Opinion / Blogs
Christian Values Make Successful Business
29 Jun 2011 at 07:24hrs | Views
MANY Christians have always thought that they never prosper as much as non-Christians do. But this has proved to be a mere myth because some of the leading businesspersons in the country today are believers in the word of God.
Diligent application of the word of God towards running a business is what every Christian businessperson should do to achieve success.
A Christian businessperson should always make sure his/her business decisions in every situation are in line with God's word.
He/she should always look into the Bible for verses that relate to managing business, and ask God for the wisdom to apply the word to the business.
A prudent Christian businessperson should never start with his/her own human wisdom, but with God's truth that is in His word.
Yes, he/she should has a solid foundation in his/her business based on values clearly embedded with God's word.
Most of Prophet Makandiwa's teachings articulate how Christians can use God's word to start and grow successful businesses.
From a Christian perspective, I personally have found Prophet Makandiwa's sermons on managing a business really insightful and inspiring.
Of many of his great teachings on the subject, I remember the one he had one Sunday afternoon when he gave his huge audience a sermon whose theme revolved around "nurturing the spirit of pioneering".
The man took the enthusiastic crowd through a journey of inspiring teachings emphasising hard work, innovation, self-belief, courage, honesty and humility as tools God has given us to take charge of situations around us and bring success into our lives.
The prophet engaged the huge Christian gathering in a mesmerising and insightful interpretation and application of God's word to the fundamentals of starting and running a business that left the congregation filled with awe.
He explained how personal commitment intertwined with unbroken faithfulness and supplication to God can work to bring prosperity in one's life.
Prosperity according to the Oxford Dictionary is a state of being economically or materially successful or rich.
It is one of the most cherished goals in human life. When you are not prosperous it means you are poor and suffering, and definitely nobody wants to be/or remain poor.
While so much has been said about riches in church, apparently there is nothing wrong about being rich though it is what we may do with the riches that may be wrong in the eyes of God.
Psalm 112 vs 1-3 says: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land . . . , Wealth and riches are in his house."
1 Samuel 2 vs 8 says: "The Lord raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he sits them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honour."
Prophet Makandiwa's teachings on business issues seek to transform or revolutionise the generally held misconception that some people are born rich and others poor, and that this dichotomy is unbreakable.
He inspires followers to appreciate that through prayer, God will bring success to our everyday life efforts.
Prophet Makandiwa illustrates his point giving himself as an example. He speaks of his poor upbringing, and how God has turned that around.
The man is simply passionate about growing successful businesspersons in the church, a desire that is clearly inspired by what he has seen God do for him.
When you listen to the man preach, you realise the man has actually given all of his life to mastering and teaching the word of God.
He exudes so much passion for the word. Interpretation of the word of God is spiritual, a science, and an art.
It is spiritual because every verse is inspired by God. It is a science in that there are proven methods and techniques to learn and follow it as taught in theology. It is an art in that one gets better at it with practice and experience.
Prophet Makandiwa has evidently internalised these basic principles, and God has given him the power of discernment over His word.
No prophecy and miracles are ever made by an act of human will or skill, but by men moved by the Holy Spirit.
Prophet Makandiwa has taken it upon himself to eat, drink and sleep the Word and you can't doubt it when you hear him preach.
Yes, God has promised to equip us all to do whatever he calls us to do, but he also rewards those who diligently seek him, according to his own measure. (Hebrews 13:21; 11:6)
Jesus performed many miracles whilst he was still ministering on earth, and these were unmistakable signs that he was the Son of God.
In churches today like in the past, God apportions spiritual gifts of miracles, prophecy, teaching and power to cast out demons (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Without exaggerating their value and importance, miracles and prophecies are sources of great encouragement to believers.
They are divine means for awakening attention amongst all peoples, and they lead those who are receptive to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.
The fact that Prophet Makandiwa is performing miracles and prophecy does not make him superhuman or someone closer to God than the rest of us.
All true believers are with, and in God but with different spiritual gifts. To err is human, and it is possible that Prophet Makandiwa can slip up here and there.
But because of the magnitude of responsibilities God has bestowed upon him, Prophet Makandiwa is aware that he should endlessly and through supplication seek God's guidance all the time so that he does not fall into temptation that will defile his standing.
The criticism he is receiving today was always going to come given the rate at which his ministry is growing, and the sensation with which his crusades have taken the country by storm.
In fact, no one in the country today is attracting the kind of numbers that his church services are attracting; not even politicians, or football matches.
Prophet Makandiwa is revolutionising religious inclinations in the country, and the shot has its victims both inside and outside the church.
His efforts have shaken the foundations of the religious decorum in the country and people are coming from different religious groupings to listen to his phenomenal teachings about the most high God.
His teachings are breaking the bondage of religious doctrines and leveraging the Word. He is rejuvenating the spirit of worship in those who had become so used to going to church merely as a religious obligation.
The prophet's sermons are so amazingly captivating that the moment you start listening you don't care whether you are in a hot tent, under a tree, or in the sun, and every experience at that moment just become part and parcel of the heart-warming and gratifying discourse.
Business success anchored on a rock-solid foundation is built through worshipping God and believing that Jesus is Lord.
---------------------
Bradwell Mhonderwa is the Managing Consultant of Business Ethics Centre, a Corporate Governance and Business Ethics Management firm.
Diligent application of the word of God towards running a business is what every Christian businessperson should do to achieve success.
A Christian businessperson should always make sure his/her business decisions in every situation are in line with God's word.
He/she should always look into the Bible for verses that relate to managing business, and ask God for the wisdom to apply the word to the business.
A prudent Christian businessperson should never start with his/her own human wisdom, but with God's truth that is in His word.
Yes, he/she should has a solid foundation in his/her business based on values clearly embedded with God's word.
Most of Prophet Makandiwa's teachings articulate how Christians can use God's word to start and grow successful businesses.
From a Christian perspective, I personally have found Prophet Makandiwa's sermons on managing a business really insightful and inspiring.
Of many of his great teachings on the subject, I remember the one he had one Sunday afternoon when he gave his huge audience a sermon whose theme revolved around "nurturing the spirit of pioneering".
The man took the enthusiastic crowd through a journey of inspiring teachings emphasising hard work, innovation, self-belief, courage, honesty and humility as tools God has given us to take charge of situations around us and bring success into our lives.
The prophet engaged the huge Christian gathering in a mesmerising and insightful interpretation and application of God's word to the fundamentals of starting and running a business that left the congregation filled with awe.
He explained how personal commitment intertwined with unbroken faithfulness and supplication to God can work to bring prosperity in one's life.
Prosperity according to the Oxford Dictionary is a state of being economically or materially successful or rich.
It is one of the most cherished goals in human life. When you are not prosperous it means you are poor and suffering, and definitely nobody wants to be/or remain poor.
While so much has been said about riches in church, apparently there is nothing wrong about being rich though it is what we may do with the riches that may be wrong in the eyes of God.
Psalm 112 vs 1-3 says: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land . . . , Wealth and riches are in his house."
1 Samuel 2 vs 8 says: "The Lord raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he sits them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honour."
Prophet Makandiwa's teachings on business issues seek to transform or revolutionise the generally held misconception that some people are born rich and others poor, and that this dichotomy is unbreakable.
He inspires followers to appreciate that through prayer, God will bring success to our everyday life efforts.
Prophet Makandiwa illustrates his point giving himself as an example. He speaks of his poor upbringing, and how God has turned that around.
The man is simply passionate about growing successful businesspersons in the church, a desire that is clearly inspired by what he has seen God do for him.
When you listen to the man preach, you realise the man has actually given all of his life to mastering and teaching the word of God.
He exudes so much passion for the word. Interpretation of the word of God is spiritual, a science, and an art.
It is spiritual because every verse is inspired by God. It is a science in that there are proven methods and techniques to learn and follow it as taught in theology. It is an art in that one gets better at it with practice and experience.
Prophet Makandiwa has evidently internalised these basic principles, and God has given him the power of discernment over His word.
No prophecy and miracles are ever made by an act of human will or skill, but by men moved by the Holy Spirit.
Prophet Makandiwa has taken it upon himself to eat, drink and sleep the Word and you can't doubt it when you hear him preach.
Yes, God has promised to equip us all to do whatever he calls us to do, but he also rewards those who diligently seek him, according to his own measure. (Hebrews 13:21; 11:6)
Jesus performed many miracles whilst he was still ministering on earth, and these were unmistakable signs that he was the Son of God.
In churches today like in the past, God apportions spiritual gifts of miracles, prophecy, teaching and power to cast out demons (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Without exaggerating their value and importance, miracles and prophecies are sources of great encouragement to believers.
They are divine means for awakening attention amongst all peoples, and they lead those who are receptive to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.
The fact that Prophet Makandiwa is performing miracles and prophecy does not make him superhuman or someone closer to God than the rest of us.
All true believers are with, and in God but with different spiritual gifts. To err is human, and it is possible that Prophet Makandiwa can slip up here and there.
But because of the magnitude of responsibilities God has bestowed upon him, Prophet Makandiwa is aware that he should endlessly and through supplication seek God's guidance all the time so that he does not fall into temptation that will defile his standing.
The criticism he is receiving today was always going to come given the rate at which his ministry is growing, and the sensation with which his crusades have taken the country by storm.
In fact, no one in the country today is attracting the kind of numbers that his church services are attracting; not even politicians, or football matches.
Prophet Makandiwa is revolutionising religious inclinations in the country, and the shot has its victims both inside and outside the church.
His efforts have shaken the foundations of the religious decorum in the country and people are coming from different religious groupings to listen to his phenomenal teachings about the most high God.
His teachings are breaking the bondage of religious doctrines and leveraging the Word. He is rejuvenating the spirit of worship in those who had become so used to going to church merely as a religious obligation.
The prophet's sermons are so amazingly captivating that the moment you start listening you don't care whether you are in a hot tent, under a tree, or in the sun, and every experience at that moment just become part and parcel of the heart-warming and gratifying discourse.
Business success anchored on a rock-solid foundation is built through worshipping God and believing that Jesus is Lord.
---------------------
Bradwell Mhonderwa is the Managing Consultant of Business Ethics Centre, a Corporate Governance and Business Ethics Management firm.
Source - The Herald
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