Why Biblical Principles Bring Clarity to Life and Leadership
What influences your decision-making? Is it determining how to maximize gains and minimize losses? Is it experience, choosing what seems most advantageous for yourself, or for your company or organization? Is it based on appearances — what will present you in the best light to those important to you?
In my years of working with executives and corporate leaders, I found many had at least one document that served as a rudder for guiding their companies. Most had a “mission statement” which articulated what they did — their purpose for existing. Some also had a “vision statement” that expressed where they saw themselves going. Perhaps most revealing of all was a “values statement” that stated underlying principles and values to undergird not only what they did but also how they would do it — and why.
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Roy Disney was the brother of the late Walt Disney, the creative genius whose vision ultimately led to the multi-billion-dollar entertainment conglomerate of films, cartoons, TV shows and dazzling theme parks. As co-founder of the Walt Disney Company, Roy Disney stated, “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” To put it another way, in making decisions, pre-determined values should not only direct present and future operations but also serve to eliminate options and enticements that do not align with those values.
This sounds good, but how does articulating the values an individual or company embraces affect actions and decision-making in a practical sense? Values may differ from one person to another, or from one business to the next, but for people who seek to integrate their faith with the work they do every day, one trusted guide should be the Bible — the Word of God. Here are three examples:
1. For Establishing Priorities
Jesus Christ was asked, “‘What is the greatest commandment…?’” He replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
Considering what Jesus declared, how should our business practices reflect these two all-encompassing commands? How should an organization be operated to demonstrate that love of God is first and foremost? And how should customers, employees, suppliers, buying customers and clients be treated to show that we love them as we love ourselves?
2. For Governing Behavior
The Ten Commandments, stated twice in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21), itemize specific ways for loving and honoring God as well as interacting with other people in a godly manner. They speak of worship, avoiding idolatry, proper speech, avoiding overwork, reverence for parents, and prohibitions against such things as murder, sexual immorality, theft, dishonesty, and jealously desiring what other people have.
3. For Godly Values
What does a godly business or professional person look like? One answer is to value what the Lord values, as stated in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Doing this may be harder than it sounds, but these summarize what He values.
Connecting like-minded men in the workplace with mentors or trusted advisors can help them form clear values in decision-making and guide them to make decisions from a biblical worldview. When Christ is placed at the center of decision making, men are challenged to examine not only their own values but also those of the organizations they serve, asking whether those values are truly being lived out day to day.
Robert J. Tamasy is a former publications director for CBMC and writes for The Connector newsletter. He has written numerous books, including “Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship”; “Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace”; “Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart,” coauthored with Ken Johnson; and “The Heart of Mentoring,” coauthored with David A. Stoddard.
