The focus of this material is also the focus of this blog – God’s call for us to run our businesses as a platform for Christian ministry. Hopefully, after reading this series, you will agree that it is God’s will that we run His businesses as stewards with an eternal perspective. You should also have a better understanding of what this looks like in today’s marketplace.

Focus on Scripture

For the next minute or two, I want you to forget about work, business, etc. and concentrate instead on the Scripture I will highlight below. This post will have the greatest impact on you if you will read each passage in full as you go. If you need to come back to this later to do that, so be it.

However, if you are like me, you will likely never come back to this. You will put it off repeatedly and then finally delete it. If that is the case, please stop now and take the time to do it right.

We Must Have An Eternal Perspective

Let’s start with these passages below. You can follow along in your Bible or just click on the Scripture links.

1. Psalm 39:5
2. Psalm 144:3-4
3. Job 14:1-2

From these verses, it is crystal clear that as humans, our life is extremely short. The Psalmist calls our life a vapor. Job calls it a shadow that does not last.

Question # 1 – Do you TRULY BELIEVE that our lives are short and not guaranteed?

Surviving The Fire

Next, let’s read the following passages:

1. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
2. Matthew 6:19

It is easy to see from these verses that a day is coming when everything on earth will be tested by fire. Only those things we have done that survive this fire will bring us reward. Everything else will burn.

Even between now and that day, we can expect rust, moths, and thieves to destroy or steal anything temporary we possess. Nothing we think we own today is guaranteed to survive intact for our entire lives, much less for eternity. It is all subject to the elements or theft.

Question # 2 – Do you TRULY BELIEVE that all of your earthly possessions will deteriorate and eventually be destroyed on this side of eternity?

Laying Up Treasure

Finally, take a look at these verses:

1. Matthew 6:20-21
2. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
3. 1 Corinthians 3:14

In these verses, God promises us that we can store treasure in heaven that will survive the fire. He promises that, in effect, we can make deposits into an eternal savings account for future use! The only requirement is that we understand the difference between temporal and eternal value.

Question # 3 – Do you TRULY BELIEVE that we can store treasure in heaven through our actions here on earth?

Summing Up The Eternal Perspective

I want you to read back over the three questions listed above. If you answered any of these questions with a “No,” then I recommend you do further study on the infallibility of Scripture. You are certainly welcome to disagree, but, if so, the rest of this post will pretty much be meaningless to you.

IF, and I mean only IF, you answered “Yes” to all three of these questions, then I want you to answer two final questions.

Final Question #1 – Does your personal life (decisions, actions, focus) reflect the fact that you believe these three truths?

Final Question #2 – Does your business life (decisions, actions, focus) reflect the fact that you believe these three truths?

For a great visual illustration of this idea, watch this Francis Chan video on eternal perspective:

Regardless of how qualified I feel, that is exactly what I had the opportunity to do a couple of weekends ago. I was given the opportunity to teach a small group of Christians in Chandigarh, India about Christian business and taking their faith into the marketplace. Before I give you more details about the event itself, let me tell you a little about how it began.

My Passion

I started this blog only eight months ago. I started from scratch. I did not have a platform ahead of time. I did not have a name in the Christian business world beyond my fairly small circle of influence. All I had was a passion welling up inside of me that had to get out.

This passion is for Christian business – using our businesses and/or leadership positions to do ministry for eternal impact in the business world. This passion is what has driven me to attempt to run my business with an eternal perspective for the past eight years. This passion has brought disappointment and victory, but it has also brought opportunities I never would have imagined before.

First Contact

After several months of blogging about Christian business, I received a comment on one of my posts from Pastor Rajeev in India. We exchanged emails and began communicating about our similar passions.

Rajeev mentioned another contact here in the U.S. named Scott Pitman. Scott is actually a car dealer like myself! He owns a very successful Suzuki dealership in Wichita, KS. More than that, Scott is a prime example of a Christian using his business as a platform for ministry. Check out his foundation’s website (Walking in the Reign) to learn more about what he is doing in Wichita as well as Haiti and India!

The Invitation!

Anyway, I talked to Scott about Rajeev and got some information on the work Rajeev has been doing with Scott’s help. I continued communicating with Rajeev about his ministry and mine. One day, he asked me if I used Skype.

I told him I did. He went on to ask if I would be interested in using Skype to teach some of the business people and professionals in his church about Christian business and marketplace ministry. I was shocked at first (reread the first paragraph of this post!), but then I realized God was certainly working in this. There was no other way that someone like me would get this opportunity – except by God!

My Fears

We made necessary preparations, including a practice run with Skype, and then set the date. The closer the date got, the more nervous I got! Surely something would happen and it would get canceled or postponed…maybe they find out I am not really qualified! More likely, they will run across someone else with better skills and more knowledge. Maybe I should even find someone for them and suggest they make the switch!

Maybe you would not have thought all of these things, but I did. I must have asked Rajeev ten times to give me a better feel for the cultural differences, his expectations, the make-up of the audience, etc. I wanted to know more so I could feel more secure. Unfortunately (or not), he just kept saying that I would be fine and that God would take care of it.

Successful Christian Business Conference!

Finally, the day came and the conference went without a hitch…that is if you ignore the 20+ times our internet connection failed! Even so, it really did go smoothly. We were prepared for the hiccups and God paved the way for a smooth presentation (with Rajeev translating). It was truly a remarkable experience.

Audience in India in prayer.

I cannot explain the excitement that was pulsing through me as I sat in my office in Georgia watching a group almost 8,000 miles away in India sit attentively listening to what I had to say about running a Christian business. The teaching lasted three hours straight (1.5 hours of material and the same amount of time spent in translating!). They never took a break, but sat quietly on the floor soaking it up.

Future Opportunities?

They ended the session with a couple of questions, including the request for further teaching. Rajeev also has another church or two that wants to do the same session in their nearby churches! I honestly do not have any idea where this is headed. Nor do I need to! I am much more inclined to just trust God at this point and see where He takes it!

My Take Aways

Here are some take aways I have from this experience:

1. Don’t underestimate God. He can do more than I can imagine. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
2. These things do not depend on my ability, but on His will. (Proverbs 21:31)
3. Learn and grow as I wait on Him. He will use the knowledge I gain. (Psalm 37:34)
4. Moses did not get off the hook just because he felt unqualified. (Exodus 4:1-13)
5. Be faithful in the small things and He will give me bigger ones. (Matthew 25:21)
6. Relax and trust Him. Worrying is not productive. (Matthew 6:27)

What is God preparing you to do?

Are you being patiently faithful?

Do you see a take away I missed?