Christian Business Builder

In this article series, we are looking at Proverbs 3:5-10. This passage is often used to describe generally the whole of the believer’s life (and rightly so). We are narrowing the focus a bit and looking at how this passage should effect the believer as they follow God’s leadership in their business life.

Today we are going to look at step 2 of the process, “and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Have you ever wondered out loud what was wrong with your own understanding. After all, you might well think. you are a pretty smart person, an entrepreneur, and someone who can surly make it in this world. After all we are taught from the time we are first able to catch a ball, run a race, or swing a bat that “we can do anything we put our minds to.”

So, why would the Holy Spirit inspire Solomon to put such a thought as this into the very pages of God’s word? I think that there are at least three reasons:

1. Man’s understanding, since the fall, has always been corrupted by sin. In Genesis 6:5, God’s word tells us, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Now I realize that this verse represents mankind at its most rebellious, but their minds/understanding became more and more evil (corrupt) the more they operated on their own, without a heart that trusted the Lord.

In business, the more we lean on our own understanding rather than having a heart-felt trust of the Lord, the more apt we are to drift from God’s will and be drawn into areas of struggle we are not meant to travel through.

2. God’s thoughts are above our thoughts. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God himself declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Given the opportunity to build your business on the limited understanding of man or the limitless understanding of God which would seem to be the best choice?

3. Even after our conversion to Christ, our understanding is still under the attack of Satan and without God’s blessings we will surly fall! (Romans 7:17-23)

Without God we are limited to a humanistic worldview that basically says, “Get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the lid.” The problem with this worldview is that it violates God’s desire for us to spend ourselves in life (and business) to glorify him. His word clearly teaches that if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness that he will add to us all the things in life that we need!

So … this week think about your view of business and ask yourself the question, “By whose understanding am I building this business?

Talk more later ….

By the way, as always, your comments are both requested and appreciated!