Faith & Integration
Forum 1
The Great Commission that Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended into heaven is found in Matthew 28:19. He tells them to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” According to the world view of the disciples, this was huge. Because our world view is dictated by our culture, even though 2,000 years have passed and times have changed, this command is just as big to us now as it was to the disciples back then.
How then can we “make disciples of all nations” in today’s business world and what affect does this have in our personal lives, in our churches and on our country as a whole? It is our responsibility as Christians in business to show Christ and His love in all that we say and do. This can be evidenced in our business practices and how we treat those around us, both at home and in foreign countries. Many times Christians are persecuted and treated unfairly because of their beliefs, but God is faithful. Deuteronomy 7:9 says that “The Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations.”
We are witness to everyone we come in contact with. It is important that others see evidence of Christ in us. We are responsible for proving ourselves to be honest and true in everything we do, even when the going gets tough. It is not always easy to do right but God gives us wisdom and grace to make good decisions. I Corinthians 10:13 says that “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
As we trust God to help us make good decisions and we strive to treat those we come in contact with, with love, compassion and fairness, God’s love will become evident in our lives. This is what causes our personal influence to grow, our churches to increase and our businesses to become successful. As we follow God’s leadership, He blesses all that we come in contact with and increases our sphere of influence.