The eternal worth of a small business
iStock
It is not insignificant that Jesus was born into a family who had a small business.
God could have put Him into any number of families, but He chose one whose primary source of income was a small carpentry business.
I wondered why this was so important, until I started researching the Faith and Work movement 14 years ago. It was then that I realized the driving economic force in any country's economy is the small family-run business. Sure, there are huge corporations, but 44% of US economic activity is driven by small businesses, which create 2/3 of all net new jobs.
God loves business. In fact, He wanted His son to experience all the struggles of man, including the challenges of working in a family enterprise. Why? When you run a small business, you are actually running a niche-focused ministry that delivers a product.
God loves business, and He loves work. When He told Adam and Eve to cultivate the Earth, He meant to harvest its resources and use them to bring flourishing to others. Part of Jesus' plan was to use the marketplace to spread the good news, because commerce moves products and information.
The next time you wonder if God has called you into business or ministry, realize that He has called you into a "biznistry," and its focus is a high priority to Him.
You can bring flourishing to the earth by operating a small family business.
 | Jim Brangenberg is an established leader in the faith and work movement who has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and business owner. In 2013, God called him and his wife, Martha, to begin the iWork4Him Talk Show, where they have had the privilege of challenging thousands across the globe with the simple message that your workplace is your mission field. In addition, he and Martha have co-authored a series of collaborative books, iWork4Him, sheWorks4Him, and iRetire4Him. Learn More » |
More on Faith in the Workplace
- There are no excuses for not sharing your faith (by Tom Crenshaw)
- Steps to Launching Your Personal Workplace Ministry (by )
- Why politically driven CEOs are prone to breaking the rules (by Christian Muntean)
- At work…on two jobs! (by WorkLife Success)
