Should Christians Be Concerned About Whom They Do Business With?
Almost every day you spend money in one way or another. If you are paying money to an individual for their services, does it matter what their religious, ethical, and moral beliefs are or what causes they support? If you are buying products, do the manufacturers' ethics, or morals matter and does it matter if they support non-Christian or anti-Christian causes? In this article, we investigate the importance of the religious ethics of whom with or on what you spend money and give you a centuries-old method of prayer that may help you find the answers.
The solution to these questions may not be as clear-cut as you expect. In a way, God gives us a choice to be particular about whom with or on what we spend money, and if we are 100% okay with our decision, God is okay with that choice too. You can clarify the ambiguity of this answer by reading Romans 14. The subject of this scripture is not the topic we are investigating; however, the intent of its author is what is important.
In Romans 14, the apostle Paul speaks about the individual choices of food. To some people eating specific foods may be unholy. There are other Christians that do not believe the types of food that they eat affects their religion. Paul explains that there is no right or wrong answer. He urges Christians to stick to the beliefs they hold, and other Christians should be respectful of those beliefs, even though they may not agree with them. Here is the key to this scripture and why you can use Paul's thought process to answer many questions of how our everyday life can relate to Christianity: Paul reminds us that there is more to the Kingdom of God than the food that we eat. "Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble" (Romans 14:20, NLT). If you replace the choice of food with questions of whom you should do business with, or have business transactions with, you may be able to find the answers you seek.
When you are faced with dilemmas to which there is no specific answer in the Bible, try using the Lectio Divina practice of scriptural reading, meditation, and prayer to help you. The Lectio Divina is Latin for divine reading. It is a centuries-old practice used in monasteries to help those praying to think about their prayers and to let God help them search for meaning through scripture. Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read, meditate, pray, and contemplate. Below, we will look more thoroughly at each step. After each step, you will find it very helpful to keep a journal to write down your thoughts before continuing.
In this situation, the first step of the Lectio Divina is to read Romans 14 and truly try to understand Paul's writing. Look at the context of the time and place of the scripture. When was Romans 14 written? Where was Paul and to whom could he be referring?
The second step, meditation on the scripture, is a topic that could fill a book. To simplify the reflection on Romans 14, find a quiet spot where you can sit and meditate undisturbed for about ten minutes. This might seem like a short period; however, if this is the first time to try meditation, it is a reasonable length of time with which to begin. Set a timer with a gentle alarm, so you do not have to be concerned about the time. Clear your mind of distractions and focus on a verse of Romans 14 that has meaning to you. For example, you may use Romans 14:17, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." For meditation, you could even shorten the words in your mind to the last phrase, "but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Slow your breathing to a comfortable, relaxed pace and spend ten minutes letting these words of the scripture tumble around in your mind. Be attentive, open and awake. Neither clinging to or rejecting thoughts that cross your mind. Try not to let your mind wander too much to unrelated subjects but keep your thoughts on the words of the scripture.
The third step to the Lectio Divina is to spend time with God in prayer. You might consider asking God for help in understanding how Paul's writings in Romans 14 can help you know how to answer the question of whom you should do business with or with whom you should have business transactions. Let your prayer develop however you feel it should.
The last step in the Lectio Divina is to contemplate the scripture, your questions, and your prayers. How does your experience in each step apply to you here and now? How can the thought process used in Romans 14 apply to you? If you are trying to decide whether you should use the business services of a person, does it matter to you what their religious, ethical, and moral beliefs are or what causes they support? Alternatively, if you are buying products, do the ethics or morals of the manufacturer matter to you? Moreover, does it matter to you if they support non-Christian or anti-Christian causes? You may wish to develop your thoughts by learning more about the people or businesses that you are considering.
You may notice that these questions are geared specifically to you, the reader. It is not important what the answer is to anyone else but you. The reason is that if you decide that considering the ethics of the person or companies that you do business with is important, then it is important to you. Just as critical is respecting the opinion of someone who decides that the ethics of certain people or companies is not a problem for them. Using the wisdom of Romans 14, you may see that God intends us to not tear apart His good work over the choices of someone else. Then again, if you feel that how you spend money would influence furthering the Kingdom of God, then it is your choice to do so. It is vital that whatever decision you make, you are committed to being consistent. Paul does infer that being hypocritical, by stating one thing and then doing another, is not acceptable. The greatness of what God has given to all of us is the power of choice.
–Van Richards is a Christian financial advisor as well as the founder of https://www.Advice4LifeInsurance.com and http://www.Advice4Retirement.com. Van draws from his 30 years as a financial advisor to write about financial issues from a Christian perspective. You can contact him at van@advice4lifeinsurance.com.