(Biblical Guidance for Businesspeople)

Are you getting ready to start something new?  A new career, a new job, a new product, a new division, a new branch, or a new position?

           The Bible provides some specific guidance to help you make it successful. Let’s look at some of the passages that provide guidance for businesspeople.

           Luke 4: 1- 13 records Jesus 40 day fast at the beginning of his ministry.

           Jesus was about ready to begin his ministry. He had just been baptized by John, and the Father had said he was “well pleased” with him.  Now, his life had led him to this moment, and he was about to begin his ministry. 

           But first, note the precursors to this event. 

           *  Jesus was in a right relationship with his father who earlier had said that He was “well pleased” with him.

           *  The work that he was about to begin was clearly a part of the Father’s will and central to His plan. 

           Then, before he began his ministry, Jesus  spent 40 days in prayer and fasting. Satan used this opportunity – at the beginning of the ministry –  to temp him, personally and repeatedly, in order to derail his ministry.  We don’t see the devil this visible and personally involved with Jesus at any other time or place. 

           Jesus rebuked the devil and then recovered from his time of fasting and prayer and began his ministry.       

           If we use this as a template for beginning any new thing, let’s note these aspects of the situation:

           * right relationship with the Father

           * a work that is part of God’s will

           * a time of intense prayer

           * an unusually high level of activity by Satan to attempt to derail it.

           So, the question is, “Is this a pattern that applies to us? Can we apply this as a model for us to use when we begin something new?”    

           Before we answer that, let’s look at other examples. Jesus is about to appoint the 12 apostles to a special relationship with him and a special meaning and mission for their lives.  Note the same two preconditions:  Jesus is in a right relationship with the father, and this new work is clearly a part of the Father’s plan.

           So, what did Jesus do? He spent the whole night in prayer. (Luke 6: 12). Then, he proceeded with the new thing – naming the 12 disciples and charging them with a special relationship with him.  So, the pattern is repeated. 

           And again, the early Christians understood that pattern.  The  church at Antioch was about to send Paul and Barnabus for a mission trip.  But first, they fasted and prayed. (Acts 13¨1-3)  Then, they commissioned Saul and Barnabus to begin something new. 

           The work was clearly in God’s will, as the Holy Spirit had given the direction to do it. And, it was in the church at Antioch where the followers of Christ were first called Christians – a group in a right relationship with God. The pattern repeated.

           I am sure there are other examples from the pages of scripture.  

           So, what can we learn from this  biblical guidance?

           When we are about to begin something new, In order to increase the likelihood of its success,

           1.  Make sure you are in a right relationship with God.

           2.  Ascertain that the work is in God’s will

           3.  Expect heightened spiritual warfare, as the devil tries to derail the work at the           very beginning. It may be that the degree of spiritual hindrance foretells the        ultimate impact of the work.  The greater the  attempt by the devil to derail it, the more likely it is to have an important impact.

           4. Before you begin, spend extra time in prayer and fasting.

           In my own life, I’ve seen these aspects at work. 

           As a young Christian, I created a video-based training program for Bible teachers. Trying to get the series recorded and produced became a case study in spiritual warfare. The camera, which had worked perfectly moments before, would mal-function.  The lighting guy didn’t show up, the video editor went on the blink, etc.  It was one unfortunate and negative issue after another. 

           We eventually completed the program,  but it was easily six months longer than we had anticipated. I was, at the time, ignorant of the Biblical issues that  surround beginning something new, and paid the price in prolonged spiritual warfare.

           Years later, in the near-term aftermath of 911, my business dried up. Every phone call was a cancellation. I finally had to give my staff notice:  “November 15th is the last payday I can make.”

           Faced with the likelihood of  my business failure. I went to the Lord in prayer and fasting out of desperation.

           Within a few weeks we had the idea to do phone seminars, put together the system, organized the first one, promoted it, and saw 125 sites (an unheard of response) register.  We were off and running with a new effort that would become the engine for growth in the business for the next 10 years.

           From both Biblical guidance, and my own personal experience, I’ve learned that the beginning of some new work is critical and requires extra effort to enhance the likelihood of its success.