Your Business Is Your Mission Field

Do you see your business as your mission field?

I’ve had a few people through the years tell me that as a Christian who is an author, management consultant, speaker and University Adjunct Lecturer; those are just jobs for an income and nothing more. They are irrelevant. To serve God I really need to do church activities as my mission.

Really?

What about all the people I serve, encourage and help?

I think this is something we really need to change. Wherever you are in your business. Whether a graphic designer, accountant, personal trainer, teacher, florist, lawyer or whatever—you are serving a number of people who probably like me, tell me that I am different because I am so supportive of them. Some have even said to me ‘you’ve got connections from above’. I’ve been amazed that they have even realized that because I don’t necessarily talk about God but I am living it out. And doing the work that He has given me a real passion to do.

Many of us in business aren’t necessarily doing work just for Christians. Or churches. But have you really thought about how your ‘missionary field’ is your business? Whether you are an entrepreneur or work in an organsation, God uses you certainly doing what you love doing-but it goes beyond that. His spirit guides you to support people, acknowledge them, collaborate with them and help them get ahead. In many organisations this is a rare quality as many are just looking out for themselves and at times putting others down to be sure they don’t move ahead first.

I certainly don’t want to take anything away from the missionaries on the mission field. They are in tough situations with minimal living standards and so much they have to get used to in the culture. And we need to regularly keep them in prayer and support.

But what about the rest of us who stay in our home country, living the daily life in our culture? I see us as managing many ‘mission fields’. Seeking God’s guidance and managing our family, our children’s school, our jobs, our difficult relatives, our clients who we work with.

All of those are people that we have been given to by God to just live authentically with Him. I describe a scenario of either wearing a coat on your body which means you talk theology, talk Christianity and talk about all that you do well. It is an external thing that many people find patronising.

The other scenario is one where you have in essence let God get inside you. Like swallowing a lovely spiritual tablet so He is inside you. What does that mean? To me it means I am authentic. I am walking with God, listening to Him, making mistakes along the way and also expressing so much joy about what is working. And people pick that up. I’m living it instead of talking about it. And people see that and want to know more. In part because being real means I make as many mistakes or resentments as anyone else but somehow God intervenes and I am back on track with forgiveness etc.

What about you? Are you really seeing your work as that important mission from God or do you just see it as a daily grind? Let God show you the big picture He has for you. It might surprise you!