The Religion of Business

If we look around…I think it would be fair to say that in many cases --Business has found its way into religion, but not enough religion has found its way into business. 

It was one of the most innovative pioneering women of the 19th century who coined the phrase “Religion and Business are not two separate things…they are one.” 

I want to talk to you about the business world of tomorrow. The trends we should be paying attention to, the secret sauce of what will define commerce and capitalism in the remaining years of earth 1.0 and in the beginning years of earth 2.0. 

I think business - the interaction and process of an idea, to a product or service to the exchange of currency for that product or service because someone else sees value in it -- is divine! 

I grew up with two of the hardest working parents around. My dad would drive around asking people to cut up firewood when I was born just to put food on the table. As far as I understand it my parents literally went from rags to riches. I remember asking my mom as a kid how I could obtain a full box of baseball cards. As I remember it - key phrase there - she told me that I had to work or sell things to make money and in turn buy things. 

So the next day she comes running down the driveway very distraught and seemingly shocked because I was selling —well had sold -- and continuing to sell some of my toys. I mean those were old news, I needed these baseball cards. 

That was the genesis of beginning to sing the anthem of ‘everyday I’m hustling’ for the rest of my life. We would go to the conventions - you know the democratic and republican conventions. We were the best democrats at their events and the good ol Republicans at theirs. Their money was all green and we had all the political memorabilia you could need to satisfy your desire to show allegiance to your party. Then it was the olympics and at 13 I skated around Atlanta on rollerblades selling olympic edition monopoly games for 2 weeks and made thousands of dollars that as a 13 year old -what do you think I wisely did with all that money? I went and invested it all into ----custom big bertha golf clubs of course. 

I could go on and on and tell you about trading commodities the next summer and making $100 grand only to lose it all at the end of the summer. 

I graduated college with the intention to make money and give a little away on my path through life. 

But everything changed when I went to India, I saw people with nothing with such contentment and joy from making the decision to walk away from following millions of gods to choose to follow the lowly carpenter of Nazareth. That was a turning point in my life. 

For some reason when I came home, I felt compelled to renounce business as evil, selfish, greedy and to pursue what I believed at the time [key words there] what I believed to be “ministry”. 

I began to explore something called ‘self supporting ministry’ but found really that meant donor supported in many cases. I started to see that for some reason the world had divorced business from ministry. 

I began to see ministries that desperately needed business and businesses that desperately needed ministry. 

Why is it that business can be so devoid of selflessness while religion and ministry can so often be filled with selfishness? 

I began to have this dilemma in my mind. For so long, many have made a very strong argument that business and religion should remain entirely distinct entities. But if this is the case, its tragic. 

As I look at the landscape today I see way too many ‘ministries’ and religious organizations that are desperately in need of the innovative pioneering spirit of business. But I also see businesses with a desperate need for the beauty of pure religion. 

Let me get practical for a minute because what I want to do and show you in the next few minutes is why more religious organizations need businessmen and women. Then I’m gonna flip the script. 

Ellen White, one of the most bold and successful entrepreneurs of the 19th century, shared some notes on this idea that I think are vital to hear to anyone affiliated with the ‘business of the church’. 

In one she said “Those in charge of our conferences should find businessmen to look after the financial details of city work. If such men cannot be found, let facilities be provided for training men to bear these burdens.—The Review and Herald, October 5, 1905.

In another ‘ The policy which worldly businessmen adopt is not the policy to be chosen and carried out by the men who are connected with our institutions. Selfish policy is not heaven-born, it is earthly. In this world the leading maxim is, “The end justifies the means;” and this may be traced in every department of business. It has a controlling influence in every class of society, in the grand councils of nations, and wherever the Spirit of Christ is not the ruling principle. PM82

And finally ‘ Brethren, develop your talent in the direction of serving the Lord; manifest as much tact and ability in working for the upbuilding of the cause of Christ as you do in worldly enterprises. – {5T 425.2}

The bustle of business, if continuous, will dry up spirituality and leave the soul Christless 2TT 132

So my appeal to anyone who still has an interest and a passion in the business of religion - please listen to the counsel. 

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Ok now I want to talk about the meat of the matter - The religion of business. 

There are so many elements of religion that I could address that are essential to business. As we take a look at these I hope you will see why that comment about them being the same and not different is so profound. 

When I think of religion I think of the government and organization structure of Zion – the galactic capitol of the universe. I would argue there is no greater organization to study than one that has been in existence for eons – by studying this organization – we learn of how to deal with conflict, how servant leadership works, what motivates, what accountability looks like, and the list goes on. 

We could talk about the importance of order and record keeping in this organization. 

We could discuss the beauty of hierarchy and why any organization needs a reporting and accountability structure - as shown by the order and divisions of responsibilities of the angels in paradise.

But the practical lesson I’d like to draw from is the one one how each of our organizations needs the religion of this utopian society to govern everything we do – every decision we make. 

I’m a fan of boiling things down, distill the idea down – show me the forest – we can worry about – or focus on the trees later. But what are we really doing here – why are we endeavoring on this enterprise? 

I’ve had the privilege to be a part of a number of different business ventures. In the last few years, I started to make some notes one what I saw as most important. What are those essential elements that you need to be successful? 

I distilled those down to a mantra that I call The Rhodium Rule – Where we don’t just practice the golden rule that Jesus speaks of  in Mathew 7:12 – where He says “Whatever it is you want someone to do for you, do for them – that this -the practicing of this – is the law upon which all the of scripture hangs. But not just stopping there but going above and beyond – asking what we would want someone to do for us – and then doing MORE than that for them. Rhodium being more precious and rare than gold. The way I get there, or at least try to is this mantra – Kindness is King. Candor is Queen. Experience is Everything. 

How do we create experiences as people interact with our product or service where they go tell their friends how remarkable the experience with us was? I think it starts simply by being kind and that’s followed up second with being candid. These two principles I find are the most beautiful guardrails to creating an amazing culture in your organization. Be Kind Always – but don’t be kind while sacrificing principle and truth and honesty and transparency. But be Candid – straightforward, open, forthright – but not to the point of ever not being kind. 

I got these ideas from one of my favorite books called Education. 

In it, the author describes how in paradise there was one law – not ten – one law that governed all of the guardian race – None Liveth to Himself – we find it in Romans 14:7. But then it says it like this “the law that none “liveth to himself” Lucifer was determined to oppose. He desired to live for self. He sought to make himself a center of influence. It was this that incited rebellion in heaven, and it was man’s acceptance of this principle that brought sin on earth.”

And let me say that when someone in an organization – or in a home – or a marriage – decides to live for self – that self is supreme – this is step one to disaster. 

The author continues in speaking about learning from the source of wisdom in scripture – “The student should learn to view the word as a whole and to see the relation of its parts… He or she should -understand the nature of the two principles that are contending for supremacy, and should 

-learn to trace their working through the records of history and prophecy, to the great consummation. He should 

-see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; 

-how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and 

-how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found. – {Ed 190.2}

These two principles that I’m going to share with you, are the life or death of your organization. The life or death of your start up. The life or death of your venture, your marriage, your friendships. 

Principle #1 - 

Unselfishness, the principle of Kingdom of Heaven, is the principle that Lucifer hates; its very existence he denies. 

Principle #2 

See From the beginning of the great controversy Lucifer has endeavored to prove God’s principles of action to be selfish, and he deals in the same way with all who serve God. To disprove Lucifer’s claim is the work of Christ and of all who bear His name. – {Ed 154.3}

It was to give in His own life an illustration of unselfishness that Jesus came in the form of humanity. And all who accept this principle are to be workers together with Him in demonstrating it in practical life.

Let me translate – if you want to be successful in business today – you need an edge, you need something that sets you apart from your competition. What is that 99% of the time – Customer Service – the Customer Experience. 

This isn’t random, it is intentional. The only way your customers, parishioners or whoever else believe you have the best product is if your employees, your team, your organization has experienced the product and has a testimony. It’s your job as a leader to demonstrate this principle of unselfishness to your team, so in turn they demonstrate it throughout the organization and eventually to the customers and them to all the world. 

On this idea of service – talking about bringing more religion into business - "In his providence God places before human beings service that will be as medicine to their diseased minds. Thus he seeks to lead them to put aside the selfish preference, which, if cherished, would disqualify them for the work he has for them….” – {RH May 2, 1907}

Service to each other within our organization, our family, our team – will result in contagion to show that same unselfish spirit to others and them on to others. 

A world of give give give – never ends. A world of take take take…will become extinct. 

If you were to look at most issues within a company’s culture I think they would fall under selfishness. Stealing money, having an affair, dishonest time clock, false reporting, and the list goes on. 

On this idea – Ellen White describes - ”Another book was opened, wherein were recorded the sins of those who profess the truth. Under the general heading of selfishness came every other sin.”…and selfishness is death. 

Look at so many companies that put themselves, their profits, their wallets first…and they are one by one starting to disappear. 

If you want to be on the cutting edge of success in the world of business today and into the future – you’ve gotta find a way to make this idea translate into every moment of delight for your customer. Where they feel like you are going above beyond every single step of the way. Where your employees feel like you are going above and beyond every step of the way. 

That you are practicing what you preach. 

Here are two quick ideas on why showing this type of leadership to others is so important. 

🙌"A kind, courteous Christian is the most powerful argument in favor of the gospel that can be produced." – Ellen White

I’d say it’s the most powerful argument in favor of a good business too. Or Here’s another --One may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to the world. – {DA 309.3}

You can talk religion all day long but if it doesn’t translate into your business – its worthless. If your faith, your spirituality, your religion doesn’t make its way into every business transaction, interaction --- it’s a curse to you and to all of your company and customers. 

This idea isn’t foreign to the gospel story. 

The leader of the organization had executives questioning his motives, his character. So the only way he could show that He was unselfish – he stepped down to the lowliest position, renounced all his authority, his power, his rank, his position, his title – and became one of us. He held nothing back, he risked all, he counted the cost and felt heaven was not worth losing out on you or I. 

He has regained his position and is even more exalted than ever before. 

He’s one of us. Its his organization that ultimately we find ourselves apart of. It’s his unselfishness, his kindness, his humility, his graciousness, his courage, his risk taking nature that we have to emulate on a daily basis. 

Jesus did not count heaven a place to be desired while we were lost!!! 

Do you lead like that? Do you love like that? Do you serve your team and your customers like that? Where their joy, their satisfaction, their peace is prized more than your own?

Today I believe we sit on the verge of moments unlike the world has ever seen. Many of us are asking what do we do with the talents the Lord has given us, what do we do with these desires to work, to be ambitious, to dream? 

I think of the quote “ “The desire to accumulate wealth is an original affection of our nature, implanted there by our Heavenly Father for noble ends.” 

I want to challenge anyone listening to this – dream bigger, dream more, write your vision, make it plain ---but do it with one thought in mind – we can’t take our wealth with us….or can we? 

I want to speak to the extremely ambitious – listen to these words talking about earth 2.0 from the book ‘The Great Controversy’

“There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body. – GC88 677.2

An enterprise by definition is a project or undertaking, typically one that is difficult or requires effort. 

Chew on that. That the future is for the ambitious. But while chewing, consider how you get a head start on building your team in the here and now – 

Matthew 6:19-20 Jesus describes it like this - “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

In your business, keep your priorities in order. Loving God and Loving Your Fellow Man. If you and I do that, we will be successful in this life…and in the life to come. 

I’ll end with a quote. It says it like this “You have felt that business is business, religion is religion, but I tell you that these cannot be divorced. If you seek God with the whole heart, He will be found of you; but, said Christ, “Without Me you can do nothing.” You are not to put asunder that which God has joined—business and religion.” -19MR 17