Thoughts From Chris

A couple posts ago I wrote about the point that any truth in the world is God’s truth.  While the Bible is God’s authoritative truth, it is not the only source of truth in the world.  There are all kinds of principles and practices  in the world that are true, and God is the author of them all.

One of the complaints I have heard over the years is that the church is run too much like a business.   I think in some regards this is accurate, but I think in some regards this complaint lacks the understanding that God owns all truth. Let me comment on both.

First, when a church measures success by numbers and finances (like the business world), this is a violation of what God says in his word.  Success in the church is measured by faithfulness, love, and obedience.  This usually leads to numerical growth but not always.  The bottom line for business is money; the bottom line for the church  is obedience and love.

In the business world, leadership is often about position, rank,  authority, and power.  In the church, leadership is about servanthood, love, and influence.

In the business world, decisions are often made based on the desires of the customer.  Businesses offer a product or service tailored to the customer.  Pleasing the customer is one of the highest goals.  In the church, there are no customers. The church is not to look at attenders or potential attenders as customers of goods and services.  The church rather is to shepherd people as children of God.

Based on the above examples (and there are may more), the church can erroneously mirror a business.  This obviously does not please God.  What happens is that churches end up replacing biblical truths with secular and unbiblical principles that have no place in God’s church.

However, the business world does contain many principles that are effective and true (not contained in the Bible) that the church should practice.  Let me give you some examples.

In the business world, you must not allow your expenses to exceed your income.  Many checks and balances are created within the financial arena to prevent this from happening.  In the church, these same principles are true and should be practiced as well.

In the business world, employees must be held accountable to certain job descriptions, ethical standards, and management of time.  When employees compromise these areas of accountability they are often let go.  When a church has paid staff, these same principles must be practiced in order for the leadership to be good stewards of the resources they oversee.  These business practices should be used in the church.

In the business world, leaders often cast vision, establish values, set short term and long term goals, establish teams, develop better communication practices, and make unpopular decisions based on what is best for the future of the company.  All of these principles can enhance the effectiveness of ministry within the church as the body attempts to live out the mandates of Scripture and properly steward every resource he gives each church body. 

The bottom line is that the church can glean many truths from the business world as well as other secular disciplines (e.g. sociology, psychology, finance, accounting, armed forces, engineering, etc.).  Many of these principles and truths developed within these settings are not contained in the Bible.  There is no chapter and verse on how to create a balance sheet and budget, but churches that do not practice these truths can compromise the biblical values of stewardship, frugality, and responsibility.

As we engage in various secular fields and discover helpful principles and truths (that God has created in the world), it becomes imperative that we test these supposed truths in the light of Scripture.  Although God has created an immense amount of truth in the world outside of Scripture, something is never true or from God if it contradicts or compromises Scripture.   Scripture must be our lens as we decipher truth out in the world. 

Almost all secular disciplines in our society practice strands of truth and strands of worldliness.  It is not as simple as positioning God and his word against business or psychology or simply secular society.   That would simply be throwing the baby out with the bathwater as they say.   No, there are strands of extrabiblical truth in most of the disciplines of our society.  It is our job, therefore, to decipher that truth, put it into practice, and thus enhance our ability to live fruitful, effective, and obedient lives to God. 

Be on the lookout for God’s truth whereever you are.  It is all around us.