In his book, “Business for the Glory of God” Wayne Grudem discusses why business and making a profit from it is not evil and can be used for the glory of God. While this book is not an in depth analysis, it does provide a brief overview of why the author believes that business can be and should be used to glorify God. In the book, the author starts off by posing the question of whether or not business itself is good or evil. Of course, business by itself is neither good nor evil it is the people involved in the business that make it what it is. A person’s morals and ethics will shape how their business operates, whether for good or ill. If we use our business to show people the glory of God, than our business is doing good for the kingdom of God. On the other hand, if you are greedy and are only concerned about making money than your business would not be considered good in the eyes of God. In the book, Grudem touches on eleven aspects of business activity and how it can be used to glorify God. While I do not agree completely with all of his statements in the book, I do believe that the essence of what he is trying to say is true. As I go through some of the aspects in this writing I will elaborate on both some of the ones that I agree with on and some of what I don’t agree with as well.
As I read through the book I found myself agreeing with a lot of what the author had to say in his analysis. While I agreed with most of what the author had to say I am only going to discuss a couple of them here. The first aspect that the author spoke on that I am going to discuss is Ownership. While some people might think that owning nice or many things is wrong, it all depends on what you do with the things you own and how you u...
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In the end this entire book was very informative and was quite enjoyable to read. What it really comes down to in the end is that any aspect of business can be used to glorify God, but that we must be careful not to fall into the temptations that come along with it. If we stay steadfast in our faith to God and surround ourselves with Godly examples it will help us to maintain our eyes on God and realize he is the reason we are in business in the first place. If we keep that in mind then God will bless our business and it will be profitable and successful
Works Cited
Holy Bible. (1997). Wheaton: Tyndall.
Demar, G. (2010, November 23). A Biblical View of Private Property. Retrieved 12 6, 2013, from americanvision.org: https://americanvision.org/3756/a-biblical-view-of-private-property/
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the Glory of God. Wheaton: Crossway Books.
Alexander Hill, Just Business Christian Ethics for the Marketplace. Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic, 2008. Paperback. $14.95Jessica Burt
1. The main idea is not only that owning stuff is not the key to happiness, it’s also that consumers today own more than they need to thrive which directly impacts the environment. Hill illustrates the environmental impact by showing statistics of global warming today versus the past century, and how consumerism is leading to a hotter climate. Hill debunks claims of buying happiness by discussing a study where stress hormones spike to their highest when people are managing their personal belongings. Hill’s most prominent example that consumerism is not the answer is himself, as he discusses some of the most stressful times of his life being right after coming into a large sum of money and buying whatever he fancied. When Hill concludes his article, he states that “I have less—and enjoy more. My space is small. My life is big” (213).
"Expositor's Bible Commentary---Revised: 8-Volume Old Testament Set." Expositor's Bible Commentary---Revised: 8-Volume Old Testament Set. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
In the book Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business by author Dr. Wayne Grudem, he discusses several viewpoints about relating with each other in a business setting. Dr. Grudem provides eleven business activities that give us the opportunity to glorify God and follow the Bible as a reference to how we should relate our readings of scripture to everyday business life. They are (1) Ownership; (2) Productivity; (3) Employment; (4) Commercial transactions (buying and selling); (5) Profit; (6) Money; (7) Inequality of possessions; (8) Competition; (9) Borrowing and lending; (10) Attitudes of heart; and (11) Effect on world poverty (Grudem, 2003).
Robinson, B. A. (2008, March 30). Books of the Hebrew Scripture . Retrieved May 7, 2011, from Religious Tolerance: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_otb3.htm
In my conclusion, business ethics is the key to a successful business. Personal values plays a main factor to help you in business. “Whatever you do, work hearty, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). In my business and personal life, I will make sure everything I do is from the heart and for the Lord. I will never put materialistic things over the works and calling of the
In this way, the guidelines for the calling can perpetuate the idea that the exploitation of other peoples is still approved by god. In chapter 5 of his book Weber describes the calling, “favour in the sight of God, is measured primarily in moral terms… But a further, and above all, in practice the most important criterion is found in private profitableness" (2003: 162). The individual is able to decide what defines the “moral terms” as long as there is profitability within the work they do. Again Weber explains that private profit is the most important component of the calling: “Christians must follow the call by taking advantage of the opportunity. 'If God shows you a way in which you may [without wrong to your soul or to any other] '” (2003;
In today’s society, materialistic objects are prized. We strive to gain a self-worth from the things we put our names to, whether it’s tangible or intangible. The term “ownership” can refer to many elements. I agree with Plato in that owning objects is an important factor in building one’s character but I also think that ownership extends beyond the tangible to talents and skill. Ultimately, ownership and the development of self are intricately intertwined, and our possessions often become fragile trophies of self-worth and achievement.
"The purpose of developing a Christian view of the world is not merely to evaluate and judge the world, but to change it," (Boa, 2004). Having a Christian worldview is hard enough in American but add in the entire world and it can be a little trickier. Thinking Christianly has a major impact on how someone would do business overseas, in a global economy. When it comes to a Christian worldview in a global economy there are numerous issues that can come up. Different countries and cultures have different things that they deem acceptable; however, when you are looking at it from a Christian standpoint you may have to handle things in a different manner. Just because something is acceptable or legal in the world does not make it acceptable to someone with a Christian worldview. John 17:17 says that, "The word is truth," so when one is looking for direction and guidance in any aspect of business he will always know that the word of God is truth that he can turn to. Although the field of business has many negative connotations with Christianity there are also positive ones. There are two main issues that this paper will address. The first issue, pollution, can be view negatively. The second issue, job opportunities, can be view positively.
Speaking on Wealth, Lady Philosophy says, “wealth cannot make a man free of want and self-sufficient, though this was the very promise we saw it offering” (83). Moreover, Philosophy points out that the gathering of wealth does not stop people from taking that wealth away (83). Indeed, by its very nature, wealth seems contradictory. If we collect wealth, we believe we will be self-sufficient and free of want, so we hoard it; But “being miserly always makes men hated” (65). In its acquisition, wealth takes away from others, as it is a limited thing, and only brings hatred and paranoia to those who gather it. “[I]t is only when money is transferred to others in the exercise of liberality and ceases to be possessed that it becomes valuable” (65). The acquisition of wealth, then, is folly and can never grant true happiness.
Ownership can increase a person's sense of self, however if taken too far it can be detrimental to a person’s character. There have been many examples in history and modern-day that show that both of these ideas are true. Ownership of ideas can increase sense of self, help people gain confidence, however ownership of ideas can be detrimental to a person’s sense of self.
Charlesworth, Matthew. "The Covenants in the Old Testament." Academia.edu. N.p., 28 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Levine, Amy –Jill and Douglas Knight. The Meaning of the Bible: What Jewish and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us. New York: HarperOne, 2011.
In today's big business, God is never thought about at all. The term oikonomia which refers to God's economy is in no way part of the world's economy. In order to live in God's economy, "adhering to the providential ordering of all things which originate in God, are sustained in existence by God and are destined for eternal life within God" is the way. To live in a life with God you must have love for others and the business world today does not seem to have this love. Companies are just out for the buck and do not seem to care about how they get it. Jesus endured and triumphed over all the temptations that went away from the true reign of God. This is what we must to today, stop worrying about money and start caring about humanity. Gottlieb says that "we must separate what is of ultimate value for us from what is considered "success." To do this is to live a truly spiritual life.
Since the motto “Doing Well By Doing Good” appeared, the number of businesses that have adopted it has increased over time. In order to tell whether this increase is substantial and significant we must first analyze the steps into which this motto has gone through. The implications it has on the market and economy as a whole will also be determinants of whether to adopt the motto or not. In the essay below we will go through the evolution of the meaning of the motto, the concept of social responsibility, the supporters’ argument and their cons.