely immoral business related to commerce. The very formulation of the question is justified only by the presence of the potential for good, revealed through the conduct of honest business.

Considering this topic in the traditions of Judaism, in the Talmud there are many comments regarding our forefather Jacob, who, being in a foreign country, managed to win the trust and love of local population. It can be assumed that in order to achieve such a result, Jacob enjoyed the support of higher powers. As is usually the case, in our tradition there is no unequivocal opinion on this matter. I propose to consider the various opinions described in the Talmud and the similar theme on which they are all based. All existing debates concern the three main activities of Jacob: our forefather established the new kind cash settlements, stood at the origins of the creation of local markets and built public bath. In other words, Jacob established the creation of market relations in the country, established a new monetary system and developed infrastructure, thus, through business, he gave rise to a lot of useful achievements. His achievements, which, in the opinion of the layman, do not have a high moral value, became the basis of a beautiful story about the transformation of our world that he accomplished. He changed the world with good deeds that were directly related to business. Therefore, we can safely say: business and morality are quite compatible.

This idea is repeated in many Jewish sources. The sages of the Talmud say that one of the best sets of rules on how to achieve sainthood is contained in a treatise describing the laws of indemnification. The path to holiness is not connected with esoteric conversations on topics of deep mysticism. It is available to anyone who begins to explore the practical laws of doing business and paying compensation! Commercial ethics in classical Judaism does not concern the laws of charity and altruism (which are themselves moral values); it reveals its views on the real aspects of commercial activity, as well as the holiness and moral purity contained in it. The Hasidic sages said that holiness can be found everywhere; so why are we surprised to learn that our routine activities in the business world are nothing less than the true path to righteousness?

According to the classical Judaic view of business ethics, to be successful we must remember two things: the right strategy and the beautiful story we can present in front of the heavenly judge. By creating more business opportunities, engaging more people, and doing business fairly and honestly, we multiply the good that exists in our world through business results. This is the “Jewish business”, based on faith and honesty. With the help of business, or rather, the income received from honest business, we are participating in God's project to equip this beautiful planet, making it better and more beautiful - after all, this is our home. We are as partners who honestly fulfilled our obligations, and we can, yes, we can be sure of blessing our loved ones with health and longevity given to us by God.

God bless your business this new calendar year with good deals and fair partners. Amen.

Reb Chaim David Cohen

I. THE WEALTH BIBLE

1. The Lord is the giver of everything (including material wealth)

A. Wealth as a gift from God to those who love Him:

Ecclesiastes 5:18 « And if to what person God gave wealth and property and gave him power to enjoy from them and take his share and enjoy from his labors, then this God's gift ». Psalm 111:1-3 « Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and deeply loves His commandments. His seed will be strong on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Abundance and wealth in his house, and his righteousness endures forever».

B. The Lord gives power to acquire wealth:

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 « ... and lest you say in your heart: "My strength and the strength of my hand have gained me wealth this," but to remember the Lord your God, for He gives you the power to acquire wealth to fulfill, as now, his covenant, which he confirmed with an oath to your fathers».

2. The problem is not in wealth, but in relation to it:

If you remember, among the men of faith there were also rich people, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, Esther, Solomon, King David. However, this did not prevent them from being faithful to God and serving Him with all their hearts. That is, we see that even a rich person can be faithful to God. What then is the problem with wealth? And the problem is not in wealth, but in relation to it.

A. The problem is not in wealth, but in the love of money (love of wealth):

1 Timothy 6:9-10 « BUT those wishing to enrich themselves fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts that plunge people into disaster and destruction, for the root of all evil is avarice ».

B. The problem is not wealth, but covetousness (the desire to get rich):

Luke 12:15-21 « At the same time he said to them: look, beware covetousness [love of enrichment, passion for gain], for the life of a man does not depend on the abundance of his possessions. And he told them a parable: one rich man had a good harvest in the field; and he reasoned with himself: what should I do? where can I gather my fruits? And he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will gather there all my bread and all my goods, and I will say to my soul: soul! much good lies with you for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him: insane! this very night your soul will be taken from you; Who will get what you have prepared? This is what happens to those who collects treasures for himself, a not rich in God ».

3. Love of wealth is idolatry:

The Word of God warns us not to cling to riches with our souls: Psalm 61:11 « Don't rely on robbery, and don't boast about theft; when wealth is multiplied, don't put your heart on him ". The truth is that everything that owns our heart is an idol for us.

The love of wealth (love of money) and the desire for enrichment (covetousness) is idolatry, that is, the service of mammon. Mammon - from the Aramaic word for "property" - a loan word in Greek, meaning "wealth" and "luxury". It is also the name of a pagan deity, who was worshiped by all those who wanted to get rich.

Jesus warns that it is impossible to serve two masters: Matthew 6:24 « No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ". Therefore, the Bible calls us in the Message Colossians 3:5 « Put to death therefore your members on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust and covetousness, which is idolatry ».

4. Biblical wisdom (parables, sayings) about wealth:

Proverbs 11:16 « A well-behaved wife gains fame, but a hard-working wife gains wealth ». Proverbs 13:11 « Wealth from vanity exhausted, but he who gathers with labor increases it». Proverbs 22:4 « Humility is followed by the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life». Proverbs 22:16 « He who offends the poor in order to increase his wealth, and who gives to the rich, he will become poor». Proverbs 28:22 « Hurry to wealth envious person, and does not think that poverty befall him».

Ecclesiastes 5:9-10 « Whoever loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth, there is no benefit from that. And this is vanity! multiplies property, multiply and consume it; and what good is it for him who owns it: except to look with his own eyes?» Ecclesiastes 5:11 « Sweet is the dream of the worker, you never know, how much he will eat; but the satiety of the rich keeps him awake».

Jeremiah 17:11 « Partridge sits on eggs that she did not carry; such is the acquiring wealth by untruth: he will leave him for half his days, and remain a fool at his end».

5. The wealth of salvation cannot be acquired:

A. Old Testament teaching:

Job 36:18-19 « May the wrath of God not strike you with punishment! A big ransom won't save you. Will He give what price to your wealth? No - no gold and no treasure». Psalm 49:7-14 « Relying on their strength and boasting a lot of wealth his! a man will not redeem his brother in any way and will not give God a ransom for him: the price of the redemption of their souls is dear, and it will never be that someone remains to live forever and does not see the grave. Everyone sees that the wise die, just as the ignorant and senseless perish and leave own property others. In their thoughts, that their houses are eternal, and that their dwellings are for generation and generation, and they call their lands by their proper names. But a man will not abide in honor; he will be like animals that perish. This way of theirs is their folly, although those who follow them approve of their opinion.». Proverbs 11:4 « Will not help wealth on the day of wrath, true[righteousness] will save you from death».

B. New Testament Teaching:

• The seduction of wealth prevents people from accepting God's Word and following Christ: Matthew 13:22 « ... And what is sown in thorns means the one who hears the word, but the care of this world and seduction of wealth stifles the word, and it becomes fruitless».
• It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven: Matthew 19:23-24 « Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you that hard for the rich enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than rich enter the Kingdom of God». Mark 10:23-25 « And, looking around, Jesus said to his disciples: how hard for those who have wealth enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were horrified at His words. But Jesus again says to them in answer: Children! as it is difficult for those who hope for wealth enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than rich enter the Kingdom of God».
• No amount of riches can bring salvation to the soul: Luke 9:25 « For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and to destroy or harm himself?» Mark 8:36-37 « For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? »

II. TRUE AND FALSE WEALTH:

1. The Bible warns us about the perishability of earthly treasures and riches

A. Old Testament:

Proverbs 23:4-5 « Don't worry about making money wealth; leave such thoughts of yours. Fix your eyes on him, and he is no more; because it will make wings for itself and, like an eagle, fly to the sky».

Ecclesiastes 5:12-16 « There is a painful disease that I saw under the sun: wealth saved by its owner to his detriment. And this wealth perishes from accidents: he gave birth to a son, and there is nothing in his hands. Just as he came out naked from his mother's womb, so he departs as he came, and takes nothing from his labor that he could carry in his hand. And this is a serious illness: as he came, so he departs. What's the use of him that he toiled for the wind? And all his days he ate in the dark, in great irritation, in grief and annoyance.».

B. New Testament:

James 5:1-5 « Listen you rich: Weep and wail for your calamities that come upon you. Wealth yours is rotten, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver corroded, and their rust will be a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire: you have gathered for yourselves treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the laborers who reaped your fields are crying out, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You lived in luxury on earth and enjoyed; fed your hearts as if on the day of the slaughter».

Matthew 6:19-21 « Don't collect yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal, for where is your treasure and your heart will be there».

2. What kind of wealth should we collect, or what treasures are true, lasting?

• God's blessings are true wealth: Proverbs 28:20 « faithful man rich in blessings and whoever is in a hurry to get rich will not go unpunished».
• The Lord is real wealth (treasure): 1 Peter 2:7-8 « So He is for you, believers, a jewel. but for the unbelievers, the stone which the builders rejected, but which has become the head of the corner, is a stone of stumbling and a stone of offense, on which they stumble, not obeying the word, wherefore they were left».
• Knowing and understanding the Lord is true wealth: Jeremiah 9:23-24 « Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, strong in strength my own Let not the rich man boast of his riches. But he who boasts, boast that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who works mercy, judgment, and righteousness on earth; for this alone pleases me, says the Lord».
• The goodness, meekness, and long-suffering of God are riches: Romans 2:4 « Or neglect riches of God's goodness, meekness and long-suffering not realizing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?»
• God's grace is real wealth: Ephesians 1:7 « ...in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, riches of his grace ». Ephesians 2:7 « …to bring forth in the ages to come the abundant wealth of grace His goodness to us in Christ Jesus».
• Joy, generosity, and hospitality are true wealth: 2 Corinthians 8:2 « for they are in the midst of the great trial of tribulations abound with joy; and their deep poverty abounds in the wealth of their hospitality ». 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 « But God is able to enrich you with all grace, so that you, always and in everything having all contentment, may be rich in every good deed as it is written: squandered, distributed to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. He who gives seed to the sower and bread for food will give abundance to what you have sown, and multiply the fruits of your righteousness, so that you all were rich in every kind of generosity which through us produces thanksgiving to God».
• Eternal life (the glorious inheritance of the saints) is true wealth: Ephesians 1:18 « ...and enlightened the eyes of your heart, that you might know what is the hope of his calling, and what riches of his glorious inheritance for saints».
• good name and good fame is true wealth: Proverbs 22:1 « good name better than great wealth, and good fame better than silver and gold».
• Good works and trust in God are real treasures: 1 Timothy 6:17-19 « rich exhort them in this present age not to think highly of themselves and did not trust in unfaithful wealth, but on the living God who gives us everything abundantly for enjoyment; that they benevolent, rich in good deeds, were generous and sociable, collecting for themselves treasure, a good foundation for the future to achieve eternal life».
• Suffering for faith and Christ is real wealth: Hebrews 11:24-26 « By faith, Moses, having come of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and rather wanted to suffer with the people of God than to have temporary sinful pleasure, and He considered the reproach of Christ to be a great wealth for himself than Egyptian treasures; for he looked to the reward».
• The kingdom of heaven is real wealth: Matthew 13:44-46 « More like Kingdom of Heaven treasure hidden in a field, which, having found, a man hid, and out of joy over it, he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field. Still like the kingdom of heaven to a merchant looking for good pearls, who, having found one precious pearl went and sold everything he had and bought her».
• Faith is real wealth: James 2:5 « Listen, my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?»
• Hope in God and salvation is real wealth: Romans 15:13 « May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, enriched with hope ».
• True wealth is in Christ: 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 « I thank my God without ceasing for you, for the sake of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, because in Him you are enriched by all , with every word and every knowledge- for the testimony of Christ has been established in you - so that you do not lack any gift, waiting for the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, so that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ».
• The spiritual gifts that God gives to Christians to build up the Church are true riches: 1 Corinthians 14:12 " enrich themselves with them for the edification of the church».

The apostles wrote about themselves: 2 Corinthians 6:10 « ... we are grieved, but we always rejoice; we beggars but many enrich; we we have nothing, but we have everything ».

The apostles were not rich people. On the contrary, they even called themselves beggars. But at the same time, they were the richest people in the world, for they were the owners of incorruptible wealth: faith, hope, piety, the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. And they not only possessed this wealth, but also “enriched” many by sharing the Good News of salvation with every person they met on their life path.

By the way, today many people ask: “Why do Christians need to gather, go to church and prayer meetings? What does it give them? The answer is obvious: Christians gather in order to share blessings with each other and enrich each other with incorruptible wealth, as did the first disciples of Christ. The Bible tells us to do the same: 1 Corinthians 14:12 « So you too, jealous of spiritual gifts, try be enriched by them for the edification of the church ».

This is about incorruptible wealth. Now let's get back to talking about material wealth and poverty.

The poor and the rich are often compared in the Bible:

Proverbs 22:2 « Rich and poor meet each other: the Lord created both». Proverbs 19:4 « Wealth adds a lot of friends, and poor leaves his friend». Proverbs 14:20 « Poor hate happens even to those close to us, and rich many friends».

Poor and Rich are often contrasted in the Bible:

Proverbs 19:1 « It is better poor who walks in his integrity, rather than rich with lying lips, and, moreover, stupid». Proverbs 28:6 « It is better poor who walks in his integrity, than he who perverts his ways, though he rich ».

Proverbs 28:11 « rich man- a wise man in his own eyes, but a poor wise man will rebuke him». Proverbs 11:28 « He who trusts in his wealth will fall; and the righteous, like a leaf, will be green». Psalm 36:16-17 « Small the righteous is better wealth many of the wicked, for the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous».

III. THE BIBLE ON POVERTY AND POVERTY

We found out that the Bible warns people about the destructiveness of the pursuit of material wealth. Does this mean that God prefers people to be poor and needy? In no case. The Word of God openly speaks against poverty as well. Numerous verses testify to this, testifying to the causes of poverty of poverty in the world. The Bible warns its reader not to repeat the mistakes of foolish and reckless people who have reduced themselves to poverty.

1. Causes of poverty:

A. Laziness is one of the causes of poverty and misery

Proverbs 6:10-11 « You will sleep a little, you will doze a little, you will lie down a little, folding your hands: and your poverty will come, like a passerby, and your need, like a robber.". Proverbs 10:4 " A lazy hand makes poor, but a diligent hand makes rich».

Proverbs 20:13 « Do not like to sleep, so that you do not become poor; keep your eyes open and you will eat your fill of bread».

Proverbs 24:30-34 « I passed by the field of a lazy man and by the vineyard of a foolish man: and behold, all this was overgrown with thorns, its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone fence collapsed. And I looked, and turned my heart, and looked and received a lesson: you will sleep a little, you will take a little nap, you will lie down a little, folding your hands, and your poverty will come, like a passerby, and your need - like an armed man».

B. Drunkenness (riotous lifestyle) is one of the causes of poverty and misery

Proverbs 21:17 « Who loves fun will get poorer; and whoever loves wine and fat will not get rich». Proverbs 23:20-21 « Do not be among those who are drunk on wine, between those who are satiated with meat: for the drunkard and the satiated will become impoverished, and drowsiness will put on rags.».

C. A dissolute way of life is one of the causes of poverty and misery

Proverbs 6:23-26 « ... for the commandment is a lamp, and instruction is light, and edifying teachings are the way to life, to warn you from a worthless woman, from a flattering foreign language. Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and let her not enthrall you with her eyelashes; because because of the prodigal wife impoverished to a piece of bread… »

D. Disobedience to God is one of the causes of poverty and misery

Deuteronomy 15:4-5 « …Unless you will have nothing: for the Lord bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, that you may take it as an inheritance, if you will only listen to the voice of the Lord your God and strive to do all these commandments which I command you today».

Proverbs 13:19 « Poverty and shame to the one who rejects the doctrine; but whoever keeps the instruction will be honored».

E. The sin that reigns in the world and its consequences is one of the causes of poverty God did not create man as a beggar. He gave man's dominion over the whole earth and everything that fills it. But God's plan of things was broken and marred by human sin.

We see that there are more than enough reasons for poverty and misery in the world. Someone brought himself to poverty by laziness and a sinful way of life; someone's poverty is a consequence of sin acting in the world, and someone's poverty has been "inherited".

Many blame God for their poverty and poverty, but the Lord has nothing to do with it. He cares for everyone without partiality, and especially for those who love Him with all their heart and seek His face day and night. Here is how David testifies: Psalm 36:25-26 « I was young and old and I did not see the righteous man left behind and his descendants asking for bread: every day he has mercy and lends, and his offspring will be a blessing».

CONCLUSION:

So, we found out that the Bible speaks against both enrichment and impoverishment. The following passage testifies to this: Proverbs 30:7-9 « Two things I ask of You, do not refuse me before I die: remove vanity and falsehood from me, poverty and wealth don't give me, feed me with my daily bread, so that, satiated I did not deny you and say, "Who is the Lord?" and to have lunch, did not steal and use the name of my God in vain».

How should we treat our wealth or our poverty? In our opinion, the Lord in His Word gives us a completely reasonable solution to this problem:

First, the Lord calls us to seek the Kingdom of God:

Matthew 6:24-34“No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you: do not worry about your soul what you will eat and what you will drink, nor about your body what you will wear. Is not the soul more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you much better than them? And who among you, by taking care, can add even one cubit to his stature? And what do you care about clothes? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: neither toil nor spin; but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like any of them; But if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God dresses like this, how much more than you, you of little faith! So do not worry and do not say: what shall we eat? or what to drink? Or what to wear? because the Gentiles are looking for all this, and because your Heavenly Father knows that you need all this. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you.. So don't worry about tomorrow for tomorrow he will take care of his own: enough for each day of his care.

Second, the Lord teaches us to be content with what we have:

1 Timothy 6:6-11 « The great gain is to be pious and satisfied. For we have brought nothing into the world; it is clear that we cannot take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. BUT those wishing to enrich themselves they fall into temptation and into a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts that plunge people into disaster and destruction; for the love of money is the root of all evil, which, having given way, some have deviated from the faith and subjected themselves to many sorrows. But you, man of God, run away from this, and prosper in truth, piety, faith, love, patience, meekness».

Philippians 4:11-13 « I'm not saying this because I need it, because I learned to be content with what I have. I can live in poverty I can live in in abundance; learned in everything and in everything, to be satisfied and endure hunger, to be in abundance and in lack. I can do everything in Jesus Christ who strengthens me».

In addition, we should not forget that the Lord has given each of us everything that is necessary for a fulfilling life and piety: 2 Peter 1:3 « As from His divine power we have been given everything we need for life and piety through the knowledge of Him who called us with glory and goodness...»

While many people argue about whether God wants us to prosper, others have taken it and proved that prosperity can be used for good.

Today I would like to bring to your attention the 8 most influential Christian businessmen who, by applying God's principles in business, were able to achieve not only great results, but also become an example of giving and serving people.

John Rockefeller

Today, the name Rockefeller is synonymous with words such as success, fame and money. But how else? Indeed, at the end of the 19th century, John Rockefeller made a fortune for himself, which today is equal to 253 billion US dollars! At peak times, he controlled 90 percent of all US oil, making him the richest man in American (and world, respectively) history, according to Fortune magazine.

But few people know that John Rockefeller was an avid Baptist, gave his first tithe at 16, and never tried alcohol or cigarettes in his life.

Having started his business with kerosene and switched to gasoline in time, John Rockefeller was able to make a fortune for himself, which was equal to 1.5% of the entire country's economy! But despite all his wealth and fame, John D. Rockefeller continued to serve God at his Eire Street Baptist Mission Church, teaching Sunday school there throughout his career. For him, religion was the driving force and he believed that faith was the source of his income. “I believe the power to make money is a gift from God. It is my duty, as a Christian, to first make money, and secondly to do as much as possible. more money to distribute to those in need...

You can read more about the life and ministry of John D. Rockefeller on my blog.

James Penney

James Cash Penney (better known as J. C. Penney) was born to a Baptist pastor and attended church regularly from childhood. At a young age, he managed to open his own store, which he gave the Christian name The Golden Rule store. His motto was: as you want people to do to you, so do you to them.

Over time, changing the name of the store from Golden Rule to J.C. Penney, James expanded the company by opening stores in virtually every major city in America.

Fuss, fame, and money distracted young James from God, and he stopped going to church. But in 1929, after the crash of the stock exchange, James's life was destroyed not only financially, but also emotionally. Some of his friends, seeing his depression, advised him to take a vacation and go to rest in a Christian sanatorium, which James did. There one day, walking along the corridor of the sanatorium, James heard singing from the room: God will take care of you.

James opened the door and, much to his surprise, found that the doctors and nurses of the sanitarium were singing Christian songs together. James sat quietly in the back and listened to the songs that had once been sung in his father's church. Suddenly he realized that all this time, chasing success, he had lost the most important thing - peace, joy and happiness. And then he immediately decided to pray the prayer of repentance. By his own description, he had never experienced anything like this in his life. He was suddenly filled with an inner world that was much more valuable than the millions that he possessed. James left that room a different person and immediately decided to change his lifestyle.

James Cash devoted the second half of his life to serving God and people, becoming a great philanthropist. And when one day he was asked: what event is the starting point in your business, James, without hesitation, spoke about his meeting with God in the hospital room of an old sanatorium.

Sam Walton

Few people know that the founder of the world's largest hypermarket chain wal mart Sam Walton was a dedicated Christian. While working for his friend J. C. Penney for a while, Sam decides in 1962 to open his own shop built on Christian principles.

Always distinguished by unconventional thinking, Sam Walton decided to implement new ideas in business as well. At a time when supermarkets were only in major cities America, Sam decided to take a chance and start opening stores in small towns and remote villages. The second know-how was that he was the first to come up with the idea of ​​a supermarket, where customers could go inside the store and choose their own goods, and then pay for it at the checkout.

Applying Christian principles in business, Sam Walton was able to achieve tremendous success and build the largest distribution network in America! And according to the results of Forbes magazine, in 2010, the Wal-Mart hypermarket became the largest corporation in the world, ahead of Microsoft, Exxon Mobil and Apple!

Sam Walton was an example not only in business, but also in the family. He lived his entire life with one wife (unlike many of today's religious leaders), drove an old Ford pickup truck, and lived in a mediocre home. And all this despite the fact that in 1985 Forbes magazine named him the richest man in America.

According to a recent study by BusinessWeek, today the Walton family is among the 50 largest philanthropists in America, donating millions of dollars to charity.

Henry Heinz

Henry Heinz - a major 19th century Christian businessman, known as the inventor of ketchup and founder of the eponymous company Heinz.

Henry Heinz has always maintained that his success is a direct result of faith in God. One day, visiting England to promote his business, Henry decided to make a pilgrimage tour of the burial places of religious leaders: Isaac Watts, John Bunyan and John Wesley. After visiting the church in which John Wesley preached, Henry wrote: "It felt like I was standing on holy ground."

When Henry died, his will began with the words: “Today, in accordance with His will, I want to make a declaration that Jesus Christ is my Savior!”

Today Heinz is worth $12 billion selling 650 million ketchup packs a year!

Cher Wang

Cher Wang - Taiwanese businesswoman and company founder htc, which specializes in the production of smartphones. As the daughter of minister and businessman Wang Yung-Ching, she built her business on Christian principles from the very beginning. Once in an interview with Chinese media, Cher Wang boldly stated that the Bible is best book on business. Her slogan in life is a paraphrased verse from the book of the prophet Hosea: "A man must have a vision, or he will perish and be lost among the competitors."

In May 2011, Forbes magazine named Cher Wang and her husband Wen Chi Chen the richest people in Taiwan.

jin-sook

Jin Sook and her husband Do Won Chang are ranked 79 out of 400 richest people in America. In 1981, this married couple moved from Korea to America, where at first they worked as cleaners and gas station attendants. Trying to make ends meet, the couple came up with the idea to start sewing fashionable European-style clothes for the Korean diaspora. So in 1984, their first store was opened in Los Angeles called Forever 21.

By applying biblical principles, in just a short time the spouses have already managed to make the company a leader in fashion brands.

To date, Forever 21 is ranked #5 in America in its business area with 600 stores in America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

An interesting fact This company is that at the very beginning, the words John 3:16 were written on all Forever 21 packages.

Truett Cathy

Truet Cathy is the founder of the restaurant fast food Chick-fil-A. As a Baptist church minister (he taught Sunday school for over 50 years), Trueat opened a restaurant in 1946 that operated according to biblical principles.

He said: "If I don't want to work on Sundays, then I can't make my employees do it." From the very beginning, this business model seemed unpromising and was subjected to a lot of criticism. How can a restaurant that is closed on Sunday succeed? After all, weekends are considered the most profitable in the restaurant business! But Truet stood his ground... After a couple of years, he not only withstood the competition and survived, but was able to bring his company into the top ten largest companies in the restaurant business! Today Chick-fil-A has 1900 restaurants and is present in most countries of the world! When Truet Cathy died in 2014, he was worth an estimated $4.2 billion.

Read Truet Cathy's detailed story on my blog.

David Green

To date, David Green is ranked 80th in the list of the richest people in America. He is the founder of the store Hobby Lobby - largest DIY company with 520 stores in 42 states.

David Green opened his first store in 1972 and has always built his business on two principles:
1) Conduct business in harmony with God's laws and
2) Focus business more on people, not money.

All Hobby Lobby stores:
- close early in the evening so that workers can spend time with their families;
- closed on Sundays;
- play Christian music.

To date, David Green has donated more than $500 million to charitable and religious causes, according to Forbes magazine. An interesting fact is that David was the main sponsor of the You Version Bible app, one of the most popular e-Bibles. At the moment, David owns the largest private collection of biblical antiquarians and plans to open a museum of the Bible soon.

Survival in a crisis economy - difficult task for any business. Overcoming the obstacles of the past few years has at times seemed almost impossible, and sometimes even unbelievable. But everything is possible for a believer, and what is impossible for a man is possible for God. Praise Him for the time-tested, Bible-based truths that can save us just like many of our predecessors. Keep them and they will protect you during the economic trials.

1. Living within your means. Like Joseph in Old Testament helped an entire country to survive in the seven years of famine, saving during the fat years (Gen. 41), so we must plan our life and business within our means. Although business owners are experienced in their field, they are often unable to plan their activities, finances, and administrative functions. All this is not the bloodstream for business, such as sales. However, without addressing these issues, the best sales will eventually fail. An owner who anticipates the needs of the business will be better prepared for the unexpected. Accordingly, the owner who manages other tasks, in addition to sales, will prosper. The daily risks that arise in business require an instant solution. Long-term strategic decisions such as opening a new office or starting a new business must be carefully weighed in terms of finance, workforce and market conditions. Smart business management and living within your means will help you survive in any market conditions.

2. Record keeping. Onion. 14:28-30 “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, whether he has what it takes to complete it, so that when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete it, all who see it should not laugh at him, saying : this man started building and could not finish? Efficient accounting of business operations and data management will help prepare monthly and quarterly financial estimates. By adding financial wisdom to your activities, you will be able to interpret financial results, including day-to-day activities, tax cuts, development trends, income and expense analysis, and gain opportunities for future improvement.

3. Debt testing. Rome. 13.8 "Don't owe anything to anyone except mutual love; for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” While many times you are offered a financial solution that feels like the deal of a lifetime, it often turns out to be the worst option for you and your business in the long run. You need to learn on your own or with the help of a professional to determine which plan is best and make sure you don't "bite off more than you can chew." One thing is certain: there have been and will continue to be ups and downs throughout your life. Avoid loans where possible - best guarantee survival in an economic downturn.

4. Understanding indicators. Gen. 2:15 "And the Lord God took the man [whom he had made] and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it." God gave us some things to take care of. He did it for a reason, and He expects us to treat that which is entrusted to us with wisdom, understanding, and responsibility. Whether your business generates a billion dollars in revenue or it's a start-up in your basement, learning to read the numbers, the statistics of its operation is vital to its profitability and even its very existence. Financial indicators act as a wake-up call for an entrepreneur, alerting them to trends, deviations, failures, and success. An owner who is good at compiling and reading financial statements will always be head and shoulders above someone who cannot. Understanding labor costs, cost of goods sold, pricing and market performance are important components of sound management.

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5. Consultations. Prov. 19:20-21 “Listen to advice and accept reproof, so that you may become wise later on. There are many plans in the heart of man, but only what is determined by the Lord will take place. Of the many professionals who provide consulting services it is difficult for a business owner to find someone who will best suit his needs. After working with consultants for some time, you will understand that they, like doctors or lawyers, are very different, each has its own characteristics, education, experience and specialization. Finding the right doctor when you have chest pain is important to your health, and finding the right consultant to fill your financial gaps is important to the success of your business.

John Dillard
Christian consultant and accountant

Source - baznica.info