You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Deuteronomy 5:11
Right now you’re probably thinking, “This should be an easy devotional—I don’t blaspheme…” (except when I say, “Oh my God!” – but he knows I mean that in a nice way – or when I get the bajeebies scared out of me and I say, “Sweet Jesus!”). So I am not misusing God’s name in my work… but I will read on to see what the other people are doing.
We have an increasing number of people who claim to have God in their business. Their mission statements even start with “To glorify God through my business…” Some have Christian literature in their lobbies, crosses in the board rooms and fish on their business cards. Others have company prayer meetings, voluntary of course. Others collect prayer requests from customers and genuinely pray for them. Still others have Bible verses on their products. These things may be good, but it is possible to do them and still misuse God’s name in your business or work. How?
Doing business in God’s name without doing business in his way is misusing his name. God is really into alignment. He does not smile on us when we say we are doing business for Him and our business processes are not based on his principles. He is not pleased when we have Christian symbols on the outside but our core practices are pagan. Further, he makes it clear that we cannot claim he is #1 when we make no time for him, his desires, his dreams, or his plans.
Observe the Sabbath day… so that your maidservant and manservant may rest as you do. Deuteronomy 5:12-14
In God’s kingdom we cannot observe the first three commandments—make God #1, no idols, no misusing his name—if we don’t operate from a place of rest (commandment #4). When we do anything from human effort and striving instead of from a place of rest we are blowing it. Yet most of us are so strung out, so stretched, that we don’t have meaningful time for God. We blame it on work, of course, when the matter is not how much we work but how we work. And what about our leisure time, our Facebooking, our shopping, our gyming, or primping, our Christian meetings, our socializing or our sleeping? Are we a people on the move, or a people at rest? Are we making margin for God? The kingdom of this world is marked by hustle and bustle. The kingdom of God is marked by meaningful work, and rest, and margin for God. If you have the outward trappings without the inward rest and practical alignment at the core of your operations, then there’s a good chance you are unwittingly misusing the name of God in your business or career. If the name says “Kingdom business” and the operations say “strive to arrive”…
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God… Deuteronomy 5:11
Application
- Where does your business look like God on the outside but operate like man on the inside?
- Where has your career succumbed to the pressure of man?
MANY "Christians" today go to church on Sunday in their "Sunday best" clothes, car all washed and shiny, but when they leave, their hearts are back in the world they left a couple of hours previously, far from God. They do and say all the "right" things, but they are not Spirit led. They do not pray without ceasing, they are not salt and light to those around them, they have one foot in each camp. Dead men's bones - much head-knowledge, but their hearts far from God. You can't live that way. One day there WILL be a time when you have to decide which camp you are in. Is it ALL for Jesus? - or is it all for self? His way could cost you ALL your present customers! Good! Now is the time to trust God completely, and let your life be a testimony of His provision, and your discipleship - for His glory and praise. Learn to ask and thank Him for that which you have asked Him for, and believe that He WILL sustain your life and that of your family, but HIS way, and not that of the world's! Be still and KNOW that He is God.
ReplyDeleteThough I agree with this completely, remember that it is the Christian who creates a lot of the problems. The churches belong to a 50l(c)3 for the tax deduction, thus giving sovereignty to the state instead of Christ, hampering them from speaking out on political matters.
ReplyDeleteChristians helped put Obama into office. Christians do not vote by Christian Biblical principles, Christians are for a socialistic state (no, not all but far too many) We have all sinned in giving our values and our country to satan (look at the schools, how many Christian teachers, school board members take a stand for Christ -- very few if any)
Yes it starts in each of us, but it is the Pastors, Priests, Deacons, Elders, etc. who have failed us in their teachings, if they had all believed the Bible completely we would not be in this mess. Art LeBeau, Villa Ridge, MO
I am in full agreement with you. I am a business owner (work from home at this time), but intend to have a manufacturing center soon. I want to make sure that God is first in everything. This was very timely for me as I have been praying that God will lead me and direct me to how to run the business so that He will be honored in everything.
ReplyDeleteAmen to this! The church has led most astray to buying into the American dream instead of the LIVING STREAM. I love this article and the comments.
ReplyDeleteArt please contact me! I work with Christian business people in my work, helping them understand the Kingdom of God! We have no concept of "in the world" we really are and how "of the world" Christ commanded us to be. It shocks my "clients" when I tell them that being a 501c3 is being a slave to the "other kingdom". This truth will become self-evident very soon.
We need to be "separate" and that can only happen when he LISTEN, UNDERSTAND and ACT (be re-sponse-able) to our LORD of LORDs and King of KINGS!
The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peacefull dwelling places, in secure homes, in undistrubed places of rest....Isaiah 32:17-18
Shalom to you all.
Kathy you leave no information as to how I could contact you?
ReplyDeleteFor other readers if you would like to know more as to how the churches have sold themselves to a 50l (c)3 (perhaps even this site) and have become a creature of the state please go to:
www.hushmoney.org
Art LeBeau, Villa Ridge, MO