BEING USEFUL TO GOD IN YOUR BUSINESS

EXORDIUM
“Whatever you do in word or in deed do that to the glory of God the Father” (Col. 3:17). “Whatever” is whatever. The businesses we do falls within the category of “whatever.”
Whatever we do we must give glory to God through it. In other words, they must be a source of service to God; they must reflect the knowledge of the God we serve.
Bible recommends that we must serve God with our bodies (Rom. 12:1-2), with our time (Eph. 5:14-16), with our talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and with our treasures or resources. To add to these we must serve God through our businesses or through the work we do. If we do not do so, then we are not useful to God in it and if we are not useful to God in it, then God is not glorified through it.
Christianity is not just coming to Church and going through the motions of “seven items of worship” but allowing the knowledge of God that we have to reflect in all that we do and where we are.
To me, one of the reasons Christianity of toady is gradually loosing its power is that rather than Christians taking Bible, Jesus Christ, God and the Christian Faith into the world, we are busy bringing the world into our sacred lives so much so that we can no longer be distinguished from the rest of the people. What they do are what we do. But if we are different from the way we carry out our businesses, our work and the rest; show seriousness and commitment just like Daniel in Daniel 6:5 that we do not play with our relationship with our God, then they will become curious and their curiosity will lead them to seek truth and then finally be saved.
In this presentation, we shall focus attention on three areas, namely:
1. Taking our businesses serious by treating our customers well;
2. Creating time in our businesses to serve God.
3. using our businesses as our pulpits.


OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
I. TAKING OUR BUSINESSES SERIOUS
Everyone of us are taking our businesses serious because it involves our monies. For all that I know, no one in his or her right mind ever plays with his or her money. We can do anything to protect our monies. While endeavouring to protect our monies, we sometimes forget to play by the rules of honesty, excellent services delivery and to live by our words to the people we serve through our various businesses and the people we do business with generally.
If we do not reflect the highest senses of seriousness, reliability and professionalism, we may not just start losing our sense of purpose of why we are in business in the first place but our customers, business relationships and ultimately our monies.
In taking our businesses serious, I want to suggest that we do the following:
1. Take every business relationship (buying and selling; attending to
Customers/clients needs’ religiously) – Ecclessiastes 9:10.
2. Let diligence and excellence be your watch-word - Proverbs 22:29.
a. It was Martin Luther who once counseled, “If you are sweeper, sweep like no one else can; sweep like Michelangelo painted pictures.”
b. Another person advised, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will build a path to your door.”
c. In whatever you do and in whatever business you are engaged in, do what you do excellently. Let quality be your signature.
3. Let honesty and faithfulness be the hallmark of your client/customer relationships and in all your business transactions with your supplier or those you supply goods. Let honesty be your business policy. Show your Christianity in all you do – Luke 16:10-12.
4. Show integrity when it comes to money matters because money matters matter – II Kings 12: 15; 22:4-7.
5. Deal on original and quality stuffs so much so that if people are looking for or ask for original items in your line of trade people will be directed to your shop or office – Philippians 4: 8.
By doing these people will be curious to know the church you attend and may be compelled to attend with you leading to possible conversion (cf. Zech. 8:23) but if you do not, the tendency is that the name of the God you serve and the name of Lord’s Church will be maligned (Romans 2:17 – 24).
II. CREATING TIME IN OUR BUSINESSES TO SERVE GOD
One of the most powerful statements made in the entire Bible was made by Jesus in Luke 2:49 “.... Do you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” What this statement implies is that on a daily basis, our private activities are subsumed in our Creator’s ultimate business, doing His eternal Will.
When my personal business activities becloud my sense of Christian duties, then something is wrong with my priorities in life. A person who plays or neglects his/her Christian duties ultimately trifles with his/her earthly business as well.
As Christians we need to be reminded that as far as this earthly life is concerned, every arrangement is temporary. There is no permanent arrangement here. The only constant is doing God’s Will.
We came into this world empty handed and we will leave it without any of the materials things we have acquired or desire to acquire (1 Tim. 6:7). In view of this, Jesus our Lord Counsels us in John 6:27: “Labour not for the food that perish but for that which do not perish”. In John 4:34, our Lord said, My food is to do the Will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” In John 9:4 He reiterates the urgency and importance of this when He states, “I must work the work of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” We ask, “What is this day and what is this night?” Day is when you are alive and night is when you are gone from this life. We are also reminded that the ultimate duty of man is service to God (Eccl. 12:13).
If we succeed in our personal businesses but fail in God’s business, we are grand definitions of failure. Our businesses should complement God’s business. Ask yourself, “In what ways have my business complimented God’s work?” Again, “In what way or ways have my business activities enhanced or interfered with God’s work?”
Sometimes, we allow our business activities to interfere with our Christian duties of Bible studies, Prayer Meetings, Visitations, Evangelism, etcetera. Often our businesses have made us more of Sunday, Sunday Christians (Daraprin Christianity) because we only seem to do our Christian duties on Sundays.
“Do not forsake the assembling of the saints as is the manner of some is. . . .” (Heb. 10:25) is spoken to those of us who are allowing our earthly duties to negate our Christian/Spiritual duties.
What then are we supposed to do to become useful to God in our businesses in this respect? Create time for your Spiritual duties and stick to it. Some people think that when they attend every church activity that their businesses will suffer. Far from it! The reverse is often the case. When we neglect God’s work God will in turn neglect ours but when we labour for Him, He in turn labours for us (Prov. 11:25). We are asked to, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, every other thing shall be added to us (Matt. 6:33). The question is, “If we do not take God’s work serious, how would we expect God to take our own businesses serious?”
If we can play with our Christian duties, we can as well play with the well-being of our businesses. When people know us to be serious with our Christian obligations then they can be sure that we cannot be relied upon in serious matters regarding our business relationships. I find it more convenient to relate with a deeply religious person than to deal with one who is not. Therefore, be useful to God in your business by creating time for your own business and that of God’s business. Set aside certain amount of money from your business proceeds to sponsor evangelisms and related projects. Be committed towards enlarging God’s Kingdom where you are!
III. USING OUR BUSINESSES AS OUR PULPITS
“Go into the word and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15-16). We can reach out to many people where we are on a daily basis. We may not realize that every of our client, customer or business partner (supplier or buyer) is a potential convert. What we look for in Sokoto are actually in our shokoto.
Yes, we can use our businesses as our pulpits, How? You might ask. I suggest that we do the following:
1. For everyone you go to his or her shop or for everyone who comes to
yours, initiate Bible discussions on topical issues. When the person shows enough interest, schedule out time for an in-depth study. If you do not know enough, invite a Brother or Sister who knows more than you do to lead in the study.
2. Keep tracts that are stamped ready and hand them over to your
customers or business partners. Sow the seeds of the Gospel through the printed page and scatter that knowledge as far as you can. The song,
“BUT YOU NEVER MENTIONED HIM TO ME” is important here. We might do ourselves a little favour by taking a look at the lyrics of the song.
3. Invite your customers and business partners to church and to church
programs. Speak beautifully of the Church, her uniqueness and simplicity to your customers and business partners that their curiosities should be aroused. Never speak evil of the Church to anyone.
4. Tell them about the various media programs sponsored by churches of
Christ such as Television and radio programs, encouraging them to tune to them.
CONCLUSION:
By “Being useful to God through my Business” I will be helping to spread the knowledge of God, enlarging the borders of God’s Kingdom in hearts and communities of men.
May we work hard at becoming more useful to God in our various businesses either as self-employed artisans, employed under a person or an organization or simply engaged in buying and selling.

Hilary Johnson Chukwuma Chukwurah (Evangelist)
(Minister) Township/Campus Church of Christ
14 Agbugwu Lane, off, University/Market Road.
P.O.Box 351, Nsukka. Enugu State, Nigeria.
E-MAILS: hilaryjohnsonc@yahoo.com
hilaryjohnsonc@gmail.com
PHONE: 234-08039596919